If anyone wonders where Sly Stallone first got his inspiration for working out and becoming interested in body building it first came when he saw Steve Reeves (a former Mr.Universe) in a movie where Steve played none other than...HERCULES! At 13 years old Sylvester was astounded with films such as Hercules:Unchained, Goliath and the Barbarians, and the Thief of Baghdad. After seeing such films the troublesome young Sylvester had wanted to be just like his idol, physically that is. His mother (Jackie) was an owner of a local gym, and whenever Stallone visited his mother he would go down to the gym and lift wieghts to get his body built! Although sometime he would find the gym not enough of a challenge and head over to the junkyard and carry auto-parts home (like in Rocky 1). His interest in body building would help out later when he attended University and played on the football and track teams.

Years later Sylvester was not a gym nut anymore, he had to attend college and later joined the school's football team. He was a very big young adult and was not afraid to throw his weight around either when the opportunity arrose, which thankfully for the other person wasn't too often.

After being in a few roles, mostly playing thugs, Stallone's first big break came in a little film called Rocky, you may have heard of it?! Well this was the first part Stallone probably had to train for to get in shape, he was playing a boxer after all! Sylvester Stallone's regimen included running 5 miles, and a gym workout consisting of wieghts, pushups, situps, and medicine ball etc...After Carl Weathers (Rocky 1-4, Predator, Action Jackson, Happy Gilmore) got the part of Apollo Creed he was sparing against Sly in rehearsals and started pounding on Stallone, much to the dismay of the screenwriter. So Carl Weathers asked if he could go up against the star of the film, thinking he would be much more of a challenge, laughingly Stallone told Carl that he was the star. The two would later train together, and would become good friends and acting partners in the next 3 rocky films!

In the second film Sly trained so hard with two time Mr.Olympia, Franco Columbu that he would tear his pectoralis, resulting in a 4 hour operation! The rigurous training would continue in Rocky 3. After his main focus being on his diet in the third installment of Rocky, Stallone went into a murderous training regine! Sylvester began the day with a two mile jog, than went to 18 rounds of sparring, 2 hours of weightlifting and jumping rope. After all this he took a nap sometime in the afternoon, after his short nap he went running some more! He would finish the day with a swim, Sly's sparring partner during his training was a guy named Ray Notaro, whose only reward would be several broken ribs! Ouch.

When Stallone was doing his Rocky one and two and had his own office in Paramount, he would do laps around the studios as execs and secretaries would watch as the muscular star jogged by their windows. During his career Sylvester Stallone mainly trained himself or got fitness instructors to help him with his training, but believe it or not, Sly was once a trainer to another famous star, who went by the name of John Travolta! Remember that movie Staying Alive, where John was greased up and looking very ripped (muscular) in a Rambo muscle shirt? Well it was Stallone who got John to look like that, with grueling workouts that sometimes lasted 14 hours a day and keeping a very close watch on Travolta's diet! Soon after Travolta was so inspired by the exercise routine he released his own fitness book titled: Staying Fit.

Franco Columbu continued to train Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV. During the scene where Rocky is pulling a sled with Pauly on it he heard a snap, two weeks later he had excrusiating pains in his chest. When he went to the hospital he found out it was a bruised heart muscle. However like the fighter he is, Stallone was back filming only 10 days after to complete Rocky IV!!!

Sylvester Stallone is a true inspiration to me and I'm sure many others for just persevering, and even wanting to workout and train and be as good as he is. The best films to see his physique in are Rocky two, three and four, Rambo 2 and 3, Over the Top, Lockup, The Specialist, CliffHanger, and Demoliton Man. Remember it is never too late to workout and get in shape. Sly was 30 years old when he made the first Rocky and in a matter of only a few years he was in great shape! He was already about 41 years old when Rambo 3 was made! So he just proves that it's never too late. Well I hope you enjoyed my information that I've collected for you on Stallone's training and diet regimen. I'll put in more as I get it!

BACK TO THE INFO PAGE