From "Slim" Shady to "Enormous" Eminem
We all know Marshall Mathers as the wife-beater wearing, hardcore, "tell it like it is," lean blond rapper who has put out six CDs and one movie, "8 mile." He is better known by his stage names Eminem and Slim Shady.
The man has won multiple Grammy Awards since 2003, and won an Academy Award in 2003 for the song "Lose Yourself" from the 8 Mile soundtrack. He is also a loving father, and an accomplished record producer and actor. He is one of the highest-selling rap artists of all time, having sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.
With all of these accomplishments, Eminem has had a lot of things on his plate (literally), especially in the last couple of years, including the break-up of his remarriage to Kim Mathers, the death of his best friend, rapper "Proof," and most recently (January), his hospitalization with a bout of pneumonia.
His mother was also diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and although he reconciled with her in 2006, she has since cashed in on their relationship with a tell-all book alleging that his rags to riches story, from the movie "8 Mile," was largely fabricated. In the book, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem. Eminem's mom also claims that he has bipolar disorder and that he was too wasted to remember re-marrying Kim. Still think that "All that glitters is gold?"
As a result of everything going on, his weight has ballooned from (what people assume to be) a lean 170 pounds on his 5-foot-7 frame, to approximately 200 pounds—not such a lean bulk. The weight gain could be a result of any number of factors: Inactivity, neglect of health, or even mass amounts of cortisol building up in his system because of everything he's had to go through recently.
According to Wikipedia, Cortisol "is a vital hormone that is often referred to as the 'stress hormone' as it is involved in the response to stress. It increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels and has an immunosuppressive action." For simplicity's sake, it not only suppresses the immune system when you get stressed out, but it also inhibits the breakdown of glucose in your system. Neither of these is conducive to fat loss.
The National Enquirer had a photo of a fat Eminem, along with the details of his eating habits, and I'm sure all the stress eaters out there can empathize with his situation. Eminem has fallen prey to the ever-present fast food and chain eateries because they are convenient and easy to get while traveling on the road.
In order to get back into shape, Eminem will have to start again with an exercise program that consists of both resistance training and cardiovascular training for fat loss. Eminem once loved to exercise, so there's no doubt in my mind he knows what he should be doing. Here is a hypothetical account of what his workouts could consist of.
Resistance Training
He will probably work out 2 days on, 1 day off and then nothing on the weekend. With this split, his body has adequate time to recuperate, but he still hits all the major muscle group at least once per week. If he finds that some of his smaller and more stubborn body parts (i.e. Forearms, traps, lower back), are taking longer to lose fat and gain muscle, he can work those on Saturday.
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BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Cardio
Eminem will probably start off slow with only 3 days per week of cardiovascular training. I assume he will do (at least) one session per week of high intensity interval training in order to really set his metabolism on fire, and improve his heart's strength and efficiency.
- Day 1 - Low intensity Cardio
- Day 2 - Nothing
- Day 3 - High intensity interval training
- Day 4 - Nothing
- Day 5 - Nothing
- Day 6 - Low intensity Cardio
- Day 7 - Rest day
Conclusion
In finishing, because he was once lean and in shape, there is no doubt in my mind that Marshall Mathers can get back to his "fighting weight." It's just a matter of doing it in a healthy, timely fashion.