Dolph’s daughter Greta, 18, and Emma met for the fi rst time recently, when Greta was able to visit their home in LA.

BY DANNI LEVY PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL

Action star Dolph can’t expect to have a youthful body and judo was an internal journey without the mindset to match.” as well as a physical one. As I got Lundgren has made over older, I started to do a lot of medita- 70 movies and at 62, he’s Dolph fi rst took up martial arts in tion. I’ve always continued with that his early teens and it was at this time spiritual journey. not done yet! he began to explore the relationship between his body and mind. “I had a very tough time dealing with With a new approach to the trauma of my childhood up until “I think the dichotomy between be- about fi ve years ago or so. I sort of life, a beautiful young ing a fi ghter and my laid-back nature went in both directions because of it, fiancée, and even more is perhaps what helps to keep me I guess. Most people who know me, young,” he says. “Most people know know that softer side and the people film projects on the me for saying ‘I must break you’ (as who don’t know me, don’t.” horizon, the Swedish- Ivan Drago) and running around with an assault rifl e, but I guess I “I had a very tough time born Rocky IV star is have two sides. My childhood was looking and feeling abusive, and my dad beat me a lot. I dealing with the trauma think a lot of kids who were beaten of my childhood up until better than ever! by their dads go into contact sports or the military because they’re some- about five years ago or “I think it’s a combination of things,” how trying to be strong and make up so.” “Most people know me for saying ‘I must break Dolph says when I hastily attempt to for that. On the other hand, I have a chip into his secret to eternal youth. certain softer side to me and a search With over 70 movies under his belt, you’ (as Ivan Drago) and running around with an If Zoom had a baby face fi lter, I’d for the inner truth. believe he had it switched on! Dolph attributes this professional creativity to his ability to suppress “I started martial arts when I was assault rifle, but I guess I have two sides.” pent up emotion and anger. But he “When you’re talking about some- 14 years old and I had to learn to be wasn’t born into a creative family one’s looks, there’s the facial struc- a fi ghter, but I also had to practice and was encouraged to take an aca- ture and the muscles and all that the spiritual side of it. This seemed demic career path. kind of thing, but looks come from to give me some kind of inner peace the inside as well,” he says. “You and inner calm. Practicing karate Make-up by Natalie Malchev “I studied chemical engineering to Hair by Apollo Barragan Stylist Elisabettea Rogiani ROGIANI.COM muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 10 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 11 try to appease my dad,” he says. advocates a clean eating approach work and never took a break, and “My older brother was an engi- to fueling his body and mind. He then after work go out drinking neer and I wanted to impress my has recently developed a work-life with friends. It was a vicious dad and get his love and accept- balance that he believes can slow never-ending cycle and I had to ance too. I was intelligent as a kid the aging process. stop because of various injuries and I channeled that into engi- and also I knew I couldn’t go on neering. I got a scholarship to his “I’m usually super organized, but like that. Two months ago, I was favorite school, MIT, and at that lately I’ve been trying to be a little prepping for an exhibition fi ght point I thought ‘well I’ve proven more free fl owing with it all,” he in Vegas so then I was boxing myself now’ and I started to do says. “I meditated more or less two-to-three times a week, but some acting. I knew that engi- every day for six years or so, but that couldn’t take place because neering wasn’t for me. It was a now I give it a break every once of the COVID pandemic, so now nice way to get out of Sweden, but in a while. On a typical media- I do about 15 minutes warm- it wasn’t what was going to make tion day, I get up anytime from up and then 10 x three-minute me happy. say 6am. I used to get up at 4am, rounds once a week, either with but that was like a masochistic the bag or shadow boxing. I then “I knew that approach! I try to mediate for do push-ups and sit-ups for three 30-45 minutes depending on how minutes on, three minutes off . It engineering wasn’t much time I have, check some varies but right now I am doing for me. It was a nice way emails, and then train either be- one day a week or two and then fore breakfast if I’m doing some hiking. Since I’m 62 ½, I don’t to get out of Sweden, cardio, or after breakfast with necessarily want to train every but it wasn’t what weights. If I’m fi lming, some- day all the time. I think it’s better times I’ll train after work. Lately for your body to have a day off .” was going to make me I’ve been going for a hike before happy.” breakfast or doing my cardio, Having undergone double hip re- then trying to chill for a bit on the placement surgery in April 2017, couch and watch the news. I do Dolph bounced back determined “My analyst (therapist) said, ‘you some strength training 2-3 times to maintain his strength and can either hijack an emotion and a week, then go hiking or do stamina. use it as a fi ghter in a ring for a boxing 2-3 days a week, so I train real fi ght, or you can use it for a about fi ve days in total. “I had some more surgery fi ve movie character’. The problem weeks ago, so I’m in the build-up is, you can hijack an emotion and “Food wise, I try to eat three clean phase at the moment,” he says. use that, and you feel good for a meals a day and two snacks. I try “I have a fi lm starting in fi ve while, but then three days later it to keep my protein intake over weeks with the British actor Scott comes back, and it starts running 100 grams a day. I don’t eat meat- Adkins, he’s a martial artist I’ve your life. In my case, I was very I eat fi sh and eggs. I’m pescatari- made a couple of fi lms with. It’s self-critical and self-destructive. an and I do use supplements about two guys who’ve become There was a time in my life when and take protein shakes and bars unlikely partners in this kind of I was drinking too much and sometimes too. heist they’re involved in and I’m doing dangerous physical feats. directing and because of that I If you asked me to do anything am working on packing on some a little bit dangerous I’d have “There was a time in muscle.” said yes! Had I not have become my life when I was an actor, I’d have been far more destructive for sure, and that drinking too much Dolph is performing would have ruined my life and my and doing dangerous a 3-day split routine kid’s lives. If you look at fi ghters “I remember when I first started, I read an article and you look at their private lives physical feats. If ahead of his next movie they’re usually not very stable. about Chia-Hui Liu— he’d made over 100 movies and you asked me to do role “I’ve made over 70 movies now anything a little bit which is amazing. I remember dangerous I’d have Day one: Back & Biceps I’d made one. I read this article and I was going, when I fi rst started, I read an article about Chia-Hui Liu— he’d said yes!” Day two: Chest, ‘holy sh*t, I’ve made one and