Action Bronson: Rapper, Celebrity Chef, and Now Fitness Fanatic?

Image Credit: Action Bronson performing live at the Governors Ball Music Festival on June 8, 2016. Wikimedia Commons

Action Bronson, whose given name is Ariyan Arslani, has attracted a lot of media attention over the past few years due to his varied career choices. After a broken leg kept him from working as a chef, Bronson decided to reinvent himself as a rap artist. Fans who already know Bronson well from his food program on television and published cookbook have enthusiastically followed his music.

Bronson is His Own Man

No one could ever accuse Action Bronson of following the crowd or living up to traditional stereotypes in his varied careers. He emphasizes style over comfort with his clothing choices, swears frequently to keep his language real, and doesn’t insist on fancy ingredients or cooking equipment when preparing his famous dishes.

Bronson doesn’t apologize for his contributions as a graffiti artist when he was younger either. In fact, he has lent his name to a movement dedicating to bringing greater legitimacy to graffiti as an art form. Bronson personifies the statement “what you see is what you get” more than most people in the public eye today.

Action Bronson Helped to Popularize Sichuan Explosive Crispy Chicken

Fried or crispy chicken in the United States is considerably different than it is in Sichuanese culture. While Americans often view fried or crispy chicken as a cheap food that’s often popular at backyard barbeques, the Chinese prepare and view it differently.

Sichuan crispy chicken is a main entrée in Chinese culture and authentic Chinese restaurants in the United States. People in both China and the United States sometimes refer to the dish as Chongqing mala chicken as well. Chefs prepare a heaping plate of crispy chicken accompanied by a generous serving of chili peppers. This adds to the reputation of Sichuan crispy chicken being an explosive dish.

When Action Bronson tasted fried crispy chicken prepared in the same way chefs in China’s Sichuan province make it, he immediately dubbed it explosive crispy chicken. He had the opportunity to taste this dish for the first time at Z & Y Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown while on tour for his food show. 

Since Bronson’s first visit to Z & Y in 2016, he has gone on feature “explosive chicken” as one of his favorite all-time dishes in multiple interviews and in his book titled, “F*** That’s Delicious.” In 2018, he even demonstrated his own version of the iconic dish on Rachel Ray’s daytime cooking show.

How Action Bronson Lost 50 Pounds during Coronavirus Lockdowns

While many people found themselves gaining weight during lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Action Bronson took the opportunity to make significant lifestyle changes. At approximately 110 pounds overweight, Bronson lost 50 pounds by juicing, working out, and cooking more nutritious meals. He cooked for himself and his wife who recently gave birth to the couple’s first child.

Bronson states that the unit he lives in has a large deck that he used to complete his cardio workouts and pushups. In addition to drinking green vegetable juice twice a day, Bronson chose healthy carbs and lean meats. He admits that his eating could be out of control at times and that the forced time at home caused him to re-evaluate his food choices and habits.

Whether it’s in the recording studio, the kitchen, or now the gym, Action Bronson is multi-talented individual who put’s all his effort into every endeavor.

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