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Did Ronnie Coleman Use Steroids or is Natural?
Ronnie Coleman, one of the best bodybuilders of all time is famous for winning 8 Mr. Olympia titles.
He was also entitled “GOAT” which means the “Greatest of All Time”. Ronnie was a man with the greatest physique for which he was even rumored to have used steroids to achieve such hulk shaped body.
Most commonly, people think that it is nearly impossible to achieve such a great physique and immense power without using steroids or any performance-enhancing substance.
However, at the same time, it does not imply that all the top-class bodybuilders have used any kind of illegal drugs or steroids to achieve Superman’s level. Some of them have truly gained all the monster power and great physique through hard work and a healthy and nutritious diet.
But, the case is a bit different with Ronnie Coleman.
At the very beginning of his career, Ronnie failed to win even a single trophy. Soon after facing the failure, Ronnie was back with very strong motivation and made his name in the history of bodybuilding.
Previous Life of Ronnie Coleman
Table of Contents
Ronnie Coleman was born on May 19, 1964, in the city of Monroe, situated in Louisiana, USA. Later his family moved to neighboring Bastrop where most of his childhood was spent.
Ronnie was forced to make money from a very young age to contribute to the family budget.
Ronnie was very fond of sports from a young age and he was keenly interested in basketball, baseball, and American football. Interestingly, the future Mr. Olympia’s genetics was manifested at the age of 14-16 only when he weighed more than 80 kgs at about 180 cm of height.
But to find a livelihood, Ronnie had to earn extra money. Before getting a job as a police officer (his childhood dream), he worked as a newspaper and pizza deliveryman and as an accountant for some time.
During his work as a policeman, Coleman engaged himself in bodybuilding.
His colleague, Gustavo Arlotta approached him to join the MetroFlex Gym. Brian Dobson, the owner of the gym, at a glance, noticed Coleman’s physical abilities and potential and immediately offered him a free lifetime membership.
This made him win many titles easily in both heavyweight as well as in general categories.
While persuading his police duty, Ronnie trained hard in the gym and spent hours on weight lifting.
For irony, he even surpassed his mentor. Ronnie’s triumphant procession lasted for almost 20 years.
Ronnie Coleman’s Statistics
- Year of birth – May 19, 1964
- Weight – 305 – 315 lbs (138-142 kg)
- Height – 5’11” (180 cm)
Body measurements
- Arms – 24’’
- Chest – 58’’
- Waist – 36’’
- Calves – 22’’
- Thighs – 36’’
Ronnie’s Lifetime Achievements
- 1990 Mister Texas
- 1991 Mister Universe
- 1998 Mister Olympia
- 1999 Mister Olympia
- 2001 Arnold Classic Champion
- 2001 Mister Olympia
- 2002 Mister Olympia
- 2003 Mister Olympia
- 2004 Grand Prix of Russian Federation
- 2005 Mister Olympia
There is absolutely no doubt in the fact that Ronnie Coleman has been a well-renowned bodybuilder of all time.
End of Surgeries & Professional Career
After winning 4th place in the 2007 Olympics, Ronnie dropped his professional bodybuilder career. The athlete had always worked with extreme weights such as 1 ton long press which were considered the most suitable weight for powerlifting but they were light, according to Ronnie.
Unfortunately, this claim made him replace his original joints with artificial ones. It was in the year 2014 when he went through a hip joint prosthesis. And soon by the end of the same year, doctors implanted on his other thigh as well.
Further, he underwent other operations as well related to a hernia of the lumbosacral spine. The intense training session had damaged his entire body so he had to undergo seven operations on his back within 11 hours of surgery.
Ronnie Coleman’s Steroid Use
For some consecutive years or probably during his policeman era, he kept denying the fact that he had not used any illegal steroids to enhance performance. The police service forced him to adhere to the rules and regulations of the US.
This is why the athlete denied the fact of using anabolic steroids for bodybuilding. However, on the internet, people can find fairly old videos where Ronnie was conducting steroid courses but soon either the video was deleted or its content was simply removed.
Soon enough, in the year 2011, Ronnie officially admitted that he had taken injections as well as the best oral steroid to gain muscle mass and strength while giving an interview to the “Muscular Development” magazine.
