The G.O.A.T.’s entry into bodybuilding significantly raised the bar of the sport. Bagging IFBB Mr. Olympia titles eight consecutive times, Ronnie Coleman, proved his mastery of the sport. From 1998 to 2005, his dominance in the bodybuilding world was transparent. Furthermore, his dedication and hard work never let his fan down. Coleman continued training and participated in several competitions until 2007 with an injured back. Considering the amount of effort he put into the sport, one would think bodybuilding was his ultimate goal. But that was not the case. 

Not long ago, the legend talked about how he entered into bodybuilding and powerlifting in an interview. Surprisingly, bodybuilding was not his first choice!

How did Ronnie Coleman get into bodybuilding?

Ronnie Coleman is a name that won’t fade away from bodybuilding history easily. Fans and followers admire him even after fifteen years of his retirement. However, he never planned to be one of the top bodybuilders ever.

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The bodybuilder majored in accounting, but was unable to find a job in his field. Following this, he read in the newspaper about vacancies in the police force. Therefore, he thought to give it a try and eventually became an Arlington police officer. From 1989 to 2000, Coleman served the public for a period of eleven years. 

Meanwhile, one of his co-workers noticed his exceptional physique and asked him where he worked out. At that time, the bodybuilder used to work out at the station, which was as small as a bathroom. The very next moment, his office friend took him to Metroflex Gym, owned by Brian Dobson. 

Brian had an eye for potential bodybuilders, and Coleman fulfilled every criteria for that. He tried to convince the police officer to consider bodybuilding, but Coleman was reluctant to do so. Therefore, Brian had to bait him into the sport. All he did was offer him a free membership to the gym and there you go, The King agreed.  

“My first show was Mr. Texas, and I won first place in my class, and I won the overall as well. I was pretty excited after I won the contest. I wasn’t ready to make it a career at that point, though,” said the muscle builder in an interview. “I was still just doing it for the free gym membership.”

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Mr. Texas was his first official bodybuilding context where he took first place in heavyweight and also won the overall. 

Coleman’s view regarding current bodybuilders

Back in 2019, Ronnie Coleman appeared in an interview where he revealed his thoughts regarding new bodybuilders. According to him, there’s a huge gap between the bodybuilders of his era and the current era.  

“It’s not the same,” said Ronnie Coleman. “Look at those guys, I mean, nobody looks like they’ve been on a diet. Like a real diet, diet. Nobody really looks in shape, you know.”

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