“I Was Struggling Real Bad”: Ronnie Coleman Reveals Why He Started Bodybuilding, Leaving His Job at the Police Station

Before stepping into the realm of bodybuilding and achieving greatness that no one else could. The King of Bodybuilding with eight Mr. Olympia titles under his belt, Ronnie Coleman, was a police officer. Recently, he was invited to a show as a guest, along with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.

The video was uploaded by a YouTube channel named “RxMuscle: The Truth in Bodybuilding.” In the video, Coleman shared how he had to leave his job as a police officer and start his remarkable journey in bodybuilding, defeating many legends.

Free membership to the gym and eight Olympia titles

Coleman mentioned he went to the Metroflex, where he met Ryan on the first day of his gym. Ryan approached the King, asked him about competing, and started convincing him to compete. Coleman denied stating he was from a police background and said,” I have heard a lot of bad things about bodybuilding where I’m from.” Ryan approached him on the second day as well, and the King stated that the guys have to diet, highlighting his police background, and said, “I like eating hamburgers and pizza; all the good food. That’s nothing good for you.” On the third day, the guy talked about a show coming up in three to four months and offered Coleman a free gym membership. That’s where everything changed. He left his job and started his bodybuilding career.

“I was struggling real bad, having a hard time paying a lot of bills,” the King summed up. That’s how he started his bodybuilding career, quitting his job as a police officer. The King added that he was doing only spring shows, but he changed his thinking process and went to other shows in 1997.

Coleman spoke about the substantial income and excellent benefits he enjoyed while competing. He then told his girlfriend, “You know what? I’m done with this body-building thing. I don’t need it.” He further revealed how he believed at the time that no man could have bested him in his prime. To which, his girlfriend, then, retorted, “Boy, shut up.” He then mentioned that he had then thought back on his free gym membership. Had he quit bodybuilding, he would have forfeited his gym membership, which was a motivating factor for him to keep going.

The King’s greatest rivalry with the Priest

In the video, the eight-time Olympia winner opened up about when he went to Iron Man for the first time and faced off against Lee Priest. He indirectly pointed out how the priest had a better standing than the king, and he was not happy about it. He compared himself to Priest, stating, “Lee be like 5’1, maybe 200lbs, and I’m 5’11 by 250.” Continuing further, in the video, the King highlighted his struggles to enter the Arnold Classic.

Read More: Legend Ronnie Coleman Was Forced to Quit His Well-Paid Police Officer Job by Senior to Pursue His Bodybuilding Career

He mentioned that Arnold Classic was an invite-only show, and he was not invited for two to three years, but in 1997, things changed. In the year 1997, Coleman made his way to the Arnold Classic. The King talked about meeting Priest again in the Arnold Classic in his post-depression phase. Coleman secured a better place than Priest’s seventh place; he secured the fourth place in his first show.

The free membership deal made Coleman win eight Mr. Olympia titles, giving him the title of King in the bodybuilding realm. He displayed his sheer dedication and love for exercising in the gym. This one event changed his whole life and etched his name in history as a legend.

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