The last time we saw Clifford Smith Jr., also known as rapper Method Man, in the gym, he knocked out a 475-pound deadlift personal record. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wu-Tang Clan member has shared his progress in the gym via his Instagram page.
He, again, put his strength on display on July 14, 2021, when he posted a video of himself performing an incline bench press set using a pair of 100-pound dumbbells (and wearing wrist wraps). Check out the video below of Method Man smashing 12 reps with a 100-pound dumbbell in each hand:
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Watch Strongman Martins Licis and Rapper Action Bronson Smash Eccentric Deadlifts]
The post denotes Method Man’s location in the Wu-Tang Clan district, which appears to have a commercial Crunch Gym as marked by the labels on the dumbbells.
This video is for motivational purposes only!
The last time Method Man posted an incline bench press video using 100-pound dumbbells was on Oct. 26, 2020, where he also hit 12 reps “for inspirational purposes only.” Whether his intent is to motivate, inspire, or both, his 1.9 million Instagram followers are seeing him build quite an impressive physique at age 50.
Although subtle, it appears as though he does have an easier time moving the 100-pound dumbbells now than he did previously. For comparison, check out the video from October 2020 below:
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Rapper Dr. Dre Is “Going In” With Will Smith to Transform His Physique]
Form Check
First off, a 100-pound dumbbell in each hand is no joke. According to Celebrity Born, Method Man weighs about 203 pounds (or 92 kilograms) at a height of six feet, two inches. That means that he is moving just shy of half his bodyweight in each hand. Furthermore, Method Man’s range of motion is pretty impressive — during the eccentric motion with the dumbbells (lowering them), his elbows slightly pass parallel with his shoulders before pressing them back up.
If and when he shares another incline dumbbell bench press video in the future, hopefully, he will apply some additional focus to his lats. In both videos, it appears that Method Man lats disengage during the lockout. By not keeping the back “packed” at the top of the movement, the tension to maintain the weight is placed more on the shoulders rather than the chest. Ideally, Method Man will keep his back engaged and allow the dumbbells to feel as though they are falling slightly apart at the top of the movement so as to keep the tension on the upper chest.
In addition to incline dumbbell bench presses and deadlifts, Method Man has posted videos of him performing hammer curls, safety bar front squats, back squats, battle ropes, bench press, and cable flyes. We will see if he further improves his form and/or ups the weight in his next video featuring the incline dumbbell bench press.
Feature image: @methodmanofficial on Instagram
