Ronnie Coleman is one of the most iconic figures in the world of bodybuilding. Starting out as a cop at the Arlington Police Department, he went on to become a professional bodybuilder after training at the Metroflex Gym in Texas for several years.
Between 1998 and 2005, Ronnie “The King” Coleman competed professionally and won the most prestigious bodybuilding competition consecutively, becoming one of only two bodybuilders to hold 8 Olympia titles.
Despite the general belief that bodybuilders are more about focusing on physique instead of strength, Ronnie used to lift incredibly heavy weights. Instead of the conventional technique, he adopted a high-intensity training style.
Nowadays, this type of program is mainly used by powerlifters to maximize their strength gains [1]. Because of his dynamic approach, Ronnie was renowned for his size, strength, as well as dedication to the craft.
After retiring from professional bodybuilding, Coleman struggled with some health issues. He had to undergo multiple surgeries due to the many long-term injuries he sustained during his years of intense training.
Despite the challenges he faced at the dawn of his career, Ronnie still serves as an inspiration for all aspiring and competitive bodybuilders around the world today. In this article, we shall be talking about his legacy, his training style, his records, and more.
What Will I Learn?
How Strong was Ronnie Coleman in his Prime?
Ronnie Coleman will forever be hailed as a champion bodybuilder. But his routine was similar to that of a powerlifter’s. That’s mainly because he participated in (and won) some powerlifting meets during the early days of his career.
Seeing that his body was responding incredibly well to a high-intensity training program, he stuck with that regimen. It’s true that Coleman was particular about lifting heavier and heavier each week. But that didn’t stop him from adopting the high-repetition model used by bodybuilders either [2].
In his own words, he always attempted to lift heavier or perform one more repetition. For complicated compound movements, he would perform anywhere between 2-12 repetitions. With each set, the weight would be increased to make the workout even more challenging.
The combination of this powerlifting-bodybuilding training style is what made him incredibly strong and capable of lifting heavy weights while also looking absolutely shredded.
Based on this training program, let’s discuss how strong Ronnie Coleman actually was in his prime.
For this, we will consider his official and unofficial lifts. Professionally, Coleman competed at the Texas Deadlift Classic between the years 1991 and 1994. His best deadlift performance was recorded at 727.5 pounds (330 kilograms) when he was just 29 years old.
For reference, do consider that Arnold Schwarzenegger recorded a strong deadlift performance of 675 pounds (306 kilograms) in 1968 at 20 years of age.
But that’s not all. Coleman’s non-competitive deadlift record was even more impressive. Around five weeks before the 2000 Mr. Olympia competition, he successfully deadlifted 800 pounds (362.9 kilograms) up to 2 repetitions. Using our 1RM calculator, we can conclude that Coleman would be able to deadlift 841.5 pounds based on that result.
His strength in squats was unparalleled as well. Before the 2003 Mr. Olympia competition, Coleman successfully squatted around 800 pounds for 2 repetitions. Again, that translates to an impressive 1RM performance of 841.5 pounds in squats.
Coleman’s bench performances are pretty strong, as well. However, there aren’t any verifiable records for the same. In one interview, The King claimed that he had barbell-benched 225 pounds for 72 repetitions. That would have been an impressive feat.
Officially, however, he was seen in a training video bench pressing 495 pounds for five repetitions. That takes his 1RM in bench pressing to 567 pounds, according to our 1RM calculator.
While his strength in the three main compound lifts is incredibly strong, Ronnie excels at many other exercises as well.
In leg pressing, for example, he lifted 2,325 pounds for 8 repetitions. His record in T-bar rowing is 570 pounds for 9 repetitions, 735 pounds in shrugs, and 160 pounds in dumbbell shoulder presses.
Based on the above-mentioned facts and figures, therefore, it is clear that Ronnie Coleman was one of the strongest (if not the strongest) bodybuilders of his time, as well as of all time.
At his peak, The King was strong enough to give even the strongest powerlifters a run for their money.
How Heavy was Ronnie Coleman in his Prime?
During his heyday, Ronnie Coleman weighed around 300 pounds (136 kilograms). But the biggest he has ever been is 330 pounds (150 kilograms) during the off-season for bodybuilders, but around the time of Mr. Olympia [3].
This information is provided by Ronnie himself in a video that he uploaded in 2020. The exact year in which the video was recorded is not mentioned.
Bodybuilders place a lot of emphasis on their physique, muscle size, and symmetry. As such, they are generally smaller than powerlifters and weigh less. But Ronnie’s physique was always on the larger side, and as shredded as any modern-day professional bodybuilder.
How Does Ronnie Coleman’s Strength Compare to Other Powerlifters?
Ronnie was not a complete professional powerlifter. As such, it’s hard to pit him against other powerlifters in the same weight category.
However, we can use his deadlift, squat, and bench press records to combine his powerlifting total and get a general estimate of how he would fare against powerlifting champions.
