If you’re a bodybuilder or you have an interest in bodybuilding, the name of Ronnie Coleman must have passed through your ears.
He is an American retired professional bodybuilder who has bagged the title of “Mr. Olympia” for eight years in a row, making a record that is still left unbroken. Now you see, all the aspiring bodybuilders look up to him for a reason.
You know he is the greatest bodybuilder of all time when you discover that he’s known as “The King” in the world of bodybuilding. He had to work hard to reach this point of recognition by improving his body and physique to perfection, culminating in a set of rigorous workout exercises with a well-drafted diet plan.
Ronnie Coleman is regarded as one of the most legendary and greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has left a blueprint on all of his fans who look forward to knowing the secrets of his Herculean workout and diet regime.
To follow and implement his workout and diet routine, one requires the guts to work hard until one makes it to their desired physique.
Today, we will be digging in to spill the intricate details and secrets of Coleman’s workout and diet plan that has earned him a Herculean body with god-like strength. If you’ve figured out how to dedicate your time to this strict daily routine, go on reading this article until the end.
Let’s begin!
Ronnie Coleman’s Biographical Details
| Full name | Ronald Dean Coleman |
| Born | May 13, 1964 |
| Age | 59 years |
| Height | 1.8 m (5’11”) |
| Weight | 135 kg (298 lbs) |
Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Routine
In the bodybuilding realm, it’s often emphasized to build bulk muscle mass by lifting heavier weights, targeting each muscle group for respective days in the week. You’ll find many known bodybuilders following this approach, but they would make amendments to it, tailoring it to their set goals.
Similarly, when you’re starting, you can make changes to specify your body’s needs, going from lighter to heavier weights and lifting with the pace of time.
In Coleman’s case, he’s the GOAT bodybuilder, so he prefers lifting heavier weights for each set of exercises he performs. He would go deep into lifting bulky weights without taking a long break.
His workout routine is based on working out for a five-day split in which he targets each muscle group for one day. The remaining days are set aside for an ample amount of time for recovery and rest.
Here’s an overlook into his bodybuilding workout routine:
Day 1:
Back and Triceps
- Heavy Deadlifts (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Lying T-bar rows (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Bent over rows (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Seated Cable Rows (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Wide Grip Pulldown (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Triceps Dips (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
- Standing Dumbell Triceps Extensions (3 sets, 15-20 reps)
Day 2:
Shoulders
- Military Barbell Presses (3 sets, 15 reps)
- Side Lateral Raises (3 sets, 15 reps)
- Front Dumbell Raises (3 sets, 15 reps)
- Bent-over Dumbell Rear Delt Raises (3 sets, 15 reps)
- Front Raises (3 sets, 15 reps)
Day 3:
Chest And Biceps
- Medium Grip Dumbell Flat Bench Press (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Medium Grip Dumbell Incline Bench Press (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Dumbell Flyes (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Barbell Curls (3 sets, 20 reps)
- One-Arm Dumbell Preacher Curls (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Hammer Curls (3 sets, 20 reps)
Day 4:
Arms
Coleman would perform a set of six exercises for his arms, three for biceps and three for triceps.
- Barbell Curls (3 sets, 12 reps)
- Hammer Curls (3 sets, 12 reps)
- Barbell Preacher Curls (3 sets, 12 reps)
- Close-Grip Bench Press (3 sets, 12 reps)
- Lying Dumbell Triceps Extensions (3 sets, 12 reps)
- Triceps Dips (3 sets, 12 reps)
Day 5:
Legs
Finally, on the fifth day, Coleman would hit the weights for muscles in his leg region. The leg region would include strength training in areas like calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads.
- Barbell Squat (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Barbell Hack Squat (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Intense Lunges (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Leg Press (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Hamstring Curls (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Seated Calf Raises (3 sets, 20 reps)
- Leg Extensions (3 sets, 20 reps)
Ronnie Coleman’s Diet Plan
Diet holds an integral part of your entire fitness plan, and thus, it should never be underestimated. Coleman would pay extra heed to the food he’s putting inside his body that would impact his state of being.
He would add some protein supplements to his diet that would help him enhance his physique in a short period, such as whey protein, casein protein, etc.
He wouldn’t ignore the caloric needs of his body, so he would take every possible measure to maintain his calorie burning and consumption ratio to normal. He would never feel hesitant to consume a surplus amount of calories to support muscle growth.
According to his dietary plan, his standard calorie intake daily was around 5332 calories.
While his diet plan would have evolved a bit from the past years when he was an unretired bodybuilder, a typical dietary plan looks like this:
Meal 1:
- 6-8 whole eggs with yolk
- A bowl of oatmeal
- Fresh veggies and fruits
- 1 cup coffee
Meal 2:
- One scoop of protein powder with low-fat milk (or water)
Meal 3:
- Cooked Lean protein source in the forms of chicken, fish, turkey, or lean beef
- Steamed veggies
- A bowl of brown rice, pasta, or oatmeal for necessary carbs
Meal 4:
- Cottage cheese with nuts
Meal 5:
- Chicken breast and brown rice
Meal 6:
- Olive-oil-cooked fresh lean meat
- Veggie salad
- Avocado
Meal 7:
- For his evening snack, he would consume a casein supplement or four scoops of whey blend.
To fulfill his protein requirements, Coleman would ensure that protein supplements were added to his meals, too. Here is a list of the protein supplements that he would consume in his meals:
- 4 scoops of Whey Protein (support in muscle recovery)
- 1 serving of BCAAs or EAAs (Amino-acid supplements for a reduction in muscle breakdown)
- 3 to 5 grams of L-arginine supplement (speed muscle building)
- 1 to 2 scoops of casein protein (speedy recovery during sleep)
Conclusion
- Ronnie Coleman is a legendary bodybuilder of all time. He was a bodybuilding superstar during his time when he bagged the title of Mr. Olympia for eight consecutive years.
- However, few people know what it took to start from scratch and build a Herculean body image that helped him earn the name he’s known for today in the realm of bodybuilding.
- A major chunk of his fitness journey consisted of allocating each muscle group its day to carry out a set of different exercises that were mainly based on high-intensity muscle training and lifting heavy weights all day long.
- Another important part of his bodybuilding training was eating a healthy, balanced diet and consuming his protein supplements in his meals in a timely manner.
- If you’re someone who’s inspired by Ronnie Coleman and his dedication to his bodybuilding career, you can implement his workout and diet routine at your convenience. His legendary remark that seems to motivate many is, “Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy weights.”