If you’ve ever been disappointed by the lack of weight loss when starting strength training, a study from Brazil may offer encouragement. The study used laboratory animals to demonstrate that strength training activated body mechanisms involved in fat breakdown, reduced fat cell size and even decreased the amount of abdominal fat—again, before any significant weight loss occurred. Authors of the article in the journal Life Sciences offer a message to those who are just starting to exercise and expect immediate results on the scale. Inside our bodies various benefits to health may take place in as little as a week’s time. The research also helps dispel the idea that only aerobic exercise contributes to weight loss while strength training only increases muscle mass.