Sylvester Stallone is a Hollywood A-lister so, he has always been surrounded by many rumors, and using steroids is one of them. Many people wonder if he has built his muscles naturally or he has used some kind of substance.
Sylvester Stallone: Steroids or Natural?
It’s time to find out the truth behind the amazing physique and fitness of Sylvester Stallone. After all, we need some inspiration to start our fitness journey.
As there was an incident a few years back where Stallone was caught with illegal HGH vials, the sparks about him using steroids and banned substances became really strong online.
In this article, we will expose all the evidence in this matter and reveal whether Sylvester Stallone takes steroids or is he natural.
Sylvester Stallone’s Stats
- Height – 5’10” (177 cm)
- Weight – 185 lbs (84 kg)
Overall Body Measurements (measured when he was shooting Rambo II)
- Arms – 17″ (17 inch)
- Waist – 30″ (30 inch)
- Chest – 50″ (50 inch)
Achieving a similar muscle size to Sylvester is not very difficult for natural bodybuilders. You just need to work hard, be consistent, and have decent genes. A combination of all these three can help you get similar bodybuilding results as Stallone had during his prime.
Sylvester Stallone: Steroids or Natural?
So, does that mean Sylvester Stallone is natural? or does he take steroids?
Let’s find out…
Gains Timeline
Before we take a detailed look at his gains timeline, we just want to make one thing clear – Sylvester is not a newbie at bodybuilding, he knows it to the core.
So, getting shredded is not something he is unaware of and we know how much effort and disciple is needed for shredding. It doesn’t matter whether you are using supplements or steroids, shredding is still difficult.
Keep in mind that cutting steroids are capable of burning fat rapidly while maintaining muscle mass.
As far as Sylvester Stallone is concerned, to know whether he uses steroids or not, we should take a look at his “Gains Timeline”.
A bodybuilder’s efforts are disclosed by his gains timeline. It reveals whether the person has been using steroids for bulking or cutting. There are pretty clear and obvious signs that reveal the truth.
The thing is that if you are a natural bodybuilder, you will only make small gains gradually. Whereas, if you take steroids, you will see instant gains that obviously look unnatural (or superman type). By the way, you can also read this detailed article about Henry Cavill Steroids to know whether this onscreen superman has been juicing or not.
Now, let’s get back to discussing Sylvester Stallone’s steroid use.
Farewell, My Lovely – 1975
The above picture was taken when Sylvester was filming “Farewell, My Lovely”. If you take a look at his physique you can see that his muscles are so well-built and defined.
In 1975, he was 29 years old. He was young and energetic and his body was responding very well to the Sylvester Stallone workout routine at that time. It looked like he laid a good foundation for bodybuilding.
Rocky – 1976
Then in the year 1976, Stallone got the role of his lifetime. He became Rocky onscreen. We all know what an amazing film that is.
However, one thing that actually catches our attention is that his body doesn’t look much different from how it looked during Farewell, My Lovely.
This is very good proof that he was not using steroids at that time. If he would have used steroids, his body would have transformed a lot. His weight and muscle mass don’t look changed. He is almost the same size.
In fact, in Rocky II (released in 1979) also, his physique looks almost the same. He maintained his muscle mass and weight throughout those years.
Rocky III – 1982
After that, in 1982, he came back with Rocky III 3 years later. In that film, Stallone looked a lot lean and ripped. It seemed that his body fat percentage dropped from 10% to 8%.
This made his muscles looked more defined and his veins were quite visible (popping).
He looks more chiseled but his physique did not look unnatural. His gains, his muscles, his overall body did not look like things were done within a few weeks. It looks like he has been consistently working out to achieve that kind of fitness level.
Rocky IV – 1985
3 years later Sylvester came back with another Rocky franchise movie titled Rocky IV. In that film, he was super shredded. He weighed 163 lbs in that film, which is some big achievement.
In my opinion, Sylvester showed his best physique in this film. Also, the movie was just amazing.
It looked like he dropped his body fat percentage even more in this film. While he was 8% in Rocky III, in Rocky IV it looks like he has reduced it to 4%.
It not easy to drop body fat percentage but when you do it, your body looks aesthetic. That is why Stallone looks beyond perfect in that film.
He was so ripped and toned that he could easily give pro bodybuilders a run for their money. This shows how much training we had done for that film and to look so lean.
If natural bodybuilders follow a strict workout routine then they can reduce their body fat percentage to 4% and still maintain their muscle mass. Although it’s challenging, proper training can help you get the results.
That is why many natty bodybuilders look so lean during competitions.
However, there may still be a possibility that Sylvester Stallone used some cutting supplements during this time. During Rocky IV, he was exceptionally shredded but at the same time, his skin looked so red and flushed. Take a look at the picture below.
Did Sylvester Stallone take steroids?
Just by looking at this one picture, no one can conclude that Sylvester took steroids because a lot of factors affect a picture, for example – lighting, camera angle, and more.
Another thing that could affect the color of the skin is your body’s temperature.
One of the main symptoms that appear on your body when you take steroids is flushing or redness. Some cutting steroids like clenbuterol and ephedra cause thermogenesis in your body. They can also increase your blood pressure as well as make you sweat more.
