To most bodybuilders, pizza is the ultimate cheat meal. For Ronnie Coleman, it was his daily diet. Well, at least for a brief while before his career took off. Here's the story most fans often miss.

Right after graduating from college, from 1988 to 1989, the aspiring bodybuilder worked at Domino's Pizza after struggling to find a corporate accounting job. Being tight on the budget, pizzas became a regular dinner.

In a recent May 18 post by the Cutler Cast podcast on Instagram, Coleman joined hosts Jay Cutler and Matt Daniels for an honest conversation about his career. The post was captioned: "Only Ronnie Coleman can eat pizza & get lean 😂."

Talking about that brief stint at the pizzeria, Coleman told Cutler: "When I worked for Domino's pizza, you know, I ate pizza every single day. That was dinner, cause it was free."

Surprisingly, the bodybuilder still retained his abs, despite his eating choices. In fact, Cutler chimed in, "If you're training like Ronnie, you could eat pizza and beer."

However, the question is, does it all really come down to simply training? Coleman believes otherwise, placing significance on his genetics.

Replying to Cutler on whether he believed genetics played a role in his physique, Coleman replied: "A huge part."

But, despite the biological advantage, Coleman's rise to success was a steep climb.

Ronnie Coleman's defiant push for Mr. Olympia

After a rocky start following his graduation, Coleman finally joined the Texas police. However, after the gym fell short of his expectations, Coleman joined Metroflex, officially beginning his bodybuilding journey.

It wasn't until 1992 that he received his IFBB pro card. But that wasn't the end of his struggles. Despite competing in Mr. Olympia, the bodybuilder failed to rank well.

A string of disappointments, including 14th, 15th, 9th, and so on, only further eroded his morale. After another 9th in the 1997 Mr. Olympia, Coleman had had enough, turning to Flex Wheeler for advice on reducing water retention.

Much to everyone's surprise, only the next year, he landed his first Mr. Olympia title, before raking in another 7 titles, matching Lee Haney's.

While he lost his crown to Jay Cutler in 2006, 'The King's defiant climb to bodybuilding's best honor stands as a strong testimony to his resilience and champion's attitude.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason