Most people set out to lose weight by restricting caloric intake and performing many hours of cardiovascular exercise. A study published in the journal Obesity Reviews suggests adding an element of resistance training to your program. The review of literature by Harvard researchers found that weight training helps reduce abdominal fat and inflammation while increasing muscle mass.

True Strength Moment: The physical effort of weight training might not burn up as many calories as a cardio session lasting an equal amount of time, but since most dieters lose almost as much muscle mass as they do fat, hoisting plates can help preserve muscle. Consuming a whey protein shake within 30 minutes of finishing each weight training workout can help enhance the effect without adding many calories at all.