Ready to Quit in 1997, GOAT Ronnie Coleman Revealed How a 4-Time Arnold Classic Winner Helped Him Be the Greatest Bodybuilder Ever

Ronnie Coleman who won the Olympia 8 times did not really have bodybuilding as his dream career when he grew up. The King was actually a veteran police officer working in the Arlington, Texas area. He had no interest in bodybuilding for a long time until a senior came into his life and encouraged him. Coleman narrated this interesting story to the Don’t Be Sour YouTube channel.

The story was very eye-opening and Coleman delved into the whole ordeal of how the senior coaxed him into becoming the biggest bodybuilder in the industry.

Ronnie Coleman did not know anything about bodybuilding

While talking about his career, the King started narrating how he got into the bodybuilding industry in the first place. Before this stint, he was a police officer in Texas earning six figures, and he seemed content with his life. According to the King, he did not have to pay rent as he was a part-time guard at his complex as well. With a permanent police officer position and part-time jobs in security, his life was going well. Coleman described, “I don’t need this bodybuilding stuff you know I got benefits. I got good insurance.” He was not interested in the sport and said, “I just said, hey I’m done with this bodybuilding stuff.”

When Maxx Chewning asked him how much he spent in the competitions, Coleman said, “I spent about $20,000 on each show.” This is when Coleman revealed how he got into bodybuilding finally. He said that he met with a senior who was stunned at his jacked muscles and said, “Dude you are pretty big you compete? I’m like no I don’t compete. I am not interested in that. Those guys have to take you know steroids and they have the diet.” From the first day, the senior bodybuilder started convincing.

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Coleman said, “The next day he’s like ‘Dude you sure you don’t wanna compete?’ I’m like no man. I’m a police officer I’m not interested in being a bodybuilder.” And finally, the senior said, “He’s like you could do pretty good. He’s like you could win the Olympia one day.” It was none other than Flex Wheeler the 4-time Arnold Classic champion who coaxed him and Coleman narrated, “I had that talk with Flex in 1994.” This is why he got into bodybuilding. Both became competitors and rivals after that.

Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler’s rivalry

The epic battle between Flex Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman commenced in 1998 but they have a history before that as well. Their admiration for each other is remarkable and it continues to this day. The Olympia’s official Instagram page posted a video previously showing the iconic moment from the 1999 Olympia.

The Sultan of Symmetry commented on the post and expressed his admiration. Wheeler wrote, “It was such an honor to compete with Ronnie Coleman on stage. We had some fierce battles. But most important we forged an unbreakable brotherhood. All hail, the King.”

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Their backstory and camaraderie are one for the books and the bodybuilding world still admires them. What do you think about Coleman’s interesting story with Flex?