Prioritize TRAINING for STRENGTH over “Fat Loss” (Part 1M)

If you need a kettlebell program that focuses on strength, but strips off body fat in the process, so you get BOTH stronger AND leaner, I recommend this one.
https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettle...
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Where 1M = 1,000,000.

Or at least it feels like it - since I first started writing about this back in 2009. 😆

Let me ask you a question:

Before you run a 5K, what must you do FIRST?

That’s right - run 4.99K.

You have to work up to running that 5K.

And who wins that 5K?

That’s right - the FASTEST runner.

In both cases, you have to display FORCE.

When you can finally run a 5K, you can produce more force.

And the winner of a 5K produced the MOST FORCE over that distance in the shortest time.

(That’s also a measure of “power.”)

In order to lose body fat, you have to be able to do work.

And in most cases, A LOT of work.

Problem is, if you’re not strong, you can’t do work - let alone a lot of work.

To paraphrase Dean Wormer from Animal House addressing Kent Dorfman:

“Fat, weak, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”

Most people who use KBs to lose fat get caught up in the “Bajillion Swing Workout” mentality.

Swings - lots of Swings - really do help.

But again, you have to train to get there.

For example:

1- Use a medium KB and do 20 sets of 5.

Rest as much as you need to between sets.

2- Then work toward doing that same 20 sets of 5 OTM (On The Minute).

3- Then work toward turning that 20 sets of 5 into 10 sets of 10.

4- Then work toward doing that same 10 sets of 10 OTM.

See?

Build strength then endurance.

And as you do this, you’ll get stronger.

You’ll expend more energy (burn more calories) during your workouts.

And depending on how hard your workout is, you’ll expend more calories after your workouts.

(Both contribute to losing body fat.)

Of course, that’s just one example.

There are many, many others.

One of my favorites is using a 5RM on any exercise and turning it into a 10RM.

Then turning that 10RM into a 15RM.

Again, more work requires more energy (more calories burned).

When you use loads like these, your body cannot help but to start building muscle.

So, you’re building muscle and burning calories.

And that “building muscle process” requires burning more calories during the recovery / reconstruction process.

And the more muscle you can build, the more potential strength you can build.

And the stronger you can be.

Which again, means you can do more work and then burn more calories.

“So you can do BOTH - get stronger AND burn fat at the same time?”

… You may be wondering.

Yes - 100%.

It’s my favorite approach to “losing fat.”

And that’s because you’re focused on getting something - “getting stronger” -

And you avoid “scarcity brain” - losing something.

So it keeps you much more motivated.

Especially as you see yourself -

[+] Doing more and more work in your training journal

[+] Getting more muscular in your shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms, and upper back

[+] Losing inches from your waist so your pants fit again

[+] Doing every day tasks with ease

[+] Recapturing the “physical confidence” you once had

Hopefully that makes sense to you.

So, get started and keep focusing on training for strength, add in some “conditioning,” and as long as you’re not eating like a pig, you’ll watch yourself slowly transform.

That is of course if you don’t give up and you’ve structured your training program correctly.

Stay Strong,
Geoff