Back when Mark Wahlberg was Marky Mark,

This is how we used to get the lifting started,

We used to mix in with 3 sets of squats,

And when it kicks in you can hardly walk…

– Eminem (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

I have a different opinion than a lot of fitness coaches on GLP-1’s like Ozempic and Wegovy.

I think they are very useful, and I see them as a genuine life-saving measure.

Yes, there are side effects to consider.

But what is better for you?

Dealing with some side effects, or being morbidly obese for your entire life?

(I don’t know the actual answer to that, it’s more a hypothetical question.)

If you’ve struggled your entire adult life with your weight, you should use all the tools at your disposal to get to a healthy body weight.

That includes gastric bypass surgeries, GLP-1’s, or any other medical intervention.

But there’s this trend I’ve been seeing lately across social media I don’t like.

I’ve been seeing people who are already at a “healthy” bodyweight, who are taking these drugs to get “shredded” and under 10% body fat.

I do not like this.

I do not like this at all…

Your immediate reaction to my displeasure might be thinking I’m a hypocrite.

“But Jason, if it’s okay for obese people, why isn’t it okay for healthy people who want a boost to get really lean/shredded?”

That’s a great question… let me explain…

In 2011, I was fat.

Very fat.

300 pounds fat.

35% body fat fat.

“Sweating at the dinner table” and “out of breath tying my shoes” fat.

I started taking my health seriously and in a year, by 2012, I had lost 65 pounds.

I went from 300 to 235 in a year’s time.

I was no longer fat (remember I’m 6’8″)…

But I had come so far that I wanted to keep going.

235 wasn’t good enough for me.

I figured I had the discipline to lose 65 pounds, what’s another 20?

I could get a legitimate 6 pack!

That was something I had never done before, not even as a teenager.

But here’s the thing… this is something everyone who’s ever tried to lose the “last 20 pounds” knows…

Losing the last 20 pounds and getting a 6 pack is 100x harder than losing the first 65 pounds.

You can’t just “starve” yourself to lose the final 20 pounds.

You can do that to lose the first 65.

But if you starve yourself towards the end, your metabolism will tank.

Your immune system will be shot.

You’ll lose a ton of muscle.

You’ll feel like absolute dog shit.

Plus, a 6 pack is a function of 2 things – a low body fat percentage, AND muscle mass.

You’ve seen super skinny dudes who are under 10% body fat and don’t have a 6 pack, right?

Any middle school will have dozens of boys who fit this category.

Very lean.

But no 6 pack.

To get a proper 6 pack, it’s a fine line.

You have to be in a deficit to shred body fat, but you have to fuel the muscle as well.

I had to start looking very carefully at my exact calorie amounts I was eating each day.

I had to start tracking every macronutrient closely and stay well fueled.

I had to lift hard consistently to maintain and build muscle.

I had to be disciplined and consistent in all fitness aspects to obtain the elusive “6 pack”.

It took me a year to lose the first 65 pounds and another year to figure out how to lose the final 20.

I accomplished my goal.

I got the 6 pack, at the age of 32 in 2013.

Now, here’s the part where this all ties in to GLP-1’s.

Getting the actual 6 pack wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be.

Yeah, it was cool to look at.

Compliments poured in, which was nice.

My wife liked it. 😉

But I was kinda “meh” about the whole thing.

You know what was extremely satisfying, though?

The 2 years of hard work and struggle it took to get the 6 pack.

The constant, non-stop obsession about my lifting and diet.

All the times I said no to snacks or desserts or alcohol while on the path to getting visible abs.

The process – and hard work involved – of obtaining the 6 pack was way more satisfying than actually getting the 6 pack itself.

THAT’S the part that gave me extreme confidence.

THAT’S the part I was proud of.

THAT’S the part that gave me the irrational self-belief to start my own business shortly thereafter.

To quit teaching.

To do my own thing.

That act – the act of doing something very hard that very few people on earth ever accomplish – was like a drug to me.

The best kind of drug, though, a “good drug” that filled me with a sense that I could literally do anything, if I had a long enough runway and I worked hard every day.

If I had used a GLP-1 or a peptide like Reta, I don’t think it would have been the same, transformative experience for me.

It would have felt like cheating.

Is it hard to have discipline and consistency when you have a drug flowing through your veins that eliminates hunger and your hedonistic tendencies?

I would imagine it would be a heck of a lot easier.

Doing hard things is always worthwhile.

Anyone who has accomplished great things understands this.

When you get your college diploma, the piece of paper isn’t satisfying.

Thinking back on the late nights, the study sessions, the countless exams, the research papers… all the hard work you put in is what’s satisfying.

When you walk your daughter down the aisle, the wedding itself isn’t satisfying.

Thinking back on the bottle feedings, the changed diapers, the scraped knees, the “Dad talks”, the guidance, and molding your daughter into the beautiful woman she is today… that’s what’s satisfying.

We have a problem in our society where everyone tries to avoid the hard work.

The real question is… is that the right way to go about things?

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.

September-19-2025

N.W.A. Tip Of The Week

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