Club Shay Shay - Ronnie Coleman Part 2

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

In Part 2, Ronnie Coleman continues his conversation with Shannon Sharpe, offering a deeper look into his life as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He shares insights on using HGH and the extreme difficulty of the last week before competitions, admitting he was so exhausted that he had to hire someone just to load weights onto the rack. Ronnie reminisces about his mom’s cooking, saying he didn’t need to follow a strict diet because her meals were so good. He even shares a tip about baking potatoes to resemble French fries. Despite his intense regimen, he notes that he maintained a negative body fat percentage and rarely ever got sick, only three times in his life. Ronnie dives into his impressive personal records (PRs), including a 500 lb bench press, 800 lb deadlift, 800 lb squat, 2300 lb leg press, and curling 225 lbs, revealing that walking lunges were his favorite movement. He claims to have the best back of all time and explains the importance of back muscles in bodybuilding. When asked about his Mount Rushmore of bodybuilders, Ronnie lists his top picks and reflects on why he couldn’t win nine Mr. Olympia titles in a row. He opens up about the moment he realized his body was giving out, especially during his 2007 competition, where he struggled to stand on stage and ultimately broke down emotionally. Ronnie also discusses the toll that bodybuilding took on his body, mentioning the 13 neck and back surgeries he’s undergone, and how he knew his career was ending after that final show in '07. Despite the physical hardships, Ronnie has no regrets other than not squatting 800 lbs more than twice. He reflects on how winning Mr. Olympia changed his life, allowing him to escape poverty for the first time. He notes that while some of his size could’ve been achieved without supplements, keeping up with the competition required them. He humorously adds that social media has made him more famous than he ever was, with only Arnold Schwarzenegger being more renowned in the bodybuilding world. Ronnie talks about his disappointment over not winning nine Mr. Olympia titles in a row and recalls training with his competitors, like Flex Wheeler and Jay Cutler, who were intimidated by his strength. He also details his struggles with surgeries, explaining that his muscles were too big for standard procedures, and after his screws broke post-surgery, no lawyer in Dallas would take his malpractice case. The episode takes a personal turn as Ronnie opens up about relearning to walk after his surgeries, undergoing stem cell treatment in Mexico, and how it eliminated his pain. He expresses hope that he’ll be walking without crutches within the next year. Despite his challenges, Ronnie still goes to the gym six times a week, calling it both mental and physical therapy. Ronnie reflects on why he never became a trainer, claiming no one could keep up with his intensity. Even Deion Sanders wanted him to train him and his wife, but Ronnie declined. He also shares the grueling experience of touring in China for three weeks, calling it the hardest thing he’s ever done, and recounting a memorable meal where he saw the eye of a chicken in his dish. Lastly, Ronnie discusses his family life, proudly mentioning his eight daughters—one for each of his Mr. Olympia titles—and takes Shannon through a typical day as a father. He talks about his current diet, explaining that he now prefers chicken thighs and ground beef because he got sick of chicken breasts and steak. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Kari Champion and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketballs just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball. And on this new season, we'll cover all things

sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio apps, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke. I'm Keri Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. Every great player needs a foil.

I know I'll go down to history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry, Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. What happens when a professional football player's career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on? I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. For some former NFL players, a new faith provides answers. You mix homesteading with guns in church, voila, you got straight away. You try to save everybody.

Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. How difficult was it for you? Because, Ronnie, some of the time, I mean, when I saw you in 01, and we're going to talk about this, I believe 01 was the best I've ever seen anybody build.

And I've been to a lot of shows. Everybody said that in two fifty seven and I remember seven two. I went to 47. Mm-hmm And I'm looking at you. I'm like, I don't believe any bodybuilder even at their peak could beat Ronnie today I'm talking about Lee. I'm talking about Dorian. I'm talking about Samir Yeah, I'm talking about no at that point'm talking about, no, at that point in time, Ronnie. Everybody said that. Everybody said that. Did you know when you went into the, obviously you looking at yourself. Oh yeah.

But you knew that you like it's over. Y'all ain't got no chance. Yeah, I ain't got no chance. I was so real, my buddy said I was skiing to school. You were, yeah you was. I mean, I'm onion-sick. And on my brain, you could see how hard I was. You could see my skull. I was so hard.

That's why you call it skin to skull. Have you ever been able to, because as you started moving up, and I think, 03, is you stepped on the stage around about 290, 295? 285. 285. The heaviest I've ever been in my life. Now you, I mean, we're never gonna see a man that size, that condition again.

Never. But I still believe 2001 was your best, was the best condition you've ever been. Everybody says that, but I always go back to 98. I look at those 98 pictures, and that was me coming out with a brand new car. I looked that good. And you know, once you get a new car,

it's kind of hard to keep it new. So I call me kind of like sharpening it up every show, and I'm getting a little bigger every show, but I'm keeping my condition down. And in 2001, I took it to another level by staying on a diet after the Olympia and coming in that much harder. That's probably one of the hardest I've ever been, like you said. And everybody said, that conditioning is the best ever.

Nobody, nobody. And look, that's not a slight on anybody building past the present. Nope, exactly. And I followed this sport for 40 years. Nobody at their best could beat you that day. And I totally agree with you. Yeah, that was a physique. You tell the story about how like insulin would help put it.

So when did growth get implemented to the sport? Because we see... I think there was always, there was always there. A lot of people think that growth makes you big, but it doesn't. It kind of makes you lean. It does what it says. It helps you to grow taller. It was actually made for kids. For Dorphism. Yeah. That suffer from Dorphism. I was under Dorphism.

Exactly. But it don't really make you big. It makes us a little bit harder. Yes. And everything that you can use to get hard, you pretty much use it. And G-H was one of those things. But it was very expensive. Very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, and a whole lot of people could afford it back then, right?

