Sylvester Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974,

Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium,

at the age of ten his father enrolled him in martial arts classes, which led to Van Damme participating in several competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor,

he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).

However, talk to any gym rat and they’ll reference his physique during the later films – Rocky III through to Rambo III (1981-1988) before they mention anything else. During this time, he embodied the classic 1980’s “action hero”.

Sly’s first radical transformation took place between Rocky II and Rocky III.

Back then, he trained with bodybuilding legend Franco Columbo.

The sport of bodybuilding was gaining popularity at the time, and Stallone was (still is) a keen fan. With Columbo’s help, he shed the stocky look of the early Rocky movies for a bronzed, bodybuilding-style appearance which he carried forward for the rest of his 80’s prime.

“Man, back in those days I would do literally anything and everything to burn more fat,” recalls Sly.

“I wanted to get as lean as possible. I would go for long morning cardio which usually consisted of jogging or swimming, then do about 18 rounds of sparring in the ring for Rocky, then I’d hit the gym for about two hours.

And this is all while I was writing, directing and starring in a movie. Yeah, I didn’t sleep too much!”

That’s because Sly was on a mission to create the best physique the movie screen had ever seen circa 1981.

His only problem? The massive Arnold Schwarzenegger, looming large in the background as he set out on his own Hollywood journey.