Basically, it’s a way for your body to protect the internal organs from getting overheated. So, in this picture, Stallone’s body looks way too red, maybe it is a sign of his blood getting too hot.
Here is another picture in which Sylvester looks too flushed.
When he was training for Rocky IV, he hired a fitness expert and trainer Franco Colombu.
Now, Franco Colombu is not just a regular fitness gym, He became Mr. Olympia champion 2 times. So, his resume was quite impressive to become the personal trainer of Stallone.
However, Franco belonged to the same era of bodybuilders like Dorian Yates, Lou Ferrigno, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. So, he was from the 70’s era when steroids were very popular among bodybuilders.
Bodybuilders were using steroids all the time and they looked like beasts on stage. So, it definitely increases a doubt.
There is a slight possibility that if Sylvester would have told Franco to help him get shredded extremely then Franco might have given him the idea about using a fat burner pill or steroids, something like Clenbuterol.
Rambo 3 – 1988
Rambo 3 was released in 1988 and during that time Stallone looked even more flushed and red. He was 42 years old at that time and still looked so aesthetic. It must have been super difficult to maintain his gains so, maybe, he was using some stimulants at that time.
Demolition Man – 1993
After that, in 1993 he came back onscreen with another powerful role in Demolition Man. This time he was starring with Wesley Snipes. This is probably the first film that showed the extreme muscular physique of Sylvester Stallone.
Even in the earlier films, he looked muscular but in those films, he was most of the time shirtless, whereas in Demolition Man he was not shirtless most of the time. He looked super buffed even after being fully covered.
His muscles pop-up, even more, when he has his T-shirt on. That means he has bulked up a lot.
So, after Rambo 3, he gained a lot of muscle mass. This is something that creates a little doubt.
A natural bodybuilder doesn’t gain too much muscle mass after their newbie gains. So, if Stallone is natty, how come he gained so much muscle mass?
Newbie Gains mean the gains that a person gets when he first starts lifting weights. After that, it is extremely difficult for natural bodybuilders to gain extreme muscle mass.
However, the bodybuilders who take steroids can easily pack in more muscles after their newbie gains period is over.
Is Sylvester Stallone on steroids?
There is not enough proof to claim that Sylvester Stallone takes steroids.
Firstly, he has personally never acknowledged in public that he has taken steroids (but then again, no bodybuilder in the world ever does that).
Secondly, if he was taking bulking steroids like Dianabol or Anadrol then he would be so big and huge that even Hulk would have to run for his money 😀
However, there is a high possibility that he may be using some type of HGH or a testosterone booster. Both these are essential for guys who want to maintain their gains and get some lean muscle mass.
Keep in mind that Sylvester’s super-stardom was still continued after Demolition Man. He gave some blockbuster hit films like Rocky Balboa (2006), Rambo (2008), and more.
Even though, it would have been difficult for him to maintain his physique and muscles during all these years still he managed to do it. During these films, he was in his 60’s and still had a better physique than guys in their 20’s or 30’s.
However, there is one thing in his appearance that has changed a lot and that is his waist size. In his early years, his waist was slim while in his 60’s his waist looks more bloated and thick.
This could also be a result of using HGH because it is known to increase your internal organs as well.
In fact, there was an incident in 2007, where Sylvester was reported caught with 48 vials of HGH while entering Australia. He was later charged for this illegal incident.
So, even if Sylvester Stallone has taken Clenbuterol, HGH, or Testosterone booster, they are not officially anabolic steroids. Maybe he has used banned substances to boost his workout efforts but he has not taken steroids.
We highly respect and appreciate all the hard work he has throughout these years. Maintaining your physique even after turning 70 is a very big achievement and people should learn from him.
Natural Testosterone Booster
We do not recommend any illegal or banned substances because we care for your health. So, we always tell people to use only natural products.
Hundreds of thousands of bodybuilders all over the world are using natural testosterone booster supplements and you can also try it to get the maximum benefits out of your workouts.
One of the most popular natural testosterone boosters is Testogen. It is clinically tested and proven to increase your testosterone levels without any side effects.
Also, it is made from only natural ingredients that are proven to work rapidly without causing any health issues.
It helps to increase your muscle size, stamina, libido, and strength. In addition, it helps in maintaining your lean muscle mass, so you get that aesthetic look that you have always wanted.
Natural HGH Booster
HGH is amazing for giving you the bodybuilding results that you have wanted but consume it in the form that is illegal or banned is neither good for your health nor for your career.
So, it is always recommended to consume a legal HGH supplement. One of the most popular and 100% legal products is Crazybulk HGH-X2.
This Crazybulk HGH-X2 is the legal alternative to Somatropin HGH.
The full form of HGH is Human Growth Hormone and the chemical name is Somatropin. So, the Crazybulk HGH-X2 is one of the best ways to get your daily dose of HGH.
It is 100% legal and made from clinically tested and proven ingredients. Also, it is available without a medical prescription. As it is a supplement so you can consume it without any fear.
With HGH-X2 you can get huge muscle gains, reduce your recovery time and burn more fat without any side effects. It gives rapid results and is perfect for getting lean muscle mass.
References:
Images in this post taken from Sylvester Stallone Instagram