Eleven healthy, untrained males (age= 44+/-1 yr; range= 40 to 55 yr) were studied to determine the effects of 16 wk of high-intensity resistive training on risk factors for coronary artery disease. Lipoprotein-lipid profiles, plasma glucose and insulin responses during an oral glucose tolerance test, and blood pressure at rest were determined before and after training. The training program resulted in a 13% increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (39+/-2 vs 44+/-3 mg. dl-1, P less than 0.05), a 43% increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (7+/-2 vs 10+/-2 mg. dl-1, P less than 0.05), a 5% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (129+/-5 vs 122+/-5 mg. dl-1, P less than 0.05), and an 8% decrease in the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (5.1+/-0.3 vs 4.7+/-0.3, P less than 0.01), despite no changes in VO2max, body weight, or percent body fat. Glucose-stimulated plasma insulin concentrations during oral glucose tolerance testing were significantly lower, and supine diastolic blood pressure was reduced (P less than 0.05) as a result of the training program. No changes in any of these variables occurred in a sedentary control group. These findings indicate that resistive training can lower risk factors for coronary artery disease independent of changes in VO2max, body weight, or body composition.