By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
I am so thrilled to welcome fitness entrepreneur Nick Wright back to Jake’s Take.
Since he first joined YouTube on April 24, 2006, Nick’s videos have been viewed over 66 million times and created a fitness community of over 84,000 Instagram followers and 925,000 Facebook fans. Through his fitness brand, Nick Wright Bodybuilding, he has combined both competitive bodybuilding and powerbuilding to inspire people to get into shape. Over the past three years, Nick showcased the highs and lows of his fitness journey through his powerlifting meets, sharing advice on breaking into the fitness industry, and his collaborations with Maxx Chewning, Marc Lobliner, and Larry Wheels.
In this edition of Catching Up, Nick opened about the Nick Wright Bodybuilding’s success, The Big Bench Book, and revealed which YouTube fitness personality should Jake’s Take readers check out!
Jacob Elyachar: How have you grown as an athlete and fitness entrepreneur since we last spoke?
Nick Wright: I would say I have learned balance. At least, I am working on learning it. I have always been very extreme by nature, which can be really great for achieving a specific goal but will leave you burning the candle at both ends. I always went hard into bodybuilding when I competed in it. I would cut out all social life and relationships to achieve that shredded physique. After years of that, I grew resentment toward it because of how mentally unhealthy it made me and switched to powerlifting, which I love! Powerlifting soon became quite polarized by me in that I resented the old diet life so much, I gained more body fat than needed, stopped producing the same quality content online and ultimately became less healthy. This year, I have managed to weed out much of the unhealthy and learned to apply balance. I just wrapped up a cut in which I dropped 30 lbs. while still maintaining my strength! It took a lot of precision in both the diet and training to master fine-tuning the physique, losing weight and staying strong. This led me to
Doing all of this really helped me realize that factors of both of these lifestyles should be enjoyable and can most definitely coexist. I would even say they benefit each other. I’ve also practiced balancing my social life better during this, as I’ve shown on my channel via “Saturday Night Date Nights” with Arianna!
Jacob Elyachar: What factors have made Nick Wright Bodybuilding a successful fitness brand?
Nick Wright: I would say being relatable has been my biggest thing. I am down to earth by nature. I am who I am, unapologetically on camera and do only what I want it my life and I share it, enthusiastically. I have actually received a lot of nice feedback from people telling me that’s a big draw to my channel for them. The other way in which I am relatable, is that I’m not a genetic freak of nature. I am not one of those gifted, Mr. Olympia material dudes who is blessed with freakish muscle shape and proportions that only 1 percent of the population is born with. I was never one of those freakishly strong dudes right out of the gate. Do not get me wrong, those guys are THE MOST entertaining to watch, I think. The views speak for themselves. If I could choose to be born with those genetics, I would in a heartbeat! I have been told, however, that it is the fact that I am NOT one of those guys that keeps some people watching. I’m a guy with average genetics who still managed to achieve all-around respectable numbers in lifting and a decent physique via relentless work ethic. I believe that is more relatable to the large majority of fellow gym dwellers out there. I think many young lifters can see themselves and even their own potential in watching me. That’s just my 2 cents based on some of the awesome feedback I have received over the years.
Jacob Elyachar: What are some of the challenges that you faced throughout the latest chapter in your career? How did you overcome those obstacles?
Nick Wright: In the second half of 2016 and all of 2017 I fell off the map. I ran into some significant personal life issues that distracted me and put my mind in a very negative and unproductive place, and I grew jaded about YouTube and the whole fitness lifestyle. I think I was also mentally burnt out from the entire YouTube Fitness thing from having done it for nearly a decade. I stopped putting out videos and posting for sponsors. I completely fell off, and I watched not only my views and following growth drop, but also my sources of income and bank account. I would not say I hit rock bottom because I still had my health and my house, but I hit a low point. I was broke and felt stuck. I eventually mapped out a plan to snap myself out of that mess. I got my mind right and got back to work. I embarked on an entirely new transformation. Getting lean and strong. Powerbuilding and documenting the entire process. I have to say it picked me right back up. I am grateful for the low point. I grew A LOT from it. I will never, ever allow any of life’s issues to ever slow me down like that again. That was me being weak, mentally. I also learned the value of creating my income on top of having external sources. I also will never allow myself to fall into complacency again. I am happy to say I am very well back on my feet now and plan to keep climbing.
Jacob Elyachar: Recently, you completed The Big Bench Book and also created two different programs: “The Lean Strength Program” and “The Lean Strength Program-DELUXE.” What are some of the similarities and differences between each product?
Nick Wright: The Big Bench
Book is a 22 chapter
E-Book breaking down every single angle and detail of building and improving
your bench press. I’m not talking about your basic tips you see on every
YouTube video. I went ALL in on this
one. If you want to blow up your bench or if you have been stuck at a plateau,
this book will help you identify where your issues are and how to effectively
tackle them!
The Lean Strength Program is an actual program you can follow! It’s an 8 week
training program designed to build the physique AND enhance strength. It’s been fine tuned to be optimal during a
diet, when calories and energy levels are typically lower. The DELUXE version is the same exact
program but with over 20 minutes of video footage included of me breaking down
form and technique on everything, with extra pointers and tips!
Jacob Elyachar: There are countless fitness vloggers that are trying to break into the industry. In your humble opinion, who are the personalities that you recommend my readers to check out?
Nick Wright: My friend Maxx Chewning, for sure. He’s a quirky, funny dude and his channel is full of some epic editing. I got him started on YouTube years back and he’s since surpassed me and many others. He has remained a very loyal friend to me during my rough time, as well and for that I have permanent respect for him.
Jacob Elyachar: Where do you see the future of the online fitness industry? Will it change for the better? For the worse? Why?
Nick Wright: Great question. I think we will see less and less sponsored athletes, for one. Ad targeting is becoming so lucrative and easy, now, companies will be switching over to investing in that over personalities, for sure. As for the rest, I’m really unsure, but I’m excited to see and hopefully remain a part of it!
For more information about Nick Wright Bodybuilding, visit his website.
You can also connect with Nick on social media by connecting with him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube channels.