No, no, especially when you're getting it from the pharmacy and you ain't got no insurance. You can't use insurance. They don't even allow you to use insurance on that. But you got to do what you got to do, you know. And you have to find ways to try to make do what you have to make do. Exactly. The last... A lot of people lose the show probably the last week.

The hardest week of all. Because now it's really a mind, because I still got to train, do a little cardio, I got to lift, and man, I'm hungry, Ronnie. I ain't gonna lie, Ronnie, I'm hungry. I'm hungry the whole time, every single day. I can't wait to, to a meal time. As a matter of fact, Shannon, I was so tired in the gym, I couldn't even lift my weights and put them on the bar. I had to hire somebody

to load my bar so I can lift it. And you watch my video, you'll see my best friend in the world, Little Lee, loading up the weights, handing me the dumbbells, everything, because I was so tired and exhausted from eating 125 grams of carbs every day. So like I said, I had carbs with two meals. And I burned that up. I'm eating six. I burned that up on the treadmill.

Yes. So by the time I got to the gym, I'm going off of heart. Determination and dedication. You on fumes, Roddy. Yeah, I'm on fumes. And like I said, I'll never forget it. The first time I tried to load the weight and lift it, I caught hell.

By the time I loaded the weight on now, I'm tired. That was a workout right there. Because you know, I'm loading some weight. You loaded weight. And that's the thing that's so amazing, Ronnie, is that even the last week you still lifted. I'm still lifting heavy. I'm still lifting heavy up to that last week. Like a couple days out from the show, I know I kind of calm down and do a lot of light weight, do a whole bunch of reps.

But for the most part, I'm balls to the wall, going as hectic as I possibly can. Did you like the food? I mean, do you like? I loved the food because my mom was the greatest cook ever. Cause she cooked a lot of your meals for you. She cooked all of my meals for me. And it was like, the food was so good,

it was like I wasn't even on a diet. No, I'm putting barbecue sauce on it. Ketchup, you know, on my fries. People think those were actually French fries. What I did was bought a crinkle cutter, cut them up with that crinkle cutter, sprayed a little Pam on the bottom of the tray, and then I sprayed the top to give it that brown look. Put it in the oven, let it cook for about 45 minutes. I even had a timer. I would time it for 45 minutes and when they got ready, they were golden brown and crispy. They looked just like french fries. And everybody thought I was eating french fries, but I was just

eating cut up potatoes with a crinkle cutter made to look like French fries, you know, and it's kind of a psychological thing too. You got to play tricks with your body. You got to play tricks with your mind. Mind and body. Yeah, exactly. Man, those, some of them days were kind of dark. Yeah, I got some.

So give us a glimpse of that last let's just say the shows on a Saturday Yeah, you got prejudging who's gonna be in that morning. They got the night show Yeah, give us the say probably the last the last three days cuz you're probably gonna arrive if the show is on Saturday You're probably gonna get there Thursday. No, you got the Wednesday. I got that Tuesday. Okay. Okay. Yeah I'm trying to get there and get acclimated because we own Okay, okay. Yeah, I'm trying to get there and get acclimated because we own Central time here, right there on Pacific time of over there So I'm trying to get there and get acclimated to that time right that time don't change and it takes a couple days Okay, you know you're acclimated to that find where you gonna get your food at what you're gonna get

Yeah, I take all my food with me. Okay, you took all your food I took all my food with me. My mom would cook it and I would put it in this cooler. I had like a plastic cooler, but it kept the food real nice and warm, you know, kept what I needed, cold, cold. And I would take all my food with me and eat all my food for like, what is it, about two, three days, two days?

I got there on Tuesday. My mom came in on Thursday with another big bag of food. So that was for the whole week, you know, I weighed and measured everything I put in my mouth. I weighed it and measured it out, you know, 16 ounces of protein, whatever carb it was, most times it was like five ounces of potatoes, you know, six ounce of potatoes. And I weighed everything and measured everything to make sure I'm getting the appropriate amount

of carb, getting the appropriate amount of carbs, getting the appropriate amount of protein also. Were you a big rice eater or was it mainly, for your carbs, it was mainly potatoes? Mainly potatoes and rice. So I'm the most simplest eater out there. And people don't believe this, but it's the truth. And I highly recommend no one try this. I didn't eat vegetables.

Huh? I didn't like them. Well, how did you, well, how did you, if you, what, your non-carb meals, what are you gonna get? Supplements. I had, I was taking all these fiber supplements, iron supplements, everything.

Yeah. And that's how I got my green vegetables in. Yeah, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't do that. Only Ronnie Coleman can do that. Yeah, because I mean, I'm not the biggest veggie eater either, but I understand that when I can't get

a complex carb, a potato or rice, veggies is in. Not for me. I could never eat green vegetables no matter what, what I tried. Wow. Still to this day I can't eat them. How did, did you track your body, did you track your body fat in the off season? Like, okay, I'm 275, okay,

I don't need to get over this, because it's hard to me, the harder you get, the higher you get 275, okay, I don't need to get up with this, because it's hard to me, the harder you get, the higher you get up there, you got to bring that down. I weighed myself every single day, sometimes twice a day, sometimes three times a day. I'm weighing myself and, you know, trying to measure my fat. I remember I took this one test

and my body fat was so low, it wasn't even a half a percent. It was.33. They would dip me underwater and my numbers were negative. It was like minus two body fat. And then they would use these calipers on my skin that's why I had a little bit of fat.33 not even a half a percent man you get a cold man you've been to hospital by seven days I ain't never got a cold never had the flu what never ever had the flu I don? Never ever had the flu.

