Shaquille O'Neal Rips Off His Shirt in Dramatic Video

Dec 14, 2023

The NBA legend showed off his hard work at the gym in an Instagram post

shaq/Instagram

Shaquille O’Neal might just be ready for his next career move: bodybuilding.

In a video shared on his Instagram account Thursday, the NBA legend, wearing a gray tank top and blue shorts, is seen slowly entering a workout area amid ominous music.

Then he dramatically rips the tank top off and begins showcasing his cut physique, flexing his arms and revealing his pecs in poses similar to how bodybuilders move at competitions.

“In my former life i was @philheath we almost there @rocshabazz that @novexbiotech #gf9 baby,” O’Neal, 51, captioned his post.

Tagged in O’Neal’s Instagram, American bodybuilder Phil Heath is a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, according to his website. He won the title in 2011 and held it for seven consecutive years.

shaq/Instagram

Also tagged in the Instagram caption is Roc Shabazz, a fitness instructor who has worked with former professional athletes such as O’Neal, Ray Lewis, Shannon Sharpe, and Ray Rice. The last tag is Novex Biotech, acompany that specializes in men’s performance formulas, to which O’Neal was named a brand ambassador in 2021.

shaq/Instagram

O’Neal, who is an analyst for NBA on TNT, has been recently making fitness a priority in his life. In March of this year, he took to Instagram to post a video of himself using a weight machine at a gym more than a week after he had hip surgery.

"bout to get my game back alll you old dudes that hoop in @24hrfitness @lafitness @lifetimefitness i'm coming for yall," the Basketball Hall of Famer captioned the clip.

That same month, in an interview with PEOPLE, O’Neal said that he had already lost over 40 lbs. and was aiming to shed 20 more lbs. as part of his “ultimate” goal weight of about 350. In addition to doing cardio and weight training, he has also embraced a healthier diet.

"I have more energy. I feel really good. I get to do stuff that I haven't done. And it helps you discipline yourself much more," O'Neal said at the time. "I eat about four or five times a day, but four of those meals used to be junk meals."

"So now I can wake up and say okay, meal one is a shake and then I'm going to go work out. Meal two will probably be little egg wraps. Meal three will be a salad and then meal four and five will be chicken and steak. I still get to eat as long as I eat healthy. And you gotta cut out the little stuff. No more Cheetos, no more cupcakes, no more stuff like that. So the more and quicker you can discipline yourself, the better and quicker you'll see the results."