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| Ronnie Coleman - Mr. Olympia |
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| Ronnie Coleman - Cost of Redemption (DVD) - Filmed August 2003 in his off-season. Includes four days his whole-body workouts : 160 lbs Dumbbell shoulder presses, 800 lbs Squats, 2,250+ lbs Leg Presses, 495 lbs Bench Presses, 75 lbs Alternate Curls and more!! 310 lbs Massive body Mega-off-season-workouts!! (Parental Advisory: Explicit Content/Music Ronnie plays in his car) BUY IT NOW |
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RONNIE COLEMAN - MR. OLYMPIA!
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The #1 bodybuilder in the world, Ronnie Coleman, seven time Mr. Olympia title winner, has been getting some flak as has the sport of bodybuilding in general since the trend towards massive size which begun in the early 1990s. Ronnie has been getting it very harsh from some critics, while others praise the man and feel he is easily the greatest bodybuilder in the history of bodybuilding, and has taken the sport farther than any any other competitor, following in the footsteps of the greats before him - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, and Dorian Yates.
What I hope to do here is give my personal opinions on Ronnie, and explain why it is that he is #1, and also explain how I can agree he doesn't have the prettiest physique on stage, while still agreeing that he should be winning.
Let's start by looking at Ronnie's individual muscles and seeing how they own up:
- Neck: Not much can really be said about neck shape in any case - they all basically look the same. Ronnie's neck is massive and seems to disappear in some poses (like the most muscular). Markus Ruhl suffers the same fate while hitting that pose.
- Chest: Ronnie's chest is huge and incredibly detailed in certain poses (very notably the front lat spread as well as the most muscular pose). You can basically see every individual muscle fiber in those poses. Clearly his chest is huge and shredded - the main flaw is that it isn't as full as we've seen on some (think Gunter Schlierkamp at the 2002 Mr. Olympia, or Victor Martinez at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength). Standing relaxed, Ronnie chest doesn't have the greatest look, but once he hits the flexes, this changes.
- Abs: Most clearly a weak point for Ronnie, but for the record, this is a genetic thing. He doesn't have the abs of Shawn Ray, or Dexter Jackson, or Jay Cutler, but there isn't much he can do about that. Overall his midsection has proven to be problematic for Ronnie in recent years (at basically any body weight), but he has become far better at controlling it and in many photos, his midsection is basically a non-issue. Granted, it still exists, but as he improves his ability to control it, it will become less and less apparent in the pose.
- Shoulders: Ronnie's shoulders are huge, round and cut. The only bodybuilder on stage who can claim to have more shredded shoulders would be Dexter Jackson, and no one in the history of bodybuilding can claim to have bigger ones. Even Kevin Levrone never had shoulders like Ronnie.
- Biceps: Ronnie's biceps are enormous - they must be approaching 24" in contest shape, as well as being huge and cut (clear separation between both heads).
- Triceps: Ronnie's triceps are long and full, and between both his biceps and triceps, the proportion is quite ideal; with around 2/3 of the mass in the triceps and 1/3 in the biceps.
- Back: Without question, Ronnie has the biggest back in the history of bodybuilding. Some would say the best, while others might say Dorian Yates had a superior back. In the rear lat spread, Ronnie has muscle on top of muscle, and his traps are clearly seen from the rear. In the back double biceps, his back is not as sharp as it once was (pre 2000), but is nevertheless huge and still the biggest on stage without a doubt. He dominates the nearest competition in any back pose by a country mile (about the width of his back!)
- Quads: His quads are enormous, and at the 2004 Mr. Olympia, appeared to be more cut and shredded than they have ever been. He is not lacking for size, detail, or shape in this area.
- Hamstrings: While not as notable as his quads, his hamstrings are also big and cut, and dry from top to bottom.
- Glutes: Other than Dexter Jackson, Ronnie has the most shredded glutes on stage. They tie in incredibly low with his hamstrings, which is proof of the intensity of his squatting regiment. They are big and developed like no bodybuilder has ever had.
- Calves: Ronnie's calves are a weak point for sure, both in terms of shape and size. He is not lacking for size in the sense that he probably has among the biggest calves in the history of bodybuilding (I would say easily up there with Mike Matarazzo, Dorian Yates, Jay Cutler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others, at over 20 inches), but in proportion to his monstrous thighs, his calves do need work (or he needs to downsize his thighs to make them more balanced). But size alone won't make calves look good. Ronnie's calves are high and lack that diamond shape seen in calves on Dorian Yates or Jay Cutler. Size alone is only one aspect, and like his abs, Ronnie Coleman can do nothing to change the shape of his calves.
- Conditioning: Ronnie is as shredded as anything on stage. Dry from head to toe, with shredded glutes and cuts everywhere. His conditioning is not a problem, other than in his midsection at times, where he seems to hold more water than in other places. His shoulders are dense and shredded, and his muscularity and muscle maturity is second to none.
So it's safe to say that after looking at Ronnie's parts on an individual basis, he is the biggest, sickest freak that bodybuilding has ever seen. But of course, we all know that bodybuilding is not just about being a collection of impressive parts, and more about balance, flow, shape, and symmetry, while also having as much mass as possible. We also know that more often than not this is easier said than done - the bigger many bodybuilders get, the more shape and symmetry they have to sacrifice to get there. For example, Ronnie Coleman's best shape ever would probably have been at the 2001 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic or one of either the 1998 or 1999 Mr. Olympias. In all three cases, he was around 250 pounds.
But all in all - a big thing Ronnie is lacking is lats which originate low - if his lats started at his waist, he would convey a superior taper from the front. As well, if his waist was a bit smaller, his calves had a better shape, and his midesection was in no way problematic, I think it would silence even Ronnie's harshest critics. Sure - he would still have a lot more size than many people would ever wish to have for themselves, but he would never have haters all over the internet refer to him as a "structural mess" or anything along those lines. I know it seems like I'm not saying he has many flaws, but picture it for a second - Ronnie with lower lats, a smaller waist & better midsection / abs, and diamond shaped calves. Other than "being too big" what flaws would he have?
Ronnie placing so high in competition depends on a few things. One major factor is that ever since Dorian Yates took over in the early 1990s, bodybuilding has mainly been about being the biggest and most ripped. For example, Markus Ruhl placed better than Darrem Charles at the 2004 Mr. Olympia - but we all know it is quite obvious Darrem has better structure and symmetry as well as being a far better poser. Markus winning between the two of them is proof of what the judges are looking for - mass and conditioning (combined as much as possible), and not so much pretty aesthetic lines and shape. Based on THAT standard, Ronnie is the CLEAR winner - bar none he is EASILY the clear winner and it is no wonder that he always comes in first. Also, his nearest competition will require at least a few years to catch up to him if the judging stays the same. In the paragraph above, I explained some changes in terms of shape that Ronnie would have to make to be the winner by basically any standard - but the reality is, bodybuilding is not judged these days solely on the basis of shape (if that were the case, I would probably give the Sandow to Chris Cormier, or Troy Alves). Since it is being judged on the premise that size and shape (as well as muscle density, muscle maturity, etc) are held in such high regard, it is obvious why Ronnie is winning.
But do you agree that is SHOULD be like this? I, for one, know Ronnie is a great champion and has a terrific work ethic (as evidenced in his training video - The Cost of Redemption), but obviously am aware that more aesthetic physiques exist than the one he currently has - not to say Ronnie doesn't have good lines (especially in certain poses), but overall, there are better. My point is, based on current judging, Ronnie wins? Do you agree? Feel free to post a comment in the forums - CLICK HERE
Take care,
webmaster@bodybuildingpro.com
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