I don't get sick. I can remember three times in my life I was sick. I remember I was going to school one day, and I was junior high. I threw up on my way to school. The next time I was in my apartment complex, I threw up and didn't go to work that day. And the last time I can remember

was the first day I moved in my house. I threw up at midnight. I was in bed sleeping and man, it just came out of nowhere. I threw up right there on the carpet, brand new carpet. Damn, but Vicky was there, she cleaned that up real good for me. And those were the only times that I can remember

being sick, you know. And nothing else. I think I had a cold maybe once or twice while I was coughing and stuff. I'll get that every now and then. I couldn't take the last time I had one now. It's been so long while I was just doing a little coughing that lasted maybe three, four days, something like that.

After you won the first Olympia in 98, how well did you sleep subsequent Olympias? Well, the night after every Olympia, I never slept. I was too hyped up. But I slept six hours a day, every single day, all the way up to the show, six hours a day. You was never, you was never rest like, damn,

I sure hope I, man, I sure hope I hit this peak. I sure hope I'm ready to go tomorrow morning. Nope, psychologically, I was ready. Mentally, I was ready. Physically, I was ready. And I had that confidence that was so high, it didn't bother me in my sleeping. I slept like a big old sleeping baby. Rodney, what are your PRs? If someone asks you, say, Rodney, what's the most weight you've

ever benched, squatting, deadlift, press, I know them all. Bench, I did 500 for five or six reps, it's on tape. Deadlift is on tape, 800 for two. Squat is on tape also, 800 for two. I could've got six, but that's, you know, no, here or there. Leg press, 2,300 for nine. Right.

And, you know, curling, I've curled 225 before for maybe like eight, seven, eight reps, but you know, I don't really count all that kind of stuff. But you were military press, or, Ronnie, I mean, seated press for 315. For 12, yeah. And I think the most amazing thing, Ronnie, was you doing those in the hot ass Dallas Sun, the parking lot you do in the walking lot in 225. That was kind of heavy.

Just a little bit heavy, but not that heavy. And I always look forward to doing it, because that was one of my favorite exercises. And that was where those striated glutes came from. That's where that ghoul ham tie-in was going to come. Yeah. When you spin it around, and you see that Christmas tree in that lower back.

Yep, and I'm glutes. New glutes. Yeah, that's my favorite shot from the back. With my hands out. But I did that walking lunge every single week out there in that parking lot. I remember one time it was snowing outside. I'm like, here we go. You gotta do it. Slippin' and slidin'. I'm out there slippin' and slidin' with 225, doin' my walkin' lunges. So no matter what, hell or high water,

I'm doin' my walkin' lunges. Ronnie, when it comes to the back, I look at you, and most of the Olympians, if you go back and look at it, guys that have won motor won more gotta have a back Lee Haney had the back Dorian Yates had the back Ronnie Coleman and back even if he didn't win but once see Banu Seymour Yeah, you had a good bite Joel Stubbs. He didn't win, but he had a great back. I had a great look at our feel Back the back. Yeah, Kai Green didn't win one. Back, back. If I were to say everybody at their absolute best, and I put y'all up on the stage, who

winning best, who winning back? Rear lats, who winning back double by, rear lats spread? All of them were blown to me. Real lights out, lights spread. Yep, and double by every single time. I'm going to win every single time. Those are my shots. That's your shot, that's the money.

You knew if it was close and we got to the back, it was over for John. It was lights out, real lights spread. And that's why I called it on stage. We're doing this thing called the challenge round. I remember that. And me and Jay, only two guys left for first and second. It's lights out, real last red. Game over.

Yeah, buddy. Ronnie, give me your Mount Rushmore bodybuilders, okay, we got Arnold at the top Got me handy in second place I'm gonna say Thursday's I got eight Olympias. I don't put old Phil and force as he got seven Olympias and and four since he got seven Olympians and I guess I put during that since he got he can't get up there you ain't got the full spots oh yeah yeah yeah those are my top bodybuilders in the world today Ronnie you and I don't know if

this had played a role. I remember when you lost and I think it was 2005 2006 when you lost to Jay. 2006 2006. Yeah, they changed the format because remember they moved. It was one day it was on a Friday and then a Saturday. Yep, exactly. Do you think that played a role in you not getting nine? Because normally if it's the morning.

That didn't have anything to do with it. For the most part, you know, I kind of, body kind of gave out on me. My back got to the point where I could barely stand on stage. Really? I was in so much pain. I mean, I was dying out there. But they changed their format actually in like 2001. Yep, 2001. Because I remember I was losing the prejudging because I had already did the Arnold Classic and I'd never ever done that before. My body was so tired and so exhausted. I was going to the hospital the morning of the 2001 Mr. Olympia. I never forget it. The night before, my girl was putting on my tan. I was in the bathroom talking to the, I had my friends over there, talking to my friends.

And all of a sudden, I faint. And I wake up and I'm in the bathtub. I'm like, what the hell happened? I'm asking everybody, what happened? How did I get in this bathtub? They're like, dude, you fainted. I'm like, what? It's like, they was like, yeah, you fainted.

I'm like, oh man, what's up with that? Well, the next morning I wake up, I can't even get out of bed. And I'm like, oh can't even get out of bed. And I'm like, oh my God, it's over. And I was so tired and so exhausted, I felt like I was dying. I mean, I don't really know how it feels when a person is dying, but the way I felt,

it felt like it was over. I didn't have no energy. I was tired. I was exhausted. I couldn't get out of bed because my leg was so heavy. And I called Chad. I like, Chad, I'm going to the hospital. I was like, forget this Olympia stuff, you know, I ain't trying to die for no show. Right. You know, I don't need it that bad. And Chad said, man, no, you don't work too hard for that. You don't put too much into this. And I'm like, man, but he's like, just grab some water and drink until you feel better.

