Weightlifting, along with a nutritious diet, can help you lose weight. Contrary to popular belief, weightlifting won’t make you bulky if you’re female.

To lose weight and burn fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit, which can be achieved in three main ways:

  • eating fewer calories per day than you need
  • burning more calories through exercise than you consume
  • a combination of both

Though lifting weights burns calories, it’s not the most efficient way to do so.

Cardiorespiratory training, also known as cardio — which includes running, cycling, and swimming — burns more caloriesTrusted Source per workout session than weight training.

Weightlifting supports weight loss by building muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically efficientTrusted Source and burn more calories at rest than fat. It’s typically best to add both weight training and cardio to your workout regimen.

Research also suggests that weight training increases metabolic rate, meaning you burn additional calories hours after your workout has ended.

When you lose weight, you’re not losing pure fat — rather, you’re losing:

  • fat mass
  • glycogen stores
  • muscle

Weight training helps preserve muscle massTrusted Source during weight loss, thus increasing fat loss and keeping your metabolism from changing too much.

Overall, weight training, cardio, and a balanced diet are great ways to support weight loss.

While you can build muscle with weightlifting, to build substantial muscle mass you need to lift heavy weightsTrusted Source and eat more calories than you burn — and even then, it can take months to years.

Further, women typically have lower levels of anabolic (muscle-building) hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone, making it harder to gain muscle massTrusted Source.

Also affecting the rate and extent to which you can build muscle are factorsTrusted Source such as:

  • genetics
  • diet
  • body type
  • exercise load
  • volume of exercise
  • intensity of exercise

Weight training provides numerous other benefits in addition to weight loss.

You’ll appear leaner

Muscle is denser than fat, meaning it takes up less space on your body. As you build muscle and lose fat, you’ll naturally appear leaner and smaller.

Although weight training will contribute to fat loss, depending on your starting weight and goals, you may not see a large change in the number on the scale right away.

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t tone your muscles, but building muscles and losing fat showcases muscle definition, creating a stronger, leaner look.

You’ll be stronger

Gaining strength makes daily activities like carrying groceries and keeping up with your kids or pets easier. Plus, it lowers your risk of falls and injuries since you’re better able to support your body.

Weight training is also crucial for bone development because it temporarily stresses bones, signaling the body to rebuild them strongerTrusted Source. This can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, especially as you age.

Lower risk of chronic disease

Weight training can reduce your riskTrusted Source of chronic diseases such as:

Adding both resistance training and cardio to your workout routine may boost your cardiorespiratory healthTrusted Source even more.

Both forms of exercise provide many benefits, including improved heart health, increased lung capacity, and more muscle mass.

Weightlifting is beneficial for women at any age and won’t make you bulky. Rather, it can help create a lean, stronger look.

It helps you build strength and muscle, reduces your risk of chronic diseases, and promotes weight loss.

A workout regimen that includes weight training days targeting various muscle groups, cardio, and a nutritious diet with adequate protein will support your weight loss efforts.