Ronnie Coleman’s Secrets to Unstoppable Strength

Eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman is among the most popular professional bodybuilders of all time. He etched his name in the annals of bodybuilding in 2005 by tying Lee Haney’s record of eight Sandow trophy wins.

Contrary to what most people think, Coleman didn’t dominate the Mr. Olympia stage from his very first appearance. In fact, he didn’t even break into the top five in his first five Olympia showings.

Coleman placed ninth at the 1997 Olympia and won his maiden coveted Sandow trophy the following year by defeating the likes of Flex Wheeler and Kevin Levrone.

Fast forward to 2016, Coleman was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport of bodybuilding. He was also bestowed with the ‘Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2021.

The former police officer made significant changes to his training, diet, and recovery routine in 1997 that earned him the moniker “The King” a few years later. 

Coleman attributes his physique transformation and superhuman strength to lifting heavy. In this article, I take you over Coleman’s biggest lifts and training philosophies that propelled his strength and physique to a whole new level. 

Ronnie Coleman’s Secrets to Unstoppable Strength

Most bodybuilders prioritize muscle contractions over lifting heavy, as their ultimate goal is hypertrophy. However, Coleman was in a league of his own.

Coleman opined that lifting heavier weights could result in deeper muscle contraction, resulting in greater hypertrophy, and hence began the monstrosity he called workouts. At his peak, Coleman squatted 800 pounds for a double. No other pro bodybuilder at his level has been able to replicate his training volume or intensity.

The six-time Mr. Olympia champ (and Coleman’s predecessor), Dorian Yates, is credited with starting the mass monster era. However, Coleman pushed it beyond previous boundaries.

Here is a list of Coleman’s most popular lifts from his training videos:

Exercise	Weight (pounds)	Weight (kilograms)	Reps	Movie
Deadlift	800	363	2	The Unbelievable (2000)
Squat	800	363	2	The Cost of Redemption (2003)
Bench press	500	227	5	The Cost of Redemption (2003)
Dumbbell bench press	200	91	12	The Unbelievable (2000)
Military press	315	143	12	The Unbelievable (2000)
Dumbbell shoulder press	160	73	7	The Cost of Redemption (2003)
Bent-over row	515	234	10	Relentless (2006)
T-bar row	540	245	9	The Unbelievable (2000)
T-bar row	505	229	12	Relentless (2006)
Front squat	585	265	4	The Unbelievable (2000)
Hack squat	765	347	8	The Unbelievable (2000)
Lunges	185	84	20	The Unbelievable (2000)
Barbell shrugs	735	333	11	The Cost of Redemption (2003)
Dumbbell shrugs	250	113	15	Relentless (2006)
Calf raises	540	245	20	Relentless (2006)
Leg press	2,300	1,043	8	The Cost of Redemption (2003)

Ronnie Coleman’s Training Philosophy

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights, but me.”— Ronnie Coleman

Coleman’s goals for each workout were the same — He would lift heavy weights and train to muscle failure.

Coleman popularized many gym catchphrases. He yelled, “Lightweight, baby!” before lifting obnoxiously heavy weights. And then followed it with a “ain’t nothing but a peanut” after he was done with his set. 

“Yeah, buddy,” is arguably his most popular catchphrase. You’ll often see lifters yell it as they gear up for a heavy set. 

Here are the secrets to Coleman’s ungodly strength:

High Volume Training

Coleman didn’t hold back from increasing weights in each set. 

One of Coleman’s most iconic lifts is the 2,300-pound (1043-kilogram) leg press in the Ronnie Coleman: The Cost of Redemption (2003) training video. Coleman’s trainer (and Metroflex gym owner) Brian Dobson had to pull out a calculator to determine the weight on the sled. Big Ron did eight full range of motion reps with that weight. 

Coleman believed more volume drove better results. In his prime, Coleman often did over 20 sets in each workout, which usually lasted between two to three hours.