In the interview, he accepted that he took steroids during his bodybuilding career but under the supervision of doctors on which he also said, there is nothing wrong in accepting the steroid use.
Ronnie talks about his steroid use –
Video Source: Bodybuilding.com
Ronnie’s Steroid Cycle
Many people are keenly interested in knowing what steroids Coleman used during his steroid cycle.
According to some sources, it is said that Ronnie might have used growth factors, growth hormones, and insulin.
Check Out His Amazing Pics On Instagram >> Ronnie Coleman
For those who are still skeptical whether Ronnie used steroids, he actually did. He appeared in the podcast Joe Rogan Experience in June 2022 and revealed that he used steroids.
As per Ronnie Hinslef, he started taking steroids when he was 30 which is 6 years after he started bodybuilding professionally.
Even though he was juicing up under the constant supervision of doctors who tested his blood every 3-4 months, he doesn’t encourage using it.
Steroid side effects are no longer a secret!
There are numerous reviews of other bodybuilders where people have experienced adverse effects from the supplementation of popular steroids.
For instance, Dianabol side effects like increased risk of heart failure, liver damage, deepened voice, and high blood pressure are concerning.
Sooner or later, anabolic steroids do start to showcase their damaging effect on the body. But if you want to have a well-built impressive physique like Ronnie Coleman, you have to supplement your body with extra vitamins and minerals.
For this, you can have legal and natural alternatives that are safer than steroids any day.
There are many supplement brands in the market that manufacture steroid alternatives, but nothing comes close to CrazyBulk.
Crazy Bulk is quite a renowned health supplement and a pioneer when it comes to making safer steroid alternatives. It provides the supplements separately and also in the form of stacks.
Its most famous product is Crazy Bulk D-bal which is the legal alternative to the Dianabol steroid.
It is designed to trigger anabolic muscle gains, burn unwanted fat, and improve blood flow for denser muscle. Basically, D-bal delivers the Dianabol results but without its side effects.
Users have experienced a 20% increase in their stamina and a 2% loss of body fat in just a few weeks.
If you are looking for an all-rounder package to support your bulking goals, you try the Crazy Bulk bulking stack which includes Testo Max, D-Bal, Decaduro, and Trenorol.
You can check out the entire range of Crazy Bulk products at if official website, Crazybulk.com.
Moving on, the bodybuilding GOAT-Ronnie Coleman is an institution in itself and young bodybuilders can learn from his achievements and mistakes.
The damaging effect of drugs and overtraining might have broken his bones but couldn’t break Ronnie Coleman’s natural spirit.
After creating many records and spending more than 15 years in a bodybuilding career, competing at the higher levels, Ronnie finally decided to take retirement.
As of now, Ronnie looks simply worse than before. It seems as if he has dropped weight and decreased twice in size.
Nevertheless, Mr. Coleman has never learned to give up! He still goes to the gym and works to keep his body in good shape. He does not work with extreme weights any longer particularly for his legs.
What Is Ronnie Coleman Doing at Present?
The 59-year-old bodybuilder, eight-time Mr. Olympia, and living legend is currently propelled with a wheelchair.
Ronnie has dealt with invasive surgeries in his lifetime, he has gone through a lot of surgeries back-to-back in 2007, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020.
He has had 13 surgeries including 2 in hips, 2 in neck, and 9 in his back. He has had surgery on all his 25 spinal discs. Except for his one disc which is herniated, his entire spinal column is fused.
At present, in his interview with Joe Rogan, Coleman said, “I’ve got 14 screws, two cages [to hold discs together], two rods about this long [18 inches] in there, too.”
Nonetheless, this doesn’t break Ronnie Coleman’s will. Though is avoiding weight for now, he can still be spotted in the gym. He is also managing his nutritional supplement line and apparel brand.
With his undying spirit, the living legend is guiding his fans through his YouTube channel videos and podcasts.
In December 2022, Coleman was spotted with his rival-turned-friend Jay Cutler at Mr. Olympia 2022. He also was found having a gala time with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 2023 Arnold Classis.
Ronnie Coleman is a natural bodybuilder at heart with a positive spirit and iron-like willpower.
We wish the King bodybuilder a healthy and happy life ahead.