Pol, the logic behind the fat loss got edited out:
At StrongFirst we never focused on fat loss—and got it anyway as a side effect of our strength and power oriented training. We used to call it “the what the hell effect” until StrongFirst master instructor Geoff Neupert came across a study by Izumiya et al. (2008). From the study’s title: “Fast… fiber growth reduces fat mass and improves metabolic parameters…” Neupert, an accomplished Olympic lifter himself, pointed out how lean weightlifters are—all without the dishonor of “cardio”. Indeed, the Soviet national team had a standard of 6-7% bodyfat for everyone but heavyweights—and David Rigert, one of the greatest weightlifters of all time, had 4% bodyfat at a bodyweight of 200-220. He called it “dry, fighting weight”.
What is extraordinary about the 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—P.T.) 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?!”
More great news: you do not have to wait until you have build 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."
