**6. Conclusions**

The available evidence continues to support the recommendation that all adults should undertake activities which increase or maintain muscle strength at least twice a week. A credible amount of research exists demonstrating that RT, even when performed in isolation, does contribute to prevention [59], management and rehabilitation of CVD. Further, the historical idea that the benefits of RT and aerobic exercise training are independent of one another, with minimal crossover, is no longer supported by the evidence. This is because, at present, sufficient evidence exists to challenge existing exercise guidelines and recommendations that call for aerobic exercise training to be considered as the gold standard in CVD prevention and management, with RT, at best, being assigned a minor role in a comprehensive exercise therapy programme. In this regard, the available data clearly indicates that when RT is combined aerobic training, the impact in terms of reduction in CVD risk from this combination is greater than the sum of its parts. This is likely caused by the synergistic benefits realised through positive transference by modality - or crossover effect.
