“You Gotta Eat Big to Get Big”: Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman on the Importance of Eating Right to Bulk Up

The bodybuilding world would have been less exciting if not for Ronnie Coleman. He won the Mr. Olympia title eight times in a row and dominated the field from 1990 to 2008, when he retired due to a severe back injury.

Coleman has always been a bodybuilding champion. His name has been counted alongside other bodybuilding legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, Coleman once revealed his eating habits throughout his career.

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Ronnie Coleman on the Importance of Eating Right

Ronnie Coleman was a big guy who had to eat a lot of food to maintain his physique. And by a lot, we mean 5332 calories and 546 grams of protein each day to build muscle mass. Ronnie Coleman’s meal plan included protein as a major source of muscle building.

He even visited the iconic UFC commentator Rogan on one of his podcasts and surprised Joe with the incredible challenges that come with maintaining a bodybuilder’s physique.

Ronnie explained that many people don’t understand that it took him a long time to get to where he is today. In one of his YouTube videos, he shared the diet he took while building up his body and mentioned that he had about six meals a day, but it wasn’t easy to eat like that. He would wake up in the middle of the night to eat and go back to sleep.

In the video, Coleman gave his subscribers a look at the nutrition side of things, sharing everything he eats in a day and what he used to eat while preparing for competitions like Mr. Olympia.

To bulk up for a competition, he’ll eat half a cup of grits and two cups of egg whites in the morning, but otherwise, his diet stays pretty consistent.

Coleman typically starts his day with a cup of coffee and a multivitamin. He then eats a bowl of oatmeal or wheat toast and heads to the gym for cardio. When he gets home, he has another protein shake or two before cooking chicken with a baked potato or rice and beans.

When Coleman trained, he took a supplement containing amino acid l-arginine first thing in the morning, before working out, and before bed at night. Consuming L-arginine boosts nitric oxide production and provides the muscles with more oxygen.

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Ronnie Coleman's Diet Chart

Ronnie Coleman follows the same diet plan every day. His diet primarily relies on a mix of carbs and fat, with a small amount of protein. Each day, he changes what he eats but maintains his macronutrient ratio.

His typical schedule looks something like this:

• 10 am - 3 to 5 grams of L-arginine supplement.
• 10:30 am - ¾ cup grits with cheese, 2 cups egg whites, and 1 cup coffee.
• 12:30 pm - pre-workout supplements and 3 to 5 grams of L-arginine.
• 4 pm - Ate two 8 oz chicken breasts, 1 ½ cups brown rice, 1 ½ cups red beans, and 2 pieces cornbread.
• 6:30 pm - About 3 grams of L-arginine.
• 7 pm - Ate two 8-ounce chicken breasts, a medium baked potato and 10 ounces of filet mignon
• For dinner at 10 pm: 5 ounces of chicken breast, one medium baked potato and French fries and then he takes a serving of branched chain amino acids (BCAA).
• 1:30 am - Consumes 4 scoops of whey blend protein powder.

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Takeaway

Ronnie Coleman is one of the world’s best and most famous bodybuilders. Even at 58, he stands in top form and still competes in Mr. Olympia competitions. He attributes his past success to following a strict diet and exercise regimen to keep him at peak fitness.

His years of experience have paid off with consistent success, awards, acclaim, and glory. He’s an inspiration to bodybuilders and all athletes worldwide who have seen his career unfold by putting in the work and achieving success through it all.

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