He’s known for being one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, but it turns out Will Smith is also something of an influencer on social media, too. With an Instagram following of 53.6 million, it’s safe to say that when Smith does something, the rest of us follow. And that’s exactly the case with his latest fitness challenge.
When Smith shared an image of himself standing tall and proud, showing off the belly that got him through the pandemic, the actor made headlines. So often the image of Hollywood stars that we’re presented with is one of buffed bods, ripped torsos, and immaculate complexions. By being transparent with his fans, Smith removed the stigma surrounding weight gain and instead posed an inspiring call-to-action with his fans, asking them all to join him on his fitness journey. Now, it’s not just fans getting in on the action, but celebrity faces too, as Dr. Dre and Anthony Anderson shared their participation in the challenge.
As Smith looks to get in the best shape of his life over the next few months, he’s sharing his journey on social media and proving that when it comes to getting fit, you really do have to put in the work consistently. The actor recently posted a video to Instagram in which he playful criticises trainer Aaron Jon Ferguson’s beginner-friendly methods, which involve mastering basic compound movements and working on mobility before adding any weight.
While we’ve come to accept piled on weights and huge lifts as the norm on social media, it’s worth reminding ourselves that form and function are always a priority. We do it for the strength gains, not the ‘gram after all, fellas. Joking about this very notion, Smith teased, “This guy says let’s just get the movements, let’s just get your body back into the movements so we avoid injury.”
“So what that means is he’ll just give me the bar with no weights on it to bench press. And I’m like, we’re not shooting that. Nobody’s going to have a video of me bench pressing with just a bar with no weight on it. No,” says Will.
Of course, Smith does end up doing what his trainer instructs and it serves as a valuable lesson. For anyone over 50, or simply those who have been out of training for a while and are just getting back into things, it’s an excellent example of slowly increasing your load and resistance, all while focusing on form.