Ronnie Coleman, the 8-time Mr. Olympia, used to treat lifting as a mental battle. Before lifting heavy, he locked his mind into an aggressive, fearless mindset to conquer the pressure and treated every weight as light.

On June 14, the bodybuilding legend shared an old clip of himself on Instagram, lifting in a gym, and highlighted the importance of the mindset he used to hold before every lift in the caption.

He wrote, “You have to get your mind right before every lift!! Ten easy reps on the front squat with 505 pounds…. Yeah, buddy!!!”

The King built his legacy on the belief that he was nearly unstoppable in the gym. He once admitted that he felt like “Superman” during his training.

According to Coleman, his confidence, genetics, and intense strength gave him the skill to manage weights that many people would never think to touch.

Coleman's fearless mentality later pushed him to set some unbelievable records in bodybuilding.

In addition to 8 Mr. Olympia titles, Coleman performed:

• 800 lbs squat in 2003. It was filmed at the MetroFlex Gym in Texas and documented in his documentary, The Cost of Redemption.
• 2300 lbs leg press. The bodybuilding legend performed it during the filming of The Unbelievable in 2007.

Apart from the mindset tips for heavy lifting, Coleman also shared other valuable tips that still benefit fitness enthusiasts.

Ronnie Coleman’s tips for training

Earning the Mr. Olympia titles 8 times requires serious dedication and practice. Coleman had it all, and based on his experience, the bodybuilding legend has provided some tips over the years that can help many modern bodybuilders.

Some of the tips include:

• Get lean and stay strong: according to Coleman, “Prevailing myths hold that, as you lose weight, you lose a lot of strength. And higher reps burn more calories. But I think those are cop-outs by low achievers who use contest prep or leaning out as a vacation. To me, it’s just the opposite. By reducing your body fat, you increase your body’s muscle-to-fat ratio.”
• Focus on rear view: Many bodybuilders struggle with rear delts because these muscles are resistant to isolation, and they mostly stay lagging. Coleman mentally separated his rear delts from all other muscle groups. He said, “I then run through a rep in my mind, imagining how my rear delts will contract to move the weight, and I realize that—since they cannot be pulled by my shoulder blades—they must rotate clockwise, or inward, around their vertical axes”.
• Use dumbbells for triceps: Coleman's tip is to use dumbbells in triceps exercises. According to him, “their unique benefit is that you can isolate the three individual heads of the triceps to a degree unmatched by a straight bar or cables”.

Coleman also added, “My rule of thumb for triceps workouts is to use four exercises: two with my elbows overhead and two to the front or downward.”

• The winning formula: While timing the exercises matters, one's main aim must be muscle connection and an intense workout. According to Coleman, time and intensity are inversely related. The harder one breaks down his muscles, the faster they fatigue. Coleman says workouts can be short, but larger muscles will need more reps than the biceps.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil