Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Routine

“Yeah buddy, lightweight baby”

What name comes to your head when you hear this? Undoubtedly, it’s one of the most iconic figures in the world of bodybuilding, none other than Ronnie Coleman. He claimed the most coveted bodybuilding title “Mr. Olympia” eight times.

Along with this, he also holds a record when it comes to the highest number of wins in IFBB. He won 26 times. He is considered to be the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

The kind of muscle mass and muscular size that Ronnie Coleman used to bring on stage looked like that of a genetically enhanced beast. Not only this, his muscle separation and muscle definition were also perfect.

He always presented a perfect balance of muscle mass, proportion, symmetry, definition, and clarity with his iconic physique.

In this workout guide, we will learn the training approach of Ronnie Coleman that made him the greatest of all times.

We will also throw some light on his workout split and workout routine so you can incorporate his training protocols in your regime to gain nothing less than the champion.

Ronnie Coleman Workout Principles

Ronnie Coleman had started his lifting career with powerlifting. This required him to focus primarily on the three competition lifts that squat, bench press, and deadlift.

The earlier years of his lifting career dedicated towards powerlifting aided him in putting on some decent amounts of dense muscle mass which further helped him a lot in putting on massive size.

When Coleman switched to bodybuilding, he was already strong enough to train with heavier weights. Ronnie Coleman had achieved his massive muscular size following a well-programmed workout plan.

The main crux of Ronnie Coleman workout plan was to lift heavy which surely led to his massive size and strength gains.

In order to enhance his strength levels along with gaining massive muscle mass, he followed the “Powerbuilding” approach to training. Powerbuilding is basically a hybrid of powerlifting and bodybuilding.

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody want to lift no heavy-ass weights.“

Coleman always made sure that he sticks to his above-mentioned quote. Coleman’s workout program basically consisted of training with heavy weights that made him brutally strong and massive.

Let’s have a detailed analysis of his workout split and workout routine.

Ronnie Coleman Workout

Ronnie Coleman Workout Split

You may find Ronnie Coleman workout split a bit brutal but it was effective enough to make Ronnie Coleman one of the largest bodybuilders that ever walked this planet. His bodybuilding workout schedule looked something like this:-

  • Day 1- Back, Biceps, and Shoulders
  • Day 2- Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Calves
  • Day 3- Chest and Triceps
  • Day 4- Back, Biceps, and Shoulders
  • Day 5- Quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves
  • Day 6- Chest, Triceps, Calves, and Abs
  • Day 7- Rest

Ronnie Coleman used to train 6 consecutive days in a week combining certain body parts following the old-school bodybuilding split; something which you may seldom find in today’s scenario where bro-splits are more preferred.

Ronnie’s training split made sure that he gets to train each muscle group at least two times a week. But at the same time, you should keep in mind that you should not blindly copy the Ronnie Coleman training program. You may gradually get to that level but in the starting phase, it is highly recommended that don’t overtrain.

You may take a day of rest after 3-4 training days if your body demands so. Just remember that along with training, proper recovery and recuperation of muscles are also essential to promote both muscle growth and strength gains.

The following section will give more detail about the workout routine of Ronnie Coleman.

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Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine

Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine

Ronnie Coleman Workout Plan

Exercises

Sets x Reps

Monday (Back, Biceps and Shoulders)

Deadlift

4 x (6-12)

Barbell Rows

3 x (10-12)

T-Bar Rows

3 x (10-12)

Dumbbell Rows

3 x (10-12)

Bicep Curls

4 x 12

Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls

3 x (10-12)

EZ-Bar Bicep Curls on Bench

3 x (10-12)

Cable Bicep Curls

4 x 12

Overhead Shoulder Press

4 x (10-12)

Dumbbell Shoulder Press supersetted with Dumbbell Front Raise

4 x (10-12)/4 x (10-12)

Tuesday (Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Calves)

Barbell Squats

(5-6) x (2-12)

Leg Press

4 x 12

Lunges

2 sets of 30 m each

Deadlift (either with straight or slightly bent legs)

3 x 6-12

Leg Curls

3 x 12

Wednesday (Chest and Triceps)

Bench Press

5 x 12

Incline Bench Press

3 x 12

Dumbbell Press

3 x 12

EZ-Bar Triceps Extensions

3 x 12

Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

4 x 12

Close Grip Bench Press

4 x 12

Thursday (Back, Biceps and Shoulders)

Barbell Rows

5 x (10-12)

Low Pulley Rows

4 x (10-12)

Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 x (10-12)

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 x (10-12)

Seated Alternating Bicep Curls

4 x 12

Machine Bicep Curls supersetted with Barbell Bicep Curls

3 x 12/3 x 12

Low Cable Bar Curls

4 x 12

Overhead Shoulder Press

4 x 12

Front Raises

3 x (8-25)

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x (8-25)

Lateral Raises

4 x 12

Friday (Legs)

Leg Extension

4 x 30

Front Squat

4 x (12-15)

Hack Squat

3 x 12

Standing Leg Curls

3 x (12-15)

Leg Curls

4 x (12-15)

Saturday (Chest, Triceps, Calves and Abs)

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

4 x 12

Decline Bench Press

3 x 12

Incline Dumbbell Flys

3 x 12

Decline Dumbbell Flys

3 x 12

Skullcrushers trisetted with Parallel Bar Dips trisetted with Seated EZ-bar Triceps Extensions

4 x 12/4 x 12/4 x 12

Standing Calf Raises

4 x 12

Crunches

4 x 12-15

During his bodybuilding workout sessions, Ronnie Coleman did not rely too much on exercises that were done with the use of machines and cables.

He was a huge proponent of training with free weights. He even claimed that lifting free weights aid in improving his range of motion along with maximizing flexibility.

Ronnie Coleman workout routine was characterized by having a very high intensity that promoted both hypertrophy and strength gains.

Ronnie Coleman also used super heavyweights for his training. You can judge his approach by the following statement:-

“I’ve attained my mass basically by training hard and very, very heavy.“

Ronnie Coleman- 800 lb Squat

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Final Words

We are sure that by now you would have surely been motivated enough to put in every ounce of your blood and sweat in your next training session. But don’t expect to gain as much as Ronnie Coleman in a period of a few months.

Ronnie Coleman was a professional bodybuilder who gave in several years to his training, diet, and routine. All you need to do is to be consistent. Everyone’s physique responds differently.

Don’t fall into the trap of over-training or pushing yourself too much as it may hamper your results. Train mostly with free weights, lift heavier, keep an eye on your diet and daily routine and gradually you will succeed.

We can assure you that following Ronnie Coleman workout routine can surely challenge your body to promote overall size gains. If you want some more motivation you can surely read some of the best Coleman’s quotes on the internet. It will do the needful.

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