Sylvester Stallone has opened up about the measures he took to maintain his physique during Rocky 3. The actor recently revealed that his fixation with staying in peak physical condition eventually led to bulimia. Stallone also reflected on the physical toll that his approach to fitness and performance took on his body.
Sylvester Stallone reflects on Bulimia and his extreme fitness obsession
Sylvester Stallone has revealed that his extreme focus on maintaining a muscular physique led to bulimia during his acting career. The actor discussed the experience on The Interview podcast while recalling how far he pushed himself to remain at a particular level of fitness. “It became an obsession. Really bad. I became bulimic,” Stallone said.
The actor recalled the physical condition he reached while filming Rocky 3 in 1982. He said his body fat had fallen to 2.6 percent, leaving his face looking “hollow” in the movie’s opening scene. His eating habits had also become severely affected. “I couldn’t hold anything down. Or if I did, I didn’t want to keep it down. I became so obsessed at staying at that point of fitness,” he said.
Stallone said he eventually “broke the cycle” after recognizing the extent of his fixation. “It got to me. Literally, an obsessive body worship kind of a thing,” he said. The actor also discussed the use of steroids in maintaining the physiques expected of action stars. Stallone said, “Nobody does it without additives and drugs,” and argued that maintaining that level of conditioning for six months requires such substances. “If you’re going to work and try to stay in shape for six months straight. You have to,” he said.
Stallone also disputed the idea that physiques of that level can be achieved naturally. “People go, ‘Oh, you don’t get that way naturally.’ No, you don’t. You don’t, unless you’re just a freak of nature,” he said. He acknowledged that steroid use “also took a terrible toll” on his body.
At the age of 80, Stallone said he is “sort of fit” and takes “a lot of pills” to maintain himself. He described the physical cost of his career as significant and said, “It’s come at a terrible price.” Looking back, Stallone said he would have avoided performing his own stunts. “If I could do it over again, I would say, ‘Let someone else carry the banner and don’t do your own stunts.’”
