Subscribe to the NWA Newsletter Here
All I know is pain, all I see is rain,
How can I maintain, with lifting on my brain?
– DMX (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
Occasionally a new client will join our coaching program, and end up in my inbox in Week 1 with a “red flag” question.
A “red flag” question is a question that immediately tells a coach information about the person who’s asking it.
The first of these “red flag” questions is:
“Do I need to use the entire rest periods given?”
The second “red flag” question is:
“These workouts are too short; I’m used to doing much more, can I do more than this?”‘
Both of these questions mean one thing only:
This person is not lifting with enough intensity to reap the benefits of strength training.
The purpose of strength training is to cause a physical adaptation by using progressive overload.
If you are not pushing yourself to failure (or very close to failure), your body will not be forced to make this physical adaptation.
I train in a commercial gym; the same commercial gym since 2016.
There are people I see in there, every single day, and have for the last 8 years.
Many of them have not gained one iota of strength or muscle during that time frame.
There is only one purpose of strength training: TO GET STRONGER.
If you’re not pushing your sets to failure, you will not get stronger.
If you’re not using heavier weights over time, you will not get stronger.
And if you are not getting stronger, you’re wasting your time in the gym.
A properly done compound exercise, taken to failure, should leave you tired and out of breath, begging for at least 2 minutes of rest.
I rest at least 3 minutes between each hard, compound movement, such as pushes, pulls, squats, or hip hinges.
Sometimes, if the weight is particularly taxing, I will rest 4 minutes.
If you are able to “go again” after 1-2 minutes, you are telling on yourself, so to speak.
You’re essentially saying “I left a bunch of reps in the tank, I’m not very tired after the set, and I’m not trying hard enough.”
A proper strength training session lasts somewhere between 40 and 75 minutes.
In that time frame, you will do roughly 12-15 sets on a “low volume” program, and 20-25 sets on a “high volume” program.
If you are able to complete a training session like that, and you are still “fresh” at the end of the session, again, you are telling on yourself.
You’re essentially saying “I didn’t push myself to failure during my sets, and because of this, I’m not tired, and I want to do more.”
A simple rule you can follow to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:
Track your workouts.
Record how many sets and reps you do, and the weight you used.
Each time you get your sets and reps completed, increase the weight 5 pounds.
Every single time, without fail.
Never “go back down” if you can’t get your sets and reps.
Just record them, and try again next time you do that workout, and trust your body will be stronger via adaptation.
If you ever find yourself able to skip your rest periods, or you aren’t extremely fatigued by the end of your workout, it literally can only mean one thing:
You need to try harder in the weight room and be more intense.
That’s it, and that’s all.
—
Check out these results Fabian received in our coaching program (below).
This is what happens when you put in the work.
You can learn more and join about our most popular – and affordable coaching offer here.
More AF Content From Around the Web:
I recently had the opportunity to be on Mark Struczewski’s “Mister Productivity” podcast.
We chatted about fat loss myths, healthy habits, maximizing your productivity, and much more.
Have a listen below!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Anyman Fitness N.W.A. Newsletter.
I’ll be back next week.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Best, Coach J Anyman Fitness
Read the N.W.A. Newsletter Archives
Client Testimonials and Results
Rest in peace… (NSFW – language)