The King’s muscle roundness, fullness, and striations were a result of his high-volume, heavy-weight workouts.

Basic Movements

Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses were a mainstay in Coleman’s training regime. 

Coleman trained at a barebone gym in Texas, which didn’t even have air conditioning, and stuck to the most basic compound movements. He also did 20 reps of 185-pound barbell walking lunges in his gym’s parking lot in the Texas heat. 

Coleman did isolation exercises like bicep curls and dumbbell shoulder lateral raises, but they faded in comparison to the number of compound movements he did in his workouts.

Recovery

During the peak of his career, Coleman ate 6,000 calories during the off-season to build muscle tissue and strength. 

Coleman confessed that eating so much food was just as difficult as training heavy. In one of his training videos, Coleman falls asleep on his couch in the middle of his post-workout meal. He then wakes up and gets back to eating.

Coleman also went for three weekly massages and chiropractic sessions to optimize recovery. 

“Without getting those different therapies done on a regular basis, I honestly doubt I would have been able to keep going on and win eight Mr. Olympia titles,” Coleman said. 

Mindset

Lifting the weights that Coleman was lifting wasn’t possible without a solid mindset. 

Even during his workout videos, he would barely ever stop to explain his training approach or training techniques. Coleman’s training DVDs were anything like the YouTube training videos of today, where the fitness influencers go over the minutest details.

Think of Coleman’s training videos like the camera just following him around as he goes about his business.

Not only did Coleman pioneer lifting super heavy weights in pro bodybuilding, but he was also one of the first bodybuilders to recognize and capitalize on the demand for training videos. 

Coleman released four training videos during his Mr. Olympia reign. Needless to say, they were all blockbusters. He came out with two more training videos after he hung up his posing trunks, but that didn’t stop the fans from devouring the DVDs. 

Ronnie Coleman’s Training DVDs

Here is the list of Coleman’s official training videos:

Year	Film
1998	Ronnie Coleman: The First Training Video
2000	Ronnie Coleman: The Unbelievable
2003	Ronnie Coleman: The Cost of Redemption
2006	Ronnie Coleman: Relentless
2008	Ronnie Coleman: Invincible
2009	Ronnie Coleman: The Last Training Video

Don’t worry, you don’t need to go looking for these DVDs. You can find most of these training videos on Coleman’s official YouTube channel. 

Ronnie Coleman’s Key Exercises

Coleman constantly varied his workouts to avoid plateaus. 

However, he had some staples in his exercise arsenal that he stuck to throughout his pro career to build strength and muscle size. The three cornerstones of his training were the squats, deadlifts, and bench press. 

Here is a closer look at each:

Squats

Coleman loved back squats — heavy back squats. 

Big Ron loaded the bar with insane weight and completed each rep with a full range of motion. He used a hip-width stance on the squats to achieve optimal depth for maximal target muscle fiber stimulation. 

Coleman also performed front squats to bias the quads and hack squats to eliminate core stabilizer recruitment and better load the target muscles. 

Deadlifts

The deadlift is one of the best exercises to build overall strength and muscle mass.

Coleman’s personal best on the deadlift is a colossal 800 pounds for a double. He later revealed in an interview that he had more gas left in the tank to go for a third rep. Big Ron also used Romanian deadlifts to limit the range of motion and bias the hamstrings and glutes.

Bench Press

The barbell bench press formed the core of Coleman’s chest workout. 

Coleman also performed incline and decline bench presses to target the upper and lower pecs and build size, thickness, and separation. The eight-time Olympia champ relied mainly on free weight exercises for his chest workout. 

He eventually got so strong on these three lifts that he competed in powerlifting meets in the mid-1990s.

