Weight lifting helps achieve weight loss goals because it helps boost your metabolism, which generates additional fat burning enzymes, and your body subsequently burns more fat.

There is some conflicting information on weight lifting and weight loss goals, however.

One expert has stated that if a person is more than 25 pounds overweight that they should set the weight training aside or make it very minimal until aerobic and other forms of exercise have gotten them within 25 pounds of their ideal weight.

The reason that extreme obesity and weight lifting don't work well for weight loss is because obese people often tend to add muscle easily while they in turn resist losing weight.

What some weight loss and weight lifting gurus tell these obese folks is to concentrate their exercise and weight loss efforts in the realm of aerobic exercise until they have gotten their weight down to less than 25 pounds over their ideal body weight.

At this point they can then add the weight lifting to their weight loss and exercise regimen. A person, for example, who is 40 pounds overweight, is recommended to do 30-45 minutes of aerobic activity six days each week. It is further suggested that their weight loss exercise regiment be two different forms of aerobic exercise practiced on alternate days.

Once they get to within 24 pounds of their ideal weight then they can cut their aerobic exercise back to four days a week and use the other two days for weight lifting. This is considered the ideal weight training and weight loss method.