Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Plan

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The world is full of fitness gurus. Many of them are selling something, but very few are selling stuff that works. The fact is, if you want to be muscular, lean, and strong, you need to train hard and follow a fool-proof workout plan. And who better to guide us in such an endeavor than the most no-nonsense person in bodybuilding, the legendary Ronnie Coleman.

Ronnie Coleman is an American bodybuilder who’s won the Mr. Olympia title, the highest award for bodybuilders, for eight consecutive years. (A feat that only one other bodybuilder, Lee Haney (1984-1991) was able to accomplish.)

The man’s influence is undeniable. After all, he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and has been an active figure in bodybuilding for decades. He’s also coached and trained numerous bodybuilders and has helped to revolutionize the sport. As an 8-time Mr. Olympia champion, Coleman’s influence is hard to deny.

Known as “The King” due to his dominance in the competitive bodybuilding circuit. If you are an ardent bodybuilder or someone who wants to have a fit body, then there are few people who have achieved what Ronnie Coleman has achieved in the competitive circuit.

From the number of workouts Ronnie sneaks in a day, to what he eats on a regular basis, you might say that he’s developed his own unique style! And we’re sure this same style can work wonders for your body — i.e., if you’ve got the nerve to try it.

In a nutshell, it is simply not debatable that Ronnie belongs in anyone’s shortlist of people to look up to when it comes to bodybuilding. He has set the standard, and in this article, we’ll be taking a look at the workout and diet routine that’s elevated him to the top.

Ronnie Coleman’s Current Statistics

Before anything else, here’s a look into Ronnie’s stats. They are nothing short of impressive! Take note, we’re talking about a man who’s in his mid-50s here, yet he’s quite literally still a modern-day Hercules.

Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)

Weight: 287-300 pounds (130-136 kg)

Weight During Off-season: 315-320 pounds (143-145 kg)

Chest Size: 60 in (150 cm)

Arm Size: 24 in (61 cm)

Below are a few of Ronnie Coleman’s achievements, just to give you an idea of how much of a beast he is.

Best lifts: 715 lbs

Clean And Jerk: 874 lbs

Deadlift: 727.5 lbs

Squat: 820 lbs

Bench Press: 557 lbs

Like we said, the man is a genetic freak, in the best sense of the word. While he has primarily been a bodybuilder, he has also competed in competitive powerlifting, been featured on the cover of more than 250 magazines, and was the subject of dozens of bodybuilding-related DVDs.

Ronnie is a fan of heavy weights and low reps. But he doesn’t like to do machine exercises because they lack range of motion and make it difficult to get the most out of your rep while maximizing flexibility. Instead, he prefers free-weights. He believes that free weights help him get more from his training while being safer at the same time.

Below is Ronnie’s workout routine, broken down by day of the week. You’ll notice that he mixes up his routine, going from working one muscle group a day until he’s covered all by the end of the week.

Check it out below — trust us, it is one of the most intensive out there:

Monday:

Mondays are all about legs for Ronnie. This is the day he works on his legs, particularly his quads, calves and hamstrings.

Barbell Squat, three sets of 15 reps
Barbell Hack Squat, three sets of 15 reps
Walking lunges, two sets, 100 yards each
Leg Extensions, three sets of 20 reps
Lying Leg Curls, three sets, 8 to 15 reps
Seated Single-Leg Curl, three sets of 15 reps
Seated Calf Raise, three sets, 8 to 15 reps

Tuesday:

For Tuesdays, Ronnie Coleman works out his back and triceps with 7 different kinds of exercises. He is known to have an extremely powerful back and has a set of triceps that are even more impressive. If you’re looking to get your back and triceps looking like those of Ronnie Coleman’s, well, below is what you’ll need to do:

Deadlifts, four sets of 6 to 12 reps
Barbell rows, three sets of 10 to 12 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows, three sets of 10 to 12 reps
T-bar rows, four sets of 10 to 12 reps

Wednesday:

Wednesday is shoulder day for Ronnie. If you ever wondered how he was able to develop such massive and ripped shoulders, well we can tell you it had a lot to do with the workout below.

Overhead Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 15 reps
Military Presses, 4 sets of 12 reps
Seated Dumbbell Press, 4 sets of 12 reps
Front Dumbbell Press, 4 sets of 12 reps

Thursday:

Ronnie dedicates Thursdays to his chest and biceps. Based on the routine below, we can definitely say that even the most experienced bodybuilder can benefit from a good Ronnie Coleman chest and bicep workout. Check out what he does below.

For his chest, Ronnie does the following exercises every Thursday:

Bench Press, 5 sets of 12 reps
Barbell Press, 3 sets of 12 reps
Bench Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 12 reps
Bench Flyes, 4 sets of 12 reps

For biceps, these are what ol’ Ronnie does every Thursday of the week:

Alternating Dumbbell Curls, 4 sets of 12 reps
Machine Curls, 3 sets of 15 reps
Standing Cable Curls, 3 sets of 15 reps

Friday:

Ronnie goes back to working out his quads, calves and hamstrings on Fridays, and the routine below is basically a repeat of what he does every Monday. If you’re wondering why Ronnie has such godly legs, well, now you know!

