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Sylvester Stallone reveals bulimia and steroid use during career peak
In a recent interview with The New York Times, actor Sylvester Stallone revealed that his intense pursuit of a specific physique for his iconic roles led to severe health struggles, including bulimia and steroid use. Stallone described his body as his ‘armor’ and noted that his obsession with maintaining extreme fitness reached a peak during the filming of ‘Rocky III’ in 1982, where his body fat percentage dropped to 2.6%.
He admitted that his desire to achieve an athletic, ‘jaguar-like’ appearance for characters such as Rambo made him turn to steroids, stating that achieving such results without ‘additives and drugs’ was not possible. Stallone characterized this period as an ‘obsessive body-worship’ and acknowledged that these practices took a ‘terrible toll’ on his health, resulting in numerous surgeries on his back, shoulders, and cervical spine.
Beyond physical health, Stallone also opened up about experiencing debilitating anxiety attacks, the first of which occurred when he was 36 years old. These revelations come as part of the promotion for his new memoir, ‘The Steps.’
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Arnold Schwarzenegger · Dolly Parton · John Rambo · Rambo · Rambo · Rocky · Rocky · Rocky Balboa · Sylvester Stallone · The New York Times · The Steps