Let’s be real for a second. In the world of hip-hop, your physique is sometimes scrutinized as much as your flow. We’ve seen it with everyone. Drake gets hit with the "lipo" allegations every time he posts a mirror selfie, and now, Big Sean is the latest one standing in the line of fire. People are convinced he’s walking around with a set of "BBL abs." But if you actually look at the timeline and the man's own words, the story gets a lot more complicated—and a lot more human—than just a trip to a plastic surgeon.
It all really exploded in July 2025. Sean posted some content—specifically for his "Precision" music video—where he’s running on a treadmill, looking arguably more shredded than he ever has. Naturally, the internet did what the internet does. Within hours, fitness influencers like Blake Sanburg (the Nutrition Narc) were making "deep dive" videos claiming Sean’s midsection looked like it was "sitting on top of a bubble gut." The theory? Abdominal etching or steroids.
Sean didn't ignore it. He actually jumped into the comments to set the record straight, and honestly, his response was hilarious and surprisingly transparent.
The "Chewed Up Tootsie Roll" Defense
Sean didn’t just issue a PR-friendly denial. He leaned into the absurdity of it. He literally told the influencer, "Bro, unfortunately mine are real lol." He followed that up by saying that when he’s out of shape, he basically looks like a "chewed-up Tootsie Roll."
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Now, why does that matter? Because it points to something most casual observers forget: genetics are weird. Some people have high muscle insertions. Some people carry fat in very specific places while their abs stay visible. Sean has been a skinny guy for the majority of his career. When a naturally thin person "bulks up" or hits a certain age, their body composition shifts in ways that can look "uncanny" to people used to seeing airbrushed fitness models.
What he told the critics:
- It’s "Dad weight": Sean mentioned in DMs to Sanburg that he gained some weight after becoming a father (he has a son, Noah, with Jhené Aiko).
- The aging factor: He’s 37 now. He openly admitted that as he got older, he had to "crack down" on working out harder than he did in his 20s.
- The "God made me this way" stance: He basically attributed his ab structure to his natural anatomy, which has always been lean.
Why people think Big Sean's abs are fake
The skepticism isn't entirely baseless if you understand the "abdominal etching" trend. Abdominal etching is a form of high-definition liposuction where a surgeon sucks out fat specifically along the lines of the muscle to create permanent shadows. It makes you look like you have a six-pack even if your body fat percentage is slightly higher.
Critics pointed to the "Precision" video, noting that his abs appeared very "blocky" and didn't seem to move naturally with his skin. This is a common hallmark of cosmetic work—where the "valleys" between the abs don't change when the person twists or bends.
However, Sean’s counter-argument is that he’s been transparent about his fitness for years. He’s been seen in multiple workout clips over the last decade. If you go back to 2015, he already had deep abdominal cuts. The difference now? He’s bigger. He’s put on muscle mass. When you add muscle to a frame that was already shredded, the results can look almost "too good" to be true.
The Drake Comparison
You can’t talk about Big Sean’s abs without mentioning Drake. The two are constantly compared because they both underwent "body transformations" around the same time they reached peak stardom.
While Drake has mostly stayed silent on the surgical rumors, Sean took the opposite route. He explicitly stated, "I got love for the fake ab community tho, to each its own," but insisted he isn't part of it. It’s a subtle way of saying "I see what you’re seeing elsewhere, but that’s not me."
The Reality of Celebrity Fitness in 2026
We live in an era where everyone assumes a celebrity is on "The Sauce" (steroids) or has a standing appointment with a surgeon in Miami. And sure, a lot of them do. But Big Sean’s situation feels different because he’s linking his fitness to his mental health and fatherhood.
He told People magazine that becoming a dad made him more "intentional." That usually translates to the gym, too. When you’re not partying as much and you’re focused on longevity for your kid, you tend to eat better and lift heavier.
How to actually tell the difference:
- Skin Laxity: In real abs, the skin moves and folds. In etched abs, the "lines" often stay static even when the person moves.
- Muscle Development: If someone has world-class abs but zero shoulder or chest development, it’s a red flag. Sean, however, has clearly filled out his entire frame.
- The "Bubble Gut": This is often a sign of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) use or just high visceral fat. Sean’s "bubble" is likely just the result of a "bulk" phase where he’s eating more calories to sustain his muscle growth.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
If you're looking at Big Sean and wondering how to get that level of definition without a surgeon, it's basically a three-pillar system. It's not magic, and it's definitely not just "doing 100 sit-ups."
- Prioritize Compound Movements: Sean’s workouts (like the PHUL program style) focus on heavy lifts. Deadlifts and squats build a "thick" core that makes abs pop once you get lean.
- Embrace the "Dad Weight" Pivot: Instead of crashing your diet when you gain a few pounds, use those extra calories to lift heavier. That’s clearly what Sean did—he used a period of weight gain to build the foundation for the muscles he’s showing off now.
- Focus on Body Fat, Not Just Abs: You can have the strongest abs in the world, but if your body fat is over 15%, you won't see them. Sean stays naturally lean, which is 90% of the battle.
- Stop Comparing to "Etched" Bodies: If you see a set of abs that looks the same whether the person is sitting, standing, or upside down, ignore it. That’s not a fitness goal; that’s a medical procedure.
At the end of the day, Big Sean’s physique is a mix of high-tier genetics and a decade of being a "gym rat" in the shadows. Whether you believe him or not, his "Tootsie Roll" comment is a reminder that even the most famous people in the world have insecurities about how they look when the lighting isn't perfect.