Weight Lifting or Cardio, Which Is Better at Preventing Diabetes and Obesity?

• Resistance training reduced fat accumulation without major muscle growth — Mice in the resistance exercise group had significantly less visceral and subcutaneous fat than sedentary high-fat-diet mice.²

These benefits occurred without notable increases in muscle mass, showing that improved glucose control wasn’t driven by muscle growth alone. The metabolic benefits weren’t the result of “getting bigger,” but of training the body to use energy more intelligently. Even modest resistance work was enough to reprogram metabolism and sharpen insulin response.

• Endurance training boosted stamina, not metabolism — The endurance-trained mice developed stronger hearts and better exercise capacity, but their blood sugar and insulin sensitivity barely budged.

This shows that while cardio strengthens the cardiovascular system, it doesn’t have the same direct impact on metabolic repair that resistance training does. If your goal is to fix insulin resistance and stabilize energy, building muscle strength is far more effective than logging endless miles.

• Each training style worked through its own biological pathway — Both resistance and endurance exercise offered protection against fat gain, but the mechanisms were completely different.

Resistance training enhanced insulin sensitivity across multiple tests, while endurance training primarily influenced cardiovascular remodeling and protein signaling related to muscle endurance. The researchers found no measurable changes in mitochondrial function or insulin-signaling proteins, meaning the metabolic benefits from lifting came from whole-body adaptation rather than one isolated pathway.

• Shorter, focused resistance sessions proved highly effective — The resistance-trained mice achieved these metabolic benefits through brief, repeated effort-based lifting — not extended endurance sessions. For people managing blood sugar or insulin resistance, this means targeted strength training offers faster, more efficient improvements than longer, high-volume cardio routines.

• Resistance training trains your body to act younger — Lifting weights — or any form of resistance-based exercise — teaches your body to handle glucose like a metabolically healthy person again. It restores the sensitivity of your insulin receptors, reduces fat storage, and keeps energy steady throughout the day. In the context of modern sedentary living and processed diets, resistance exercise isn’t just about strength — it’s metabolic medicine.

• Trained older adults had stronger, more energetic immune cells — The researchers compared men over age 60 who had performed endurance training for decades with untrained men of the same age group.

Those who regularly engaged in endurance training showed dramatically improved NK cell metabolism — meaning their immune cells produced more energy and functioned like those of much younger adults. In short, their immune systems behaved as if they had “turned back the clock.” The trained group also had lower levels of chronic inflammation, an underlying factor in nearly every age-related disease.

• Endurance training helped immune cells make energy more efficiently — In people who regularly did cardio exercise, their NK cells produced energy in a cleaner, steadier way. They used oxygen to turn food into energy, which kept them active and strong for longer periods.

In comparison, people who didn’t exercise relied on a quicker, less efficient system that burned through sugar fast and left their immune cells tired. This is one reason older adults who stay active tend to bounce back from illness or injury much faster.

• Long-term cardio training helped the body resist stress and immune fatigue — When the researchers exposed the participants’ NK cells to common metabolic stressors, the trained group’s cells remained stable and continued functioning at a high level.

Inactive individuals had NK cells that were easily disrupted under the same conditions, showing weaker resilience. For anyone over 50, this means regular endurance activity doesn’t just maintain fitness — it teaches your immune system to handle stress better.

• The effects extended beyond immunity into cellular longevity — Endurance-trained participants showed enhanced mitochondrial density and efficiency — meaning they had more and healthier mitochondria in their NK cells.

Mitochondria act like rechargeable batteries that fuel every cellular process. With age, mitochondria often degrade, leading to fatigue, slower healing and increased disease risk. Regular cardio effectively recharged these “batteries,” improving the body’s energy economy at the most fundamental level.

• Too much cardio typically backfires — balance is key — Cardiologist Dr. James O’Keefe’s research found that doing intense exercise for four to seven hours a week actually erased many of its health benefits.⁴ Pushing too hard too often puts your body under chronic stress instead of helping it recover. The takeaway: find your exercise sweet spot with moderate, consistent activity that leaves you energized, not exhausted.

• The key is mild oxygen restriction that boosts growth signals — When blood flow is partially reduced, oxygen levels in the working muscles drop — a state called hypoxia. This low-oxygen environment activates powerful biochemical messengers known as myokines.

