Considered by many to be the greatest bodybuilder of the 21st century, if not of all time, Ronnie Coleman’s place in the history books is assured.
However, despite his phenomenal success, his early career was far from remarkable.
Here’s the whole insane and uncensored story of Ronnie Coleman—including why he thought he might never walk again.
Wiki
Age: 56
Date of birth: 13th May 1964.
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Height: 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm).
Weight on season/off season: 287-300 lbs (130-136 kg)/315-320 lbs (142-145 kg).
Profession: Bodybuilder and entrepreneur.
Nationality: American.
Nickname: King Coleman and The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
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About Ronnie Coleman
Ronald Dean Coleman was born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1964. As a youngster, he loved sports—especially football.
He attended Grambling State University (GSU), where Ronnie played as a middle linebacker for the GSU Tigers. However, while he had the bulk of the other guys—he lacked serious muscle. Hence, to improve his appearance and performance—Ronnie Coleman started weightlifting.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and immediately began searching for work. Unfortunately, Ronnie Coleman struggled to find employment in his local area and resigned himself to a position in Domino’s Pizza.
“Domino’s was the hardest job I ever had. I dreaded every day…but I knew I was destined for something better.”
In 1989, Ronnie Coleman escaped the life of tomatoes and mozzarella and became a police officer in Arlington, Texas. While there, he became buddies with a fellow officer, Gustavo Arlotta. Noticing Ronnie’s impressive frame, Gustavo suggested he came with him to the local Metroflex gym.
The Ronnie Coleman bodybuilding phenomenon was about to begin.
The owner of Metroflex, Brian Dobson, immediately saw Ronnie’s potential—and suggested a mutually beneficial deal. Ronnie Coleman could have free lifetime membership of the gym, if he allowed Dobson to train him for the upcoming Mr. Texas contest—Ronnie agreed.
At the competition, Ronnie Coleman obliterated the field—winning both the Heavyweight and Overall titles.
Numerous other amateur successes followed—with Ronnie finally winning his Pro Card in 1991.
For the first few years on the professional circuit, his performance was average at best. Yet determined to reach the top, Ronnie Coleman intensified his training.
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This dedication paid off—rewarding him with eight Mr. Olympia titles and the most wins in IFBB competition of any bodybuilder (recently beaten by Dexter Jackson).
Ronnie Coleman retired from bodybuilding in 2007. Since that time, he’s undergone numerous surgical operations to repair the damage incurred through his lifting career.
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Today, he shares his home with his wife Susan Williamson and their four children. He continues to earn income from his supplement line and still posts videos on his YouTube channel.
Ronnie Coleman Net Worth
It’s estimated that the Ronnie Coleman 2019 net worth is $10 million.
Bodybuilding Career
The records show that Ronnie Coleman is one of the best and strongest bodybuilders of all time.
However, his early career didn’t appear that promising.
While a regular face at Mr. Olympia, between the years 1992 to 1997, he finished sixteenth, fifteenth, eleventh, sixth and ninth. However, in 1998, he finally achieved the success he had worked so hard for, taking the Mr. Olympia title (beating Flex Wheeler and Nasser El Sonbaty).
This win equaled the longest ever streak of victories at Olympia—eight titles from 1998-2005 (previously achieved by Lee Haney). Seemingly unbeatable, in 2006, the bodybuilding world was shocked when Jay Cutler took the title.
Here are Ronnie Coleman’s most notable placings as a professional:
1998 1st place Night of Champions
1998 1st place Mr. Olympia
1999 1st place Mr. Olympia
1999 1st place World Pro Championships
2000 1st place World Pro Championships
2000 1st place Mr. Olympia
2001 1st place Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic
2001 1st place Mr. Olympia
2002 1st place Mr. Olympia
2003 1st place Mr. Olympia
2004 1st place Mr. Olympia
2005 1st place Mr. Olympia
2006 2nd place Mr. Olympia
2007 4th place Mr. Olympia
Workout Program
During the off-season, Ronnie Coleman would work out five times per week—this increased to six leading up to a competition.
Although for the majority of his routine, he concentrates on three sets combined with high reps—he also would throw in a 1RM (one-rep max) with some seriously heavy iron.
Here’s what a typical week in the gym would look like for Ronnie Coleman:
Monday—Quads, Hamstrings and Calves
- Barbell squats 2 sets 15-10 reps
- Barbell hack squats 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Leg extensions 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Standing leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Lying leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Seated leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Single seated leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Seated calf raises 3 sets 20-15 reps
Here’s the big man explaining how he trains his legs:
Tuesday—Back and Triceps
- Bent over barbell row 3 sets 15-10 reps
- Lying T-Bar row 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Lat pulldowns wide grip 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Dip machine 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Standing dumbbell tricep extension 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Lying tricep press 3 sets 20-15 reps
Catch Ronnie Coleman preparing his triceps for the 2007 Mr. Olympia:
Wednesday—Shoulders
- Smith machine shoulder press 3 sets 15-10 reps
- Side lateral raise 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Front dumbbell raise 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Seated bent-over rear delt raise 3 sets 20-15 reps
Here’s Ronnie Coleman taking shoulder work to the absolute limit:
Thursday—Chest and Biceps
- Medium grip barbell bench press 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Barbell incline bench press 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Decline barbell bench press 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Barbell curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Single arm dumbbell preacher curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Alternate hammer curl 3 sets 20-15 reps
Take a look at Ronnie Coleman working his biceps in his home gym:
Friday—Quads, Hamstrings and Calves
- Barbell squat 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Barbell hack squat 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Leg extensions 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Standing leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Lying leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Seated leg curls 3 sets 20-15 reps
- Single seated leg curl 3 sets 20-15 reps
Check out the Ronnie Coleman 500-pound squat:
Saturday and Sunday—Rest Days
Take a look at some of Ronnie Coleman’s greatest ever lifts:
Diet
When bulking, Ronnie Coleman would consume between 5500-6000 calories per day spread across seven meals. Typically, this would consist of 45 percent protein, 40 percent carbs and 15 percent fats.
