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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
A common health issue is the phenomena of the “skinny fat” person.
Someone who suffers from being “skinny fat” looks to be at a healthy weight when they have a shirt on, but when they take it off, it’s clear they are overweight and under-muscled.
What causes “skinny fatness”?
A few things…
First, a lack of strength training.
Sarcopenia (muscle loss) starts to effect everyone who doesn’t lift weights at around 30 years old.
If you are not lifting weights regularly, and you are over the age of 30, you are slowly losing muscle and gaining body fat even if you don’t gain any scale weight. (Read more about how this works here.)
Second, a lack of protein intake.
Protein is the building block of muscle.
It’s not just for bodybuilders, or performance athletes.
If you are not eating ample protein, your macronutrient intake is rich in carbohydrates and fats.
When eaten in conjunction with each other, the carb/fat combo is known to add excess calories to your intake, leaving you susceptible to metabolic disease.
Third, a sedentary lifestyle.
The “skinny fat” physique is rampant among office workers and those with desk jobs.
The lack of movement in general will pile the pounds on you over time.
If you take a person, and you wanted to make them skinny fat, you could easily do it by:
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- Giving them an office job.
- Having them eat a low protein, high carb/fat diet.
- Restricting them from lifting weights.
So, how do you “cure” the skinny fat physique?
There’s a few things you can do if you fall into the category of “skinny fat” – here are some simple steps you can take to start to get things back on track:
1. Eat 3-4 meals per day of protein plus carbs.
You need MUSCLE, and carbs builds muscle.
No low carb dieting for you.
Keep your fats low, and eat plenty of animal protein and whole food carbs (rice, potatoes, fruit, and other “clean” carbs).
1a. NO FASTING.
Again, you need MUSCLE.
Fasting is catabolic.
Eating is anabolic.
You want to ensure your muscle protein synthesis is HIGH, and eating protein/carb rich meals every 3-4 days will make this happen.
2. Eat at maintenance OR a slight calorie deficit (200-300 cals, max).
You need to “thread the needle” a bit here and make sure you’re in a bit of a deficit to lose the fat, but you need to fuel yourself to recover and gain muscle as well.
No big, rapid weight loss calorie deficits for you.
3. Lift weights frequently (4 times/week minimum) with higher volume.
Higher frequency/volume correlates to more muscle gain.
Train 4-6 days per week, hit each muscle group at least twice weekly, and use the upper rep ranges (8-12).
Push yourself hard.
No “powerlifting” programs like Starting Strength or Stronglifts.
Lots of reps, lots of sets, and lots of volume – chase that pump and use bodybuilding formats.
4. Track your workouts and take EVERY SET to failure.
One of the reasons you’re undermuscled is you don’t push yourself in the gym.
Show good form, slow tempo, and push every set to failure.
Track your workouts and get stronger every session, no questions asked.
You will grow muscle over time.
5. Master the basics EVERY DAY.
Get 7 hours sleep minimum.
Walk 8-10k steps per day.
Eliminate booze.
Hydrate.
Take creatine.
Don’t skip days/be consistent.
And fast forward 6 months – you’ll look DRASTICALLY different, guaranteed.
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Check out Stu’s results from our group 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.
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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
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