Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman etched his name as the most dominant champion since Lee Haney. Even today, the bodybuilding world listens when Coleman has something to say. Last year, the bodybuilding icon made one of his rare podcast appearances. While The King regularly posts videos, he doesn’t do many podcasts. During his conversation with host Bradley Martin, Coleman gave his opinion on why bodybuilding didn’t make it in the mainstream.

Before 1970, taboo and misconception surrounded bodybuilding. However, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger and a few other golden-era bodybuilders, the sport got public attention. Schwarzenegger’s success in the mainstream helped push the sport to a mainstream audience. TV channels started showing the Mr. Olympia contest. However, in the late 90s, the progress came crashing down. During the Raw Talk podcast, the former Mr. Olympia explained why.

The incident that changed the fate of bodybuilding

During the podcast, Martyn asked if bodybuilding “was on the trajectory to be like a mainstream sport yeah what do you think changed that?” Coleman mentioned an incident he thinks changed the course of bodybuilding’s future. The King said when he was competing, the DEA got involved after the tragic death of a young athlete.

“Some kid playing baseball got hold of some kind of drug. I think it was deca,” said the legendary bodybuilder. However, when someone close to the kid found out he had used a steroid, “they made him quit.” Among the side effects of steroids are mood swings which interfere with the body’s natural home production.

So the kid started “getting moody and one day just committed suicide,” said the Arnold Classic winner. “His mom. Oh! She raised holy hell with the DEA…” added Coleman. The authorities then gather the top bodybuilders, including Coleman, Shawn Ray, and others. The bodybuilders had to appear in court and answer questions like “What do you take? Where do you get your stuff from? Who would supply you with all these?” and more. The incident got bad press, which ruined decades of progress. However, Coleman thinks it also did the sport some good.

Ronnie Coleman thinks the sport gained legitimacy

While the incident might have damaged the image of bodybuilding for the public, the 59-year-old believes it showed the side of the sport that was kept under wraps. Bradley Martyn asked, “In what sense,” Coleman thought it helped the sport. The eight-time champion replied saying it helped bring legitimacy to the sport.

Read more | Before Turning Pro, Ronnie Coleman Openly Challenged Anyone Who Claimed He Took Steroids to Build His Unbelievable Physique: “I Take a Drug Test Anytime”

“Everybody had to go legit and start going down all these TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) clinics,” Coleman said. While the pair figured out that the channels had stopped broadcasting bodybuilding shows before the incident, the “stigma” around the “drugs” didn’t help bodybuilding’s case.

Despite the setbacks, people like Coleman and Schwarzenegger are still working to help the sport become more mainstream. In fact, Coleman even hopes the sport will make it to the Olympics someday.

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