Ronnie Coleman Workout Program

Here is Coleman’s six-day training split:

Day 1: Quads, Hams, and Calves

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squat	3	15
Barbell Hack Squat	3	15
Leg Extensions	3	15
Leg Curls (Standing, Lying, and Seated)	3	15
Seated Single-Leg Curl	3	15
Seated Calf Raise	3	15

Day 2: Back and Triceps

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Bent-over Barbell Row	3	15-20
Lying T-Bar Row	3	15-20
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3	15-20
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown	3	15-20
Triceps Dips	3	15-20
Standing Dumbbell Triceps-Extension	3	15-20
Lying Triceps Press	3	15-20

Day 3: Shoulders

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Overhead Shoulder Press	3	15
Side Lateral Raise	3	15
Front Dumbbell Raise	3	15
Seated Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Raise	3	15

Day 4: Chest and Biceps

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press	3	20
Medium Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press	3	20
Decline Barbell Bench Press	3	20
Barbell Curls	3	20
One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl	3	20
Alternate Hammer Curl	3	20

Day 5: Quads, Hams, and Calves

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Squat	3	15
Barbell Hack Squat	3	15
Leg Extensions	3	15
Leg Curls (Standing, Lying, and Seated)	3	15
Seated Single-Leg Curl	3	15
Seated Calf Raise	3	15

Day 6: Chest, Triceps, and Abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Incline Dumbbell Press	3-4	12
Decline Barbell Press	3-4	12
Incline Dumbbell Flys	3-4	12
Decline Dumbbell Press	3-4	12
Cambered-Bar Triceps Extensions (Lying and Seated)	3-4	12
Triceps Dips	3-4	12
Donkey Calf Raises	3-4	12
Seated Calf Raises	3-4	12
Crunches	3-4	12

Remember, no two people respond to a training program the exact same way.

Your results will depend on multiple factors that are out of your control, like your genetics, age, and sex. Don’t aim to replicate Coleman’s results. Instead, take inspiration from his dedication and training style and scale it to fit your training experience. 

Progressive overload is your best friend when it comes to building muscle mass. Put in the work and stay consistent, and you will see the results.

Also, you must learn to listen to your body. 

If you’re feeling exhausted or too tired from your previous training session, don’t hesitate to take a day off to allow your body additional time to recover. That said, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to miss workouts. 

Coleman’s Nutrition For Unstoppable Strength

Here are the tenets of Coleman’s diet:

Protein

Protein is the building block of muscle. It ensures your muscles grow back stronger and bigger after a hypertrophy-focused workout. 

Coleman gunned for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Big Ron relied on lean meats (chicken breast, lean beef, and fish), eggs, dairy (cottage cheese and Greek yogurt), and protein supplements to meet his daily protein intake goals. 

Carb

Coleman alternated high-carb days with low-carb meals to ensure he didn’t gain excess body fat. A review published in Sports Medicine suggests that carb cycling may be beneficial for weight reduction and improving body composition, especially when combined with exercise. (1)

Coleman aligned his more intense workouts with high-carb days to ensure he had enough glycogen reserves to get through the training session. These also help with muscle fullness and pumps during the workout. 

Fats

In contrast to popular opinion, healthy fats don’t lead to body fat gains.

An individual must hit their daily healthy fat intake objective to ensure optimal hormone production and nutrient absorption. It can help maintain joint health, especially for trainers engaging in heavy training sessions.

Coleman’s go-to healthy fat sources included nuts and seeds, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, and avocado.

Tip: Calculate your daily protein, carb and fat intake.

Ronnie Coleman’s Diet Plan

Big Ron consumed five to six meals during the off-season to build strength and muscle mass:

Meal 1: 

• Eggs
• Cheese grits
• Coffee

Meal 2: 

• Protein shake

Meal 3: 

• Chicken breast
• Rice
• Beans
• Corn

Meal 4: 

• Two beef burger patties 
• White rice

Meal 5: 

• Chicken breast 
• Yellow rice 

Meal 6: 

• Protein shake 

Recovery & Mindset

Lifting the amount of weight Coleman did is as much a psychological challenge as it is physiological.

