Ronnie Coleman

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ronnie Coleman

• During his college years, Ronnie used to play the middle blocker for his university Grambling State Tigers.  He used to play under the Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson.

• After graduating from Grambling State University, Ronnie was unable to find any job as an accountant and resorted to work at a Domino’s Pizza.

• Due to being poor and not being able to afford to eat food outside of work, he used to eat the complimentary pizza every day.

• Ronnie then went on to become a police officer and served from 1989 to 2000 as an officer in Arlington, Texas. He then served as a reserve officer until 2003.

  

• While working as a police officer, one of his fellow officers Gustavo Arlotta suggested to Ronnie that he should attend the Metroflex gym. The gym was owned by amateur bodybuilder Brian Dobson.

• Brian offered to Ronnie that if he agreed to let Brian train him for the upcoming 1990 Mr. Texas bodybuilding competition, he could get a free lifetime membership at the gym.

• Ronnie won both the heavyweight and overall categories after training with Brian and even defeated Brian himself.

• After competing in the 1990 Mr. Texas bodybuilding competition, Ronnie took part in the 1990 NPC Championships and was ranked 3rd, which he did not find to be good enough for him. So, he took a step back and made the necessary adjustments to his physique in order to be as competitive as possible.

• At the 1992 Chicago Pro Championships, he competed against formidable opponents such as Kevin Levrone, Bob Paris, and Milos Sarcev. Despite finishing in 11th place, it was a valuable learning experience that motivated him to improve.

• In 1991, Ronnie made a successful comeback by securing victory at the World Amateur Championships in Poland. Furthermore, he demonstrated an exceptional physique that merited that earned him his Pro Card, qualifying him to compete at an elite level.

• The Canada Pro Cup in 1995 was Ronnie’s first competition where he competed as a professional bodybuilder and he won.

• In the mid-1990s, Ronnie also attempted to enter a powerlifting competition.

• The rise and success of Ronnie’s bodybuilding career came relatively slowly. Before winning his first Mr. Olympia, he competed for the title 5 times.

• Ronnie competed in his first Mr. Olympia in 1992, but he was not even ranked that year. He then competed in the 1994 Mr. Olympia, where he placed 15th, followed by 10th place in 1995, 6th place in 1996, and 9th place in 1997.

• He held the title of Mr.Olympia from 1998 to 2005, establishing a tie with Lee Haney for the highest number of victories at the Mr. Olympia. They still hold this record as of 2024.

  

• Ronnie was defeated at the 2006 Mr. Olympia competition by the now four-time champion, Jay Cutler. While he made a return to competition in 2007, it became clear that his era had ended. His final Olympia performance secured him 4th place, marking the end of his career in the sport.

  

• After winning the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia in 2001, he became the first man to win both titles in the same year.

• When Ronnie worked out, he liked using free weights instead of machines to boost his flexibility and range of motion.

• Ronnie is a big fan of the Inner City Games, which is an organization that was co-founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1991.

• In 2011, Ronnie started the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series, a company that provides top-notch sports nutrition and wellness products for bodybuilders and other athletes.

• The extremely heavy weights that Ronnie used during his career as a competing powerlifter and bodybuilder, took a great toll on his body and he had to undergo many surgeries since 2007. He has had 13 surgeries as of 2024.

  

• These surgeries include two hip replacements and several attempts to ease chronic pain from damaged intervertebral discs.

• Due to some of his surgeries having such a poor outcome, he might never be able to walk without assistance ever again.

  

• Ronnie met his ex-wife, Rouaida Christine Achkar, a French-Lebanese personal trainer, at a sports exposition in Paris in March 1998. They ended up tying the knot in Beirut nine years later. They got divorced 3 years later in 2010.