Busta Rhymes turned the quarantine lockdown into something positive. The Grammy nominee used this downtime to focus on himself and getting back into shape. With the help of celebrity trainer Victor Muñoz and professional chefs, the rapper is looking better than ever in a before-and-after transformation photo he shared on Friday (Oct. 23).

The emcee posted the side-by-side photo on Instagram and said the upcoming release of his 10th studio album, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God, is what inspired him to get in the gym and start working out. In the first photo, the rapper is standing sideways, showing off the profile of his stomach. In the second photo, he seems to have shredded all the excess weight and is now sporting a new set of six-pack abs.

Instagram/Busta Rhymes

“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!!” he captioned the post. “Thank you coach @victormunoz_proedge Thank you Legend @mrolympia08 Thank you King @kaigreene Thank you Icon @dominicandominator & @chefdeliche.”

His trainer spoke to TMZ and gave an insight of how Busta attained the results and he said the key to transforming his body was in “pushing heavy metal.” Muñoz said his client did full-body workouts to strengthen his chest and cut down the belly fat, and it was reported that he was pushing more than 300 lbs on his bench press in a video shared with the news outlet.

They started with twice a week gym sessions that were sometimes two hours long, but now they’re up to three to four workouts per week. The trainer says Busta sometimes chooses to walk up 16 flights of stairs, instead of taking the elevator, to get to his studio in New York City.

The rapper also changed his eating habits by hiring a chef to prepare his meals, that included lean meats like chicken, salmon and bison, and the trainer says Busta cut down on his alcohol intake. The trainer and the “Touch It” rapper have been working together for 8 years, but the trainer told TMZ that the COVID lockdown offered a rare opportunity, by giving them with more free time since the rapper wasn’t traveling or performing.

“The Don & The Boss” rapper recently spoke at the “Using Creativity to Shatter Tradition” discussion at this year’s REVOLT Summit x AT&T along with T.I. and they discussed how they have been able to maintain their relevance in the music industry through the years. “It’s always important to make sure that people can see that you’re swift and changeable,” Busta added. “‘Cause, in order for you to be remain-able, you got to be swift and changeable.”

The rapper says he feels as energetic as ever as he prepares for the release of ELE2 coming on Friday (Oct. 30). “I ain’t gonna ever stop being the same high-energy, animated [rapper]… I don’t care if I’m 75 years old,” he said at the summit. “If I still got the burning desire and the passion to do this at that age, God willing, I’m still going to jump around on that muthafuckin’ stage like I was 19.”

Watch Busta Rhymes & T.I. talk career longevity and staying relevant in rap today | REVOLT Summit