What Is The “Strong = Fat” LIE…?
- Geoff Neupert
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Time-Tested “Burn Fat & Get Strong!” Single Kettlebell “Built For You” Program
Here’s HOW this actually works - What the research shows us so far. (Like all research, this may change in the coming years.)
1) Hard, fast efforts flip your fat-release switch.
Short heavy / explosive sets spike catecholamines (adrenaline / noradrenaline – your “go” chemicals). Those hit receptors on fat cells and turn on hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which breaks stored fat into usable fuel.
2) You keep burning after – but don’t overhype it.
EPOC (the “afterburn”) scales with intensity: harder, high-quality sets → a bigger, longer post-workout energy cost. It’s real but part of the supporting cast, not the hero.
3) Muscle tells your body to use fat (IL-6 → AMPK).
Hard contractions release IL-6 (a myokine – a messenger made by muscle). IL-6 helps activate AMPK (your cell’s fuel gauge) so you burn more fat and switch fuels more cleanly.
Reviews + mechanism:
Causal clue: When researchers blocked IL-6 signaling with the arthritis drug tocilizumab, people who exercised didn’t lose visceral fat. Kill the signal, lose the VAT benefit.
4) Carbs get pulled into muscle, not parked on your waist.
Contractions move GLUT4 (the glucose “door”) to the muscle cell surface – even without insulin – and training increases how much GLUT4 you have. Post-workout, TBC1D4/AS160 signaling makes muscle extra insulin-sensitive for hours.
5) Meal fat is shuttled into muscle to be used, not into fat cells to be stored.
After training, LPL (lipoprotein lipase) goes up in muscle and down in fat tissue for ~24–72 hours. Translation: You clear triglycerides from the blood into muscle (to burn), not into belly fat (to stash) – especially after meals.
6) You upgrade your engine (PGC-1α → mitochondria).
Even a single interval / ballistic session boosts PGC-1α (the master switch for building mitochondria – your cell’s engines).
Over weeks of heavy + explosive work, fast-twitch fibers remodel from Type IIx → Type IIa: Still fast, now more oxidative (better at using fat and handling carbs).
7) Results in the mirror (and scans), not just mechanisms.
Meta-analyses show intervals reduce abdominal / visceral fat and resistance training reduces fat mass while preserving / adding muscle (your metabolic “armor”).
For pure fat loss, HIIT / HIRT and steady cardio are roughly comparable on average; HIIT / HIRT is usually more time-efficient and often trims visceral fat better.
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Quick Glossary (So we’re speaking the same language)
Type IIx / IIa fibers: High-power, fast-twitch fibers. IIx = fastest, fatigue quickly; IIa = fast and, after training, more “endurance-capable.”
Catecholamines (adrenaline/noradrenaline): “Go” chemicals that help unlock stored fat.
HSL: The enzyme that cuts stored fat into usable fuel.
IL-6 (myokine): A muscle-made signal that nudges the body to burn fat and handle fuel better.
AMPK: The cell’s fuel gauge; when it’s on, you burn more fat and get efficient.
GLUT4: The glucose “door” on muscle – more open doors = better carb handling.
TBC1D4/AS160: A switch that boosts post-exercise insulin sensitivity in muscle.
LPL: The gatekeeper enzyme that moves triglycerides from blood into tissues; post-workout it favors muscle over fat.
PGC-1α / mitochondria: Master switch / engines for endurance and fat oxidation.
EPOC: The afterburn – elevated post-workout energy use (helpful, but not the whole story).
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Putting It All Together
Here’s how you use this information starting today:
1. Use low reps, with heavy load – 1-6 reps per set
2. Train explosively – 5-10 up to 15-20 reps per set
3. Manage your fatigue – Don’t sacrifice your technique for reps
4. Train 3x week
5. Walk daily
If you don't want to invest the time, effort, and trial & error that goes into designing your own plan, I’ll leave the link to a time-tested “built-for-you” 16 week program that will make you stronger and rip the fat off you.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.
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