I’ve got 99 left!’ but made over 100 movies and I’d Shoulders & Triceps made one. I read this article and “I try not to stress too much I was going, ‘holy sh*t, I’ve made because that ages you more than Day three: Legs now I’m creeping up on him.” one and I’ve got 99 left!’ but now anything. I was very stressed for I’m creeping up on him.” many years. I’d get up and imme- “I like doing supersets, especially diately go for a run, immediately for triceps,” he says. “I don’t like Dolph enjoys meditation and train and then immediately go to to lift super heavy. I fi nd if I go muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 12 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 13 “It’s been great getting to know too heavy it just makes me tired love. You can go to Italy and see ette Qviberg, the mother of his Greta, and Dolph has been taking us and I don’t have time to recover a guy who lives on red wine and two daughters and subsequent through some boxing sessions,” says and I don’t get any gains from pasta and looks great and then break-up from girlfriend Jenny Emma. “We get along great! She’s it. When you’re 25 it’s okay, but see a healthy guy in LA who looks Sandersson in 2017, Dolph was super sweet and easy to get along when you get to a certain age it’s older through stress, so it’s about happy to focus on work and train- with.” pointless trying to overdo it. fi nding the right balance and ing outside of a relationship, but happy point for you and trying to fell head over heels for Norwegian “When I did rocky IV, be relaxed in your approach. personal trainer Emma Krokdal, “I would say that right now I’m 24, whom he began dating in July it was six months of the most balanced as an individ- 2019 and since became engaged hardcore training. ual I’ve ever been. It’s so strange to. that I had to get to this age before Sly and I had a 10pm I fi gured it out. Some people fi g- “I certainly didn’t have in mind to curfew, but following ure it out immediately and don’t meet someone new,” he says. “I know what they had and then was almost the complete oppo- that stint, I had twenty they lose it, others have it and site! I wanted to be single and years of lights out at keep it, and for others, like me, it have a breather from the pain and takes a long time to fi gure it out. the heartache of my last relation- 4am partying! Now I’m I’m a perfectionist and it took me ship and then Emily came along back to the lights out time to put together all the pieces. and I realized that a lot of young My dad put me through trauma people have a really fresh outlook by ten.” that caused me to carry a lot of on life. The younger generation negative emotion, but I found my are going to take over the world “I did forty years of martial arts happy place in the end. and many 24-year-olds are very and a lot of my friends have had mature by then. Artists like Jim- hip replacements as well. Thou- “I like doing supersets, my Hendrix and Bob Dylan had a sands and thousands of round- very profound insight into life at house kicks full blast and fi ghting especially for triceps,” a very young age. Back in the day, and sparring take their toll, so I he says. “I don’t like a lot of young women probably had all that and it certainly crept would have had like seven kids, up on me; that’s when I had my to lift super heavy. I but the world is a diff erent place hips replaced. About two years find if I go too heavy now. Emma trains me with the ago I was doing something stupid weights which is her speciality and one popped back out when it just makes me tired and I train her with the boxing. I was doing Aquaman. They had and I don’t have time to We’re a perfect match. to cut the scene and it was the same scarring to fi x it, so ever recover and I don’t get “They say youth is wasted on the since then I’ve been cutting out any gains from it.” young and whilst that’s not true the kicks and mostly I do boxing for everybody- like Emma- it is now. It’s obviously mostly upper true for me because I matured “Most people struggle to slow body, but you’re moving around very late. I feel very lucky that I down and refl ect. They’re all so you still get a full body work- have someone like Emma at this running to try to get there quick- out. I don’t do super heavy squats age, it’s changed my life and I ly, but where are they trying to or deadlifts but I can go heavy hope I can give her the kind of get to? Where are they going? We enough now that it helps me with help and support that takes a lot know there’s an end, so what are age. I just don’t do highs kicks or of time to discover and amass.” people trying to do? The impor- the splits anymore. tant thing is to try to learn to enjoy the moment. It sounds like “I would say that “I abused my body a lot through a cliché, but I think you have to fi ghting and action movies and right now I’m the be in touch with yourself physi- lack of sleep and I burned the cally, mentally and emotionally most balanced as an candle at both ends, so now I and work on all those factors. It’s have to be careful and take care individual I’ve ever a triangle. of myself. I train less and I look been.” and feel better. When I did rocky “I’m trying to actively go in the IV, it was six months of hardcore other direction and reverse aging- “When it comes to training, training. Sly and I had a 10pm I think it’s part of my job and if Emma teaches me stuff I didn’t curfew, but following that stint, I I hit that triangle I can do that. know because there is a new had twenty years of lights out at I feel younger as a person than I approach to fi tness now that I 4am partying! Now I’m back to did fi ve years ago.” wasn’t aware of. When I trained the lights out by ten. with Stallone back in the 80s it Following his divorce from An- was very basic.” “It’s all about balance and self- muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 14 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 15 P.M.E. “Dolph and I met at the gym where I worked and we just hit it off right DOLPH’S away,” says Emma. “When we TRIANGLE TO SUCCESS train he works really hard and he barely rests. I have to tell him to rest sometimes because he’s always PHYSICALLY: “It’s important ready to go. Generally speaking, be in touch with your body, Dolph always wants to do more, exercise and treat it well.” but I tell him he shouldn’t do too much because right now he’s in the building phase, so he needs to put MENTALLY: “I’m lucky because on muscle after his surgery. I’m in the creative business so I can work with young “When we train he works people and that makes you really hard and he feel young.” barely rests. he’s always EMOTIONALLY: “When you find ready to go.” a good partner, give energy to that relationship.” “When we fi rst met, I was so impressed by how much time he spends on taking care of himself. He really prioritizes his skincare routine and has never had any Botox or aesthetic injections. He puts lotions on injuries and people often don’t take the time to do that, but you have to put that eff ort in if you want to stay young. Dolph eats clean and has really learned to relax. We will go to bed at 8pm and watch a movie and get up at six. We enjoy a glass of red wine and pasta if we go out, but we try to eat at home as much as possible because that way we know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies. I cook all his meals to make sure he gets enough protein.

