Washington, Sept. 27 -- Sylvester Stallone has opened up about his intense focus on physique during the height of his career, revealing that he struggled with bulimia and used steroids while preparing for 'Rocky III.'

In an interview with The New York Times, as cited by E! News, Stallone said his pursuit of a highly defined, athletic physique became an "obsession" as he sought to shape his body for his action roles.

"I started to think: Design your body like a jaguar, a cat. Not big like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but more feral and aggressive and very limber and athletic," Stallone said, adding, "It became an obsession. Really bad. It got to the point where I became bulimic."

Stallone, who played boxer Rocky Balboa in the 1982 film Rocky ...