Dolph Lundgren commanded the screen as the fearsome Russian fighter Ivan Drago in 1985’s Rocky IV, but having survived a ten-year battle with cancer, the 68-year-old is thankfully still fighting fit. The He-Man star tells M&F that working out is a must for longevity and recently shared a back and chest workout with his followers on Instagram.
“Keep fighting and believe in yourself as much as you can,” says Lundgren, who was able to finally beat cancer after refusing to quit, making sure to get a second opinion that would ultimately lead to a breakthrough in his treatment. Finding the strength to keep moving forward is also the message behind his aptly titled book: Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle.” With a documentary called Dolph: Unbreakable also on the way, “The Punisher” star still makes time to workout.
“It’s very important, I think, as you get older, to keep your muscle mass, keep your testosterone level up,” explains Lundgren of his love of resistance training. Typically, the former two-time European Karate champion will get his cardio from some karate training before hitting the weights. “I have a three-day split,” he shares. “Chest and back, arms and shoulders, then legs,” explains the star, who recently posted the following chest and back day session on Instagram for his 4 million followers.
Dolph Lundgren’s Back and Chest Workout
- Cable Seated Wide-Grip Row
- Cable Seated Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
- Incline Bench Dumbbell Row
- Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
- Machine Pec Fly
Dolph Lundgren’s Back and Chest Workout Breakdown
Experienced lifters like Dolph Lundgren don’t throw their weight around, instead, the seasoned Swiss man takes his time to make slow and controlled reps, feeling a deep stretch and maximizing his time under tension. The big man begins with a wide grip on the cable seated row, taxing the posterior deltoid at the rear of his shoulders, trapezius muscles in his middle and lower back, and the latissimus dorsi in the lower back.
Next. the “Universal Soldier” star stays seated for cable seated wide-grip pulldowns, once again working the majority of his back, before focusing on his upper and mid back with dumbbell rows from an inclined bench. By rowing the dumbbell upwards, and then slowly releasing it, Lundgren builds his traps and shoulders and will also recruit his biceps to move the load.
The smith machine incline bench press is a smart choice because it helps to prevent the types of injuries associated with heavy free weights. Here, Lundgren can target his upper pecs as well as the front of his shoulders, also known as the anterior deltoid, once again using his arms in the process.
Finally, to hit the rest of his chest, Lundgren reps the machine pec fly, pounding the entire pecs and even those hard-to-reach serratus anterior muscles underneath. To try this workout for yourself, aim for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and you may just do your best work of the day in half an hour. “I realized, as you get older, it’s so much better if you know you’re only in it for 30 minutes,” explains Lundgren. “It’s so much easier.”
So, what are you waiting for? Try this session for yourself, and then you may scream “Drago” from the nearest mountain!
For information on Dolph Lundgren’s “Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle” book and tour, click here.
The “Dolph: Unbreakable” doc will stream from Oct. 6, 2026.
To follow him on Instagram, click here.
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