Can I lift in the morning,

Without giving you half of my gains,

And even worse if I was weak,

Would you want me?

– Jay-Z (probably)

If you wish, you can grab the N.W.A. Newsletter Playlist on Spotify here, all of the songs that have been featured in the newsletter are on the playlist.

Happy Friday, Coach J here from Anyman Fitness – and welcome to the latest edition of The N.W.A. Newsletter.

Each week with the N.W.A. Newsletter, I give you the best Nutrition, Weightlifting, and/or Attitude advice for you to start to use in your life today.

Tens of thousands of people have used this exact newsletter to gain muscle, lose fat, and become a better version of themselves…

Without any further ado, let’s get started..

N.W.A. Tip Of The Week

Seems like I’ve pissed off the internet, yet again.

Oh whale…

A few weeks back, I made a post on X that said:

“If you’re under 6 foot, you’ll need to be in the 160-170 pound range to be lean. If you’re more like 5’6″ – 5’8″, try 145.”

The post went semi-viral, and as often happens in these situations, I got called every name under the sun.

People were big mad I would make such a preposterous claim.

Where did I get these numbers from?

They aren’t just random; these numbers are derived from working with a large sample size of clients.

The #1 question I get when it comes to fat loss is “How much do I need to weigh if I want to see my abs?”

There is a rhetorical answer to this, and a raw number answer as well.

The rhetorical answer is simple – “However much weight you think you need to lose, double it. That’s how much you need to lose to see your abs.”

Of course this isn’t exact, but it holds up pretty well.

If you think you need to lose 10 pounds, it’s more like 20.

If you think you need to lose 15 pounds, it’s more like 30.

Etc, etc, etc.

The actual, raw numbers depend on a few factors.

First, yes, there are outliers to what I’m about to say – allow me to list them.

If you are a true mesomorph – someone with elite genetics that naturally looks muscular without even working out – these numbers are too low.

If you are on steroids/PED’s or “blasting” test protocols (not therapeutic) – these numbers are too low.

If you are a seasoned gym rat who has 10+ years of consistent and intense training under your belt – these numbers are too low.

Okay, let’s dive in, shall we?

First, the tall guys.

This is a picture of Sam – Sam is 6’3″ and he weighed 243 pounds when we started working together.

Sam still has *a little bit* of body fat to shred off of him, but his abs are (finally) coming in nicely.

Sam weighs 193 pounds in the picture on the right. He lost 50 pounds in our coaching program.

I’m guessing he will need to weigh about 185 pounds to have the “abs lean” look he wants.

Keep that in mind — 6’3″, 185 pounds.

That sounds about right to have the ‘beach body’ look you’re going for.

What if you’re smack dab in the “average height” cohort?

Here’s a solid example from Cam – we’ve been working together for 6 months – Cam is 5’10” and weighed 170 when we first started working together:

You’ll notice — Cam actually looked pretty lean in the first picture.

But he wanted to bulk, and I told him it would benefit him to shred off the rest of his body fat first.

Cam took that seriously – he weighs 145 pounds in the picture on the right.

Cam lost 25 pounds between the two pictures (and now he’s in his building phase, loving life, looking incredible.)

Keep that in mind – 5’10” and 145 pounds.

That might sound super light, but that’s in the ballpark of how much you’ll weigh when you first get there.

Now, these numbers aren’t steadfast.

If you train hard over a long period of time, they will increase as you gain muscle.

Take me for example…

Here’s a picture of me from 2013.

I’m 6’8″, and in this picture, I weigh 208 pounds:

Granted, this was after my first real cut, where I kept going until I saw abs.

Fast forward 4 years of lifting later… and several bulk/cut cycles…

And this is a picture of me weighing 220 pounds in 2017:

Same general leanness level, but an extra 12 pounds on the scale.

I definitely don’t look as scrawny here.

Fast forward another 8 years, and here’s me weighing 222 pounds in 2025:

So, I’m 2 pounds heavier in that last picture than I was in the picture before it.

I’m leaner.

And have a much more muscular + aesthetic look.

(Also, a side note – cameras have gotten a heck of a lot better in the last 11 years lol)

BUT the fact remains.

The FIRST time you get “abs lean” you are not going to weigh very much.

You haven’t yet done an actual, legitimate bulking cycle.

Why would you think you have a large amount of muscle mass on your frame?

I’m sorry, but those are the breaks.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, though – getting LEAN is your first step towards getting jacked.

Get started, pronto, if you haven’t yet.

February-27-2026

N.W.A. Tip Of The Week

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