Before Marvel heroes started rocking hairless, “totally natural” gym-sculpted physiques, 70s actors were owning the silver screen with rugged, steak-fueled bodies built on pure grit.
Back in the day, guys like Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood didn’t need fad diets, personal trainers, or enough steroids to power a Soviet gymnastics team. They just rolled out of bed, did some shadow boxing, knocked out a few push-ups, shot back a whiskey, and boom—screen ready.
Okay, maybe there was a bit of chemical assistance, according to David Shonts, CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist).
“Steroids were completely legal in the 1970s,” Shonts, a longtime college and high school strength and conditioning coach, told VICE.
“Anyone familiar with gear [steroids] will recognize the popular chemical human enhancements widely known and utilized during that period,” he added. “D-bol, Test-E, Test-C, and Winny were the go-to assistants for athletic and aesthetic purposes.”
“There is a strong chance that all ‘fit’ actors utilized a little chemical assistance at some point,” Shonts continued. “No legal ramifications, and use doesn’t always signify abuse. Hell, look at the way TRT has become commonplace with our current middle-aged crowd. The amount/volume of steroids commonly used in the 70s doesn’t nearly approach what became normal with the birth of the ‘mass monster’ look that came into vogue in the 80s.”
Okay, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh on modern actors for insisting that chicken and broccoli alone were the secret to their iconic shirtless superhero moment. But come on—Paul Rudd? As Ant-Man? Even he had to flash his chiseled abs in a shirtless scene. ANT-MAN. A character, played by a comedic actor, whose powers are literally based on shrinking and growing, not his physical prowess.
But I digress.
At least 70s actors, “gear” or not, didn’t bother with shaving their body hair or pulling off the bizarre prep routines modern stars claim to do before a shirtless scene. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out some of the most iconic male hard bodies of 1970s cinema—and maybe guess how they got those legendary physiques.
Burt Reynolds, the Attainable Alpha Male Body (That You’ll Probably Never Have)
Burt Reynolds might be the peak male of 1970s cinema. Pretty well every guy around wanted his swagger… and his athletic physique. A football player for Florida State University in the 1950s before his acting days, it’s no wonder Reynolds sported a build suited for tough guy parts like the ladies man moonshine runner in 1973’s White Lightning and football player characters like in 1974’s The Longest Yard or 1977’s Semi-Tough.
Still, it’s in his breakthrough performance in 1972’s Deliverance that Burt Reynolds might be his most imposing. Playing the avid outdoorsman and survivalist Lewis Medlock, Reynolds leads a group of suburban friends on a canoe trip through the remote Georgia wilderness, only to face threats from both nature and the locals.
In the film, Reynolds is both charismatic and menacing, sounding a bit like a modern “alpha male” influencer while waxing poetic about how modern man needs to get back to nature, all while sporting a sleeveless vest that shows off his bulging biceps and sinewy forearms. Reynolds was around 35 years old when the film was shot.
He totally got those arms doing some canoeing leading up to the film shoot, right?
“I know he was a badass on the football field and went to FSU to play ball,” Shonts said. “He absolutely had a calisthenics background because of sports in the 50s and (probably) hit up some of those Nautilus machines as an almost 40-year-old to maintain that physique. Biceps, medial, and anterior deltoid development have changed pretty drastically by Deliverance. He might have had some help for that level of growth. It’s possible he did not…but I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Bruce Lee, the Body Generations Have Trained to Get
Bruce Lee was basically the original fitness influencer, way ahead of his time. His training philosophies shaped modern MMA and fitness culture, while his shredded, 0% body fat look in Enter the Dragon cemented his spot on the Mount Rushmore of cinematic hard bodies. Forget Googling “Brad Pitt’s Fight Club workout”—just ask yourself, “What would Bruce do?”
While his discipline is legendary and well documented, does our strength and conditioning expert think Lee had a little extra help?
“Very doubtful,” Shonts said. “This is the only one I feel pretty good about. Dude is shredded, but trained religiously. He kept a log of his workouts that is easy to look up. He was over a decade into a 3-day total-body training split [at the time of filming Enter the Dragon at age 32].”
