In a sport as dangerous as bodybuilding, injuries and damage have become a common occurrence when athletes are training year-round. Taking part in a discussion with Chris Cormier and Dennis James, Dr. Khan opened up on the stem cell treatments of Ronnie Coleman and Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay.
Coleman, an eight-time Mr. Olympia titleholder, was revered for his shocking strength. While competing as an IFBB Pro, he pushed the limits with some jaw-dropping feats of power. From deadlifting 800 pounds to 2,300-pound leg presses, Coleman’s strength and lasting work ethic made him one of the most recognizable faces in the industry.
When he finally decided to step away from the sport, Coleman found himself hospitalized several times, which were mostly due to complications from past surgeries. As a result of over 10 operations, Coleman is unable to walk without assistance.
Since retiring, he’s struggled to get his health in order but hasn’t given up on exercise. ‘The King’ continues to inspire at 58 years old, showcasing a number of workouts despite his legs being numb most of the time. As of late, Coleman has been receiving steady stem cell treatments and is happy with the results.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Another mass monster who made his name on the Olympia stage is Elssbiay. A former two-time winner, Ramy entered the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest as the favorite to win. He was sidelined after judges thought he missed the mark. Instead, Hadi Choopan battled Derek Lunsford for gold and won his first Sandow.
Even though fans thought Ramy would take time away to rebuild his physique, the Egyptian decided to redeem himself by entering the 2023 Arnold Classic in March. Despite his lower back issues, Ramy underwent intravenous stem cell therapy to bring his best package possible to Ohio.
In the latest Menace Podcast with Dennis James, Dr. Khan offered more details regarding Coleman’s and Elssbiay’s stem cell procedures. In addition, Chris Cormier explained why fans are making a mistake by counting out Big Ramy ahead of the 2023 Arnold Classic.
Dr. Khan on Coleman’s Stem Cell Treatment: ‘It’s ‘Cutting-Edge Stuff,’ ‘I’m Confident I can Fix Him’
Some have suggested Coleman has a ‘structural issue,’ but Dr. Khan believes the problem is nervous system related.
“I’m confident I can fix him [Ronnie Coleman]. And I can’t reveal too many details about what’s going on with him but he’s going to get better with the treatment we’re going to do. We’re doing mainly stem cell treatments for him. It was to me more — you know there’s different theories, a lot of people are speculating what it can be and stuff,” Dr. Khan explained.
I personally don’t think it’s a structural issue. I think it’s more nervous system related. I’m working on treating his nervous system with stem cells and something called ANF which is amino neurofrequency – it’s a special type of neurofrequency, which we program into the nervous system. We’re doing some cutting edge stuff with him, hopefully we get him back to Mr. O again.”
Khan highlighted that the stem cell procedure Ronnie used in Mexico is clearly working for the bodybuilding legend.
“When I talked to Ronnie on the phone, I was like, ‘oh, maybe I can talk to him and stuff like that,’ and he’s like, ‘no, I actually went down to Mexico and I got IB stem cells, and all my pain is gone,’ I’m like, ‘really,'” says Khan.
“Yeah, his [case] was severe. He probably had to a get two or three treatments and he’s big. The fact that he went from 10 out of 10 pain and can barely walk to having no pain and able to walk, there’s obviously something to it [stem cell treatments].”
Cormier and Dennis James are happy to see Coleman still working out in spite of his lingering health problems.
“He was on painkillers a long time,” Cormier added.
“It’s good to see him now. I saw a video of him sitting in the leg press and leg pressing like it was nothing,” Dennis James said.
Will Big Ramy’s Recent Stem Cell Treatment Help Him on the 2023 Arnold Classic Stage?
Stem cell therapy is an alternative regenerative medicine that uses stem cells for the purpose of repairing damaged cells and reducing inflammation. In studies, it has been shown to be effective in treating autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurological disorders, which offers patients a promising alternative to traditional therapies.
According to Ramy’s stem cell doctor, he ‘looked a lot better’ following the treatment.
“So, do you think that before the Arnold Classic we could see a difference in Ramy or is it going to be ongoing?” Cormier asked.
“It’s a surprise. But I did see him practice posing a few days ago… I’m not a judge, so take it with a grain of salt, but to me he looked a lot better,” Dr. Khan said.
Given Ramy’s track record and accolades, Cormier is surprised some in the sport are dismissing his chances ahead of the 2023 Arnold Classic.
“I’m liking that,” said Cormier. “As far as Ramy placed at the Olympia from where his goal was – he’s still a good bodybuilder. People are acting like he’s not capable. He’s always looked really impressive to everybody. The situation now, he already had that situation going when he already won anyway. He’s just gotta have everything else intact so you’re not paying attention to something that’s less flattering on the physique. But he’s still a very impressive bodybuilder. Let’s get that straight.”
With the prestigious show approaching, Nick Walker gave the lo-down before taking to the contest. When assessing Ramy’s chances, Walker said his time on top is ‘done.‘ Walker specified that his teammate Shaun Clarida, Samson Dauda, and Andrew Jacked are the most dangerous threats on his radar.
Unlike ‘The Mutant,’ Ramy’s former coach Chris Aceto believes the 38-year-old is far from finished, but he predicted getting through Walker wouldn’t be a cakewalk. It should be noted that four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and Dennis James have both echoed that Ramy could still win the competition if he comes into the show at 100%.
Dr. Khan is confident stem cell therapy will be a great asset for athletes from all walks of life. Time will tell if the measure helps improve Big Ramy’s physique at the nearing 2023 Arnold Classic, taking place March 2-5, in Columbus, Ohio.
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
