Stallone Says Rocky III Physique Led to Bulimia, Steroid Use

Sylvester Stallone said he developed bulimia and used steroids while pursuing an unusually lean, muscular physique for his role in Rocky III, describing the effort as an obsession that took a lasting toll on his body. The claims come from his retrospective account in an interview about his life and forthcoming memoir; the health details have not been independently verified in the supplied reporting. Stallone said he reached 2.6 percent body fat while preparing for the 1982 film and became so focused on maintaining his fitness that he could not keep food down, or did not want to. He described trying to shape his body to suit the characters he played, including Rocky and the more physically imposing warrior in the Rambo films. For Rocky III, he said, the ideal was lean, agile and aggressive rather than simply large. He also said he used steroids in cycles of six weeks on and six weeks off. Stallone argued that maintaining the physique he sought through sustained training and a restricted diet was not possible without drugs. He did not identify the substances he used.