Carl Weathers Workout and Diet
Actor (Deceased)
Carl Weathers was born in Louisiana. An all-around athlete, he won a football scholarship to high school. While still in high school, Weathers moved to California. He played football in college, lettering at San Diego State and helping the Aztecs win the 1969 Pasadena Bowl. Weathers signed with the Oakland Raiders in 1970 as a free agent, and that year the team won their first-ever AFC Championship Game. He next played for the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions until 1973, taking a degree in drama at San Francisco State during the off season. After graduating in 1974, Weathers began to pursue his career in acting. His big break came in 1976 with Rocky where he played Apollo Creed. Other acting credits include Predator, Happy Gilmore, and The Mandalorian for which he earned an Emmy nomination. Weathers has 2 sons. He passed away in 2024 at age 76. Despite a limited presence online, he had over a hundred thousand followers. Weathers was is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighed about 220 lbs.
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Carl Weathers’ Diet
Diet Summary
Given his size, many might be surprised to hear that Weathers followed a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. His protein came mainly from eggs and dairy products, and he got plenty of vitamins and nutrients from the large amount of fresh veg, fruit, and whole grains he ate every day. For Rocky, he trained with the ‘Iron Guru’ Vince Gironda, the original ‘steak and eggs’ man. But Gironda also accepted vegetarian diets for his clients who preferred them, and agreed that a vegetarian diet could be useful when cutting to get maximum definition.
Estimated Macros
Medium Fat
Low-Medium Protein
High Carb
Diet Details
Eat Your Veg
Weathers looked like a beast and it’s amazing he was able to grow all that muscle without animal protein.
Pluses of Going Vegetarian
A well-planned vegetarian diet that is rich in fresh produce offers a lot of health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar levels, and a lower risk of heart disease, gall stones, and cancer.
How to Get Cut
Weathers found his vegetarian diet to be especially helpful in showing off his muscles to maximum effect.
What to Eat
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Whole grains
- Raw dairy products
- Eggs
- Coffee
- Water
What to Avoid
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Processed foods
- Junk food
- Artificial additives
Weathers on health
‘I really try to take care of myself. I really put forth the effort to make a [fitness] regimen just a part of my life.’
Weathers on maintaining his weight
‘When I start to get that few pounds, which I try to monitor, then I just pull back.’
Weathers on maintaining a healthy weight
‘It’s really just being conscious.’
Carl Weathers’ Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Always Active
As a kid, Weathers was an amazing athlete. He did judo, wrestling, gymnastics and football, which earned him a scholarship to the prestigious high school St Augustine, alma mater to over 30 NFLers and other pro athletes.
Genetic Jackpot
Weathers had a problem that few of us share: he put on muscle easily, and he had to work to not get too big. His goal was to be an actor, not a bodybuilder.
Train Like a Pro
Weathers worked with the original trainer to the stars, Vince Gironda, whose client roster also included Larry Scott, Lou Ferrigno, Frank Zane, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Daily Dose
Weathers did not mess around when it came to training. He worked out intensely 6 days a week. Many other stars who worked with Gironda only trained once a week.
Cardio Not Required
Weathers did have to train in boxing for Rocky, but he didn’t otherwise do dedicated cardio. His intense weight training sessions acted as his cardio as he took only very short rests between rounds.
How I Train the Movie Stars Workout
Weathers’ Apollo Creed routine was a circuit that involved working intensely with minimal rest. He says it gave him a great pump, and the results speak for themselves.
Exercise Style
A Carl Weathers Apollo Creed Routine
Do 6-7 of the following exercises for 6 or more rounds. Go through each round without pausing, then take a short break before repeating.
- Barbell neck press
- Reeves alternating dumbbell row
- Dumbbell lateral raise
- Lying triceps pullover
- Two-hand seated dumbbell curls
- Barbell wrist curl
- Concentric double up crunch
- Frog squat
- Standing heel raises
Weathers’ unusual approach to working out
‘I work at keeping my muscle size down.’
Weathers on his lucky genetics
‘It’d be the easiest thing in the world for me to gain 15 more pounds of hard muscle.’
Weathers on Vince Gironda’s training program
‘It’s a great system for building hard muscle.’
Carl Weathers’ Supplements
Weathers kept his supplement regimen on the down low, so below are options that may benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.
Plant Based Protein
A plant-based protein is a smart move for vegetarians who are looking to grow muscle. Whey protein is another option for vegetarians like Weathers who consume dairy products.
BCAA
Another top pick for those looking to make gains include BCAAs and creatine. The amino acid l-carnitine improves gym performance and may reduce the risk of heart disease as well as help you lose weight.
Vitamin B12
Vegetarians and vegans have a higher risk for running low in vitamin B12, so consider supplementing.
Multivitamin
Finally, a multivitamin is always a safe bet to cover the essential nutrients your diet may be missing.
Carl Weathers’ Lifestyle
Peaceful Passing
Weathers passed away in his sleep at age 76 in 2024. The cause of death was revealed to be cardiovascular disease.
Love at First Bite
Weathers says all it took was being applauded on stage as a kid to know that he wanted to make a career out of acting.
Missed Opportunity?
Despite Weathers’ insistence that he wasn’t training to be a bodybuilder, he was apparently planning to compete in the Mr. California until filming for Rocky got in the way.
Whoopsie
A very inexperienced Weathers had to beg to be allowed to screen test for Rocky. He unwittingly read with the also unknown Sylvester Stallone. Weathers insulted him, saying he could do better with a ‘real actor.’ He thinks Stallone let him have the role just so he could beat him up.
Military Trainer
Among his many work credits, Weathers also made training videos for the US Army through his Red Tight Media productions.
Baby Yoda Advocate
Weathers advised Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau to add more Baby Yoda scenes into the show.
Mustache Hall of Famer
In 2016, Weathers was inducted into the International Mustache Hall of Fame. Other members include Albert Einstein, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Hulk Hogan.
Weathers on being bitten by the acting bug
‘There is nothing like standing on stage as a kid and suddenly hearing [applause].’
Weathers on bodybuilding
‘I am not interested in bodybuilding in the way, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger does it…I am, first and foremost, an actor.’
Weathers on his Rocky screen test
‘I didn’t know that was Sylvester Stallone.’
Weathers on his career
‘I’m a lucky guy.’
Recommended Products
Carl Weathers Autographed Boxing Gloves
Heavy Bag
Speed Bag
Barbell
Weight Plates
Dumbbells
Fake Mustache
