The Tragic Reality Of Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman is one of the most celebrated bodybuilders of all time. He was recognized by Arnold Schwarzenegger as the "Evangelist for Bodybuilding" when he honored Coleman with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. Coleman has won an astounding total of eight Mr. Olympia titles over the course of his career. His accolades and achievements are too numerous to list but are a direct reflection of his unwavering dedication to dominating in the world of bodybuilding and extreme fitness.

His training schedule was intense, and Coleman's entire lifestyle was dedicated to the physical demands he placed on his body. His workouts were frequently posted on social media, and stunned fans routinely looked on with amazement as Coleman pressed hundreds of pounds at a time as part of his daily ritual. His passion for bodybuilding is evident through every interview and social media post, and Coleman is revered by many as a true legend in his field.

Coleman has endured incredible pain and numerous surgeries to repair the damage he caused to his body, and fans have recently watched the famous bodybuilder struggle to overcome his medical obstacles. He has limited mobility in his body, yet continues to push himself with an impressive amount of tenacity and courage.

Ronnie Coleman's entire lifestyle was designed to support his training schedule, and his incredible physique is a true testament to his devotion to bodybuilding. However, he admits to getting to the top of his game with a little bit of help. Coleman revealed to Joe Rogan that he used steroids to bulk up.

Rogan asked him what types of steroids were being used. "Oh I mean basic you know you got your TES (testosterone, to aid muscle growth), your D-Ball, your just basic stuff, you know," Coleman said. "And back then you know, because the DA had come in, and you know was trying to find out what we all doing, they made us do it legally." He went on to explain that doctors were prescribing steroids, growth hormones, and other medications to aid bodybuilders with their transformations. "Everything was legal back then, that is not the case now," Coleman said. "Everybody's on something that's competing at the highest level."

Coleman spoke to "Valuetainment's" Patrick Bet-David about the current climate. "I did everything the right way you know, so I wasn't buying stuff off the street, getting black market stuff, not knowing what I'm getting," Coleman said. "I'm getting everything I was getting was from the pharmacy, being prescribed by doctors you know that's keeping up with my progress, and I'm you know I'm going through all these blood tests and everything."

The first major injury Ronnie Colman recalls suffering happened when he was playing football. He admitted that at the time of the injury, he sought chiropractic care but didn't completely explore other medical treatment or recovery options. During an interview with Generation Iron Fitness and Bodybuilding Network, Coleman revealed he hadn't fully healed from the football injury before he herniated a disc. He admits to not realizing the severity of his injury and went back to the gym too soon. "I thought I was still just as strong as I was before and I can remember like it was yesterday," Coleman said. "I was squatting 600 and I always did like, what, 15 reps 12-15 reps. This day, I was coming up on rep number eight and I heard a loud pop. I'm like, 'what the hell, what the hell was that?'" Despite the severe pain, he continued working out. 

Coleman went against his doctor's advice and continued his aggressive workout routine. "I guess it just got worse over time," Coleman said. "I didn't have the surgery or nothing like, like, that when I herniated that disc. They offered me to have surgery, I told them 'no,'" he said during an interview with Joe Rogan.

Ronnie Coleman's extreme dedication to pushing his body beyond its limits sounds grueling on its own, but when that level of physical exertion was paired with his existing injuries, the pain became excruciating for the fierce competitor. "I'm always very energetic, and I'm ready to go, and I'm ready to fight. This morning, I'm so tired to the point that I actually feel like I'm about to die," Coleman said in a feature video posted by Kong Motivation.

He admitted to experiencing pain while simply being seated for an interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Coleman told Rogan he was in pain "just a minimum amount, nothing major," and went on to say, "If you're an athlete, you're in pain all your life." Coleman then told fans that he learned to tolerate pain at a very young age. "So after a while, you kind of get used to it and it doesn't really bother you," he said. Coleman's passion and determination to excel as a bodybuilder was evident in the way he spoke about his career. "As long as I'm doing what I love doing, I'm ok. If you take that away, then I probably won't be ok," Coleman said. Rogan credited the bodybuilder's high pain tolerance, to which Coleman responded, "Yeah I have a high tolerance ... I remember when I herniated my disc, I finished my workout."

Ronnie Coleman's entire lifestyle was structured around his bodybuilding goals, including his workout regimen and his eating habits. He collected an impressive showcase of awards and accolades over the course of his career, many of which wouldn't even fit in his oversized trophy case. "I want to show you all my trophy case -– this is my full trophy case of all the trophies and accomplishments," Coleman said in a video for Muscle and Strength. "Of course, I couldn't fit everything in here so my mom has some my sister has some, but I got the most important ones, the ones that mean everything in the world to me. Those are my eight Mr. Olympia trophies." The physical exertion took its toll, and Coleman was forced to endure 13 surgeries over the course of his career.

