“Yeah, Buddy, lifetime heavy or go home,” that was the trademark mentality Ronnie Coleman followed during his career. ‘The King,’ armed with a never-give-up attitude, captured eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. For him, the formula was simple.

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-a**weights,” he said during his prime in the early 2000s. Despite retiring from the sport in 2007, Coleman remains the benchmark for pushing strength to its limits as a bodybuilder. So, here are the five lifts that defined his relentless approach.

5) T-Bar Rows

Coming in at number five are his 540 lbs (244 kg) T-bar rows. As per Merritt, Coleman used to stack eight to nine plates on the barbell regularly, often ripping out nine reps in a single set. Explosive pull, a complete contraction, and a brutal stretch are the key to a perfect T-Bar Row, and Coleman used to perfectly execute it without breaking a sweat.

4) Squats

At number two is Coleman’s 800 lbs (362 kg) squat. He performed the lift at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas, where he trained for nearly three decades. Using only a belt and knee wraps, he completed two reps at that weight while preparing for the 2003 Mr. Olympia.

And if you thought squatting 800 lbs twice in one set was monstrous, his first words after re-racking the bar were: "That was light." In fact, to this day, Coleman regrets not pumping out a few more reps.

3) Deadlift

Ronnie Coleman's 800 lb deadlift was equally legendary. The 8x Mr Olympia's 362 kg deadlift was first captured in a documentary ‘RONNIE COLEMAN – THE UNBELIEVABLE’ back in 2000. Completing two reps without breaking a sweat, Coleman threw a challenge towards everyone, “Think that's the record, baby. 800 for two reps. Five and a half weeks out. It's a challenge. Anybody? Anybody?”

2) Leg Press

We cannot conclude this list without acknowledging one of Ronnie Coleman’s most untouchable feats. His legendary 2,300-pound (1,043 kg) leg press remains a world record that no individual has approached since. To put that into perspective, Coleman effectively pressed the weight of a compact hatchback, approximately 1,140 kg, for four clean reps. And to make this achievement even more astonishing, he performed his famous 800-pound squat on the very same day.

1) Dumbbell Press

“Yeah, Buddy… lightweight," are the words Ronnie Coleman opened his 200-pound (90 kg) dumbbell press with. According to journalist Greg Merritt, he witnessed Coleman press 200-pound dumbbells for 12 reps. For context, while many lifters struggle with 30-kg dumbbells, Coleman handled 90-kg bells with routine control.

So, which of Ronnie Coleman's inasanly heavy lifts is your favorite? Let us know.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi