How many surgeries has Ronnie Coleman had?

Ronnie Coleman
Ronnie Coleman (Image Courtesy: WikiBlog)

Ronnie Coleman, also known as 'The King', is the greatest bodybuilder of all time. The American bodybuilder was a beast and won the Mr Olympia title for eight consecutive years from 1998 to 2005. He is on par with Lee Haney for maximum Mr Olympia titles.

A winner of 26 IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) titles, Ronnie is known for his size, conditioning, and extreme workouts. However, the intense workouts took a toll on his body, leading to several injuries and surgeries after retirement.

Ronnie Coleman has had 13 surgeries until now

Most of his money went into operations due to serious spinal problems caused by prolonged heavy lifting. Ronnie Coleman was known to lift abnormal weights, which was good for his profession but eventually caused serious injuries to his spine.

During a conversation with Joe Rogan on his podcast, the 58-year-old revealed that he had 13 surgeries, which included neck, hips, and back surgeries. He was almost parlysed due to all the artificial support (14 screws, 2 cages and 2 rods) put inside him.

Ronnie Coleman first injured his back at the age of seventeen in high school and injured it again while he was playing football, after which he had to start visiting a chiropractor on a daily basis.

He dislocated his disk in 1996 during an intense squatting session in the gym. Though he was advised to undergo surgery immediately, he did so only after his retirement in 2007, almost 10 years later.

He also shared how he finished his workout and went to work despite herniating his disk. He went to the doctor only after the pain continued to persist.

He said:

“Nothing, nothing. I’m going to do chiropractic. I’ve been doing chiropractic all my life. So, I didn’t, you know, have surgery or nothing like that when I herniated disc. They offered me to have surgery… I told no.”

After only two weeks' rest, Ronnie started working out again in the gym. Till date, he has had surgeries on all his disks except one. The former Mr Olympia said:

"I used to be able to bend over and do all these crazy stretches. I can’t do that no more.”

Watch Ronnie Coleman talk about his 13 surgeries with Joe Rogan here:

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Despite being able to move with a bit of support, Ronnie Coleman has lost most of his mobility. He admitted that his stubborn attitude to keep working out despite the doctor's warnings cost him dearly.

When Rogan asked him what he thought about his career so far, he said:

"This is the price that I paid to be a legend.”

However, he maintains a positive mindset and does not consider his injuries and pain a bad thing. The legendary bodybuilder, who now requires crutches to move, said:

“I’m still alive, and I still work out every day. I’m still normal. So, I’m good.”

Coleman continues to work even now, despite all the surgeries. He continued:

"When you do something that you truly love and enjoy doing, that’s what you look forward to doing all the time regardless of how you feel."

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Edited by Aranya Chaudhury