An exercise like sit-ups or abdominal crunches uses a much smaller volume of muscle than whole-body aerobic exercise and is therefore less efficient at burning calories than an exercise like jogging. Instead, high weight/low rep exercises can be used to maintain or increase the body's muscle mass while dieting. This helps to prevent the metabolic slowdown that otherwise often limits the effect of dieting and causes post-diet weight gain.

This too depends on the type of strength training utilized. Because weight training generally is used for bulking, this bulking method will more than likely increase weight because of the diet involved. However, when resistance or circuit training is used, because it is not geared towards bulking, women tend to lose weight more quickly. Lean muscle requires calories to maintain itself at rest, which will help reduce fat through the Basal Metabolic Rate.

Most people think of dieting in terms of weight loss, but strength trainers can also adjust their diet to improve the results from their workouts. Adequate protein is required for building skeletal muscle. Sources advise weight trainers to consume a high protein diet with from 1.4 to 3.3 g of protein per kg of body weight per day Protein that is neither needed for cell growth and repair nor consumed for energy is converted by the liver into fat, which is then stored in the body. Some people believe that a high protein diet entails risk of kidney damage, but studies have shown that kidney problems only occur in people with previous kidney disease. Nonetheless, the deamination process creates urea, which places low, but consistent, strain on the nephrons. Failure to properly hydrate can result in an exaggeration of this effect.  An adequate supply of carbohydrates  is also needed as a source of energy and for the body to restore glycogen levels in muscles.

A light, balanced meal prior to the workout usually one to two hours beforehand ensures that adequate energy and amino acids are available for the intense bout of exercise. Water is consumed throughout the course of the workout to prevent poor performance due to dehydration. A protein shake is often consumed immediately following the workout, because both protein uptake and protein usage are increased at this time. Glucose  is often consumed as well since this quickly replenishes any glycogen lost during the exercise period. To maximise muscle protein anabolism, recovery drink should contain glucose , protein  hydrosylate containing mainly dipeptides and tripeptides, and leucine.  Some weight trainers also take ergogenic aids such as creatine or steroids to aid muscle growth. However, the effectiveness of some products is disputed and others are potentially harmful.

This depends on what type of strength training is utilized. Orthopaedic specialists used to recommend that children avoid weight training because the growth plates on their bones might be at risk. The very rare reports of growth plate fractures in children who trained with weights occurred as a result of inadequate supervision, improper form or excess weight, and there have been no reports of injuries to growth plates in youth training programs that followed established guidelines.The position of the National Strength and Conditioning Association is that strength training is safe for children if properly designed and supervised.

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