Sylvester Stallone inspired millions to transform their bodies for the better by going through constant body transformations for his roles as Rocky and Rambo. How did he do it?To reach Peak Arm in the second instalment of the famous action franchise, Sly recruited two-time Mr Olympia winner Franco Columbu who recommended an exercise technique I often use in my own workouts today, nearly 40 years after the movie was released.According to other cast members working on the movie with him, Sly trained for up to four hours a day while shooting the film, which is admittedly a lot of effort. The results speak for themselves, though!
But that’s not all: Franco Columbu, former bodybuilder, licenced chiropractor and Sly’s personal trainer for the movie, said Stallone used a workout method called supersets to build muscle (a.k.a. big arms) and help him lose weight faster. Franco was an established bodybuilder himself in the 70s, alongside Arnie, and knew full well how to get ready for big competitions quickly. Watch the master talk about Sly’s arm workout for Rambo 2 in this video:
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Stallone’s Rambo 2 Wokout: What’s A Superset?
Supersets are two exercises performed without rest. You perform the first exercise for the required number of repetitions, and then immediately move on to the second exercise.For example, you could do eight reps of strict overhead presses followed by 12 reps of overhead triceps extensions. This combination will give your triceps a run for their money. There are a million different combinations of performing supersets; only your imagination limits the possibilities. In general, you can use supersets to:1. Complement a big compound exercise, such as the bench press, with an isolation exercise to overload the muscles2. Train the push and pull muscles of a certain body part (e.g. arms or legs). Read more about what a push/pull split is here: best push-pull-legs workout3. Combine two exercises to burn more calories (e.g. pull-ups with squats)
Be Very Careful While Trying Those Workout, Don’t Do It without Advising A Skillful Trainer
Supersets put more pressure on your nervous system as they push your endurance more than standard sets; be careful not to implement them too frequently. Even someone as used to exercise as Sly used supersets for a specific time frame to achieve a particular goal (build muscle and lose weight).Speaking of losing weight: since each superset lasts for longer, your heart rate will be higher, and you’ll burn more calories. Again, air on the side of caution and use supersets cautiously for the best results.