Coleman recounted the astounding number of surgeries he endured and managed to recover from, by ticking off the order in which they were completed. "The first one was back, the second one was back, and then I think the third one was neck, and then back, back, and hips, back, back, back," Coleman said on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Some of the surgeries were complex and required rehabilitation before Coleman could get back into his normal routine. He also revealed that he had a large number of screws and metal plates in his body.

The mere thought of enduring 13 serious surgeries would be too much for most people to even think about, but it didn't stop Ronnie Coleman from continuing his demanding physical routine. He continued working out after every surgical procedure and stayed laser-focused on his bodybuilding career. When he herniated his disc, he only paused briefly before going back to the gym. "I lost a little strength. But you know, the athlete in you was like, you know, let's go finish, finish this up. So I finished up, you know, I did leg press and some other exercises," Coleman said on "The Joe Rogan Experience." He told Rogan that two weeks after suffering the herniated disc, he resumed his strength-training.

In a graphic description of his 13-hour back surgery, Coleman referenced his doctor by saying to Generation Iron Fitness & Bodybuilding Network, "He'd have to cut me in the back and put in some parts, put in screws and put in spacers. Then he had to roll me over, and cut me on the side, and put in these big old cages."

A video posted to Coleman's YouTube page shows the bodybuilder back at the gym just eight weeks after undergoing extensive back surgery. He could be seen benching weights and proceeded to move from one machine to another while he tested the capabilities of his body.

Ronnie Coleman opted to push through the pain and continue his grueling workouts in spite of the numerous signals his body was sending him. He was dedicated to continuing his exercise regimen and was laser focused on the titles he wanted to shatter, and admits to not resting or seeking the proper medical treatments, even when his injuries were quite severe. During an interview with Generation Iron Fitness & Bodybuilding Network, Coleman admitted to continuing his workout in the moment that he had herniated a disc in his back, in spite of being in excruciating pain. "I felt this pain go down my left leg, all the way down my foot and I was like 'whoa, that hurt' I'm like well, I'm done with squatting, and I went, did leg press, squats, or whatever, I did hamstrings ... " Coleman said.

Coleman ignored the long-lasting pain that continued to increase with each back workout and competition. However, he admitted that it took him a full 10 years to seek medical treatment to fix the hernia. The only reason Coleman relented to getting help was due to the excruciating pain caused by the injury he had ignored for so long. "I couldn't walk like no more than 25 feet without my leg being on fire, my feet being on fire, and I'm in a lot -– a whole lot of pain," Coleman told Joe Rogan on his podcast.

Ronnie Coleman is widely considered to be the best bodybuilder in the world. His workouts were exceptionally intense, and he documented a number of his training programs and gym sessions for his fans to view. One particular video posted to his YouTube channel shows Coleman working out on chest day. He let the cameras roll as he demonstrated his incredible skill. He posed and flexed his muscles, showing fans the extreme results of his grueling physical routine. The video amassed over 41 million views.

He may have gone a bit too far with his physical exertion. The extreme training was so intense that Coleman broke the surgical screws that were implanted in his spine and that led to the breakage of his skeletal bones. "They put in four screws because the discs were you know, shifting forward and pushing up against my nerves so they had to clamp them together and they use these screws," Coleman said, according to Generation Iron Fitness & Bodybuilding Network. "Those screws ended up breaking and in the process of breaking they broke bones in my back." He went on to declare the pain was so bad that he was unable to walk and shared surgery details on Instagram.

Ronnie Coleman was very open about the deterioration of his health and the physical struggles he was forced to face after years of arduous training. He frequently updated his fans on Instagram by posting videos and images of his physical challenges. "As you can see, I'm in the hospital again," he wrote on one post. "I ended up going to the doctor today for some Xrays, Xrays didn't turn out too good so they admitted me and I've been here since 5 O'clock all by myself, getting ready to do this surgery on my right hip early in the morning. So I guess I'll see you guys after all this is over. Well once again, it's on!" He signed off with his signature statements, "Ya buddy. Lightweight baby! That's just the way we roll in 2020."

Post-surgery updates were provided by his team on the days that he was unable to share the information on his own. "Thumbs up Big Ron! As you can see he's a little sleepy here which is to be expected (he did just have his intestines pulled out, screws in and out of his back, then his intestines put back in," his team wrote on Instagram.