“We went vegan for six months and during that time we defi nite- ly ate less protein, but now we’ve gone back to being pescatarian. We wanted to try it out for six months but then we went to Sweden and they have the best chocolate and fi sh over there, so we fi gured we had to have something delicious!

When you leave LA it’s very hard to be vegan. It’s a bit limited in some parts of the world. It was a fun challenge and we both had lots “Emma trains me with the weights which of energy but having gone back to eating fi sh we can enjoy a lot more is her speciality and I train her with the variety and switch it up more. In Mexico City it was impossible to be vegan- they don’t know what you’re boxing. We’re a perfect match.” talking about and it becomes such an eff ort.” muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 16 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 17 warm-up Day one: non-weighted exercises Back & Biceps

15 minutes warm-up and Lat pulldown mobility Decline smith machine row Rope pulldowns 10 x 3 minutes rounds once Cable bicep curls a week (either with a bag or Seated bicep curls shadow boxing) Dumbbell hammer curls

Push-ups and sit-ups for 3 Perform 4 sets of each exercise minutes on, 3 minutes off for 10 reps or 3 sets as a pyra- mid for 8, 10, 12 reps. Stretching (hold each stretch for a minimum of 10 Take 45 seconds rest in-between seconds) each set.

muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 18 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 19 Day two: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Dumbbell chest press Day three: legs Lying dumbbell fl yes Dumbbell Romanian deadlift Push-ups Smith machine squat Upright row Front raise Perform 4 sets of each exercise Side lateral raise for 10 reps or 3 sets as a pyramid Seated overhead lateral for 8, 10, 12 reps. raises Rear delt raises Take 45 seconds rest in-between each set. Perform 4 sets of each exercise for 10 reps or 3 sets as a pyramid Note: Dolph’s leg workout is lim- for 8, 10, 12 reps. ited due to his recent hip surgery. We wish him well and can’t wait Take 45 seconds rest in-between to chat with him again soon! each set. muscle and health | winter 2020 | Pg 20 www.muscleandhealth.com | Pg 21