Well, I grab a gallon of water and I drink the whole thing. Ah, man, come on, man. You're going to spill over now. Exactly. That's exactly what happened. I got to that stage and I was watered down. And they're like, man, you losing the show check. They got you in second place. I'm like, what? She's like, man, you losing the show, Chad, they got you in second place.

I'm like, what? She's like, yeah. She's like, we got to go to the room, we got to pull all this water off of you. So that's what we did. We went to the room, Chad hit me with that powder. Right. And I started peeing for at least two hours.

Right. Every 20 minutes I was going to the bathroom. I'm Carrie Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports, where we live at the intersection of sports and culture. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese. I know I'll go down to history.

People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Every great player needs a foil. I ain't really heard them voice. I just come here to play basketball every single day, and that's what I focus on. From college to the pros, Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports.

Angel Reese is a joy to watch. She is unapologetically black. I love her. What exactly ignited this fire? Why has it been so good for the game? And can the fanfare surrounding these two supernovas be sustained? I love her. What exactly ignited this fire? Why has it been so good for the game? And can the fanfare surrounding these two supernovas be sustained?

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and did that really just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Ha, yeah! Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than... Syke.

You have to tune in to find out. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. And I peed so much water off me that I was back to my old self again. So at the night show, the old Ronnie came back and won that show. And man, that was the hardest Olympia and the hardest show I've ever competed in because I ain't never ever felt like I was dying.

That was my clue to body only peaks once a year. And you gotta pick the show that you gonna go. That you gonna peak in. Peak in. And I never did the Arnold Classic again. You never did it again. You never did it again. And I remember that, cause you almost lost 01.

Mm-hmm, yep. They had Jay in first, me in second. But you came back. And then O-2 was close again, and they say, Ronnie, man, they gaining on you. And you say, you want bigger? Is that what y'all want? I came in, because they told me, man, you're getting too big, you need to come in a little lighter,

come in flat as you have to. I'm like, okay. So that's what I did. Right. Came in a little lighter, came in a little flat, and they was like, man, you can't look like that again. We're gonna have to take this thing from you. And I'm like, oh hell no, I ain't going out like that. So I used to take three months off after every Olympia.

2002, not that year. I'm like, they are not taking this from me. They wanna go to war, I'll take. You'll take them to war. I'll take them to war. And that was the attitude that I went to the gym with every single day. And I was trying to lift the gym up.

I would put like, waist-stack hell, 250 pounds. I'm putting another 245 on there and trying to get as many reps as possible because they ain't taking this Olympia from me. I don't work too hard to get to this spot. And it was like that every single day. They want to go to war, I'll take them to war. If you go on stage at 285, how big did you get in the off season?

330. What? 330 pounds in the off season. Oh? Yeah. 330 pounds in all season. Oh my goodness. If you had to guess at 285 pounds when you stepped on stage, what do you think your body fat was? 0.33 or less. Even at 85, 285?

Yep, even at 285. I was that lean. Because when I did the the.33, I wasn't even in contest shape. I was like six weeks out, something like that. So I can imagine what I'd be in contest shape. Negative numbers probably. So at 285, I'm probably right around that same body fat. When you walked out, I remember watching it. You watched you walk down.

You had the crown on. You had the cloak. You had it in your hand. I'm the king. You had the cape. Did you know? They had to, in your hand. I'm the king. You had to, did you know? They had to, Roddy, when they saw you backstage, they had to know it was over.

Yep, they knew it was over. Cause then, nobody had ever been that big, that conditioned. I mean, the guys get that big in the off season, but they ain't nearly that conditioned. No, no. But for you to get that size and be conditioned, I mean, you can get that big in the off season, but they ain't nearly that conditioned. No, no. But for you to get that size and be conditioned, I mean, you can still see the Christmas tree. You still had the striated glutes

that went into the hamster, everything. Everything, still there. You had the striated delts. I knew it was a whip. I'm gonna come out and show you. I'm gonna come out with this king outfit. But did you know that probably there was not a chance that you would ever be able to get that way,

look like that again? Anything is possible. That's what I always say, anything is possible. And after that, I did, you know, come in at 295 And after that, I did come in at 295 in the, I think it was 2004, I think I was 295 on stage. Of course I wasn't as ripped at 295, but I was still pretty big and pretty hard. I still had striated glutes.

I still had all my striation just not as crispy. Not as crisp, yeah. Yeah, but you know, I still won. Right, you won. Bottom line is I still won. When did you know it was over? When did you know like, this is it. This is my last Olympia.

I got nothing else to give to this sport. I've given everything I possibly can to this sport. And it's over. 2007 I was standing on stage and they was going through comparison. And man, I was really struggling to stand on stage. I'm like, oh yeah, this is it. I ain't doing no more after this. Because just to stand on stage, I was in a lot of pain,

excruciating pain. And it would start in my feet and go all the way up to my hips. And just to walk was a chore. And every time I came off stage, I would have to go and sit down because I couldn't stand no longer. And I knew right then on stage, it's over. Bob handed me the mic and I completely fell apart, you know, trying to tell everybody this was it and my time has come, you know. It was very heartbreaking, you know how it is.

You have to retire from the sport that you love so much. You got so much passion for, like I say, I'd do it for free, you know, if I had to. And I did it for free as amateurs. But you know, the mind is willing, but the body just isn't able to. The body can't keep up with you. You know, they said nobody has defeated father time. Nobody ever will. Did you know, you said you hurt your back in high school,

you hurt your neck in high school. Yep. But did you think it, I mean, what, I mean, from 2017, you had like 12, 13 surgeries, but your back had, everything is huge, I think you got maybe one of your own vertebrae in your back, your hips. Yep.

