“Trying My Very Best With My Feet Totally Numb” – Ronnie Coleman on Calf Raises

Ronnie Coleman is undoubtedly one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Although he last competed 14 years ago and is now enjoying his retirement, Coleman still works out and displays his strength. Despite having mobility issues and struggling to walk, the eight-time Mr. Olympia is active and fit.

In a video shared by Coleman on Instagram, the legendary bodybuilder is seen tackling a calf raise routine at the Original MetroFlex Gym in Arlington, Texas, even though his feet were 'totally numb'.

In the caption, Coleman wrote:

“Trying my very best to do calf raises with both of my feet being totally numb. Sometimes it’s not about how hard you try to do something; it’s about how bad you wanna do something. Shout out to my friends over at Frontline Alternatives for helping me keep my liver, kidney and heart levels on point. #yeahbuddy”.

For Coleman, leg training is very important. The bodybuilder says that he never skips a leg day and makes it a point to train his legs at least twice every week.

In another Instagram video shared by Coleman, he is seen training his legs, despite having trouble moving his legs. In the caption, the 58-year-old bodybuilder wrote:

“I may have a little trouble with my mobility, but I still train legs twice a week every week. I miss doing squats more than any exercises I’ve ever done. But at least I still have some leg strength left”.

On that note, let’s check out which exercises Coleman preferred for his legs during his bodybuilding days:

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Ronnie Coleman’s Leg Workout

If you think that you can build strong and muscular legs like Coleman by training them casually, you are absolutely wrong. To build legs like The King, you will have to undergo some serious training twice or thrice a week.

Coleman trained every muscle twice a week and used pull/push/leg splits. Here are some of the exercises he opted to train his legs.

Leg Workout 1: (Quad-focused)

• Leg presses (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Back squat (5-15 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Leg extensions (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Stiff-legged deadlift (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Kneeling leg curls (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)

Leg Workout 2: (Hamstrings-focused)

• Machine hack squat (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Front squat (4-12 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Lying leg curl (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Walking lunges (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)
• Seated leg curl (8-20 reps, 3-5 sets)

According to Coleman, to take your leg gains to an all new level, it's important to perform at a high intensity combined with higher repetitions and heavier weights.

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

During his bodybuilding career, Coleman underwent several surgeries, and as a result, found himself unable to move unassisted due to health conditions. In 2019, the legend said that his back was operated on more than ten times and he now needs to use a wheelchair to move. Although surgeries are common in a sport as brutal as bodybuilding, his heavy workouts took a toll on Coleman’s mental and physical health.

However, despite his physical issues and pain, the bodybuilder is still kicking and displaying his strength, proving that he's strong and has what it takes to do what he is most passionate about.

Despite his mobility problems, Coleman still has a lot to do and offer when it comes to sharing knowledge with thupcoming bodybuilders. He has shared his top three tips for building muscles and shared some secrets he used to follow during his bodybuilding competitions.

The legend never misses a chance to inspire others by pushing the pace at every session and regularly shares videos of his training.