He also regimented his supplement intake, considering them as meals themselves, and ensuring he consumed them at the same time every day.
Meal #1
- Three to five grams of arginine taken with a glass of milk.
Meal #2
- Cheese and grits (boiled cornmeal).
- Two cups of egg whites.
- One cup of coffee.
Meal #3 (Pre-workout)
- Serving of pre-workout supplement.
- Three to five grams of arginine taken with a glass of milk.
Meal #4
- Eight ounces of grilled skinless chicken.
- Two cups of red beans.
- 5 cups of brown rice.
- Two slices of cornbread.
Meal #5
- Three to five grams of arginine taken with a glass of water.
Meal #6
- Eight ounces of chicken.
- One medium baked potato.
- Eight ounces of lemonade.
- One serving of French fries.
- Nine ounces of steak (preference of filet mignon)
Meal #7
- Post-workout supplement.
- Protein powder.
Here’s Ronnie Coleman taking you through what he eats in one day:
Was Ronnie Coleman on Steroids?
Yes—one hundred percent.
Let’s face it, it’s hardly a surprise. A physique that big just cannot be achieved through being natural. At times he displayed a severe case of ‘roid gut as shown in this video:
https://youtu.be/S0ZtovcWG38
This kind of enlargement only usually occurs in bodybuilders using growth hormone.1
Furthermore, he admits it.
In the mid-1990s, Ronnie Coleman saw Flex Wheeler taking first place in numerous competitions, while he was lagging behind. He asked Flex what the secret was—which naturally turned out to be steroid use. Ronnie decided to follow suit—and began winning.
Here’s Ronnie Coleman explaining the whole story:
Before and After
With a background in football, Ronnie Coleman has never been small. However, it’s interesting to compare the guy who won the 1990 Mr. Texas competition with the one who won Mr. Olympia in 1998.
Ronnie Coleman Now
Since his retirement in 2007, many people have wondered—where is Ronnie Coleman now?
Unfortunately, life out of the sport hasn’t been easy.
Becoming an eight-time Mr. Olympia meant hard work—lifting repeatedly and heavily.
His extreme training took its toll. Let’s face it, if you’re going to squat 800 pounds, that’s putting your body under immense strain.
To date, he’s undergone ten operations—including two hip replacements, disc decompression and spinal fusions. Many of these medical procedures have cost him between $300-$500K per time.
However, they haven’t been that successful. After the last Ronnie Coleman surgery in 2018, doctors told him he might never walk unassisted again.
Yet, on Christmas Day of that very same year, Ronnie Coleman seems to be back on his feet—posting this video of himself training in the gym.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br0naITADlL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=dlfix
Ronnie Coleman Supplements
Ronnie Coleman has his own brand of training products—the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series.
The brand stresses it isn’t just a re-named line of existing products. Instead, each one has been formulated from the ground up—with the company being owned and run by Ronnie Coleman himself.
Their most popular products include:
- Yeah Buddy—pre-workout supplement.
- Light Weight Baby—fat burner and focus enhancer.
- King Test—testosterone booster.
- King Whey—protein powder.
- Resurrect—ZMA-based sleep aid.
Additionally, the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series also retails memorabilia and clothing.
Ronnie Coleman Quotes: Motivation and Inspiration
Here are a few words of inspiration from Ronnie Coleman:
“There are no secrets or magic tricks to be successful in life. It’s plain and simple. Work harder than everyone else, and the only way to do that is to do it. It may sound silly, but it’s the truth, and there ain’t nothing to it but to do it!”
“I always train heavy, and it worked well for me. I always train heavy and put on size for a competition. Most people would be worried about an injury, but if you’re gonna worry about it so much, it’s gonna happen anyway.”
“Eat healthy, sleep well, work hard, train hard, never give up.”
“When you hit failure, your workout has just begun.”
“I loved challenging myself every day. The weight room was my therapy for everyday life stresses. No matter what I was doing, I always wanted to be the best.”
“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but don’t nobody wanna lift no heavy ass weight.”
Ronnie Coleman Frequently Asked Questions
“What Happened to Ronnie Coleman?”
Years of intense training caused numerous Ronnie Coleman back issues. To date, he’s undergone ten operations.
“How Old Is Ronnie Coleman?”
The Ronnie Coleman age is 55 years.
“Is Ronnie Coleman Married”
Yes.
He was first married to Rouaida Achkar in 1998—although they divorced soon after. The current Ronnie Coleman wife is Susan Williamson, whom he married in 2016. Together, they have four Ronnie Coleman kids.
“What Are Ronnie Coleman’s Famous Sayings?”
His catchphrases, often seen in his training videos, work as self-encouragement to push him through his reps.
The most famous include— “Yeah buddy!”, “light weight, baby!” and “nothin’ but a peanut!”
Summary
With eight Mr. Olympia titles—it’s easy to assume that Ronnie Coleman had it easy.
Nothing is further from the truth.
This behemoth of the bodybuilding world experienced years of defeat and disappointment before success came. Instead of giving up, he became determined to reach the top, however long it took. His tenacity paid off.
After retiring in 2007—he still exemplifies this never-say-die attitude.
Although being told he may never walk again after his numerous back operations—Ronnie Coleman resolved to prove the medical world wrong. Within just a few weeks, he was back training in the gym.
Ronnie Coleman exemplifies hard work, positivity and focus—rightfully earning the title of the Greatest Of All Time.
