Co-authored by Geoff Neupert, former StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor
At StrongFirst we never focused on fat loss—and got it anyway as a side effect of our strength and power focused training until Geoff Neupert, former StrongFirst Master Instructor and the author of excellent online course on double kettlebell training Kettlebell STRONG! came across a study by Izumiya et al. (2008).
The Fat Loss Methods of World-Class Weightlifters
Neupert, an accomplished Olympic lifter himself, pointed out how lean weightlifters are — all without the dishonor of aerobics. Indeed, the Soviet national team had a standard of 6-7% body fat for everyone but heavyweights — and David Rigert, one of the greatest weightlifters of all time, had 4% body fat at a bodyweight of 200-220lbs. He called it “dry, fighting weight.”
What is extraordinary about the Japanese study is “… a reduction in accumulated white adipose tissue and improvements in metabolic parameters independent of physical activity or changes in the level of food intake.” (The emphasis is mine.)
Neupert, who would become our resident fat-loss expert, has commented, “So you don’t have to rely on things like EPOC, otherwise known as ‘the afterburn effect,’ and you don’t have to rely on getting your heart rate up to burn off calories. And without changing your diet — or going on a diet! How cool is this?”
(Of course, eating clean will get you ripped faster. Here is Rigert’s typical breakfast: two raw eggs, two steaks with no side dishes, 200g (almost half a pound) of sour cream, a cup of coffee, and mineral water.)
More great news: you do not have to wait until you have built as much muscle as a Russian weightlifter. The researchers concluded that, “The results from the current study indicate that modest increases in type 2B skeletal muscle mass can have a profound systemic effect on whole-body metabolism and adipose tissue.” (The emphasis is mine.)
A student of Geoff’s, Stacy Clemson, SFG II
So how do we hammer our fast fibers? There are only three ways: heavy, explosive, or a combination of both. All of the training plans by StrongFirst’s most experienced instructors fall into these categories. Geoff has kindly agreed to publish one of his.
A Simple Strength Program
By Geoff Neupert, CSCS, former StrongFirst Master Instructor
One of the best ways to increase overall body strength is to spend some time with the Clean + Press and the Front Squat. You can either use a single kettlebell or a pair of kettlebells. My preference is always a pair of kettlebells for the intermediate kettlebell user because of the greater systemic strength effect. That means there is more demand placed on the body to get stronger, so it does.
Here’s how the program is laid out:
A1. Clean + Press A2. Front Squat
Use your 5RM on the Press. Set a timer for 30 minutes. You will alternate between sets of A1 and A2: Perform a set of C+P’s, then rest. Then perform a set of FSQ’s, then rest. Then repeat until time expires. Perform as many sets as possible while remaining as fresh as possible. Refuse to “grind” — keep your rep speed the same. If it slows down, rest more between sets.
Week #1:
Day 1: Ladders. 1, 2, 3
Day 2: Sets of 1
Day 3: Sets of 2
Week #2:
Day 1: Ladders. 1, 2, 3
Day 2: Sets of 1
Day 3: Sets of 3
Week #3:
Day 1: Ladders. 1, 2, 3, 4
Day 2: Sets of 2
Day 3: Sets of 3
Week #4:
Day 1: Ladders. 1, 2, 3, 4, (5)
Day 2: Sets of 2
Day 3: Alternate between sets of 3 and 4 if possible.
Week #5:
Day 1: Perform 3×3.
Day 2: Perform a new RM with the same kettlebell(s) you used for the previous 4 weeks. Or you may go up to a heavier kettlebell(s) and perform a new RM.
Some Notes:
You may be tempted to rush between reps and turn this into some kind of MetCon. Don’t. Remember to stay fresh.
A simple method to “stay fresh” is to use “Fast & Loose” drills between sets.
Week 4, Day 3, you’ll see “Alternate between sets of 3 and 4 if possible.” Use wisdom here. If you can’t alternate, don’t force it. Drop back down to 3 reps.
Week 5, Day 1, you’ll see “Ladders. 1, 2, 3, 4, (5).” That means if you feel like you can do a set, or sets of 5, then do so. If you don’t think you can, then don’t.
You may be wondering how many sets you should do per workout. I don’t know. I prefer to use “autoregulation,” meaning, we all have different training backgrounds and work capacities. What is easy for one may be hard for another, so all I do is specify the reps for you.
What should you do on your “off” days? Not much. Restoration work primarily. Easy stretching, mobility work, yoga, or my favorite, Original Strength. Just keep it light and easy. And certainly no MetCon.
Enjoy!
May you reach your “dry, fighting weight” without the dishonor of dieting and aerobics!
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Geoff Neupert, has been training both himself and others with kettlebells since 2002. He’s a former StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. He’s been in the strength & fitness industry since 1993 and has worked as a personal trainer, Division 1 strength and conditioning coach (Rutgers University), a personal training business owner, and an education provider. He had over 25,000 hours of one-on-one personal training between 2001 and 2013, when he stopped training people in person. He has trained people from all walks of life, from middle school athletes, to military special operators, to arthritic grandmothers in their 70s.
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