Ronnie Coleman now: Mr Olympia's incredible journey on Rogan's podcast leaves fans stunned

Eight-time Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman might be far from the dominating presence he was during his heyday, but 'The King's' bodybuilding legacy means he has etched his name as one of the greatest in Mr Olympia history. His condition and physique after his back surgery in 2018 was a sad sight for most bodybuilding fans. In 2020, however, The King appears fit as ever, although the days of him being bodybuilding's 'Hulk' are long gone.

Also Read | MLB Opens Draft With Black Lives Matter Message, Donations

Ronnie Coleman Mr Olympia: The King walks down memory lane

Ronnie Coleman recently joined UFC commentator and former amateur bodybuilder Joe Rogan on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, where The King discussed his transformation and how he became 'the biggest guy on the stage' during the early 2000s. "What a lot of people don't understand is you see me big up there, but it took a long time for me to get there," Ronnie Coleman told Rogan. "I didn't get there overnight. I put on between five and 10 pounds (2-4.5kg) of muscle a year, and that came from all that heavy lifting, a lot of eating, a lot of eating."

Ronnie Coleman Mr Olympia: Ronnie Coleman Joe Rogan podcast

Ronnie Coleman now

Ronnie Coleman's contest weight usually ranged between 130 to 136 kg. The record Mr Olympia winner was used to weighing as high as 145 kg during the offseason. Known for his massive size, Coleman revealed he used to eat almost a pound (450g) of grilled chicken breast with half a cup of rice in just one meal. 'Big Ron' said he used to have about six such meals every day. 

"It's kind of hard to eat like that so I would have to wake up in the middle of the night to eat and go back to sleep. You kind of get used to it. When you eat like that, you get hungry every three hours. Every two or three hours you're hungry because I'm not eating a lot of fat. It's lean, I'm not eating a lot of carbs so it's a little bit of food at a time," Coleman explained his eating pattern during Mr Olympia prep.

Also Read | 49ers CB Richard Sherman Calls For More Diversity In NFL

Ronnie Coleman Mr Olympia: Big Ron leaves Joe Rogan surprised

Ronnie Coleman now

For most hardcore fans of bodybuilding including Joe Rogan, Ronnie Coleman's out-and-out strength and his superhuman diet are well-known facts. However, one detail that amazed even Rogan was Coleman's body fat percentage during Mr Olympia shows. Ronnie Coleman said his body fat was as low as 0.33 percent, "that's less than half a per cent," Coleman clarified. A surprised Joe Rogan responded, "What? How does a human get that low?" To put this into perspective, an average athlete carries anywhere between 8 to 13 percent of body fat. Having won his first Mr Olympia title in 1998, Ronnie Coleman held the title till 2005, before he was finally beaten by four-time Mr Olympia Jay Cutler. The King pushed the envelope with his impressive physique each year during his eight-year reign of dominance and is widely credited to have given a new meaning to bringing the mass game to the Olympia stage. 

Also Read | McIlroy, Koepke And Na Look Ahead To The PGA Tour Restart At Colonial CC

Ronnie Coleman now, after surgery

Also Read | Portland Trail Blazers Founder Harry Glickman Dead At 96