“Besides the two-finger push-ups and daily hours of martial arts practice, dude was religious about his training and diet,” Shonts added.
Charles Bronson, the Ultimate ‘Get Off My Lawn’ Flex
Charles Bronson wasn’t one to stray far from his tough-guy image, even as the years piled on. By the time Walter Hill’s 1975 Depression-era boxing drama Hard Times came along, Bronson was well into his 50s—but age clearly didn’t faze him.
He went shirtless for multiple fight scenes, flaunting a physique that screamed “lumberjack by day, steel mill worker by night.”
Certainly, a guy nearing 60 with a physique like Bronson’s in Hard Times is impressive. But hey, Bronson was from the Greatest Generation. Back then, men weren’t made… they were forged. Right?
“I would STRONGLY suspect some chemical assistance,” Shonts speculated. “Dude is jacked.”
Damn it, Shonts.
However, according to a 2015 blog post by Bronson’s nephew, Tom Furman, the gruff actor’s physique was built on a foundation of child labor (working mines in Ehrenfeld, PA) and boxing growing up. Furman also detailed the Dirty Dozen legend doing pushups between milk crates, hiking, and rope climbing all through his acting career.
“[Bronson] had a heavy bag and speed bag at his Vermont Horse Ranch. His Hollywood bachelor pad had a [climbing] rope in the ravine below his pool deck. There was a heavy bag near the pool as well,” Furman writes.
“In addition, horseback riding, motocross, swimming, knife throwing, and shooting were all part of the mix,” Furman added. “The last point is diet. He was always STRINGENT with food. Limited calories.”
So, that’s it, folks—just a super simple recipe for success: heavy labor in your youth, boxing, hiking, sit-ups, push-ups on milk crates, rope climbing, daily swimming, heavy bag, speedbag, knife throwing, horseback riding, a strict diet, and great genetics. Easy, right?
Carl “Sylvester Stallone Looks Terrible Standing Next to Me” Weathers
Sylvester Stallone’s physique has been a hot topic for decades—and for good reason. He went from dad-bod vibes in the original Rocky (1976) to chiseled action hero by Rocky III in 1982 (basically Bruce Lee levels of shredded).
But let’s be honest, in the first Rocky, it was Stallone’s rival, Carl Weathers (aka the flashy Apollo Creed), who had the kind of physique that made gym memberships spike.
Like Charles Bronson and Bruce Reynolds, Weathers was a talented athlete growing up. He excelled in boxing, football, gymnastics, judo, soccer, and wrestling.
Weathers also had a successful football career, playing college football for the San Diego State Aztecs before going pro. He joined the NFL’s Oakland Raiders as an undrafted linebacker, playing two seasons, followed by three seasons with the CFL’s BC Lions.
Sure, like Sly, Weathers embraced full-on action hero status in the ’80s, trading an almost attainable physique for action figure-level muscles. He even gave us one of the most iconic memes ever: the legendary arm shake with Arnie in 1987’s Predator.
But back in the ’70s, was his physique more “gym goals” than “superhuman experiment”?
“Another stud on the gridiron and a multi-sport athlete,” Shonts observed. “I swear that he was an ‘Iron Guru’ Gironda disciple, but I could be wrong. If you have paid a champion bodybuilder to train you, gear is likely.”
Indeed, when Carl Weathers moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting after his football career ended, he worked with legendary personal trainer Vince Gironda. Gironda reportedly put Weathers through an intense circuit training routine that included seven exercises performed for six circuits daily, six days a week, with incredible intensity. The regimen was designed to push limits and build a physique worthy of the big screen.
The routine targeted all major muscle groups, likely including barbell neck presses, dumbbell rows, lateral raises, tricep pullovers, seated dumbbell curls, wrist curls, crunches, frog squats, and standing heel raises. Gironda was so impressed with Weathers’ natural abilities that he believed he had the potential to become a professional bodybuilder.
Roy Scheider: There are Dad Bods, and Then There are DADDY Bods
Roy Scheider brought a whole new flavor to the tough guy club. With his lean, wiry build and a nose that seemed to have survived a few rounds in the ring (spoiler: it had—he was an amateur boxer with a solid record), he radiated a quiet intensity and just the right amount of danger. But at 5’9″ with a slim physique, Scheider wasn’t just brawn—he could flip the script and deliver vulnerable, nuanced performances, like his turn as an obsessive director in 1979’s All That Jazz.