Based on our 1RM calculator, here are The King’s max totals in the three main compound lifts:
- Deadlift: 5 pounds
- Squat: 5 pounds
- Bench Press: 567 pounds
- Powerlifting Total: 2,250 pounds
During the peak season, Ronnie Coleman weighed around 300 pounds, which would put him in the 120-130 kg category. Now, let’s compare his Powerlifting Total with that of some elite powerlifters’.
In 2003, for instance, Brian Siders won the IPF Men’s Powerlifting Championship. In the equipped category, he recorded a powerlifting total of 2386.5 pounds. That is only 136 pounds more than Coleman’s estimated total.
However, this is still pretty far from Dave Hoff’s record of lifting 3103 pounds in 2019 as his powerlifting total.
So, Ronnie Coleman would have smashed it as a powerlifter. But based on the estimates, he wouldn’t be the all-time greatest in that sport as he is in bodybuilding.
But we can’t say anything for sure. After all, we are only comparing based on estimates and assumptions. If Ronnie had professional training as a powerlifter, maybe his capacity would be much greater.
How Does Ronnie Coleman’s Strength Compare to Other Bodybuilders?
Ronnie Coleman was definitely one of the strongest-ever bodybuilders in the industry. However, many successors proved that he wasn’t the strongest.
Let’s discuss why, based on his recorded strength in the three compound lifts:
- Deadlifts: Ronnie’s heaviest deadlift is 841.5 pounds, according to our estimation. This record was later beaten by Dallas McCarver, a professional bodybuilder, who deadlifted 845 pounds during a training session. Similarly, Staff Efferding lifted 837.7 pounds in an official powerlifting meet, which can be given more credibility than Ronnie’s estimated 841.5-pounder record. Finally, in January 2023, Joe Backey, an IFBB Pro League bodybuilder, deadlifted 910 pounds and put an end to the competition.
- Squats: The King’s squat record is estimated at 841.5 pounds. In this category, he was beaten again by Efferding, who recorded 845-pound squats in an official competition.
- Bench Press: Coleman’s heaviest bench press, according to our calculator, is 567 pounds. Efferding pressed 628 pounds in an official meet to beat this record.
Based on the estimated comparison, many contemporary bodybuilders have definitely emerged stronger compared to Ronnie. However, the veteran pro is definitely one of the all-time strongest in the industry.
Was Ronnie Coleman the Strongest Mr. Olympia?
In terms of the heaviest lifts recorded, Ronnie Coleman is definitely the strongest Mr. Olympia. Throughout his career, especially at his peak, The King recorded some impressive feats, both during official meets and during regular training sessions.
While Ronnie Coleman is the overall strongest Mr. Olympia, Franco Columbu is unbeatable if we go on a pound-for-pound basis. He weighs around 50 pounds less compared to Coleman. As such, his weightlifting records are not as impressive.
But proportionate to his build, he is widely regarded as the strongest Mr. Olympia ever.
Keep in mind that we are only considering the 17 athletes who won the Mr. Olympia title and not regular competitors for this comparison.
Ronnie Coleman’s Blood and Grit – The Most Intense Squats
In 2005, Ronnie Coleman appeared in the Flex Magazine shoot. For that, he attempted to squat 585 pounds for 10 repetitions.
Keeping close to his principles, The King ensured that all the reps were deep and technically sublime. The squats got so intense that Ronnie’s nose started bleeding halfway through the performance.
And he did this without wearing a squat suit, indicating his massive strength improvement compared to his 2003 performance.
Coleman’s Leg Press Antics
We mentioned before that Ronnie managed to record lifting 2,325 pounds on the leg press machine. But the story of how he achieved that is much more interesting.
In his 2003 training video, The King moved on to leg presses after pushing in some serious square work. Against all odds, he started loading the machine to the brim. When the sleeves of the leg press ran out of space, he started loading the sled instead.
By the time he was done loading up the machine, the owner of the Metroflex gym had to use a calculator to measure how much weight the plates measured up to.
Final Words
Ronnie’s superhuman strength as a bodybuilder continues to impress aspiring fitness enthusiasts from all over the world.
The ex-cop is now one of the most revered names in the world of bodybuilding. Even today, he is an influential figure in the industry, renowned still as the strongest Mr. Olympia of all time.
Don’t miss:
Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Routine
Ronnie Coleman’s Diet Plan
Powerlifting vs Bodybuilding
Why Do Powerlifters Have Big Bellies
References
- Androulakis-Korakakis, P., Michalopoulos, N., Fisher, J., Keogh, J. W. L., Loenneke, J. P., Helms, E. R., Wolf, M., Nuckols, G., & Steele, J. (2021). The minimum effective training dose required for 1RM strength in powerlifters. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.713655
- Thomas, M. H. (2016). Increasing lean mass and strength: A comparison of high frequency strength training to lower frequency strength training. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836564/
