What's a better feeling than being recognized by your peers? For Ronnie Coleman, who rose to the occasion right after Dorian Yates stepped down from the stage, the number of bodybuilding greats rallying behind him speaks volumes about his sheer dominance.

Matching Lee Haney's record for the most Mr. Olympia wins, at 8 titles, Coleman pushed the boundaries of the human physique to its absolute peak, with his Herculean muscle mass and separation. Yates can't help but laud the man who kept the sport alive.

In a recent Instagram post, Mike Mentzer shared the appreciation and respect Yates had for Coleman. "Ronnie created a benchmark for size and definition that remains unmatched in the history of the sport," Yates' words read.

In fact, Mentzer himself, who had been critical of the 'King's training methods earlier and believed Coleman didn't know "how to train", acknowledged the legacy the American bodybuilder has created.

As Mentzer rightly noted, many have tried to replicate Coleman's standards in the muscle world. And although many have come close, none has been able to copy his conditioning, mass, or strength, let alone challenge them.

While many attribute this triumph to the bodybuilder's genetics, Yates believes there's something far more important at play.

Dorian Yates reveals what made Ronnie Coleman special

Coleman's massive, shredded physique for his size is an impossible feat even to imagine. And while the optics are right before people's eyes to pick apart and analyse, a quieter trait made the bodybuilder truly stand a step above his competition.

Speaking with Generation Iron for their film Ronnie Coleman: The King, Yates shared on competing, "I didn’t feel like smiling because I was in a war. It was a war with myself and everyone else, and so on. But Ronnie managed to do it all the time with a smile on his face, so I think he’ll probably be remembered for that.”

Moreover, despite the gruelling sessions behind his podium finishes, Coleman always made time to meet every fan after the competitions, Yates detailed. It was this attitude that gave the 'King' the strength to power through every workout, no matter how punishing.

And perhaps it was the same positive personality that reinforced Coleman's dominance at the highest stages of sport. Do you think Prime Ronnie Coleman would've beaten Prime Dorian Yates? Share your thoughts below.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil