There was a time when Ronnie Coleman was on top of the world of bodybuilding, but then, around 2007, he disappeared from the spotlight — here’s what happened to Coleman and where the eight-time Mr. Olympia title winner is now.
From the late 1980s through about 2007, Coleman racked up a list of accomplishments in competitive bodybuilding and powerlifting, including 26 IFBB professional titles, leading some to call Coleman the GOAT. In 2001, Coleman became the first lifter to win a Mr. Olympia title and the Arnold Classic in the same year.
It was in 1996, however, when Coleman suffered an injury that — because, in part, he neglected to seek help for it at the time — contributed to Coleman’s decision to retire from the sport.
Why did Coleman retire?
In 1996, Ronnie Coleman dislocated a disc in his back doing squats. By 2007, the pain caught up with him, and he retired to get a series of surgeries to help address the problem, among other physical issues such as herniated discs in his spine, worsened by competitive powerlifting, bodybuilding, and training. Those included two disc replacement surgeries and, in 2019, a surgery to repair broken screws in his back.
In 2022, Coleman told the Don’t Be Sour podcast (via Fitness Volt):
“When I herniated that disc in 1996 when I was getting ready for the Arnold Classic. Yeah, I was okay, I still did the Arnold Classic and still continued lifting heavy and working out every single day. I think just over time, you know, it wore itself out”
Before long, all those medical interventions and other issues became too much. Today, Coleman is unable to walk without assistance and is otherwise confined to a wheelchair. But as Coleman is quick to point out, not all of Coleman’s health problems were caused by competitive weightlifting.
Coleman told the Don’t Be Sour podcast that his hip issues, for example, are genetic:
“I’ve had both hips replaced. My whole family has had both hips replaced. My brother, my uncles, so I guess that’s a genetic thing.”
Coleman still trains
Despite those health problems, powerlifting legend Ronnie Coleman, who was 59 as of 2023, still trains as best he can but avoids heavy lifting. Otherwise, he manages his Ronnie Coleman Signature Series supplements and apparel brand.
In Aug. 2023, Coleman reemerged alongside another titan of the sport, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for a workout suited to both men’s ages at a Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach. At that time, Coleman said he still works out six days a week.
