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Use Strongman-Style Training For Fast Fat Loss & Muscle Gains

by Poliquin Group™ Editorial Staff
3/19/2015 1:39:38 PM
 
Use strongman-style training to lose fat and build muscle so you have a lean, cut body composition. Strongman exercises such as sled training, tire flips, farmer’s walk, and truck pull are an excellent alternative to sprint training for getting rid of fat fast because they produce a muscle-building, fat-burning hormone response.

Strongman training is anaerobic in nature and requires you to generate a lot of force into the ground. This combination makes strongman training effective for improving body composition and building strength for better performance. For example, a recent study looked at the relationship between body composition, 1RM strength in three lifts (deadlift, squat, bench press), and strongman exercise performance in elite rugby athletes.

Results showed that large correlations exist between relative strength in the traditional lifts and performance in the strongman events. Of interest, there was also a strong correlation between flexed bicep girth, calf girth, and mid-thigh girth and performance in the bench press and squat, reinforcing the benefit of muscular development in strength performance and vice versa.

In addition, better strongman, squat, and bench press performance was strongly associated with lower body fat and greater muscle mass.

This suggests that training heavy pull, push, and carry exercises is idea for optimal leanness. Naturally, shorter rest periods between sets or exercises will produce a higher lactic acid response and lead to greater fat burning.