Did you think it was gonna get this bad, Ronnie? Never, and the million years that I think it would get this bad. Ronnie? Never in a million years did I think it would get this bad. I've had 13 surgeries, like you said. I've had eight back surgeries, three neck, two hip, and I'm still hanging now. Yeah. I'm still working out six days a week, and I still got that passion. I read what you said. Internally, everything's fine. I feel internally, all my organs are functioning properly.

My kidneys are doing my liver doing everything. Everything's going good. My heart, everything. Everything. It's just my back and my hips, my knees. Balance is pretty much gone for the most part. Do you look back and like, you don't, so you don't think squatting up. Right. I mean, think about how much weight that's a lot

of weight. No, over the course of your career that you've 47 years. Yes, what I got. You're lifting millions of pounds, not millions of pounds. And you know, that takes a toll on the body. Yes. Eventually, it's going to catch up with you. And that's what happened to me in 2007. All that banging and heavy lifting finally caught up with me. And it was time to go.

Do you ever look back at your home with your beautiful family and sit in the bed like that? Was it all worth it? Never. To this day, I said if I had to do over again, the only thing I would do is squat that 800. That 800 still bothers me. After all this time. I'm like, man, I blew it. I blew my opportunity to squat 800 for six reps. You remember that? I remember like it was yesterday. I remember putting it up. I'm like, why did I put this stuff?

I had at least four more reps in me. If you go back and listen to the tape, you hear me say, oh man, that was light. I should have did more reps. Did you think about, because I remember the same thing, I thought the same thing. I remember I was working out in Rose Gym and I went up to the 170 pound dumbbells

and other than you, I'm the only one that's ever moved those. Yep. So I did five reps with it. And I was like, Rope said, dog, you can do the 180s. Only Ronnie Coleman has ever done those 180s. And I remember saying to myself, dog, I get them next week, because I had already did them.

Did 140 to 150, 160, 170. I said, I'm a little tired. I said, I'll get it next week. Next week never came. And that's my only regret of the weight room is that I didn't at least attempt the 180 because you were the only one that's ever moved them. Yep. Yep. There was nothing for me back then. That was lightweight. You moved them like they were 100. Yeah, I did 200 for 12 reps, you know.

Right. So 180 ain't nothing. Like they were 100. Yeah, I did 200 for 12 reps, you know. So 180 ain't nothing. How did winning the Olympia, how did that change Ronnie Coleman's life? Man, I was a lot more richer. I was broke for 34 years of my life. My first Olympia, I finally made some money. You got some money. I finally made some money. I finally came up in the world.

So it was the greatest feeling ever to finally make some money where I didn't have to, you know, worry about my next meal or worry about house note, car note, and all of that stuff. So it was the greatest feeling ever to this day. I mean, can't nothing top that. You know, like I said, winning that first Olympia, it was the greatest feeling ever. It was, it was so good and so great. I can't even describe how good it was, how wonderful it was to finally win something that I truly enjoyed doing. I had the most passion in the world for doing.

It's hard to put in words. It's just that enjoyable. It's hard to put in words because, like I said, I never even dreamed about winning the Olympia because I never thought it was possible. I got into bodybuilding for a free membership to the gym and never even considered winning the Olympia. All I was thinking about, hey,

I get a chance to work out for free and I'm gonna make the best, I'm gonna do my best, I get a chance to work out for free. And I'm going to make the best, and I'm going to do my best, you know, when I get down on stage, because that's how athletes think. We got to be our best at everything we do. And we got to challenge ourselves to be even better. And that's what I was doing every time I went to the gym. When it comes to fame and bodybuilding, I mean, really only is Arnold and then you.

Yeah. I mean, when you go even these new bodybuilders, it's you. I mean, I see the crowds. I mean, I remember when the Expos and when you came and it's like the Red Sea party because everybody wanted to see you, everybody just wanted to say, I saw him, I touched him, I touched his arm,

he's bigger than you think. Exactly, that's what I hear all the time and social media has taken my career to another level. I'm more busier now than I've ever been in my whole entire life. This year is the busiest year ever that I've had in my career because I've been on the road at least every single weekend, just about. Every single week, I've been going for the East every single weekend, just about.

Every single week, I've been going for weeks at a time. Sometimes two weeks at a time. And it's been going on since January. And this is the only time I've had off in a long time. I got two weeks to be at home, and I'm hitting the road again. What if it had social media? Back when you were doing what you were doing, Roddy.

Man, I'd be the king of the world. Pretty close to it now, but I'd be on a whole other level of being king of the world. People say that, having known you, having been around you, having seen you, people like, well, he could have never been that size had he not taken the supplementation. Maybe not the 285, but I think you still could have been the 250. Yeah, for sure.

Easily. You know, I was almost there in the offseason for sure, but it contributed somewhat to it. You know, me getting just a little bit harder and being a little bit bigger on stage, for sure. But if you're on stage with guys that are doing things that they're doing, you can't compete with them unless you're doing the same thing. Yeah, and what I was doing, like you just said, I'm just trying to level the field.