Barbell Squat, three sets of 15 reps
Barbell Hack Squat, three sets of 15 reps
Walking Lunges, two sets, 100 yards each
Leg Extensions, three sets of 20 reps
Lying Leg Curls, three sets, 8 to 15 reps
Seated Single-Leg Curl, three sets of 15 reps
Seated Calf Raise, three sets, 8 to 15 reps

Saturday:

It’s back to chest and tricep workouts every saturday for Ronnie, but this time he includes workouts for his abs. Indeed, the ab workout below is sure to get you ripped abs in the shortest time possible. Of course, don’t force yourself to do exactly as Ronnie does because what he does isn’t easy, and you might injure yourself if your body is not up to it.

Flat Bench Press, five sets of 5 to 15 reps
Incline Bench Press, five sets of 8 to 20 reps
Decline Bench Press, three to five sets of 8 to 20 reps
Seated French Press, three to five sets of 8 to 20 reps
Strength Machine Dips, three to five sets of 8 to 20 reps
Standing Cable Tricep Pushdown, three to five sets of 8 to 20 reps

For his abs, Ronnie does the exercises below, four to five sets each, and 20 reps per set.

Crunches, four to five sets of 20 reps
Cross crunches, four to five sets of 20 reps
Leg raises, four to five sets of 20 reps
Side leg raises, four to five sets of 20 reps
Planks, four to five sets of 20 reps
Side planks, four to five sets of 20 reps

Sunday:

Ronnie takes a much needed day off on Sundays. Given his gruelling and demanding workout routine (we haven’t even covered his diet yet!) a single rest day might not be enough for some, but we’re talking about Ronnie Coleman here, who is perhaps the greatest bodybuilder who’s ever lived.

The Diet of an Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Winner

A balanced diet is extremely important for the human body to function properly. When people don’t get the necessary nutrients that their body needs, it usually results in fatigue, low energy, depression, and other not-so-great side effects. A balanced diet will ensure that your body gets the right amount of essential vitamins and nutrients that will keep you happy and healthy.

When it comes to bodybuilders, it can be quite different to that of an average person. After all, a bodybuilder is constantly throwing protein into his body, ensuring its growth. His body is constantly working to digest the food he eats, which boosts his metabolism.

Nutrition is crucial to building as much muscle as possible. A bodybuilder’s diet will typically have four phases: the bulking, the cutting, the pre-competition, and the competition phase. During the bulking phase, the goal is to gain as much muscle as possible. In order to do so, a bodybuilder has to eat a lot of food, with a focus on protein and a lot of carbohydrates. The cutting phase is used to shed off layers of fat that were gained from the bulking phase. In order to do this, a bodybuilder will cut out a lot of carbohydrates and start eating a lot of protein and vegetables instead.

For bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, consuming the right fuels and nutrients is essential because the food they eat makes up a huge part of their fitness and muscle-building routines. Bodybuilders typically consume foods such as chicken, potatoes, rice, lean beef, eggs, oatmeal and beans while including plenty of fresh vegetables in their diets. Protein powder is also widely used to boost muscle mass when needed so bodybuilders shouldn’t have any trouble getting enough to eat.

In terms of food and diet, below is what a typical day for Ronnie Coleman will look like.

Before Breakfast

When starting his day, Ronnie Coleman takes a 5 g scoop of L-Arginine to get him through his heavy workout later in the day. This supplement helps build bigger muscles and is beneficial to his bodybuilding routine.

Breakfast

He’ll typically have grit cheese and ½ cup of fruit in the morning. Sometimes he’ll have coffee, but always without sugar.

Lunch

For lunch, Ronnie will usually enjoy a chicken breast served with red beans, rice, and Cornbread.

After Lunch

A typical ‘after lunch’ meal for Ronnie will consist of either chicken or baked potatoes.

Dinner

Ronnie will eat a variety of foods for dinner, but whatever it is, he’ll include a whey protein shake and a scoop of Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA).

Summary

Bodybuilding is a sport that requires the athlete to push the limits of their body through extreme workouts. In order to lift these weights that seem to be impossible, the athlete needs to have a will that is stronger than any other. It requires a very disciplined lifestyle in order to maintain a proper diet and sleep schedule in order to have the energy to complete the workouts. Without this discipline in place, it’s very easy to fall off track and not meet the goals that have been set in place.

Ronnie Coleman is one of the most dedicated bodybuilders to ever live, and he has the trophies to show for it. He is one of the guys who started new trends in bodybuilding, and he has helped it grow into the sport that it is today.

Coleman has an almighty presence that is backed up by his 8 Mr. Olympia titles. Although his bodybuilding career ended years ago, people listen to his advice to this day. Indeed, his presence continues to loom large over the fitness industry. Even people who live a lifestyle that doesn’t include bodybuilding still listen to his advice that he has been providing for years. Coleman’s knowledge spreads from the world of fitness into many other areas including sports nutrition, supplement research, and exercise physiology.

In the same way that Ronnie Coleman has been able to transform his body from a person that everyone used to make fun of into a body that is admired by millions, we also know that you can transform your body from a place of weakness and shame into a place of strength and confidence. We hope you can take the inspiration from this article and apply it to your own bodybuilding journey!

Ronnie Coleman’s Current Statistics