The bodybuilding champion also posted images of himself undergoing various treatments and procedures, including cupping. "Hopefully the numbness I'm experiencing in my fingers will be gone soon," Coleman wrote alongside a stunning photograph of his experience.

Pushing his body beyond its limitations while training for competitions and setting world records eventually took a significant toll on Ronnie Coleman's body. The pain in his body was so excruciating that he was forced to rely on the use of a wheelchair and could no longer walk unassisted. He described the pain he endured after an extensive 13-hour surgical procedure that forced him to rely on his wheelchair when his body failed him. "I stayed in hospital for like a whole month, just uh, trying to deal with the pain — the pain was so bad that pain medication didn't work so I didn't sleep for a while, for a little while there, being in pain 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Coleman said to Generation Iron & Fitness Bodybuilding Network.

Coleman's tenacity and dedication to throw himself back into bodybuilding and competitions helped him to remain motivated to walk again. He embraced being in a wheelchair and even used it to join his family on vacation. Photos of Coleman in a wheelchair were posted to his Instagram page, along with credit to the company he purchased from. "It is day 3 of the Coleman family vacation," Coleman wrote. "I'm in my favorite mode of transportation when I have to travel long distances. This is a foldable wheelchair. It weighs 45 pounds and it's very comfortable. I've had it for 2 years now." He went on to plug the company.

In spite of his weakened physical state, Ronnie Coleman remains steadfast in his dedication to return to his previous lifestyle. He sought every available opportunity to heal his body and continues to share his journey with his fans on social media. On September 10, 2021, the bodybuilding champion posted an image of a hyperbaric chamber to his Instagram page and shared a few details about his time in the machine. "The Hyperbaric Chamber we sit in for our sessions. This bad boy is off the chain. We have an A/C in here, television with Netflix and YouTube so time goes by real fast when we're watching a good movie," Coleman wrote. He went on to declare that each of his sessions in the chamber is one hour in duration.

In another post, Coleman expressed his dedication to his recovery. "One day I will get my mobility back. Perseverance is the key, quitters never win," he wrote. "As long as I don't give up I truly have a chance. This chamber combined with 300 million stem cells give me the best shot ever." He continued to share positive messages full of optimism, adding, "As long as I have a plan, I have a chance. As long as I'm alive I have a chance to survive and overcome this obstacle." Coleman revealed he travels to Puerto Vallarta for stem cell treatment.

Ronnie Coleman refuses to give up and continues to pursue his passion in the face of adversity. He posted a video to Instagram as recently as December 2022 and put his courage and strength on full display. He wore gray sweats as he trained on the machines. "You know it's gotta be freezing for me to be working out in a full sweatsuit," Coleman wrote. "This had to be the coldest night ever in Metroflex gym. No matter what I did I could not get my hands to thaw out. They were numb the entire time of the workout." His determination shone through in the last line of his message. "Oh well, once again it's on, ain't no freezing temperatures stopping no workout for BigRon," he wrote.

Another video showed more snippets of his vigorous workout. "Training at 4 am in the morning is great. No interruptions and no one to ask how long you gone be on that machine," Coleman wrote. His fans and followers rushed to provide words of support and encouragement in the comments section, where his post already boasts over half a million likes. Numerous fans called him "King" and wrote notes about how inspirational and impactful he has been in their lives.

Perhaps one of the most shocking elements of Ronnie Coleman's physical post-operative stature is the fact that his entire spine has now been fused with metal cages and screws. "Every single disc has been operated on," Coleman told Joe Rogan. "Neck and back -– whole spine is fused." When Rogan asked about his mobility, Coleman maintained his remarkably positive attitude, saying, "I mean, I still, you know, bend over and tie my shoe and do all that kind of stuff." Rogan was stunned to discover Coleman's agility, given the complex surgery he had undergone and commented on the fact that there is no articulation of Coleman's discs and spine. "I guess it just feels kind of normal after a while, you know, you get used to it. It happens over time, so it's a gradual thing. So it's not all of a sudden," Coleman said.

Coleman kept his fans apprised of his condition with regular posts to Instagram and gave them a first-hand look at his recovery process. "Have a scar from my ass all the way up to my ribs," Coleman wrote to his social media page. "Will be in the hospital all weekend though to control this massive pain." In spite of it all, Coleman seemed optimistic and eager to start reconditioning his body. "As usual, can't wait to get out," he added.