There are a lot of bodybuilding fans who consider Ronnie Coleman one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Some people consider him as their favorite and this is not surprising especially because of the way that he looks. He has the type of physique a lot of aspiring bodybuilders can only wish for. It is well-known that the dream of all bodybuilders is to compete and win the most coveted titles available. He was able to win 8 of the IFBB Mr. Olympia before the Ronnie Coleman injury.
There are different things that Coleman has shown whenever he competed:
- Sublime Muscle Mass
- Prime Conditioning
- Aesthetic Beauty
Aside from his Mr. Olympia wins, he was able to snag a lot of IFBB wins. He has also helped other amateur bodybuilders become noticed by having his own amateur bodybuilding contest. His own product line is sought after by a lot of enthusiasts because if it would mean that they would look like him, they would surely try it. These things have occurred before the Ronnie Coleman injury.
The First Serious injury
It is already normal for bodybuilders to suffer from minor injuries here and there. These are injuries that will allow them to recover easily and sometimes these injuries are not broadcasted to the general public anymore. It was in 1996 when Ronnie had his first serious injury. He had herniated discs in his lower back. This is because of carrying 600lbs barbell.
It should be remembered that in the world of bodybuilding, the things that you do will pretty much dictate how you are going to live your life. When bodybuilders get injuries often, this is probably because they are pushing themselves too much. Bodybuilders always have control about what they will do.
The main reason why Ronnie suffered from the injury was because of his training. He did bilateral exercises that are very helpful for gaining a lot of muscle mass in a shorter amount of time but obviously, it has caused joint problems for him. He also strained his connective tissues repeatedly and this caused problems in the long run.
Another thing that caused the injury is he was unable to build up the muscles that truly matter. A lot of people think that having big muscles will make anyone stronger but this is not true. There are superficial muscles – the ones that bodybuilders try to grow and there are optimal muscles. The optimal muscles are the ones that people need in order to become stronger. Ronnie focused too much on the superficial ones to make him look perfect but he still was not strong enough.
Other Possible Causes of Injury
There are still other reasons why Ronnie Coleman injury occurred. It should be noted that the first injury is already a sign that he was doing something wrong but he still continued with the type of routine he formulated which caused the other serious injuries to happen.
- Focusing too much on inefficient exercise – There are some exercises that are meant to build up some muscle groups that do not actually need to be bulked up but these are the exercises that bodybuilders usually focus on.
- Doing inappropriate exercises – While there are some exercises that are not needed but are done anyway, there are some exercises that can contribute to injuries because they are not normal. Ronnie showed that he did a lot of inappropriate exercises though his exercise videos. From the way that he carries the barbell, you can already tell that an injury is uncanny.
- The wrong form – Although he would show that he is able to do certain types of exercises in so many reps and sets, people can look at his form and notice that it is not as perfect as it should be. The wrong form has ultimately caused the injuries to occur.
Other Injuries
There are different injuries that Ronnie Coleman has obtained since his first serious injury in 1996. He is already 50 years old and is already showing signs that maybe the way that he obtained the muscles that he used to have was not as carefully thought out as he thought it would be. He has undergone a lot of back operations and a couple of hip replacements wherein the screws had to be changed. Last 2016, he went under another back operation that lasted for 11 hours. People are saying that this last Ronnie Coleman injury caused him to be unable to walk. He was great during his prime but at what cost will it take to become the best?
