7 minute read
A Muscular Life
from Ghghg
Ripped To The Bone: Stallone famously “looked like a middleweight” in Rocky III when taking revenge on Clubber Lang (Mr. T).
There are, as usual, a few notable exceptions – relics of yesteryear and reminders of a time before TikTok’s Khaby Lame and YouTube’s PewDiePie. These exceptions come no larger than the great Schwarzenegger, Van Damme or Ford. By comparison, modern-day action superstars don’t measure up. Marvel Studios has tried valiantly to close the gap, providing us all (MH included) with a surfeit of single-use, CGI-enhanced protagonists. But none has imprinted himself in the culture in quite the same way as the classic 1980s action hero.
Advertisement
While Schwarzenegger and others have all but hung up their tank tops, there exists one big-screen mega-drawcard who continues to carry franchise after franchise on his oversized shoulders: Sylvester (Sly) Stallone.
It’s been 46 years since the muscled actor from Hell’s Kitchen, New York first stepped into the ring as Rocky. Now 76, he continues to work and train just as hard as he did when he was an aspiring actor. As his career evolved, so too did his workouts. Stallone had to keep up with the increasing physical demands of the characters he portrayed; he also had to defy the ravages of age.
Seeking workout inspiration? The complete oeuvre of Stallone can provide a blueprint for any man at any age, regardless of training goals. Whether you’re pursuing lean athleticism or guerrilla-style muscle, following a Stallone program will ensure your fitness stays firmly pre-mortem for decades to come.
NO PA IN
Like that of his alter ego, Stallone’s real-life journey to playing Rocky Balboa is the tale of an underdog come good – albeit with fewer sprints up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and minimal rounds with a frozen carcass. Inspired by the 1975 championship fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, Stallone apparently penned the boxing flick in just three days. After shopping the script around, multiple studios were interested but all wanted an established, big-name actor to bring Balboa to life. Insisting he play the title role, however, relative unknown Stallone held out – successfully – as Rocky became one of the most bankable franchises in cinematic history.
After the commercial and critical success of the first installment (Rocky won the Best Picture Oscar in 1977), Stallone knew he needed to up his game for the sequels. Impressive though he was in the original, he continually sought to improve Balboa’s onscreen athleticism and muscularity, reaching a shredded pinnacle in Rocky II (1979) – only to top it in Rocky III (1982).
“I wanted to look like Tarzan – sleek, tight, almost catlike,” Stallone said of his turn in Rocky III in a 2017 Instagram post. “I wanted to forget the bulk and go for well-developed muscles. I wanted the movie to be about change – how people have to adapt to different challenges because, if they don’t, they will be conquered. I will always believe that adaptation is the key to survival and that’s what this story was all about.”
To reach fighting weight, Stallone trained much like he did for the first two installments – high volumes of resistance work and conditioning – while his diet underwent an overhaul. “I was on a very highprotein diet,” Stallone
A v a i l a b l e n a t i o n w i d e a t s e l e c t e d U n i t e d P e t r o l e u m , B P & C o l e s E x p r e s s s t o r e s
D AT E : Febr uar y 27, 19 94 , 5.31pm N A M E : M A R K B O S NI C H
F E AT: A young go alkeeper pulls of f a penalt y- shootout mas ter c lass to b ecome an A s ton V illa her o
PENALTY SHOOTOUTS are strange as a goalkeeper. Obviously, you can’t let yourself get daunted by the occasion, but you can’t become overconfident either. I was playing for Aston Villa against Tranmere Rovers in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final at Villa Park. We’d started the tie as heavy favourites to go through as we had a good team with Dean Saunders and Dalian Atkinson upfront, Paul McGrath at the back and Ray Houghton in the middle. But we lost the first leg 3-1 at Prenton Park and suddenly we were heavy underdogs. Luckily, we managed to finish that second leg 3-1 so, after extra time, the tie went to penalties. As I walked towards the goal, I remember saying to myself: “This is a real opportunity. Now you’ve got to take it.”
The penalties took place in front of the Tranmere fans. Both sides scored their first two, but on Tranmere’s third, I dived full stretch to my bottom right and managed to get a glove to the ball and save it. The next two pens both went in, so then our big, young centre-back, Ugo Ehiogu, had the chance to seal the win and send us through to Wembley. Unfortunately, Ugo banged his shot straight into the crossbar. And now it was sudden death.
I was 22 – which is young for a goalkeeper – and I’d only broken into the team the season before when we’d just missed out on winning the Premier League. At the start of the season I’d lost my place as I was banned for a while after retiring from international football and I’d only just got back into the first team due to Nigel Spink getting injured. So I was desperate to make a real breakthrough and establish myself. I knew this could be my chance.
As a goalkeeper, I had a theory with penalties. When the player was running up, I’d always look at where the non-kicking foot was pointed. If they were running up as a right-footer and their left foot pointed to the goalkeeper’s right, generally the ball would go to the right. The run-up itself was another thing I’d scrutinise. If they’d run straight, normally the ball would go to the goalkeeper’s left. If they curled their run, it’d normally go to your right. But to catch any of those details, you’d have to slow yourself down and wait until the last minute to dive.
In sudden death, Villa had the first penalty, only for Kevin Richardson to belt it miles over the bar into the Tranmere fans. They were now just one kick away from Wembley. Liam O’Brien stepped up to take it for them – he was a player I’d basically grown up with at the youth team at Manchester United – but he hit it to my right and I saved it. Tony Daley nailed the next penalty for us, so Tranmere had to score to survive.
Before that penalty, I knew this could a defining moment for my career. It was an opportunity to get Villa to their first final for seven years, but also a chance to become a hero from the supporters’ perspective and make myself a fixture in the team. But I had to deliver. Ian Nolan was taking the penalty for Tranmere, but even as he walked towards the spot, I could feel something guiding me to dive to my left. Nolam took this long run up that was very straight. I dived to my left and I saved it.
Afterwards, I just remember running towards my teammates on the halfway line to celebrate. A lot of the crowd ran onto the pitch, too – everyone was going mad. What I felt was a mix of utter delight but also relief. I knew it was a big moment for the club, but also for my career. A lot of the boys went out to celebrate, but I had to go home – I was just deathly drained by the sheer intensity of the experience. Plus I knew we still had one big match ahead us at Wembley. That final against Manchester United would prove to be my first major trophy.
Scan here to find out more and download your free toolkit
