Eight-time Mr. Olympia champion, Ronnie Coleman, sits down with Shannon Sharpe at Club Shay Shay for a deep dive into Ronnie's life, career, and incredible journey in bodybuilding. In Part 1, they go way back, discussing Ronnie's upbringing in Louisiana where he grew up working on a farm, chopping cotton, and dreaming of becoming a professional football player. He reflects on his time playing football at Grambling State University, describing it as the greatest time of his life, even though a neck injury he sustained there would impact him for the rest of his bodybuilding career.
Ronnie talks about his early passion for weightlifting, which started when his mom bought him a 110 lb weight set from Walmart at the age of 12. He also shares stories about his various odd jobs, including working as a sports writer and editor in the journalism department, and graduating cum laude with a degree in accounting. Despite these accomplishments, he took on a job delivering pizzas at Domino’s to make car payments, where he ate pizza every day for two years, eventually trading slices for burgers, fried chicken, and tacos from neighboring fast-food joints.
Shannon and Ronnie delve into his entry into the world of bodybuilding. Ronnie recalls walking into a gym for the first time, where the owner predicted he could win Mr. Olympia. After initially placing third in nationals during his first year, people began speculating about whether he was using steroids. Ronnie also talks about his grueling training regimen, eating a pound of protein with every meal, and how his strict discipline set him apart from other bodybuilders who would frequent strip clubs while he stayed focused.
He also shares his decision to start using steroids in 1995, and how the path to qualifying for Mr. Olympia was tough, with many struggles that nearly caused him to quit. Ronnie recounts the surreal moment of winning his first Mr. Olympia title, which was so overwhelming that he fainted on stage and doesn't remember what anyone said to him. Throughout the conversation, Ronnie reflects on how his job as a police officer helped ground him and bring a sense of normalcy to his otherwise intense life in bodybuilding, as well as how his weightlifting routine differed from the standard bodybuilding approach.
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