And that's the way I looked at it for the most part. Right. Had it not been that way, I would have never, you know, did what those guys were doing. Right. When you lost, when you finally got beat, because like you said, Lee retired, nobody ever defeated him. No, no. Dorian lost to Lee Lee his before Lee retired. Yeah exactly Um, and so you I mean, I'm sure you wanted to like get the nine

Be go away and be done with it. Yep, and it didn't happen. Were you disappointed? highly disappointed Disappointed to this day you think you won you think you disappointed? Highly disappointed. Still disappointed to this day. You think you won? You think you won? I know I won, but you know they say change is good. And change is

gonna come about sometime or another. And that was the time. You should have told them it was gonna be your last year, but he felt sorry. I don't think it would have made no difference. And that was the time. You should have told them it's gonna be your last year, but he felt sorry. I don't think it would have made no difference. I don't think it would have made no difference. They already had it in their mind and it was made up. Soon as we walked out there on stage,

they had already decided change is going to happen this year. Did you ever train with any of your competitors? Yep, yep, me and Jay train together all the time. At least when we go to gym show, we would train together, something to NCT show. So we train together on the road. Flex, not so much. Flex, he ain't. What you mean, Flex, ain't want to train with you no more.

He ain't want to train with me. But he gave you all the tools. He should have kept some of that to himself. No, Flex came to Metro Flex and tried to work out. No, Ronnie, you work out too hard. You lift too much weight. He did one set. Ronnie, you lift too heavy.

He did one set, it was done. He's like, man, it's too hot in here. And you lifting too much weight, I know what I'm getting myself into, and I ain't about to do it. And he was done. And for the most part, Jay was the only one who would try to work out with me and keep up with me. But you know, I was killing him too. He couldn't hang in there either. try to work out with me and keep up with me. But you know, I was killing him too. He couldn't hang in there either. Once I put them five plates on that, on that squad, he was done.

He was out. Ronnie, look, 13 surgeries since 2017. Here with me, back, shoulder, neck. So 1996, suffered a herniated disc. Yep. Waiting to address that. Yep. So now, Red, you almost paralyzed due to artificial support. You got 14 screws, two cages, two rods. In 2018, you had intensive for the insert screws out of your back. Had to go back in there in 2019. Had to fix four broken screws in your back.

Yep. One year I had three surgeries from broken screws. They said I weighed too much. I was too muscular for those screws. I found the doctor that had some better screws on my last surgery over in Fort Worth. I was going to the doctor in Dallas and those screws just I was going to the doctor in Dallas and those screws just wasn't working for me. Wasn't made for a man your size. It wasn't made for a man my size. And I found out the hard way. I can remember like it was yesterday.

I went into surgery. I went into recovery room. I came out of recovery and went straight to my room. And about an hour later, the nurse came in. She said, I came out of recovery, and went straight to my room. And about an hour later, the nurse came in, she's like, I need to check your bandages. She said, I need you to turn over. And I turn and pow! Huh?

I'm like, Susan, did you hear that? She's like, yeah, I heard that. I'm like, what was that? I'm like, I don't know. And I turn back over again, pow! I'm like, did you hear that? She's like, yeah, I heard that again. And I didn't think none of it till I went to the doctor

three days later for a follow-up. He's like, man, those screws done broke again. We got You do another surgery Right. That's what that was when that nurse had me to turn over There was those screws breaking right out of surgery That's malpractice. Yeah, we tried to sue and they was like, well, we can't take this case

Yeah, we tried to sue and they was like, well, we can't take this case. They go inside with the doctor. They're gonna say something like, you've been working out and all this kind of stuff. So we had to drop it. That's what they had to tell me that. That's what they had to tell me that. Yeah, well, the lawyers like,

I done tried every lawyer here in Dallas and Nobody would take the case Wow, I mean she tried everything in her power to pursue it and called the doctor up and he was like Sorry, you know ain't nothing we do But if you sue we gonna take you to court and you gonna lose. And she decided the best thing to do was to drop it

because we didn't wanna go in there and spend all this money to lose. So we just dropped it in to forget it, you know. When the doctors told you, they said, Ronnie, you're not going to be able to walk like you once could. You can take a few steps here or there, but you're going to be relegated to your scooter. What's going through your mind?

You got a family? You got kids? They know. I'm Keri Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports, where we live at the intersection of sports and culture. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese.

I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Every great player needs a foil. I ain't never heard of them boys. I just come here to play basketball every single day, and that's what I focus on. From college to the pros,

Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Angel Reese is a joy to watch. She is unapologetically black. I love her. What exactly ignited this fire? Why has it been so good for the game? And can the fanfare surrounding these two supernovas be sustained?

This game is only going to get better because the talent is getting better. This new season will cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke.

Can't get enough football? Look no further than the Good Morning Football podcast. Join me, Jamie Erdahl, alongside Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt, and Akbar Bajibiamila for a daily breakdown of the league's biggest stories. From game plan analysis and player interviews, we've got you covered for all things football. Hey, you want to know the secret ingredient that makes Patrick Mahomes unstoppable? Or maybe which reality show best describes the Jets season? Look no further.

We bring you everything, all the games, all the matchup previews, our impeccable predictions. Get your football fix right here on the GMFB podcast. We've got recaps, retweets, and reactions to all the wild moments you might have missed both on and off the field. We bring it like nobody else, straight from the source. Whether you're a football fanatic

or you just enjoy a good laugh, make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or whatever you get your podcast. All right, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints, here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan.

Can't stop it, you know what's gonna happen. Can't stop it. That's right's gonna happen. Can't stop it. That's right. Catch new episodes every Wednesday all season long. That's what you look for in year 14 to do more. And I'll have my friends who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective of the biggest storylines, trends, and did that really

just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than... Sike! You'll have to tune in to find out. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things

football and not football. Listen on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. They even said nothing like that. They didn't? No. They told me I was going to be fine. I was going to be back to normal in no time. Just go to our, we went to a rehabilitation right after surgery every single time.

