The Swedish Action Film legend Dolph Lundgren is a
Martial Artist, Director, Nutritionist and body builder.
He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the action
hero stereotype, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce
Willis, Steven Seagal, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Although
Lundgren never competed as a professional bodybuilder, he has been closely
associated with bodybuilding and fitness since his role as Drago in the
mid-1980s. Bodybuilding.com said "looking like a man in his 30's rather
than his 50's, Lundgren is the poster boy of precise nutrition, supplementation
and exercise application that he has practiced for over 35 years.
Here are some answers by Dolph
Lundgren regarding his health and fitness.
How many hours a week do you spend
training?
I train
three to five days a week, normally for an hour and half. But if I'm busy or
traveling, I'll make sure I do a 30 minute stint in my room. I rotate cardio
with strength training. As you get older, you need to keep your hormone levels
up by lifting heavy weights.
What's your top training tip?
For me, it's
to keep it interesting and vary your workouts. Go to a class, like Body Pump,
or work out with a trainer once in a while just to get new ideas.
What advice would you give your
16-year-old self today?
When I was a
teenager, my dad used to put a lot of pressure on me to be successful, and I'd
really beat myself up about things like losing martial arts competitions. I
wish I'd known that things would work out and I'd do well – it would have been
good to have someone tell me not to worry so much when I was young.
How healthy is your diet?
I have a good
breakfast and good food three or four times a day, and that works for me. I've
done crash diets to get ripped for a scene or shoot, but it takes a lot out of
you. As soon as you start cutting back too much on carbs and stuff like that,
you can do a lot of damage to your metabolism.
What did you want to be when you were a
kid?
When I got
into martial arts when I was 15 that became my focus for about eight years. I
competed a lot and trained every day. I was also interested in academia. I
wanted to become an engineer, or get masters in business. But I had the
opportunity to do films when I was about 25 and it was a great way to express
myself.
Who would you most like to buy a beer?
Clint
Eastwood. I think he was underestimated as a dumb cowboy, but people didn't
realise what a talented director he is, and now he is certainly one of the most
respected directors in the world. It's pretty amazing that he's still going at
82. He's definitely a person I look up to.
How many hours sleep do you get per
night?
Some people
go on three or four hours sleep a night, but I need eight hours regularly. At
least once a week, I try to have one day where I have nothing planned so I can
get up and just go back to bed and lay around and recharge my batteries.
You’ve been offered a pill that will
make you live forever. Do you take it?
I'd have to
think about that one. I think mortality makes you live a fuller existence. When
I was a kid I was scared of death, and maybe that's what made me desperate to
get the most out of life.
Who is your hero – and why?
I used to
look up to Stallone a lot, and I still do. To make one hit movie is difficult –
a lot of people try and most can't do it. To make several is just so
impressive.