I Tried Ronnie Coleman’s High-Volume Bodybuilding Split for 4 Weeks — Here’s What Happened

Ronnie Coleman was one of the greatest bodybuilders in history. He won an unprecedented eight Mr. Olympia titles and, for many, was the embodiment of the “mass monster” trend in bodybuilding.

A former police officer in Arlington, Texas, Coleman retired from bodybuilding in 2007. Since then, he has faced numerous health issues, including multiple corrective surgeries. Many of Coleman’s health issues are likely the result of the unrelenting training regimen that defined his career.

Nicknamed “The King” by his fans, Coleman was renowned for his intense training style. A background in powerlifting made heavy lifting a staple of his workouts—something he underlined with his famous catchphrases:

• “Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights.”
• “Light weight, baby!”
• “Ain’t nothin’ but a peanut!”

I’m a veteran personal trainer and lifelong exerciser, not to mention a huge bodybuilding fan. While I prefer the aesthetics of the golden era, I have nothing but respect for Ronnie Coleman and his peers. His work ethic was unmatched, and his training was the very definition of hardcore.

The question is, what happens when a natural lifter tries to follow in his footsteps? Is it a pathway to serious muscle growth, or a one-way ticket to overtraining and injury?

For this article, I attempt to follow Ronnie Coleman’s classic high-volume training routine for four weeks.

Ronnie Coleman High-Volume Bodybuilding Split

Like most bodybuilders, Ronnie Coleman followed many different training programs during his career. His workouts changed according to where he was in the competitive calendar and what aspects of his physique he was working on at the time. As such, there is no single “official” Ronnie Coleman workout program.

However, most of King Ronnie’s workouts were built around a high-volume approach to training. As that’s what he was most famous for, I sought out a classic Ronnie Coleman volume program to follow for four weeks.

Coleman followed a three-way split, which he repeated to give six workouts per week:

• Monday: Back, Biceps, and Shoulders
• Tuesday: Legs (quadriceps and hamstrings)
• Wednesday: Chest and Triceps
• Thursday: Back, Biceps, and Shoulders
• Friday: Legs (quadriceps and hamstrings)
• Saturday: Chest, Triceps, and Calves
• Sunday: Rest

Exercise-wise, Coleman mostly trained with heavy compound exercises. As a former powerlifter, he often performed “the big three” powerlifts – squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.  

Monday: Back, Biceps, and Shoulders

Back:

• Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• T-Bar Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Biceps:

• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Cable Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Shoulders:

• Military Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• Front Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Tuesday: Legs

Quadriceps and Hamstrings:

• Squats: 5 sets of 5-8 reps
• Leg Press: 5 sets of 5-8 reps
• Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg

Wednesday: Chest and Triceps

Chest:

• Bench Press: 5 sets of 5-8 reps
• Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Flyes: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Triceps:

• Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Extensions: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Cambered-Bar Extensions: 4 sets of 8-12 reps

Thursday: Back, Biceps, and Shoulders

Back:

• Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Low Pulley Rows: 4 sets of 12-15 reps

Biceps:

• Spider Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Machine Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Standing Cable Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Shoulders:

• Seated Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Front Dumbbell Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Machine Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Friday: Legs

Quadriceps and Hamstrings:

• Front Squats: 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg Extensions: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Standing Leg Curls: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Hack Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Saturday: Chest, Triceps, and Calves

Chest:

• Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Decline Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Decline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-12 reps

Triceps:

• Skull crushers: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Machine Triceps Dips: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Seated Triceps Extensions: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Calves and Abs:

• Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Donkey Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Crunches: 3 sets to failure

On paper, this routine is a high-volume, high-intensity blueprint for mass. But is it too much for a natural lifter well past his bodybuilding prime? Keep reading to find out!

Week 1 – A Conservative Start

I knew before starting my Ronnie Coleman workout experiment that I needed to take this challenge seriously. The sheer volume of exercises and sets would push me to my limits, especially if I trained with heavy weights and Coleman-like intensity.

So, with that in mind, I spent the first week training using light to moderate weights and stopping each set several reps short of failure. This ensured I got to the end of the first week without injury or suffering from overtraining.

I paid plenty of attention to my diet, filling up on unrefined carbs for energy and protein for muscle growth and recovery. I also did my best to get at least eight hours of sleep per night in an effort to put back into my body what Ronnie Coleman’s workout routine was taking out.

Despite this, the workouts were still long and grueling, and hitting each muscle group twice per week only added to the challenge. Delayed onset muscle soreness was severe, and I soon started to wonder if I’d bitten off more than I could chew.

Still, my momma didn’t raise a quitter, so I enjoyed my Sunday off and braced myself for another week of marathon workouts.

Week 2 – Raising the Intensity

I started week two feeling a little more confident; I’d survived the first week and, despite lingering muscle soreness, I was ready to continue my Coleman high-volume split experiment.

Consequently, I increased my weights and took the last set of each exercise to within a rep of failure. I also shortened the rests between sets, raising workout intensity even more.

