600 gm protein, 800 gm carbs, and over 6000 calories, this was the kind of diet that Ronnie Coleman took for Mr. Olympia to maintain his remarkable physique and 26 IFBB professional titles. But who would have thought that one specific dish in China would challenge him!

Sounds odd, but even a heavy eater like Ronnie Coleman found it very difficult to eat the chicken and rice dish during his three-week China tour during his peak bodybuilding days.

On the latest weekly podcast episode of Club Shay Shay, hosted by 3x Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe, Coleman noted, “It was the hardest I’ve ever done in my life.....Three weeks I was there, I never had a good meal.”

Coleman highlighted how eating chicken rice is so much different for the people in China. Having gone to a restaurant, the moment he received his order of chicken and rice, the iconic bodybuilder instantly complained to himself, saying, “Man, this is dry…It is not that good.”

His discomfort was palpable as he explained: “I’m eating, and I look, and I just see a set of eyes looking right back at me,” while wiping sweat off his forehead. Further expressing his frustration, he added, “They put the whole chicken in there. Dig a little bit further, some leg. They had chicken feet in there.”

While the chicken fiasco was related to one bad experience for the bodybuilder, let's look at how Ronnie's diet looked during his competitive years.

Ronnie Coleman’s diet was intense!

That “Yeah buddy, lightweight baby” wouldn’t have sounded this easy if it weren’t for this diet. Ronnie Coleman used to take six meals a day.

Starting with breakfast, he’d take 2 cups of egg whites, grits, and cheese. Meal 2 would include a 100g protein shake.

Moving forward to meal 3, Coleman would make himself a 16-oz chicken, adding a baked potato, veggies, and a lot of barbecue sauce. The 4th one would include 16 oz steak or ground beef and rice.

Meal 5 features 16 oz chicken again, coupled with some rice, veggies, and Coleman’s special secret, the barbecue sauce. Last meal will be a 100g protein shake.

As for nutrient breakdown, the calories turn out to be close to 5000 to 5500. Macro breakdown comes to be 600g of protein, 400-450g of carbohydrates, and 100-120g of fats.

With this heavy diet also came some intense workout sessions, keeping Ronnie Coleman toned and perfect in shape.

What do you think about Ronnie Coleman's inclusion of barbecue sauce in his diet? Drop a comment!

Written by

Abhishek Mishra

Edited by

Joyita Das