I would go to the hospital. They had me in a hospital, rehab hospital for like three months. What? Three whole long months in rehab hospital. And man, it was the hardest thing ever. But I came out of there still in a wheelchair. It finally got to the point where I went to crutches. And I went also to therapy here locally for another two months. And it got to the point where I was almost able

to walk without the crutches. And insurance ran out, and I'm like, oh, I can just go to the gym and just do this on my own. I went to the gym, tried to do it, it just never worked out. Not the same. Not the same. So I recently took it back up.

I was like, I'm gonna give it one more shot because I'm tired of sitting in this wheelchair. I wanna walk without crutches and get my balance back. Right. So I'm going to surgery. No, no, I'm going to therapy twice a week. And then other three days I'm out there in my pool doing therapy out there.

I do it every night. I don't like man, midnight, one in the morning out there doing like 45 minutes to an hour of workout in the pool. He told me all that I need to do. So I go out there and do that and things are getting a little bit better. So I'm gonna give myself about another year and a half,

at least, to get back on my feet. I'm going, I'm doing stem cell, and that has helped tremendously. That took away pretty much all the pain I was going through. Yeah, that helped out a whole lot. tremendously, you know that took away pretty much all the pain I was going through. Really? Yeah, that helped out a whole lot. So I've been doing that at least three times, four times a year. I try to go like every three to five months and have those.

You're going overseas though to get that done? I'm going to Mexico. Okay. They won't do it here. You know, they want you to take those pain medications. I go over there, and it's working out real good. Like I said, it pretty much eliminated all my pain, and it's helping me to get back to walking again.

So I say, but then the next year and a half, I'm going to be back to walking without crutches. You getting the stem cells in your back or your hips, your knees, where are you getting the stem cell? It's actually IV that they just put in your arm and it goes throughout the whole entire body for the most part. Wow.

So who turned you on to the stem cell? I got an email from a guy a long time ago. It was probably about, almost three years ago, told me about the stem cell guy over in Mexico. I went over there and it worked out pretty good. Like I said, I was in a lot of pain when I first went. After one injection, the pain subsided a whole lot. Wow. And the more I go, the less painful it is for me now.

So I just had my last one was probably back in, I think, right before, June, June, but June, yeah, somewhere in there. I've been on the road so much, and did so many trips, I kind of forget, but I think the last one was in June, and the guy said, man, you ought to come back this time in like three months,

so we can get ahead of this thing. I'm like, okay, I'll see what I can do. I'm getting ready to go back one more time probably in November because I think things are slowing down for me. So I'm going to try to go in November and have another one. Like I said, every time I go, I get just a little bit better. So I think about another year, maybe a year and a half, after going to all this therapy and doing all this therapy in the pool, I should be back to walking without crutches.

That's my goal. Ronnie, you still go to the gyms six days a week. Six days a week. Is that your mental therapy? That's my mental therapy and my physical therapy. That's something that I'm gonna have to do the rest of my life. Right.

Cause it works out real good for me. Why you never became a trainer, Ronnie? Why you never became a trainer, Ronnie? I don't think anybody could keep up with what I'm putting through. What? Ronnie, they not you. Yeah, I know. I know. So I'm just going to be wasting my time in there.

So I don't want to do nothing that I don't have a lot of passion for. So training is not my thing. I've had all kinds of people. Dion called me, had me train. I'm like, no, I don't train people. I find somebody, but that's just not my thing. Prime, he wanted you to train him or he wanted you to train somebody in his family? He wanted me to train him and his wife.

And I'm like, no, do that ain't my thing. I'm not in the training people. This was like 15 years, this was a long time ago. But I told him too, I just don't train people. I ain't have patience. I have patience. I don't have time for anything that I really don't have a lot of passion for. So I'm into things that I have passion for. Like I started my own company back in 2011. I have this Ronnie Coleman series of my product. And we've had this company now for about 13 years and every year it gets a little bit better. We started out at like 4 million in revenue. I think the last two years has increased up to almost 20 million know, every year it increased in revenue. And we hoping to get this thing to 20,

and then after that, you know, 30, and after that 40. You gonna sell or you gonna keep it? I'm gonna keep it. Cause it's just one of those things that, you know, it's a challenge for me. Right. And I look forward to a challenge each and every single day. Cause I know if I put my mind to something,

I can do anything I want. I learned that from him, winning eight Mr. Olympias in a row. Absolutely. It's all about hard work, dedication, passion and motivation. I have all that for what I'm doing now. Making the sacrifices I have to make, you know, being on the road for three weeks at a time. I remember one time we did this tour in China for three weeks. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Trying to eat that nasty Chinese food.

The whole three weeks I was there, I never had a good meal. You don't like Chinese food? I hate Chinese food. They got rice, chicken and rice. Their chicken is not like our chicken. I remember one time I went to a restaurant and I ordered chicken and rice. And I'm like, man, this is dry.

It's not that good. And I'm eating and I look, and I still say that eyes looking right back at me. I'm like, what the hell going on here? Man, they put the whole chicken in there. I digged a little bit further, some legs. They had the chicken feed in there? They had the chicken feed in there. Oh no. They had the whole chicken in there. Like I said, I looked at it, and some eyes looking right back at me.

But you know, we grew up in the country, so chicken feet, you eat your feet. I don't know if you ate them, but I ate chicken feet where I grew up at. You didn't eat no chicken feet? We didn't eat no chicken feet. No, no, no. We ate the drumstick.

No. No. That's about as far as it went, you know. We didn't do the beat. How many times a day do you get, when you go somewhere, do people ask you for workout tips? Just about everywhere I go. And I'll tell them, you know,

you gotta learn from somebody that's very knowledgeable. Right. Because knowledge is power. The more you have, the better off you're going to be. So find somebody that has a record. Has a record where they've taken somebody and made them a champion, taken somebody and made them real good.

