Lil Jon shows off his bulging muscles and ripped abs while making his debut as a bodybuilder.
In photos obtained by Page Six, the “Yeah!” rapper, 54, flexed his toned pecs and smiled after competing in the Muscle Beach championship in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, Monday. The Grammy winner showed off his third place medal in the Men’s Physique Master’s Over 45 category.
He donned a pair of silk boxing shorts reading “Soul Chakra” and “Lil Jon” at the waistband, and accessorized with a knitted cap and shades. He also pulled his iconic dreadlocks away from his face for a nearly unrecognizable appearance while showing off various angles of his chiseled physique.
In one pic, he happily posed with the other beaming contestants. The rapper took to Instagram following his victory to share a video of himself glistening in the sun as he pumped iron as contestant #138. Ramello Haze’s “Ambition” was a soundtrack to the motivational post.
“3RD PLACE! ALHAMDULLIAH. THANKS TO ALL THAT SUPPORTED ME ON THIS JOURNEY!!” he captioned the upload in part.
In the weeks leading up to the perennially-hyped “greatest outdoor bodybuilding show on earth,” Lil Jon frequently took to Instagram to share clips from his intense workout with trainer Jay Galvin.
In an Aug. 20 upload, the rapper said he gets asked “all the time” how he “got in such good shape.”
“Number one is diet,” he revealed in a voiceover, as video of him stepping shirtless onto a treadmill played.
“Number two: this,” he continued. “Get on the treadmill, incline 15. Speed, two to three miles an hour. It will melt the fat off your body,” he promised. “Do it, do it, do it. Yeah!”
Following the Muscle Beach championship, the “Snap Yo Fingers” hitmaker told a reporter that it had taken major lifestyle changes to achieve his victory.
‘It’s been a lot physically, just in the gym, dedication, eating, focus,” he said, per ABC7 Los Angeles. “I’m winning just by being here and changing my lifestyle, mentally and physically.”
“One of the things I hope is that I can be an inspiration to any people that say ‘I don’t have time, I can’t do it,’” he added. “If I can do it, then you can do it too.”