Welcome to the 3M Insider — your VIP pass to the gains underground.
Three times a week, we’re sliding into your inbox with quick hits of fitness gold, mindset hacks, and behind-the-scenes scoops from the 3M Coaching World. Every issue takes less than 3 minutes to read — because shredded waits for no one. Let’s go.

A Win Worth Sharing

Before we get into the science, let's start where it always matters most — with a real man and a real result.

Josh sent us a note this week that we had to share🙌.

That right there is what the work looks like from the inside — not a number, but a man watching his own body change. No hype, no shortcuts, just showing up and stacking the days. Wins like this are the whole reason we do this.

Want more where that came from? 🎥 Check out more of our testimonials HERE .

Can You Build Muscle While Losing Fat?

Here's a question that comes up constantly, and the answer is not as straightforward as you'd think.

On paper, it seems impossible: if you're eating in a deficit — pulling in less energy than you burn — how could your body possibly build new muscle🏋️? Logical. But the body doesn't always read the textbook.

The Experiment

Researchers have tested exactly this. Put men in a calorie deficit and split them into two camps: one leans on cardio, the other on strength training. The pattern shows up again and again — the strength group holds onto (and sometimes even builds) lean muscle while the fat melts off, while the cardio-only group🏃‍♂️‍➡️ loses fat and sheds hard-earned muscle right along with it. Same deficit. Very different bodies at the finish line. The takeaway: lifting is what tells your body to keep the lean 💪 when calories are low.

It Comes Down to Body Type

In our experience — across hundreds of clients — a lot of this comes down to the body you're working with.

• Ectomorph — naturally lean, a "hard gainer." If this is you, you'll most likely need to eat in a surplus to put on real muscle. Building and cutting at the same time is the most challenging for your type.

• Mesomorph — athletic and responsive, muscle comes on fast. You've got the best shot at a true recomp: building muscle and losing fat at the same time.

• Endomorph — gains muscle and fat easily. You can often maintain strength and size even with a modest deficit as you lean out.

This is general guidance, not a diagnosis — so share what you're seeing with your coaching team. We'll tune your calories and training to your body🫵, not a label.

The Sleep Lever

Quick one, because it moves the needle more than most guys admit: sleep. It's when your muscle actually recovers and rebuilds, and it's a big controller of the hunger hormones that make a deficit feel easy or brutal. Aim for 7–9 hours. If your training's dialed and the mirror still isn't moving, sleep is one of the first places we look😴.

Keep pushing,

3M Coaching

Quick Check-In

📬 Hit reply — Which body type sounds like you, and has that matched what you've seen in the mirror? Tell me where you're at, and we'll point you in the right direction.

Let’s keep raising the standard —
— Ryan & the 3M Coaching Team