“God didn’t make Rambo – I made him!”
Those were the words of Colonel Trautman in the original Rambo instalment, First Blood. While Trautman did take on the role of a father figure for the young Rambo, Sylvester Stallone’s character was also crafted by a gruelling and intense fitness regime.
Stallone recently took to Instagram, sharing a clip in which he discusses how he got in shape for the Rambo saga.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WshZHH1Hl/
In a clip entitled ‘The Rambo Workout’, Stallone and others involved in the production of Rambo discuss what it took to build the Rambo physique.
“That guy remoulded his entire body – I’ve never seen anybody do that”, said fellow actor Brian Dennehy.
Speaking about Stallone’s regime itself, another co-star said:
“You can’t imagine what he put himself through. We’d get up at five o’clock in the morning, he’d go in and work out, on heavy weights, free weights, and all kinds of exercises.
“Then we’d finish a day’s work, a very hard day’s work, and he’d go back in the gym again and work out again.”
Stallone, dressed head-to-toe in Rambo gear, said “It was about eight months of training, four hours a day, to toughen myself up.”
He also describes taking SWAT courses, archery courses and survivalist classes in order to prepare for the role. Method acting involves method training, too.
Has Sly sometimes taken his training regime a bit too far? Probably. During a Rocky IV scene, he told Dolph Lundgren, “Punch me as hard as you can in the chest.”
He then said: “Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. It’s stupid!”
Rambo: Last Blood was hinted at for some time before being officially announced. Almost a year ago, Stallone was hitting the gym hard in preparation for this latest release. Complete in a John Rambo t-shirt. Standard.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnogpaOhqkm/?utm_source=ig_embed
The film is due for release later this year. Stallone has been keeping the suspense alive via a series of social media teasers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1R5j9hJgoG/
