Posted by With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across the globe, people are essentially left with two choices: either come out of quarantine more physically and mentally fit or sit on the couch eating potato chips feeling sorry for yourself.
As Megan Thee Stallion, Method Man, Lizzo and 2 Chainz are demonstrating, countless rap stars are rising to the challenge and getting in the best shape of their lives.
Take Megan, for example. Last week, the self-proclaimed Hot Girl rapper revealed she’s started some intense workouts with the help of a personal trainer for a program she’s dubbed “Hottie Boot Camp.”
Her workout routines include pole dancing — which the 25-year-old says is “the hardest workout” she’s ever done — kickboxing, plyometrics and weights. She’s also curtailed her eating habits, opting for fresh fruits, granola and yogurt. A week in and Meg is already seeing results, which she showed off in another Instagram post on Sunday (January 24).
#HOTTIEBOOTCAMP WEEK 1 complete,” she captioned a post of her before and after photos. “we got a lil results or whateverrrrr swipe to see the progress.”
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Meanwhile, Method Man is pumping some serious iron at his home gym. Last month, the Wu-Tang Clan legend showed off an Instagram video of himself doing a 475-pound dead lift. In October 2020, Meth was featured in Men’s Health magazine and he revealed what keeps him motivated to stay in shape at 49 years old.
“I gotta get my roses now because I’m almost 50 fucking years old,” he said. “Damn near 50 years old, bruh. Regardless of how tired I get, no matter what the workout is, I at least will try it. I’m not going to say no to anything.”
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Meth’s Instagram account is peppered with numerous videos showcasing his progress and it’s clear COVID-19 isn’t slowing him down. Several of his peers appear to be taking notes. Busta Rhymes, who caught flak for years for gaining a substantial amount of weight as his career progressed, unveiled his newly-discovered six-pack abs last October as well, just as he was getting ready to drop the Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God album.
In an Instagram post, Bus-A-Bus thanked his coach Victor Munoz, who’s a celebrity trainer, diet and nutrition coach and owner of Team Pro Edge. Photos of Busta at Munoz’s gym stretch back to at least May 2019, so the 48-year-old MC has been back at it for awhile.
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One of the more shocking transformations has to be 37-year-old Action Bronson, who at 5’9″ and nearly 400 pounds was at risk for all types of health problems, specifically Type II diabetes. But according to the December 2020 issue of Men’s Health, having a son completely changed his life. Beginning his fitness journey last March, the Fuck That’s Delicious host has lost over 125 pounds in less than 12 months.
“You always want to be around for your family,” he told the magazine. “It wasn’t going to happen unless I made that decision myself, and, you know, it takes some soul-searching and some shit to really bother you. Like something that really gets under your skin to make that change. That happened to me.”
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Then there’s Lizzo, who gets a lot of negative attention for her size despite her body positive message. But in true Lizzo fashion, the 32-year-old flutist is 100 percent “THAT BITCH” and isn’t backing down from sharing her fitness journey with her fans — no matter how controversial.
Last month, the Grammy Award-winning singer shared a pair of TikTok videos revealing she’d just completed a 10-day smoothie fast. In one clip, she showed her progression from Day 1 to Day 10 and explained she embarked on the crash diet because she’d eaten poorly while vacationing in Mexico.
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But still, her critics came out in droves and shamed her for the drastic move, prompting her to say, “My sleep has improved. My hydration, my inner peace, my mental stability, my fuckin’ body, my fuckin’ skin, the whites of my eyes — I feel like I look like a bad bitch and I think, that’s it.
“I’m a big girl who does smoothie detox and I wanted to share that with you guys. I got exactly what I wanted out of it and every big girl should do whatever the fuck they want with their bodies,” something she’s said time and time again.
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2 Chainz has also ramped up his trips to the gym. Earlier this week, the Atlanta native — who used to play basketball in college —posted several Instagram videos of himself getting fit at a local gym. Rocking a face mask (albeit under his nose) and proper workout attire, it’s clear he’s making his health a top priority in 2021.
In one clip, Tity Boi is shown lifting a 70-pound weight as he does squats. In another, he does a series of pull-ups, curls and several other exercises using a set of dumb bells.
According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the obesity rate in the United States was at 42 percent between 2017 and 2018. Among men, the prevalence of obesity was 40.3 percent among those aged 20–39, 46.4 percent among those aged 40–59 and 42.2 percent among those aged 60 and over.
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As for women, the prevalence of obesity was 39.7 percent among those aged 20–39, 43.3 percent among those aged 40–59 and 43.3 percent among those aged 60 and over. No matter what someone’s age is, it’s never too late to get in shape — just take it from “middle aged” Method Man.