*A Stallone Article from The National Enquirer*

"I led a very unhealthy regimen while working to develop my body for the later ‘Rocky' movies. I was working out on an empty stomach, and my body began to cannibalize itself. It was my plan to reduce myself that way, then add on muscle ounce by ounce."

"I went down to 155 pounds - and I'm five-feet-ten. I was all skin and bone. I was also drinking great quantities of coffee to stimulate myself, to give me energy."

Stallone says he now follows a much healthier diet and exercise routine. "I get up in the morning about 7:30, and first I drink a glass of liquid amino acids. Around 7:45 a.m. I have breakfast - easily digested foods. For example, two eggs, four figs, and toasted pumpernickel bread. I relax for 1 hour and 15 minutes to give my food time to digest. I'm in the gym for my morning workout around 9 a.m.

"I do 10 minutes of warming up - stretching my arms, legs, back and neck. Then I start to work on my arms, lifting weights for 45 minutes to build and tone the biceps and triceps. Next I'll work on my shoulders for 25 minutes. After that, I do 25-30 minutes of work on my abdomen, such as sit- ups. Next, I stand with my feet about shoulder-width apart, hold a broom stick behind me, under my elbows, and do 500 shoulder twists - turning as far as I can to the right and then the left.

"I have lunch around 12:30. For a typical lunch I might have a salad, broiled skinless chicken, broiled squash and some figs or berries. I devote my afternoons to taking care of business. For dinner I might have something like broiled fish, another salad, steamed spinach and a couple of slices of dark high-fibre toasted bread. Besides chicken and fish, I occasionally eat veal. But any meat I eat is simply prepared and very lean. I haven't had a pastrami sandwich in 15 years.

"I usually steer away from red meat - but I do try to eat it once a week so my body will stay adjusted to it. That way, if I ever do it - for example, if I happened to stop at MacDonald's - I wouldn't go into convulsions. At one time I was so pure with the food regimen that if I at even a hot dog, I'd end up with painful cramps and convulsions.

"Usually I work out three days and take the fourth day off. If I have a busy business week and can only work out twice that week, I cut my food intake in half. I run my body like a car. If I have a long way to go, I fill up with ‘fuel' - good high energy foods. If I'm not doing much I keep it on half empty. And I give my body enough ‘maintenance' in the form of physical workouts to keep it running perfectly. When I'm in shape, I feel terrific."

Stallone said he steps up his workouts when he's preparing for a new film. "If I know that I'm getting ready to do another ‘Rambo,' I have to live up to the last film. That makes it a little bit harder to get in shape. I have a machine like an escalator with the steps coming down, and I pile 40 to 50 pounds of weight on my back and start climbing those endless steps."

Despite the pain of preparing for his films, Stallone says he intends to keep making them. "Rocky has pretty much run it's course. If I could find on more good story for him, something with an inspiring message I like, then I would go back in the ring one last time. Rambo, however, could go on for another two or three films. "Cobra is the one I am interested in today. I'm going to move him into something of an international level."

Though he's had a lot problems - including serious injuries - in his rise to the top, Stallone accepts them without bitterness or complaint. "Sometimes I look back in anger, but then again I look back with kind of bittersweet smile and think: ‘Maybe if the cards hadn't fallen the way they have, I wouldn't be where I am today.'"


BACK TO THE INFO PAGE