Fitness study finds cardio more effective than strength training. In the largest study of its kind, Duke University researchers monitored 119 overweight people over the course of eight months to determine which weight loss method yielded the best results: cardio or weight training. They found that the cardio group won by a landslide. The cardio group lost four pounds while the strength training group gained two. While that gain was linked to lean muscle mass, it didn’t lead to significant fat loss overall. The cardio group lost over 3.5 lbs of fat while the strength training group exercised for 47 minutes more weekly and didn’t lose a single bit of fat. The best results were found in the cardio plus strength training group, which lost the most fat and put on the most lean muscle mass. These findings show that the most effective workout method is a healthy combination of both types of exercise.