For the progressive resistance training we use 11 exercises. The exercises for upper limbs were held in the waiting room before the hemodialysis session. Resistance exercise was carried out in two sets of 15-20 repetitions, the intensity were determined by the method of maximal repetitions, where series were run until exhaustion to momentary exercises (15-20 repetitions) with specific load. The load adjustments or volume were managed when necessary, but necessarily for every 4th week of training. The effort perception should be situated between 12 and 16 on the Borg scale (Borg and Noble, 1974), as proposed by The Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council: Exercise for the Patient Dialysis (1995).

Aerobic exercise was conducted with a mini ergometer cycling (Mini Bike E5 Acte Sports) attached to the patient chair. Patients exercised 50-60 minutes of continuous workout with increased load. The workload was adjusted when necessary, according to the perceived effort made by the patient. The scale of perceived exertion, Borg scale (Borg and Noble , 1974), was used in accordance with the proposed By The Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council: Exercise for the Patient Dialysis (1995), which defines the values of perceived exertion between 12 and 16.

The control group performed active mobilization of members, circumduction of cervical, scapular girdle and extremities, breathing exercises with no loads, set on three to five repetitions only and no stretch exercises. The exercises were performed during the hemodialysis session, three times per week and did not exceed 5 minutes.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM) and Bone Mineral Contend (BMC) in grams using a total body scan, following the equipment description - HOLOGIC Discovery Wi (Hologic inc, Waltham, MA, USA). Body composition variables included in this study were total mass, body FM, LBM and legs LBM, and BMC. Body composition was assessed after a hemodialysis day; time after previous hemodialysis did not exceed eight hours.

Quality of life assessment was analyzed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 is composed of eleven issues of 36 items that assess eight dimensions events occurred in the last four weeks. For the presentation of the survey results, the final score of each domain was transformed into a scale from 0 (worse) to 100 (better). Total score, mental e physical dimensions were analyzed separated.