This video brings together the two iconic training sequences of Rocky Balboa in the frozen landscapes of the Soviet Union — which I always imagined as Siberia — from Rocky IV. In reality, however, Wyoming doubled for Russia: the small farm where Rocky and his crew were hosted was in Jackson Hole, and many of the breathtaking outdoor shots were filmed in Grand Teton National Park.
The clip includes both parts of the montage: one using Training Montage (written by Vince DiCola) as BGM and the other set to Heart’s on Fire (composed by Vince DiCola, Joe Esposito, and Ed Fruge, and performed by John Cafferty). Beyond the film itself — and its re-release in 2021 as Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago — both tracks are featured on the Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, released on November 27, 1985 by Scotti Bros. Records.
That soundtrack became a phenomenon of its own, riding high on the strength of several chart-topping singles: Survivor’s Burning Heart (commissioned directly by Stallone) peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, James Brown’s Living in America added pure spectacle to the movie (despite of the tragic ending of that event) and Robert Tepper’s No Easy Way Out hit No. 22. The album itself reached the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 and went Platinum according to the RIAA. Interestingly, Rocky IV is the only film in the saga not scored by Bill Conti, though it does incorporate some of his original themes. I remember Going the Distance being played at least in the end of the fight against Drago, for instance. I also have fond memories of some old Taekwondo VHS tapes that had highlights of tournaments especially from Korea that used these songs as background music, and these were awesome. I wish I could find them nowadays…
But beyond the trivia and the charts, these training scenes are a pure slice of what I like to call the “High Eighties”: a time when Hollywood heroism stretched the limits of plausibility. Think about it — a boxer on the verge of retirement, training in harsh and uncontrolled conditions (prone to all sorts of injury that entails), manages to defeat a younger opponent at his physical peak, pumped up on steroids and backed by cutting-edge sports science (according to the movie). It’s over-the-top, but it’s also heroic, because this is Rocky we’re talking about, and that’s the only thing that matters.
That’s why this montage isn’t just nostalgic — it’s inspirational. Just watching Rocky chopping wood, running up snowy mountains, and turning raw determination into strength makes you want to drop everything and hit the gym and/or the dojo. But leave your thoughts in the comments. I want to know what you have to say. Cheers!