From back squats to barbell curls, here’s what bodybuilding’s G.O.A.T. could lift in his heyday.
Last updated on September 21st, 2024
Light weight, baby — eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman, widely considered the modern G.O.A.T of competitive bodybuilding, was stronger than anyone thought.
- Coleman recently revealed his all-time maxes to former NFL star Shannon Sharpe in an extended interview about Coleman’s career in bodybuilding.
According to Coleman himself, the man’s personal bests in the big barbell exercises were:
- Bench Press: 500 pounds for “five or six” repetitions
- Back Squat: 800 for two repetitions; Coleman says he “could have gotten six”
- Deadlift: 800 pounds for two repetitions
Additionally, Coleman discussed some of his heaviest efforts on other common bodybuilding exercises, some of which you might’ve not heard before:
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Ronnie Coleman: Hall of Fame
Coleman sits atop the mountain of all-time bodybuilding greats, and he knows it. During their conversation on Sep. 18, 2024, Coleman touched on a number of aspects of his long and storied career in bodybuilding — the most jaw-dropping part, though, may just be how confident he was in his strength.
- “It was so light,” Coleman remarked of his now-famous set of 800-pound squats.
Coleman lifted heavy throughout his bodybuilding contest prep. His 800-pound deadlift personal record occurred just a few weeks before the Mr. Olympia. When it came to heavy squats, though, Coleman preferred to push his limits during the off-season period.
- “I was eating 1000 grams of carbs a day,” Coleman recalled.
It paid off. Coleman had one of the most prolific runs in the sport’s history, regardless of era. Since stepping back from bodybuilding in the mid-2000s, no bodybuilder has been able to fully step into his shoes.
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Many of Coleman’s contemporaries have acknowledged his impact on the sport. In recent months, both six-time “O” winner Dorian Yates and four-time champ Jay Cutler have discussed bodybuilding’s shifting landscape:
- Yates: “I mean, look; Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Coleman … There’s nobody that can match those guys in proportion, size, conditioning, the whole mix.”
- Cutler: “The competition is tighter than it was in my era … a lot of guys can win now, I don’t think it’s a slam dunk [for anyone].”
When Coleman took the stage, it was a slam dunk (until Cutler ended his reign, that is). Regardless, Coleman cemented his legacy by lifting harder and heavier than anyone else in the gym.
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Featured Image: @ronniecoleman8 / Instagram
