Comparative study of aerobic and resistance training on weight loss and body composition in adults

Abstract

Aerobic Training (AT) and Resistance Training (RT) are the two common exercise modalities for weight managing and physical health. AT comprises rhythmic, continuous movement that improves cardiovascular endurance and calorie expenditure, whereas RT focuses on muscle strengthening through measured exercises with weights. There is a need for clear comparison research to guide tailored exercise programs for optimal health results. The research aims to compare the influences of RT and AT on weight reduction and body composition in adult individuals. The research proposed the Adaptive Decision Tree (ADT) to identify patterns in participant response and predict fat loss trends. A total of 40 adults aged 20–40 years, with fluctuating fitness backgrounds, were randomly allocated into two equal groups: one engaged in structured AT, and the other in RT-based routines. The intervention was ten weeks long. Participants charted a supervised protocol scheduled at 5 days/week for 30 min at a moderate intensity of AT exercise for the AT group and a full-body RT (3 days/week) routine with progressive overload targeting major muscle groups for the RT group. Pre- and post-intervention data were composed on lean mass, waist-to-hip ratio, body weight, and body fat percentage. Paired and independent t-tests, descriptive statistics, and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) were employed to assess within- and between-group differences. The statistical analysis was executed using SPSS v26, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. Results: demonstrated that both groups presented decreased body fat mass and body weight, with the AT group indicating a superior average weight loss (−4.3 ± 1.2 kg) and the RT group showing a greater gain in lean body mass (+1.9 ± 0.8 kg). The ADT model achieved a higher R-squared value of 0.962084, lower RMSE and MAE, indicating strong predictive accuracy for fat loss trends. Overall, the research demonstrated that AT encourages better weight loss than RT training, but RT training affects positive changes in body composition. The shared insights support tailored program design based on individual health goals.