Eminem, the iconic rapper, has inspired millions with his music and his personal journey. His battle with addiction and subsequent transformation into a fitness enthusiast is a testament to his resilience. This article explores Eminem's weight loss journey, detailing his workout routines, diet, and the mindset that fueled his transformation.
The Turning Point: Overdose and Recovery
In 2007, Eminem faced a life-threatening overdose on pills, marking a turning point in his life. At 35 years old, he weighed close to 230 pounds. Standing at 5'8", his BMI bordered on morbid obesity. He openly discussed how his addiction played a significant role in his weight gain and overall health decline.
Finding Sobriety and a New Addiction: Exercise
Eminem realized he needed to find a new way to function sober after completing treatment. He turned to running as a means to cope with insomnia, which he had previously managed with drugs. Running provided him with a natural endorphin high and helped him sleep. He told Men’s Health that it’s “easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise.”
The Hamster Phase: Running to Extremes
Eminem immersed himself in running, becoming, in his own words, a "f--king hamster." He ran up to seventeen miles a day on a treadmill, splitting the distance into two sessions: eight and a half miles before heading to the studio and another eight and a half miles upon returning home. He became obsessive about calories, ensuring he burned 2,000 every day. Eminem got down to about 149 pounds.
However, this extreme approach led to injuries. "I ran to the point where I started to get injured. All the constant pounding from the running began to tear up my hip flexors."
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Diversifying the Routine: Insanity, P90X, and Body Beast
To remedy his injuries and prevent plateauing, Eminem diversified his workout routine. He incorporated workout DVDs like Shaun T's Insanity, P90X, and Body Beast. "I know a lot of these DVD guys are wacky, but I'm alone in my gym; I need someone on the TV yelling to motivate me," he explained.
He initially alternated between running and Insanity workouts but eventually stopped running altogether. After a while I started plateauing on that, so I mixed it up. I did the P90X for a little while (and I still do that ab workout because it's the most challenging)," he said. Eminem, who had "always been more into cardio," hopes to maintain his fitness routine. The rapper said that his addiction to pills caused stomach issues.
Eminem eventually transitioned to the Body Beast workout, which he currently does every morning before heading to the studio. This routine involves free weights, a bench, and a pull-up bar. "Now every morning before I go to the studio, I do the Body Beast workout with free weights, bench, and pullup bar at home. It's just me, so it helps that the Body Beast dude is over-the-top. The routine is pretty intense, too.
Eminem's Current Workout Routine: A Blend of Cardio and Strength Training
While Eminem's exact workout routine isn't publicly available, it's possible to piece together a likely routine based on his comments and insights from trainers. It's important to note that this is a general idea of what Eminem does when training.
Monday: Cardio. Eminem starts his week with a long run on the treadmill or outdoors.
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- Warm-up: 10-minute walk on the treadmill
- Cardio Workout: 10+ miles on the treadmill or outdoors
Tuesday: Back & Biceps
- Warm-up: 10 minutes on the treadmill
- Back Circuit:
- Cable rows (4 sets, 10 reps)
- T-bar rows (4 sets, 10 reps)
- EZ-bar curls (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Hammer curls (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Reverse barbell curls (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Chin-ups (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Oblique crunches (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Knee tuck jumps (4 sets, 10 reps)
Wednesday: Legs & Glutes
- Stiff leg deadlifts (5 sets, 8 reps)
- Goblet squats (5 sets, 8 reps)
- Dumbbell reverse lunges (5 sets, 8 reps)
- Dumbbell lateral lunges (5 sets, 8 reps)
- Bulgarian split squats (5 sets, 8 reps)
- High ball plank (5 sets, 8 reps)
- Squat thrusts (5 sets, 8 reps)
Thursday: Boxing. Eminem enjoys hitting the bag to relieve stress and get a solid cardio burn.
- Warm-up: 5-10 minutes battle rope or jump rope, 20 push-ups, 20 squats
- Boxing workout routine (3-minute rounds):
- Jab-cross
- Jab-cross-hook
- Jab-jab-cross
- Jab-hook-cross
- Cross-hook-cross
- Hook-cross-hook
- Jab-cross-hook-cross
- Jab-cross-jab-cross-hook-hook
- Rest 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Friday: Core training
- Hanging knee raise (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Ab rollout (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Oblique crunches (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Planks (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Pushups to jack knife (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Sledgehammer (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Medicine ball side toss (4 sets, 10 reps)
- KB Swing (4 sets, 10 reps)
- Twisting shoulders (4 sets, 10 reps)
Saturday: Cardio Training
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- High knees (3 sets, 20 alternating reps)
- Kettlebell swing reps (3 sets, 10 reps)
- Shuffle jump tucks (3 sets, 15 reps)
- Pencil jumps (3 sets, as many as possible in 45 seconds)
- Plank get-up reps (3 sets, 10 alternating reps)
Sunday: Rest. Eminem takes Sunday to rest and lets his body recover.
Eminem's Diet: Essential Nutrients and Avoiding Junk Food
Eminem recognized the importance of a healthy diet in his transformation. He focuses on essential nutrients and avoids alcohol, sugar, and junk food.
A possible diet plan:
- Breakfast: Egg whites, Green Juice, Kale smoothie
- Lunch: Turkey breast, Grilled veggies, Baked sweet potato
- Dinner: Steak or fish, Steamed veggies
Supplements: Enhancing Performance and Recovery
To support his workouts and muscle growth, Eminem may take supplements such as:
- Fat Burner
- Whey Protein
- Melatonin for trouble sleeping
The Mental Game: Consistency and Addiction to Exercise
Eminem emphasizes the importance of consistency in his fitness journey. He treats exercise as an addiction, something he feeds regularly to stay in check and maintain his physique. "I guess I'm pretty compulsive working out. I feel like if I step away from it for too long, if I have a crazy week and take a five-day break, it'll be like starting over," he said. "I'm afraid that if it goes beyond that, I might lose the motivation."
Exercise as Therapy: Resetting the Brain's Reward System
Eminem's story highlights the therapeutic benefits of exercise, particularly in combating addiction. Psychology Today has pointed to his intense routine as proof of how structured exercise can reset the brain’s reward system, curb cravings, and support long-term recovery. Neuroscientist Panayotis K. Thanos explains that aerobic exercise has a profound effect on dopamine and the dopamine receptor, which may help curb drug-seeking behaviors.