Strength training is an excellent way to increase your lean muscle mass and the good news is that this will help you reach your fat-loss goal even faster.  Always equate an increase in muscle mass to an increase in your body's fuel-burning engine. By lifting weights you will go from a four-cylinder to a six-cylinder engine. By increasing your muscle mass, the amount of calories you burn at rest each day will rise as larger muscles need more calories to be maintained.  And since muscle is not as bulky as fat, the size of your clothing will go down and your overall shape will become more scultped while our weight may remain stable.