Every time Coleman attempted a heavy lift, he would yell, “Lightweight, baby!” to overcome the mental hurdle. This was much more than a catchphrase; it was a pep talk. 

Thanks to the positive self-talk and unwavering self-belief, Coleman always came out on top. 

Coleman is undoubtedly among the most mentally tough bodybuilders of all time. After he retired from competitive bodybuilding and his training style caught up to him, Coleman revealed that he was in so much pain that he couldn’t sleep at night. He also felt severe pain during the surgeries, some of which cost north of $2 million. 

Recovery

You break down muscle tissue while you’re training in the gym. They grow back bigger and stronger outside the gym. 

Anyone engaging in strenuous exercise should sleep for at least seven to eight hours each night to allow their body enough time to recover from their workouts. Shortchanging rest can diminish your gains and increase injury risk. 

Although Coleman released training DVDs where he lifted super heavy, he also had strategic deload weeks. 

Deload weeks, which involve lower-volume workouts (sets, reps, and weights), are non-negotiable if you want to maximize your muscle-building potential. (3)

Learn to listen to your body; don’t be afraid to go easy in the gym if your body is pointing in that direction.

Ronnie Coleman’s Legacy

Coleman’s physique, training style, and strength left a lasting impact on the sport of bodybuilding. Here’s how:

The Mass Monster Era Goes Mainstream

When Dorian Yates started dominating the pro circuit with his massive physique, most of the other athletes favored aesthetics and symmetry over adding more muscle mass. Although Yates championed the mass monster era, most bodybuilders and fans were still on the fence about it.

However, when Coleman won his first Mr. Olympia title in 1998, the decision was made. Smaller bodybuilders like Shawn Ray and Rich Gaspari had to take the back seat.

Training Like a Beast

Coleman’s catchphrases have turned into battle cries and are heard around gyms worldwide. Many pro bodybuilders have adopted the more volume training approach.

I must mention that Coleman’s incredibly (and borderline insane) feats of strength came at a price. 

The super heavy lifting took its toll on Coleman and led to severe spine issues. Coleman underwent 13 spinal surgeries and was told that he could never walk unassisted again. Coleman then underwent stem cell treatment for almost two years in Mexico to help him manage the pain in his neck and back.

If your goal is hypertrophy, you don’t necessarily need to lift as heavy as Coleman to build muscle tissue. 

A study published in Sports (Basel) found that a moderate repetition scheme with moderate loads (from 8 to 12 repetitions per set with 60% to 80% of 1RM) optimizes hypertrophic gains. (2)

On the other hand, if your goal is to build strength and train near your one-rep maxes in each workout, you should work with an experienced professional to maximal gains while limiting injury risk. 

Conclusion

As a veteran personal trainer, many people ask me about the “secrets” of Coleman’s strength. 

The truth is, there aren’t many secrets here. Coleman believed in patience, persistence, hard work, and heavy training. Remember, building muscle depends on several factors, including age, sex, training experience, and genetics. 

Following Coleman’s exact training program won’t guarantee eight (or even one) Sandow trophies. However, that shouldn’t stop you from pushing yourself in the gym. Best of luck!

Next read: Ronnie Coleman Workout Program and Spreadsheet For King-Sized Gains

References

1. Correia-Oliveira, C. R., Bertuzzi, R., Dal’Molin Kiss, M. A., & Lima-Silva, A. E. (2013). Strategies of dietary carbohydrate manipulation and their effects on performance in cycling time trials. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 43(8), 707–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-0054-9
2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021;9(2):32. Published 2021 Feb 22. doi:10.3390/sports9020032
3. Bell L, Strafford BW, Coleman M, Androulakis Korakakis P, Nolan D. Integrating Deloading into Strength and Physique Sports Training Programmes: An International Delphi Consensus Approach. Sports Med Open. 2023;9(1):87. Published 2023 Sep 21. doi:10.1186/s40798-023-00633-0

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