When it comes to losing belly fat, your first thought might be running on a treadmill or taking on a stepper. And you wouldn’t be wrong about using cardio to lose fat but strength training along with a healthy diet is a key component of any successful weight loss plan. In fact, weight lifting is a very effective method of burning body fat including your love handles. To lose belly fat, you have to lose overall body fat. By increasing your muscle mass through lifting weights, you boost your metabolism and you burn more calories and more fat at rest. As a bonus, lifting weights heavy enough to challenge you but still allow you to finish full sets also burns plenty of calories.