Looking back to the 70s, Arnold set the standard for bodybuilding, displaying a never-before-seen combination of mass and conditioning. Then in the 80s, Lee Haney further redefined bodybuilding with his world-class combination of mass and symmetry and 8 Sandows to show for it. When the 90s came around, Dorian Yates dominated with a package of mass, density, and conditioning that was from another planet. But it was in 1998 that one bodybuilder redefined bodybuilding forever, setting a standard that has yet to be duplicated. Stepping onstage at a mind-boggling 297 pounds of dry, vascular, and symmetrical muscle mass, Ronnie Coleman left no shadow of a doubt that he was going to be the king of bodybuilding and he changed the sport forever.
Team FLEX had the privilege of interviewing the man who entered more Olympia contests than anyone and won a record-tying eight of them, and he talked to us about the workouts that built the legend as well as the rumours of his comeback.
FLEX: Hey Ronnie, good to see you again. Even since your retirement, you still draw the biggest crowds everywhere you go, and it seems like the fans love you more now than ever RONNIE COLEMAN: Yeah, everything is going good, real good. You know me, I love my fans and the sport of bodybuilding which has taken me around the world and back, but I love it. Every week I’m in a different city or country, it’s what keeps me going.
FLEX: So back in 2007, when you stepped away from competitive bodybuilding, what did you do? Was it hard to adjust, knowing that you weren’t going to return to the stage? RC: Well, you know me, I’m a very competitive guy. I’m competitive at everything I do in life, that’s how I got to be Mr. Olympia. So it was a little tough, but I didn’t see it as leaving the sport because there’s different ways I could still be competitive in bodybuilding. But I had to walk away temporarily because I needed to have back surgery.
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