Training

1. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 27 July 2026

   Weights plus cardio won on lean mass, not on fat

   Pooling 29 randomised trials in 1,383 people aged 6-45 with overweight or obesity, combining resistance with aerobic training beat aerobic exercise alone for lean body mass and insulin-resistance markers. Body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, blood pressure and lipids showed no consistent difference.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 29 randomised trials (n=1,383) in people aged 6-45 with overweight or obesity; several outcomes rested on few studies with low-to-very-low certainty evidence, secondary analyses are exploratory, and the age range spans children to middle-aged adults.Study · iScience

   Full breakdown →Insulin sensitivity explained →Metabolic Fitness Index →Combined exercise for body composition and cardiometabolic health in obese young people meta analysis. iScience 2026
2. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Landing retraining cut impact force, not proven injuries

   Pooling eight randomised trials, movement retraining substantially reduced peak vertical ground reaction force during landing, a modifiable biomechanical risk marker for ACL injury. No included trial measured actual injury rates, so whether softer landings mean fewer torn ligaments remains unknown.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of nine comparisons from eight randomised trials with only 292 participants in total; certainty of evidence was rated low with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 63%), the subgroup difference rests on just three general-athletic comparisons, and the outcome is a surrogate marker rather than injury incidence.Review · J Funct Morphol Kinesiol

   Full breakdown →Meta-analysis explained →Movement Retraining and Peak Landing Force, a Modifiable Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Marker, in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Primary Prevention. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol 2026
3. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Eight weeks of Pilates eased office workers' neck pain

   In 30 office workers with chronic neck pain, eight weeks of supervised Pilates improved pain, disability, cervical range of motion, neck muscle strength and core endurance. Adding kinesiotaping to the same programme gave no extra benefit for pain or disability, and only improved left cervical rotation.

   ⚠What it shows: Small randomised controlled trial with only 30 office workers completing (16 Pilates, 14 Pilates plus taping), no no-exercise control group, short 8-week follow-up and no blinding of the taping; the authors themselves call for larger studies.RCT · Pain Res Manag

   Full breakdown →Range of motion explained →Pilates and Kinesiotaping for Neck Pain, Disability and Cervical Function in Office Workers: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Pain Res Manag 2026
4. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Contrast training won on power, tied on max strength

   Ten weeks of French contrast training beat equal-load traditional training for jump height, reactive strength, 10-metre sprint and change-of-direction performance in 25 female collegiate basketball players. Maximal strength was the exception: both groups added to their back squat one-rep max, with no advantage to either method.

   ⚠What it shows: Single randomised controlled trial, 25 female collegiate basketball players split into groups of 13 and 12, 10 weeks. Small groups, one sport, trained young women only: findings may not transfer to other populations or to untrained people.Study · Front Physiol

   Full breakdown →Progressive overload explained →One-Rep Max Calculator →Effects of 10-week French contrast training on lower-limb power, short-distance acceleration, and change-of-direction performance in female collegiate basketball players. Front Physiol 2026
5. Trainingwell supported · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Cuffed squats primed power, and felt much harder

   Pooling 15 randomised trials in 244 people, lower-limb blood flow restriction work produced a moderate boost in subsequent explosive performance (SMD 0.55), with the largest effects from multi-joint lifts, rest longer than 4 minutes and cuff pressures of 40-60% of arterial occlusion. It also made the effort feel significantly harder (SMD 0.82 for perceived exertion).

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 15 RCTs totalling 244 participants aged 17-35, so young and mostly trained. Heterogeneity was high for the main outcome (I² = 78%) and several subgroups rested on only 1-2 studies, which the authors say should be read with extreme caution.Systematic review · Front Physiol

   Full breakdown →Training volume explained →One-Rep Max Calculator →The effects of lower limb blood flow restriction training on post-activation potentiation enhancement and fatigue: a meta-analysis. Front Physiol 2026
6. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 26 July 2026

   Balance training lifts strength scores in older men

   Eight weeks of dynamic neuromuscular stability exercises, three sessions a week, improved balance and lower-limb strength in older men: the trained group gained 3.79 points on the Berg Balance Scale, 1.77 extra repetitions on the Chair Stand Test and cut 0.87 seconds from the Timed Up and Go, versus a group doing nothing.

   ⚠What it shows: A small randomised controlled trial in 30 men aged 61-76 in Iran, with a no-intervention control group rather than an active comparator, so attention and general activity effects cannot be ruled out. Single site, short duration, men only.Study · J Aging Res

   Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained →Strength Standards →Responses of Physical Performance to the Eight Weeks of Dynamic Neuromuscular Stability Exercises in Older Men. J Aging Res 2026
7. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 25 July 2026

   Electro-stim beats no training, not the gym.

   Whole-body electromyostimulation improved maximum strength and power in sportspeople and athletes compared to no training, though effects were small to moderate and non-significant when compared directly to voluntary exercise.

   ⚠What it shows: Meta-analysis of 19 WB-EMS groups and 21 controls (18 trials for strength, 8 for power); high heterogeneity for strength (I² 86%); when superimposed on or versus traditional resistance exercise, effects were non-significant; applicability across sport disciplines variable.Review · Muscles

   Full breakdown →Hypertrophy explained →Strength Standards →Effects of Longitudinal Whole-Body Electromyostimulation on Maximum Strength and Power in Sportspeople and Athletes-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Muscles 2026
8. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 25 July 2026

   For metabolic syndrome, mixed training tops the table.

   Combined aerobic and resistance training ranked highest for improving body mass index, waist circumference, LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose in metabolic syndrome; high-volume HIIT was most effective for body fat percentage.

   ⚠What it shows: Network meta-analysis of 53 studies, 2,948 participants; most evidence rated low or very low certainty; no single modality superior across all metabolic syndrome components; phenotype-specific outcomes suggest heterogeneous effectiveness.Study · iScience

   Full breakdown →Metabolic syndrome explained →Metabolic Fitness Index →Comparative efficacy of various exercise therapies for metabolic syndrome a systematic review and network meta-analysis. iScience 2026
9. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 23 July 2026

   Two kinds of jump training, two different adaptations.

   Two-way ballistic and jump squat training both improve explosive strength in highly trained sprinters, but through different neuromuscular pathways: ballistic training enhances early-phase force production with greater vastus lateralis activation during take-off, whilst jump squat training preferentially improves reactive strength.

   ⚠What it shows: RCT in 40 highly trained male sprinters only; 6-week intervention; unclear whether findings generalise to other populations or training contexts.RCT · Scand J Med Sci Sports

   Full breakdown →Mechanical tension explained →Vertical Jump Power Calculator →Effects of Two-Way Ballistic Versus Jump Squat Training on Explosive Strength and Neuromuscular Adaptations in Highly Trained Sprinters. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2026
10. Trainingpreliminary · human dataAdded 23 July 2026

    Deadlifts don't retire.

    Twenty-four weeks of hexagonal barbell deadlift-based resistance training twice weekly improves trunk lean mass, reduces body fat, and enhances trunk extensor strength and mobility in older women, with no adverse events reported.

    ⚠What it shows: Single RCT, n = 32 older women (mean age 67.6 years), supervised twice-weekly training; no assessment of long-term adherence or sustained benefits beyond 24 weeks; whole-body lean mass and lower-limb isokinetic strength did not differ between groups.Study · Exp Gerontol

    Full breakdown →Sarcopenia explained →One-Rep Max Calculator →Effects of free-weight resistance training based on hexagonal barbell deadlift in older women: A 24-week randomized controlled trial. Exp Gerontol 2026

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