‘When Your Legs Get Numb Riding Incumbent Bike, Use Your Arms’ - Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman is one of the best bodybuilders ever. It is not surprising that he still works out regularly and imparts knowledge to the younger generation. Coleman put it short and sweet when describing his success on stage and approach in retirement: "No excuses."

Beginning in 1998 and continuing through 2005, Coleman set a record by winning an unprecedented eight consecutive Olympia titles. After defeating Jay Cutler in the previous three contests, Coleman came in second place to Cutler in 2006.

Coleman is still regarded as one of the largest freaks to have been on the bodybuilding stage. Because of his training philosophy, he has unequaled overall size and conditioning.

Coleman recently posted a moment of contemplation on Instagram after finishing his aerobic workout with his hands rather than his numb feet.

“When your legs get real numb while riding the incumbent bike. You use your arms as legs because there are no excuses when it comes to doing cardio. When there’s a will you find a way to get the job done. You don’t win eight Olympia’s by making excuses. Determination, Dedication, Perseverance, Passion and Faith."

Ronnie Coleman’s philosophy of no excuses

Coleman affirms that success in a sport as competitive as bodybuilding requires "drive, dedication, perseverance, passion, and faith," among other important qualities. Coleman has undoubtedly given up a lot to bring the freakiest and best-conditioned physique to performances.

Coleman recalls nearly passing away from severe dehydration in 2001, the year before he won the Olympia. Despite his reservations about continuing at the 2001 Olympia, he rehydrated and prevailed in the competition. Finally, Coleman is proud of his achievements but has cautioned others that "this sport is not worth dying for."

Ronnie Coleman Workout Principles

A high-volume push/pull/legs exercise was used throughout Ronnie Coleman's six days per week of training. He used roughly 3-5 exercises to work out each muscle group, and he virtually always exercised in the 8–15 rep range.

Ronnie wanted to promote as much muscular growth as he could, so he trained each muscle group twice a week with heavy weights and lots of reps.

The fact that Ronnie Coleman did two completely different workouts for each muscle group during the week makes his training regimen one of the most intriguing aspects about it.

He used two different back exercises, for instance.

His first back workout of the week consisted of heavy rowing and deadlifts to bulk up his back. However, his second back workout of the week concentrated on cable pulldowns and other "stretching" exercises to widen his back.

Ronnie devotes a lot of training time to strengthening his back. He concentrates on isolation exercises and trains for a large pump in his biceps and shoulders.

Since the biceps and shoulders have much smaller muscle groups, Ronnie is more concerned with using a high volume of training to bulk up these areas of the body.

Ronnie Coleman did not rely too heavily on movements that were performed with machines and wires during his bodybuilding workout sessions. He was a fervent supporter of free weight training. He even asserted that using free weights helps him increase flexibility and improve range of motion. Ronnie Coleman's workout regimen was distinguished by its extremely high intensity, which encouraged the development of both hypertrophy and strength.

Wrapping Up

Ronnie Coleman followed a carefully planned workout schedule to get to his enormous muscular bulk. Ronnie Coleman's main focus in the workout regimen was heavy lifting, which unquestionably contributed to his enormous growth and strength increases. He used the "Powerbuilding" method of training to increase both his strength and his enormous muscle mass. In essence, powerbuilding is a cross between bodybuilding and powerlifting.