Most rappers would do pretty much anything to have Busta Rhymes' reputation and longevity. He's been
praised since the '90s for his incredible music, inspired lyrics, and innovative music videos.
In fact, twenty years after the fact, the promo video he co-directed for his song "Gimme Some
More" remains a singularly absurd pop culture artifact. Throughout the course of his career,
he's worked with everyone from Janet Jackson to Mariah Carey. Even if he chose to retire
right here, right now, he'd still have quite the legacy to be reckoned with.
Of course, he's not retiring — not by a long shot.
In fact, he memorably competed on The Masked Singer in 2020.
"I definitely felt like I was in an oxygen tank without oxygen."
That same year, he released his first album in eight years, Extinction Level Event 2:
The Wrath of God. To prepare for this exciting new chapter in his illustrious career, Rhymes also
happened to completely transform his body… because why not? It wasn't easy, and Rhymes worked with a
league of trainers in order to get absolutely shredded... as you can see for yourself.
In October 2020, Rhymes shared dramatic before and after photos on Instagram that really demonstrated
this remarkable physical transformation. Proudly showing off his six-pack abs,
he encouraged his followers with the following all-caps pep talk:
"DON’T EVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!! LIFE BEGINS RIGHT NOW!!! MY DEDICATION IS
DIFFERENT!! I WOULD NEVER PUT OUT AN ALBUM AND NOT BE IN THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE!!
I RESPECT MYSELF TOO MUCH AND I RESPECT Y’ALL TOO MUCH!!! I’M ONLY HERE TO INSPIRE!!"
And he most certainly did inspire people. Rapper-producer Swizz Beatz
joined the chorus of fans who shared their support in the comments, writing,
"I'm so proud of you King."
So how did Busta Rhymes get into such great shape? Well for one thing, he trained with Victor Munoz
of Pro Edge Professional Fitness Training. Munoz has established quite a reputation
as a celebrity trainer in the Greater New York City area. In addition to Busta Rhymes,
Munoz counts Diana Ross among his many success stories. According to his website, Munoz moved
to the United States from Cuba and has been a trainer for several decades. His clients include a
roster of bodybuilders, celebrities, writers, Wall Street brokers, doctors and everyone in-between.
Munoz's strategy is mostly based on weight training, but of course nutrition plays a vital
role in his regimen, too. In an interview with ABC Bodybuilding, Munoz revealed that he doesn't
have an exact formula for diets because it largely depends on his client's metabolism. As he put it,
"[Usually] they need to have more frequent and smaller meals. Probably around 7 a day.
A little peanut butter in the morning and some flaxseed oil during the day will help
an athlete gain mass. [...] The basics are heavy weights, low reps, eat well and you'll get big."
Basically that seems to be what Rhymes did to achieve his new look. While the
rapper obviously wasn't trying to transform into a full-fledged pro bodybuilder look,
he definitely toned up his abs, and added pounds of muscle to his chest and shoulders.
Of course, it didn't happen overnight. In 2013,
Munoz posted a photo in which he's posing with Rhymes, writing in the caption:
"Two words that describe my friend are inspirational and highly determined."
It's not clear exactly when Busta Rhymes began his most recent transformation,
since the rapper looks like he's in great shape here, too. And these guys seem to be fantastic
friends outside the gym, too: Munoz shared a photo of them attending a birthday party in 2014.
He also popped into one of Rhymes' concerts in 2015. That same year, the
rapper evidently turned to Munoz to help him get into shape before a performance at the Grammys.
The pair even went to the Super Bowl together in 2018, sharing a video from the stadium
in Minneapolis. With a friend like Munoz on your side, it can't be too hard to find the
motivation you need to work out on the regular. Anyway... Quite the transformation, isn't it?
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