A viral clip is reminding fans of the moment Ronnie Coleman's career nearly changed. The Cutler Cast shared the bodybuilding legend recounting how he suffered a herniated disc and didn't even realize it initially.

“One day, I was in the gym, and I was squatting 585. And all of a sudden, I hear a loud, POW! I'm like, what the h***?” Coleman said in the clip, the official CutlerCast Instagram posted from the 61-year-old's 2025 appearance on the show.

Coleman recalled thinking his spotter had slapped him hard from behind, but when he denied it, it confused him. Then came the pain. "Sharp pain went down my leg," admitted the 8x Mr. Olympia.

Despite the pain, Coleman continued to train, and it was only after he reached home that he realized the pain had not reduced at all. It was only after he got the MRI done that he learned he had a herniated disc.

"So I'm like I ain't doing no surgery, that what they would recommend. I'm like, nope... You can always see a chiropractor and rehabilitate yourself, that's what I did, I went to a chiropractor every single day," said Coleman.

Coleman was preparing for the Arnold Classic at that time, and to recover, he had to miss training and work for two weeks. However, it became an issue because the bodybuilding legend continued working out.

Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020, the former Mr. Olympia explained that he hadn't addressed his back issue for over a decade, until after retirement.

Ronnie Coleman suffered back injuries long before bodybuilding

While Coleman built his legacy in bodybuilding, the 61-year-old was always athletic. He played multiple sports in high school and college, but showcased the most promise as a linebacker.

He even came close to getting scouted. Although that never materialized, it was during his college football days that he suffered his first major back injury.

"My first, uh, major accident was the back injury I was playing football, and somehow I hit somebody, and it really tweaked my back real bad," said Coleman.

Coleman also admitted to hurting his back in high school while powerlifting, as per a 2020 Muscle & Fitness report.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi