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 Interestingly, until recently little focus has been placed on how effective weight lifting can be in the battle of the bulge. How does building muscle help you lose fat? Done properly, strength training will maintain or increase your muscle mass, a phenomenon physiology students and fitness geeks refer to as hypertrophy. In other words, because each pound of muscle burns up to 30-40 calories a day (the exact figure is debatable), someone who lifts regularly will burn more calories than someone who doesn't. 

Here is the beautiful byproduct of weight training: by adding muscle, you may increase your daily calorie expenditure even when you are sitting at a desk, watching the tube, or sleeping. (Now there's an outrageous advertising claim: "Get slim while you sleep") 

There is, of course, a catch. Lifting weights alone won't make you slim. We all know people who come to the gym faithfully for years yet never seem to lose those unwanted pounds. We've even seen some who get fatter. In other words, just because you are strong or diligent about working out doesn't mean you'll be slim, nor does it mean you're actually fit.