Sylvester Stallone reveals he was bulimic filming 'Rocky III' and says nobody gets fit WITHOUT steroids

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Sylvester Stallone has admitted he developed bulimia while preparing for 'Rocky III' in 1982, dropping to 2.6 per cent body fat in a regime he calls "an obsessive body-worship kind of thing." The 80-year-old reportedly stopped keeping food down to stay as lean as possible, saying the obsession "took a terrible toll" on his body. He also insisted steroid use was essential, arguing no one achieves elite fitness "without additives and drugs, period." The candid interview reveals a career built on physical punishment — nine back operations, two shoulder operations and three neck fusions.

Stallone said he wanted to look "more feral and aggressive" than Arnold Schwarzenegger, not bulked up.