Right. And just find that person and learn as much as you possibly can from them. Does Chad still train people? Yep. Chad is still training people to this day. Really? Yep.

He told me he had 70 clients. What? Mm-hmm. He's kind of behind the scenes now. He doesn't. He don't train the big name guys anymore. He had a few guys up there in the top five. But for the most part, Chad, he's had a lot of problems

lately. He's been in and out of the hospital for certain illnesses. Matter of fact, I think he's in the hospital right now because I talked to him a couple weeks ago, and he was telling me he's on the verge of dying. I'm like, what? He's like, yeah, man, I've been catching a lot of hell lately. I don't know what it is, but he's real sick.

And like I said, he's in the hospital now, you know, struggling for his life now. And he's doing the best he can, but he's still real sick. You know, it's just one of those things that happens. His wife, she even has cancer, and she's real sick too. So they're going through it over there. I don't know what it is,

but just one of those things that happens to you in life. Ronnie, you married, you got eight daughters. Yep. You ain't got no boys? No boys. Eight daughters for my eight Olympias. Yeah. I'm a boy. Eight dollars for my eight Olympias.

Yeah. So what, I mean, what's, I mean, that many feet, that many women in the house, obviously you're happily married, I mean. Yep, yep. So what's a typical day, what's a typical dad day for Ronnie Colbert? Well, sometimes I take the kids to school.

What, you got a bus? I try to, yeah. Yep. I got to escalate. You OK? Just like a bus. But I try to, at least if I don't take them, I pick them up. So I pick the kids up from school every single day.

I don't get up till about two o'clock in the afternoon. Two o'clock? I go to bed at six o'clock. What the hell you doing all the other time? It's just that night, I got used to it. Right. When I worked at the police department, I went to bed around about four o'clock every morning.

And would wake up at seven. Okay. Well now, I'll move to back to six. four o'clock every morning and we'll wake up at seven. Well now I'll move to back to six. So you go to bed at six, get up at two? Yep, eat a meal, go pick the kids up, take them, get something to eat, come back home, drop them off and go to the gym. Wow.

You know, I do at least an hour cardio every day. I do at least an hour of weights every day. So my life hadn't changed too much from where it used to be, except for taking the kids to school and dropping them off. But for the most part, I'm still doing the same thing I always did. I eat the same food, chicken and rice, and steak and potato.

Yeah, that's what I was about to ask you. So how different is Ronnie Coleman's diet now compared to when he was competing? Back then, I ate chicken breast. Now I eat chicken thighs. I like chicken thighs. There's something thighs. Just talking about that flavor. Yeah, buddy. And I also still go to, like, I go to IHOP now.

Right. And eat them. Sometimes I get pancakes. You get them hairless pancakes. Pancakes, yeah. But sometimes I'll get chicken and rice there. Huh? Yeah.

They got pretty good chicken at IHOP? Yeah, they got pretty good chicken there. Uh-huh. Yeah, they got pretty good chicken. So I'll get chicken and rice or chicken and corn or something like that, you know, just to change it up a little bit. And I used to eat none but filet. Then I went to ribeye. I was about to say, you get the bone-in ribeye? Bone-in ribeye.

I was about to say you get the bone-in ribeye? Bone-in ribeye. My favorite one. It does have that bone, it does have that flavor. Yeah, bone does have that flavor, but for the most part, bone-in is kind of hard to find here. So most of the time I just get the regular ri eye without the bone Well, I kind of got tired of steak So I switched to ground beef Really? Yep I either like the two ground beef patties maybe for now three I go to three

What they are hmm way in one city, yep're big over the size of what they are. Well, in one city? Yep. I eat meat, two, three ground beef patties topped off with a little cheese. So you like hamburgers. So you make hamburgers out of it, but you just eat no bun? Eat meat, no bun. Okay. I eat baked potato with that.

Okay. So plain baked potato, nothing's nothing only, you know, and pretty much the same way I eat back in the day, you know except I don't do that. I didn't look around beef. That was filet mignon. Right. That's all I eat was filet mignon and if I Was allowed to have some carbs would be a baked potato, right. But for the most part, you know, no carbs, so it was just steak by itself. You never liked fish? So you never ate cod, halibut or anything like that?

I never ate none of that stuff. Salmon? No, none of that. I never had fish in my diet. It was always steak and chicken and turkey and that was it. You just didn't like it? I like fish. Just, it didn't put that thickness on me

like I wanted it to be. But I thought when you coming down, would you like, you know? No, mm-mm, nope, still steak. Still stick with the steak. So it was steak and chicken and turkey, my whole diet. That's all I ate was steak and chicken and turkey. No fish, nothing else. No other kind of meat.

There ain't really too many out there that you get from the store anyway. Guys, I just had a conversation and a workout with Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie, I really appreciate the workout. I appreciate the sit down. We know they're going to love it. Oh, yeah.

Congrats on everything you've done. Yeah, buddy. Appreciate you. I really appreciate that. Ronnie Coleman. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice.

That's why all my life I been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice. That's why all my life I been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice.

That's why all my life I been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle pay the price. Want a slice, got to roll the dice. That's why all my life I been grinding all my life. Yeah, all my life been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle paid the price. Want a slice, got the rolling dice. That's why all my life I been grinding all my life. I'm Kerry Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry, Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketball

just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball. And on this new season, we'll cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeart Radio apps, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke.

I'm Keri Champion and this is season four of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. Every great player needs a foil. I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry,

Caitlin Clark versus Angel Reese, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. What happens when a professional football player's career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on? I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity players' career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on.

I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. For some former NFL players, a new faith provides answers. You mix homesteading with guns and church, voila! You got straight away. They try to save everybody. Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.