“They Can Fire You for Anything”: Young Ronnie Coleman Was Hesitant to Pursue Bodybuilding Due to a Valid Fear Until He Was Offered a Free Gym Membership

Ronnie Coleman‘s initial visits to the gym at a young age were to build strength for dominating the football field. The athletic brilliance of Coleman fetched him a scholarship to study at the Grambling State University and represent their football team. However, life had other plans for the 8x Mr. Olympia champion. 

The King joined the Shaw Strength Podcast to recount his bodybuilding journey and spilled beans about how fate tricked him into becoming one of the most legendary bodybuilders of all time. He also delved into how he was reluctant to pursue the sport in the beginning.

Ronnie Coleman’s first job tied his hands to enter bodybuilding 

Before venturing into the sport he reigned, Coleman worked as a pizza delivery boy for survival. Later, he came across a job listing in the newspaper for the post of police officer in Arlington, Texas. The King was selected for the role at 25. However, during his probationary period, Coleman was afraid to compete in bodybuilding shows.

“I don’t want to compete, because I actually hired on at the police department, and I just got turned loose. So, I was in my first year, so you know, a lot of probation. They can fire you for anything,” Coleman detailed to Strongman Brian Shaw in his podcast. Another reason Ronnie Coleman negated the idea of competing is he would need to take “drugs,” to compete. 

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Coleman also refused the idea because he loved “eating hamburgers and fried chicken” which would be a big no-no if one ventured into bodybuilding. However, a free gym membership lured the then-police officer to bodybuilding. Later on, the 59-year-old sacrificed his favorite delicacies to become the GOAT of bodybuilding.

The King’s desire for free gym membership

Since his college days, Coleman lifted weights at the gym and continued his passion for training even after becoming a police officer. But he had to enroll at the Metroflex gym after needing more equipment after growing out of the department’s private gym. 

Brian Dobson, the owner of Metroflex gym, however, noticed Coleman’s caliber as a bodybuilder. He offered a lifetime free membership to the young police officer if he competed at a bodybuilding show. Coleman accepted the deal and trained intensely at the gym. He eventually won the 1990 Mr. Texas, cementing his passion for the sport. 

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An offer from Dobson turned Ronnie Coleman from a police officer to a world-renowned bodybuilder. If not for that moment, the world would not have been introduced to the epitome of hard work and perseverance in the form of Ronnie Coleman.