According to Sylvester Stallone, he suffered a major pectoral injury years ago while bench pressing an ambitious 400+ lbs in an intense workout competition against fellow actor Franco Columbu, who was a regular training partner of Arnold-Schwarzenegger.

Eager to beat his rival’s weightlifting total, Stallone pushed himself too far and ended up tearing the pectoral muscles on both sides of his chest.

This caused severe and lasting nerve damage that resulted in partial facial paralysis and speech issues for the actor.

The strain of lifting such heavy weights as a young man in a zeal to outdo his friend led to repercussions Stallone still feels today.

At the time, Stallone was intensely focused on building his muscular physique and let his competitive drive override caution when working out.

This fateful injury taught him the risks of pushing his body past its natural limits.

Pectoral Tear Resulted In Droopy Eyelids

The torn pectoral muscles never properly healed for Stallone after the overzealous bench press competition, leading to one of his most identifiable features–droopy eyelids that give his face a heavy, sleepy look.

Arnold-Schwarzenegger
While some corrective plastic surgery was done to lift his eyelids over the years, they remained partially drooped and never fully recovered their original appearance after the muscle and nerve trauma.

This droopy-eyed gaze became part of Sylvester Stallone‘s character as an actor, contributing to his craggy charm. But its origins trace back to the overexertion injury.

Pressing Weights Beyond Natural Limits

By trying to lift over 400 lbs to beat his rival, Stallone exceeded the natural capabilities of his muscles and tore his pectorals as a result.

Franco-Columbu
“I was so eager to beat  Franco Columbu that I didn’t listen to what my body could practically lift,” Stallone admitted. Pushing past reasonable weights led to long-term bodily damage.

In addition to impacting his eyes, the pectoral tear suffered by Stallone while weightlifting as a young man resulted in slurred, halting speech due to partially paralyzed vocal cord muscles.

Voice Also Affected By Pectoral Tear

This speech impediment gave Stallone’s voice its distinctly husky, mumbling quality.

While he has worked to reduce the raspiness and slurring, his voice was permanently altered by straining his body past its limits during the intense training session.

The raspy vocal delivery became part of his persona as a gritty action star but began with the injury.

Sylvester-Stallone
The pectoral muscle tear from reckless bench-pressing ambition in his youth had an accidental positive effect on Sylvester Stallone, giving him droopy eyes and a raspy voice that perfectly suited his big screen tough guy roles.

But the strains of the gym competition caused permanent damage, reminding me that pushing the body too far can come at a cost, even if it did inadvertently help forge an iconic movie image.

In the end, Stallone’s injury serves as a cautionary tale about respecting the body’s limits and not risking health simply to beat a rival.