Resistance training

One card per question: one outcome, in one group of people.

9 results: 9 published, 0 pending reviewLast reviewed 26 Oct 2026Data current as of 25 Oct 2026

How to read this page

Each card is one question: what happened to one outcome, in one group of people, when the intervention was compared with the alternative named on the card.
The bars show how sure we are, not how big the effect is. A large effect from weak studies still gets few bars.
The numbers are always there. Open a card to see the studies behind it and the sentence in each paper that a number was read from.

High. We are very confident the real effect is close to what the studies found.
Moderate. The real effect is probably close to what the studies found.
Low. The real effect may be quite different from what the studies found.
Very low. The evidence is very uncertain.
Insufficient. A reviewer found too little evidence to say anything about the effect.
Pending review. Not rated yet. The numbers and sources are shown; a named reviewer still has to rate how sure we can be.

Resistance training: one line per result, with certainty, effect, studies and participants. Open a line to see where it comes from.
Outcome	How sure are we?	Effect	Studies	Participants
Progressive resistance training in older adults
Body fat Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	High	Small difference	–studies	–participants
Everyday physical function Older adults · Progressive resistance training vs control	Moderate	Very small difference	33studies	2,172participants
Everyday physical function Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Medium difference	–studies	–participants
Lean mass Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Small difference	–studies	–participants
Lower-body strength Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Large difference	–studies	–participants
Weekly set volume
Maximum strength Adult men (18–60 y) · Higher vs lower weekly set volume	Low	Direction not stated	9studies	–participants
Proximity to failure
Muscle size Adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	No clear difference	–studies	219participants
Muscle size Trained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	Very small difference	–studies	–participants
Muscle size Untrained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	No clear difference	–studies	–participants

“No clear difference” does not mean “no effect”: the studies may simply be too small to tell.

Loading the grid…

Resistance training: one line per result, with certainty, effect, studies and participants. Open a line to see where it comes from.
Outcome	How sure are we?	Effect	Studies	Participants
Progressive resistance training in older adults
Body fat Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	High	Small difference	–studies	–participants
Everyday physical function Older adults · Progressive resistance training vs control	Moderate	Very small difference	33studies	2,172participants
Everyday physical function Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Medium difference	–studies	–participants
Lean mass Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Small difference	–studies	–participants
Lower-body strength Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control	Moderate	Large difference	–studies	–participants
Weekly set volume
Maximum strength Adult men (18–60 y) · Higher vs lower weekly set volume	Low	Direction not stated	9studies	–participants
Proximity to failure
Muscle size Adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	No clear difference	–studies	219participants
Muscle size Trained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	Very small difference	–studies	–participants
Muscle size Untrained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure	Low	No clear difference	–studies	–participants

Progressive resistance training in older adults

Body fat Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control

High

Small difference

–

Everyday physical function Older adults · Progressive resistance training vs control

Moderate

Very small difference

2,172

Everyday physical function Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control

Moderate

Medium difference

–

Lean mass Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control

Moderate

Small difference

–

Lower-body strength Older adults with frailty or sarcopenia (≥ 65 y) · Resistance training vs control

Moderate

Large difference

–

Weekly set volume

Maximum strength Adult men (18–60 y) · Higher vs lower weekly set volume

Low

Direction not stated

–

Proximity to failure

Muscle size Adults · Training to failure vs not to failure

Low

No clear difference

–

219

Muscle size Trained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure

Low

Very small difference

–

Muscle size Untrained adults · Training to failure vs not to failure

Low

No clear difference

–