Lifting weights builds muscle, but it failed to shrink visceral belly fat in head-to-head research. A pooled analysis of 35 randomized trials in overweight and obese adults tracked changes in deep abdominal fat using CT and MRI scans. Aerobic exercise significantly reduced visceral fat compared to inactive controls (effect size -0.33). Progressive resistance training did not produce a significant reduction, and combining weights with cardio showed no clear additional benefit. The limit: only 9 of the included trials compared cardio against weight training head-to-head. Obesity Reviews 2012, PMID 21951360