While these changes worked well during the first half of the week, the last three days were much harder because I was somewhat under-recovered. I also experienced increased hunger, suggesting my metabolism was working overtime to cope with the demands of the workouts.

To make matters worse, my sleep was becoming disrupted. According to my smartwatch, I wasn’t sleeping as long or as deeply as I should have been. This was very worrying as sleep is such a critical part of exercise recovery.

Related: The Importance of Sleep for Building Muscle and Losing Fat

I tried to counteract these effects with double doses of pre-workout. While this helped me get through the training sessions, it also left me feeling jittery and anxious. Still, I pushed through the tiredness and pain in my attempt to emulate King Ronnie.

Sunday was spent eating and trying to catch up on lost sleep—and dreading Monday’s workout.

Week 3 – Adjusting for a Natural Lifter

Week three started badly. The first couple of workouts were a slog, and my training performance was taking a hit. Even warming up felt exhausting—I felt like I needed a nap and a snack between sets just to get through the session.

I was learning that, as a natural, older lifter, I did not have Ronnie Coleman’s work capacity or ability to recover from such a voluminous, intense workout program.

I realized that if I kept following Coleman’s high-volume split, I would end up severely overtrained and possibly injured. My joints and tendons were already starting to creak and ache. Given that I predominately train for fitness and health, these negative side effects were the last thing I wanted.

So, with that in mind, I dialed back the volume and intensity, scaling down the demands of the workouts. I stuck to the split but did fewer sets. This made the workouts much more manageable, but I couldn’t shake the idea that I was cheating.

Still, these modifications were the only way I’d be able to complete this four-week challenge, so I accepted that I had no choice—it was change or quit.

Week 4 – Pushing Hard Without Breaking Down

Ronnie Coleman built his incredible physique through years of heavy, high-volume, and brutally intense training. However, he paid a steep price for his bodybuilding greatness, with doctors at one point predicting he might never walk again.

Thankfully, that prediction didn’t come true, and Coleman is back on his feet. But it’s clear that his style of training isn’t for everyone. As a natural lifter, I did my best to train like Ronnie Coleman, but for me, this program was simply unsustainable.

That said, I learned a lot during this one-month experiment. Even though Coleman’s workout was too much for me, it proved that I was capable of training harder and longer than I had been—there’s still life in the old dog yet!

I usually train just 3-4 times per week, doing only a couple of exercises per muscle group. However, even my modified Coleman-inspired routine involved more training than I’m used to, suggesting that I may have been taking things a little too easy.

So, while I won’t be repeating this experiment anytime soon, I’m still counting it as a win.

Results from Training Like Ronnie Coleman for Four Weeks

Despite the difficulty of this challenge, I didn’t skip any workouts, though I had to reduce training volume for the last two weeks. I ate well and did my best to get enough sleep—though that was easier said than done.

Even so, the results weren’t quite what I’d hoped for:

No Muscle Gain

There’s a fine line between training hard enough to build muscle and training so hard that recovery becomes impossible. For me, Ronnie Coleman’s workouts exceeded my ability to recover, and as a result, I didn’t notice any significant muscle growth during this challenge.

Unexpected Weight Loss

Coleman’s workouts are long, intense, and burn a ton of energy. Despite eating more than usual, I still lost three pounds over these four weeks. While most of it was probably fat, I suspect I also lost a little muscle. Overtraining often leads to muscle loss, and my body may have been breaking down tissue to keep up with the workouts.

Increased Work Capacity and Endurance

This challenge left me feeling tired, sore and overtrained. But after a deload week and some much-needed rest, I discovered that my work capacity and endurance had improved. When I returned to my usual training, it felt noticeably easier—proof that pushing my limits had some benefits.

More Determination and Grit

I knew after the first week that this challenge would push me to the edge and beyond. But instead of quitting, I adapted the program and kept going. That decision strengthened my mental fortitude. If I could survive even a week of training like Ronnie Coleman, I could push through just about anything!

A Greater Appreciation for Pro Bodybuilders

Pro bodybuilders often use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), which many consider cheating. But the reality is that PEDs allow them to train harder and recover faster than natural lifters.

While using them may be controversial and unhealthy, it doesn’t mean these athletes are lazy or looking for shortcuts. If anything, PEDs enable them to complete workouts that would bury a natural lifter.

Closing Thoughts

Ronnie Coleman deserves his legendary status. Not only was he an eight-time Mr. Olympia, but he was also one of the hardest-training athletes the sport has ever seen. His workouts had to be seen to be believed—thankfully, many of his insane feats of strength were captured on video.  

But as impressive as his training was, my four-week attempt to follow in his footsteps only proved one thing: natural lifters should not train like Ronnie Coleman! We simply don’t have the recovery capacity for such long, intense, and frequent workouts.

So be inspired by pro bodybuilders like King Ronnie—but make sure you respect your natural status when picking your next training program. Routines that work for the pros could end up hurting your gains instead of building the physique of your dreams.

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