SUMMARY
- Ronnie Coleman is a retired professional bodybuilder renowned for winning the Mr. Olympia title eight times consecutively and earning twenty-six IFBB titles.
- Coleman's intense training regimen took a toll on his body, leading to serious injuries that affected his mobility.
In the world of bodybuilding, the name Ronnie Coleman stands out as a symbol of excellence. Having garnered the Mr. Olympia title eight times consecutively and twenty-six IFBB titles, he has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest bodybuilders in history.
And as one of the greatest of his time he said these words, “I don’t lift weights, I move mountains.” Coleman went ahead and did just that. But what happened to him that changed the course of his life as well as his career?
What happened to Ronnie Coleman?
Born on May 13, 1964, in Mississippi, Ronnie Coleman, now 58, is a retired professional bodybuilder. Starting his journey at 24, he became famous for lifting heavy weights. However, his intense training led to serious injuries, affecting his mobility. His glory didn’t come without a hefty price.
In 1996, an extreme squatting routine caused a dislocated disk. Yet, the lifter did not retire until much later in 2007 and routinely lifted heavy weights with a herniated disc. Delayed medical attention resulted in a severe spinal problem. The repercussions extended beyond the initial injury, affecting his back, shoulder, hips, and neck.
However, The King as many call him talked about weightlifting and how it was his life’s purpose. “When you do something that you truly love and enjoy doing, that’s what you look forward to doing all the time regardless of how you feel. As long as I’m doing what I love doing, I’m OK. If you take that away I probably wouldn’t be OK.”: He revealed in the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
Coleman has undergone 13 surgeries, including two hip replacements, to manage the extensive damage to his body caused by persistent workouts. All of this took a toll on his body and saw him bound to a wheelchair.
Ronnie Coleman talks about his injuries and rehab
Ronnie Coleman delayed surgery on his disc until after his retirement in 2007, but by then, the damage had become irreversible. Since then, he has undergone surgeries on nearly every disc in his neck and back.
Surprisingly, he disclosed that weightlifting was not the cause of his initial back injury. He has talked about his injuries and rehab on his YouTube channel. “What a lot of people didn’t really know is my injuries in my back came from me playing football. I hurt it really bad during my sophomore year, then I hurt my neck really bad.”
Does anyone remember Ronnie Coleman.he won Mr Olympia 8 times…pls be safe out there ya’ll pic.twitter.com/MxtNAOqF8T
— Catarina Senora Gatita (@WyattCatarina) February 6, 2024
Reflecting on his injuries he shared how stem cell therapy has been a game-changer for him. Every four months, he travels to Mexico for stem cell injections, which have helped him get rid of discomfort and improve issues with his liver and cholesterol.
Additionally, Coleman has also turned to hyperbaric treatment. Despite some lingering numbness in his feet and legs during training, he, of course, hasn’t given up on his regular training sessions.
Ronnie Coleman on how steroids affected his body after retirement
Ronnie Coleman is an individual who stopped taking steroids all at once and did not feel any side effects at all. In the same podcast with Rogan, the weightlifter revealed that he had in fact used steroids.
He stressed that he does not advocate for others to follow suit. Winning the Mr. Olympia title is widely believed to be impossible without using steroids, a fact that Coleman finds both unfair and disheartening. His decision to use steroids was driven by a desire to level the playing field, especially after consistently placing third. “The highest I would place was third. The other guys had a competitive advantage…so I was like, ‘Let’s make this thing equal’.”
Coleman began using steroids at the age of 30. While steroids may be used to illicitly enhance performance, their usage can lead to serious health conditions, some of which can be life-threatening. However, he revealed that he never went through off-season cycles and just went cold turkey. As for how the steroids affected him after he retired, he mentioned that they didn’t bother him one bit.