These anti-inflammatory compounds promote muscle growth, improve hormone balance and stimulate protein synthesis, the cellular process that builds new muscle fibers. Your body interprets this “low-oxygen challenge” as intense training, even though the actual load is light and joint-friendly.

• You gain strength and protect your joints at the same time — One of KAATSU’s greatest benefits is that it delivers measurable strength gains with very little mechanical stress.

Older adults, those recovering from injury or anyone hesitant to lift heavy weights can use BFR to maintain or increase muscle mass safely. Because the muscles still experience metabolic fatigue, you get the same cellular and hormonal benefits of heavy training — without the joint pain, muscle strain or long recovery times.

• The secret lies in how your body reacts to the “fake” stress — By briefly restricting venous blood flow, KAATSU tricks your muscles into working harder than they actually are. This encourages your vascular tissue to become more elastic and resilient.

When I interviewed KAATSU expert Steven Munatones, he explained that this “biohack” allows your muscles to work and your vascular tissue to become more elastic. You don’t feel the pain of heavy lifting, yet your muscle fibers and blood vessels are being trained just as effectively. The result is stronger muscles, healthier circulation and improved energy efficiency — especially in older adults.

• It’s simple to integrate KAATSU into everyday life — You can use BFR bands during strength workouts, walking sessions or even while doing light chores. The goal isn’t to fully cut off blood flow — just to apply gentle pressure that challenges your circulation.

Keep each session short, around 15 to 20 minutes, and focus on movements like squats, curls, lunges or pushups using minimal resistance. To learn more, check out my previous article, “How to Stay Fit for Life,” in which I review the science behind KAATSU and explain in greater detail how to use it.

• The main difference between KAATSU and BFR is the tool you’re using — BFR can be done with restriction bands, but KAATSU uses a device that also provides intermittent and not just constant pressure. The KAATSU set is ideal as it is far easier to dial in to the correct pressures. You also get the benefit of intermittent pressure automatically, without having to adjust the bands yourself.

I recommend the C4 model, because the C-series doesn’t have Bluetooth (which emits harmful electromagnetic fields). For a limited time, you can get 10% off any KAATSU equipment by using the promo code DRM.

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1. Lift weights briefly, but regularly — Keep strength sessions short — about 20 minutes twice a week — and focus on quality, not quantity. Compound exercises like squats, pushups and rows train multiple muscle groups at once, improving glucose uptake and metabolic efficiency. This type of resistance work “teaches” your muscles to absorb sugar instead of storing it as fat, helping stabilize your energy throughout the day.

2. Supercharge your results with KAATSU training — If you want to enhance your gains without adding stress or heavy loads, incorporate KAATSU into your strength routine. This method uses soft cuffs or bands around your arms or legs to gently restrict blood flow during exercise. The mild restriction encourages your muscles to work harder at a cellular level, helping you gain strength and endurance using only light weights or bodyweight movements.

You can even use it while walking, stretching, or performing simple mobility drills to boost circulation and speed recovery. For anyone looking to build strength safely and sustain progress long term, KAATSU is a smart way to do more with less effort.

3. Use moderate cardio to recharge your immune system — Walking, cycling or swimming at a comfortable pace strengthens your mitochondria and keeps your immune cells resilient. This type of moderate-intensity exercise increases mitochondrial density and oxygen efficiency, allowing your body to produce more energy with less strain.

Think of moderate cardio, such as one hour of daily walking, as your system’s “reset button” — it clears inflammation, enhances blood flow and keeps your cells functioning youthfully without overtaxing recovery.

4. Alternate intensity to protect your recovery — Mixing light, moderate and resistance-based workouts gives your cells time to adapt and repair. Avoid consecutive high-intensity days — alternate resistance sessions with moderate endurance-focused movement or active rest. This balance keeps cortisol, your primary stress hormone, in check and ensures your mitochondria aren’t overworked. When you finish a session, you should feel recharged, not depleted.

5. Fuel your workouts with real food and protect mitochondrial energy — Even the best training plan falters if your mitochondria are clogged by toxic fats. Eliminate vegetable oils like canola, soybean, corn, sunflower and safflower — all high in linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat that disrupts cellular energy production.

Instead, cook with grass fed butter, ghee or tallow, and avoid high-LA meats like chicken and pork. This shift restores energy production and supports faster recovery. Pair this with nutrient-dense whole foods and healthy carbohydrates like fruit and root vegetables to sustain mitochondrial performance and stable blood sugar.