Still, Scheider brought one of the most intense fight scenes to life in 1976’s Marathon Man. Scheider, just in his underwear, takes down a would-be assassin in a harrowing scene that ends with the then-44-year-old Scheider covered in blood, his pulsating muscles glistening in crimson like they were oiled for a bodybuilding show.
In the scene, Scheider’s lean, with a build that harkens to his boxing days. The scene in question even kicks off with him doing calisthenics. Does our expert think he’s natural?
“Could be legit,” Shonts said. “Great physique. Lean and athletic looking. It is possible to look like that naturally at 44, with great training and a maniacal diet.”
Clint Eastwood, Any Which Way But Natural
Clint Eastwood has been the gold standard for male swagger for decades. After he shot to fame in the ’60s with westerns, the ’70s saw him branching out into cop dramas (Dirty Harry, 1971), thrillers (Play Misty for Me, also 1971), and mainstream action comedies—often while casually showing off those impressive muscles.
That said, peak Eastwood hard body might just be 1978’s Every Which Way But Loose, featuring perhaps the most ’70s story possible. Eastwood stars as Philo Beddoe, a trucker and bare-knuckle brawler wandering the American West, joined by his pet orangutan Clyde.
Listen, it was a simpler time.
Eastwood, at 48, spends plenty of time shirtless in this film—and let’s just say Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine might owe him a royalty check. Eastwood’s lean, muscular frame, complete with enviable pecs, biceps, and forearms, could make men half his age rethink their gym routines.
That said, Eastwood is legendary for his grit. Would a guy like that need a bit of chemical help to attain that body?
“Probably,” Shonts guessed. “Homeboy is almost 50 here. I know he was always lean, but if he was that much of a beefcake in his younger cowboy days…Sergio would’ve had his shirt get shot off at some point. I know he was always active, but to look like that at 50? Possible, but not very likely.”
Christopher Reeve: You Will Believe a Man Can Get Jacked
Skinny and 6’4, Christopher Reeve was famously lanky when he first donned the iconic cape for Richard Donner’s Superman (1978). The brightly colored, unpadded tights left no room for ego—or comfort. Even modern beefcake Henry Cavill looked awkward as hell donning Reeve’s iconic tights during his audition for 2013’s Man of Steel.
However, Reeve had a secret weapon no one else on this list could boast—the boundless, testosterone-charged magic of youth. Landing the role of Superman at just 24, he had time (and energy) on his side.
Could he have simply hit the gym hard enough to pack on that heroic chest and those legendary arms before cameras began rolling?
This time, our expert is a bit less balls-out.
“Can a 24-year-old look like that without gear? 100%,” Shonts reasoned of Reeve’s Superman look.
That said, he has a few reservations.
“I know he was tall, and that is a big frame to fill out. Harder for a taller guy to gain visual mass than a shorter guy (that’s why most bodybuilders aren’t tall dudes). Given the time and the role, it would be hard not to go juice goblin in a suit like that,” Shonts added.
Of course, nerds know Reeve was famously trained by David Prowse (the bodybuilder inside Darth Vader’s iconic suit) for Superman after failing to land the part himself.
“If he has a strong athletic/training background, powerful possibility he’s natural,” Shonts continued, noting the actor’s traps seemed less developed than his “show muscles” like his biceps, hinting at a streamlined training program. “He’s also 24. At that age, you can look at a weight room and add 5 pounds to your bench press. I’m taking a mulligan on this one, could go either way.”
With that, we’ll end on a disclaimer by Coach Shonts.
“I, in no way, endorse steroid use with any of my athletes,” Shonts insisted. “I have worked with thousands of athletes (male and female) between the ages of 14 and 22, which might be the absolute worst time of life to take steroids. And the body standard that these kids are trying to live up to is asinine.”
The post Movie Buff: 7 Seventies Era Male Hard Bodies and How to Get ‘Em appeared first on VICE.