The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance training (RT) performed with 2 different volumes on body fat and blood biomarkers in untrained older women. Sixty-five physically independent older women (>= 60 years) were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: low-volume (LV) training group, high-volume (HV) training group, and a control group. Both training groups performed RT for 12 weeks, using 8 exercises of 10 to 15 repetitions maximum for each exercise. The low-volume group performed only a single set per exercise, whereas the HV group performed 3 sets. Anthropometric, body fat (%), trunk fat, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very LDL-c (VLDL-c), glucose (GLU), c-reactive protein (CRP), and composite z-score were measured. The HV group obtained greater improvements compared with the LV group (p < 0.05) for TG (LV -10.5% versus HV -16.6%), VLDL-c (LV -6.5% versus HV -14.8%), GLU (LV -4.7% versus HV -11.1%), CRP (LV -13.2% versus HV -30.8%), % body fat (LV -2.4% versus HV -6.1%), and composite z-score (LV -0.13 +/- 0.30 versus HV -0.57 +/- 0.29). Trunk fat was reduced (p < 0.05) only in the HV group (-6.8%). We conclude that RT performed in higher volume seems to be the most appropriate strategy to reduce body fat (%), trunk fat, improve blood biomarkers, and reduce composite z-score in older women.

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