Let’s lift weights tonight,
You can meet me at the bench press tonight,
We can start to work on that chest tonight,
You know we don’t care what they all say, right?
– Kanye (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
Last week, someone replied to a tweet on X with this comment:
Mark was stuck in a very common trap.
This happens to a LOT of people (it’s happened to me before in the past as well).
At 6’2″, 230 pounds, Mark should be cutting weight and body fat.
But when he eats less, he feels “small”.
Yes, his muscles are more defined, but he doesn’t feel like he’s getting stronger or adding any muscle.
This can be a nasty cycle to be in.
It can leave you confused, and not sure of what to do next.
As such, you can end up “spinning your wheels” and not making long term progress.
Let me break this down for you and give you some straight forward advice if you’re also in Mark’s shoes.
We all have more fat on our bodies than we think we do.
When I hop on the phone with prospective clients, I ask them how much body fat they’d like to lose.
When they give me the answer, 9 out of 10 of them will say a number that is much less than how much weight they should lose.
Meaning, if they say they want to lose “20 pounds” in reality, they should lose 40.
I’m no exception; when I first lost the weight, I thought for sure I’d be “ripped” at 230 pounds.
When I got to 230 pounds… yeah… not so much…
I had to get all the way down to 210 pounds (at 6’8″) before I actually had visible abs.
I was off by a full 20 pounds.
Guess what I looked like the first time I got down to “abs lean”?
Like an absolute bean pole (lol).
Turns out, I had FAR less muscle mass than I thought I had.
This is another universal truth.
Unless you have done a REAL, proper bulk, you will not have much muscle mass on your frame the first time you really get lean.
When you start to get down towards 15% body fat and lower, you’re going to look pretty thin.
Family and friends might say things like “are you okay” or call you “too skinny”.
They did to me… but I didn’t let that deter me.
You want to get as lean as possible FIRST, even if you feel “too skinny”.
Bulking is a long process, and it can add body fat to your frame.
Starting a bulk at 10% body fat is a much better idea than starting one at 15% body fat, even if you’ll be very skinny at 10%.
You never want to get any higher than about 20% body fat when bulking.
Starting at 10% will allow you to bulk for a much longer amount of time, which will add in a larger net gain of muscle.
Also, you won’t be able to add muscle in a deficit for very long (once you get past the beginner/intermediate stage, you’ll need to eat more).
Gaining muscle and losing body fat simultaneously is the ‘Holy Grail’ of fitness.
It DOES happen.
But it doesn’t happen forever, and in every situation…
It happens if you’re relatively new to strength training (or you get on a real program for the very first time).
It happens if you have a lot of weight to lose.
It happens if you are getting back to strength training after a long hiatus (muscle memory is real).
But if you’re a “grizzled gym vet” who has been lifting hard and using progressive overload for years, you’ll need to eat at maintenance or above if you want to gain muscle.
So, what did I tell Mark?
I responded with this:
It’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re a natural lifter and not on PED’s.
Lean
Big
Natty
You can choose 2.
But it’s rare that you can have all 3.
When I’m at my leanest, and I look all cut up for pictures, I’m actually at my weakest.
I have less muscle mass on my frame than I have at a higher bodyweight, towards the end of a bulk.
I’m tired, lethargic, and pretty low energy.
But hey, I look great for those pictures, and I do look “aesthetic”.
If that’s what you’re going for, you’ll need to understand how this all works.
It’s all a part of the process of natural bodybuilding, and it won’t change any time soon.
I currently have a few spots open on my personal, 1:1 roster for coaching.
I team up closely with my 1:1 clients and we work together on an individualized approach for success.
Here’s an example from a recent 1:1 client who lost 68 pounds in my program:
To learn more about this unique, “All In” experience, tap here and fill out this quick form – it will go directly to my email inbox.
Looking forward to speaking with you.
More AF Content From Around the Web:
My college buddies who got drunk as shit regularly are business owners, doctors, and lawyers.
My college buddies who got stoned regularly are still potheads 25 years later and have never amounted to anything.
Take that for what it’s worth.
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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