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Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Program and Diet Plan

Ronnie Dean Coleman, a former American professional bodybuilder with record 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, is arguably one of the best bodybuilders ever. Apart from accomplishing this incredible feat, Big Ron (as he is commonly referred to in the bodybuilding industry), has entered his name into the record books by winning 26 times as an International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) professional.

When it comes to bodybuilding, Coleman has set a standard in enhancing the size and definition of muscles. Here we look at the workout program that helped Ronnie Coleman become one of the strongest and heaviest lifting bodybuilders in the history.

Ronnie Coleman Workout
Ronnie Coleman Workout

Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine

In order to build strength and gain muscle mass, Ronnie Coleman followed the “power building” approach to training. At the beginning of his career, he participated in competitive powerlifting that contests the deadlift, bench press, and squats. Therefore, the training he received was different to the conventional training method of other bodybuilders.

Unlike many bodybuilders, Coleman prefers using very heavy weights with low repetitions. Instead of doing machine exercises, he focuses on using free weights since it helps him improve his range of motion and maximize flexibility. He trains very hard six days a week dedicating a high percentage of exercises for all the muscle groups.

Ronnie Coleman Workout Schedule

Day 1: For quads, hams, and calves

Three sets and 15 reps

  • Barbell Squat
  • Barbell Hack Squat
  • Leg Extensions
  • Leg Curls (Standing, Lying, and Seated)
  • Seated Single-Leg Curl
  • Seated Calf Raise
Ronnie Coleman Back
Ronnie Coleman Back

Day 2: Works on back and triceps

Three sets with 15-20 reps

  • Bent-over Barbell Row
  • Lying T-Bar Row
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Row
  • Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
  • Triceps Dips
  • Standing Dumbbell Triceps-Extension
  • Lying Triceps Press

Day 3: Focuses on shoulders

Three sets and 15 reps

  • Overhead Shoulder Press
  • Side Lateral Raise
  • Front Dumbbell Raise
  • Seated Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Raise
Ronnie Coleman Shoulder Workout
Ronnie Coleman Shoulder Workout

Day 4: Exercises his chest and biceps

Three sets and 15-20 reps

  • Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press
  • Medium Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press
  • Decline Barbell Bench Press
  • Barbell Curls
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
  • Alternate Hammer Curl
Ronnie Coleman Bicep Workout
Ronnie Coleman Bicep Workout

Day 5: Works on quads, hams, and calves

Three sets and 15 reps

  • Barbell Squat
  • Barbell Hack Squat
  • Leg Extensions
  • Leg Curls (Standing, Lying, and Seated)
  • Seated Single-Leg Curl
  • Seated Calf Raise
Ronnie Coleman Tricep Workout
Ronnie Coleman Tricep Workout

Day 6: For chest, triceps, and abs

Three-four sets and 12 reps

  • Incline Dumbbell Press
  • Decline Barbell Press
  • Incline Dumbbell Flyes
  • Decline Dumbbell Press
  • Cambered-Bar Triceps Extensions (Lying and Seated)
  • Triceps Dips
  • Donkey Calf Raises
  • Seated Raises
  • Crunches

Day 7: Rest

Ronnie Coleman Body
Ronnie Coleman Body

Ronnie Coleman Workout Video

Ronnie Coleman Info

  • Birth date: May 13, 1964
  • Wife: Susan Coleman (present), Rouaida Christine Achkar (divorced)
  • Best Win: Mr. Olympia (1998-2005)
  • Height: 1.80 m (5’11”)
  • Weight: 300 lbs (136 kg) in contests; 340 lbs (154 kg) off-season
  • Chest: 60”
  • Waist: 36”
  • Biceps: 24”
  • Thighs: 36”
  • Calves: 22”
Ronnie Coleman Bodybuilder
Ronnie Coleman Bodybuilder

Ronnie Coleman Diet Plan

To fuel his strenuous workouts and maintain his ripped physique, Coleman included a lot of staple foods in his diet. In addition to chicken, lean beef, eggs, potatoes, beans, rice, and vegetables, he takes frequent servings protein powders and other supplements. His daily nutrition program includes 546g protein, 474g carbs, and 150g fat while the calorie intake is 5562 calories.

Ronnie Coleman Diet Chart

  • 10:00 a.m. – 3 to 5 grams of L-Arginine supplement
  • 10:30 a.m. – ¾ cup grits with cheese, 2 cups egg whites, 1 cup coffee
  • Pre-workout (12:30 p.m.) – 1 serving of pre-workout supplements, 3-5 grams L-Arginine
  • Post-workout – 1 serving of BCAA
  • 4 p.m. – Two 8oz chicken breasts, 1 ½ cups brown rice, 1 ½ cups red beans, 2 pieces cornbread
  • 6:30 p.m. – 3 to 5 grams of L-Arginine
  • 7 p.m. – Two 8oz chicken breasts, 1 medium-sized baked potato
  • 10:00 p.m. – 9oz filet mignon, 5oz chicken breasts, 1 medium-sized baked potato, French fries, 8oz pink lemonade
  • 12 a.m. – 1 serving of BCAA
  • 1:30 a.m. – 4 scoops of whey blend
Ronnie Coleman Gym
Ronnie Coleman Gym

You can also build huge muscles like Ronnie Coleman by following his exercise program, but you should incorporate a nutritious diet plan and get enough rest. Remember, Coleman had the genetics to gain muscle and strength. Therefore, a hardcore workout program like Coleman’s is meant only for the bold and strong-willed.

9 responses to “Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman’s Workout Program and Diet Plan”

  1. Just to be clear, you CANNOT build huge muscles like this without performance enhancing drugs. Furthermore, the diet of someone who uses GH and steroids WILL NOT be the same as someone who is lifting naturally. Taking these drugs massively increases the amount of protein your body can utilize, for most people 1 gram protein per lb is already overkill.

    • Total horsecrap. 1g per pound of lean body weight is NOT overkill. Bodybuilders need to grow the maximum amount of muscle than other athletes. Therefore 1-2g per pound of lean body weight of protein should be consumed. And yes a drug free trainer can gain big muscles on this routine. Pyramid up overhead three sets from 15 reps to 10 on the last set.

      Example Bench press
      Set 1 15 reps light weight
      Set 2 12 reps moderate weight
      Set 3 10 reps moderately heavy weight going 1-2 reps shy of failure when reps slow down to grinding. Do not grind too much as this overtaxed the CNS which causes burn outs and injuries. Best to stop before grinding.

      So it’s 2 warm up sets then 1 set to near failure. Great for a natty to train.

  2. This sounds and looks good… But wait you forgot To mention years of steroid cycling along with Hgh and insuline…

  3. Yes steriods are way more powerfull then any supplement in the market.only steriods can rip a person and build huge muscle mass at the same time.but its not worth it having so much muscle and being sick from within the body due to side effects of drugs-steriods

  4. Well I definitely liked reading it. This article provided by you is very constructive for accurate planning.

  5. Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such wonderful info being shared freely out there.

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