Who is the greatest Mr. Olympia ever? That’s the question to answer, because it’s difficult to compare Mr. Olympias from different eras. Each Champion has his own unique and winning look, and brings something different to the Olympia stage.

Who is the greatest Mr. Olympia ever?

By Steve Blechman, publisher, Muscular Development

That’s the question to answer, because it’s difficult to compare Mr. Olympias from different eras. Each Champion has his own unique and winning look, and brings something different to the Olympia stage. Many people will say Arnold, others Coleman, or Haney. Yates has his fans, rightfully so, as do Cutler, Oliva and Zane, Phil Health may also go down in history as one of the great ones.
If you ask pro bodybuilders who the greatest Mr. Olympia was or is in terms of sheer physical development, the one name that is repeated most often is Ronnie Coleman. I couldn’t agree more.

Ronnie Coleman is one of the greatest champions in the history of bodybuilding. He’s a mass monster who dominated the Mr. O Stage for years. Ron won the Sandow eight times – in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. And he battled some of bodybuilding’s biggest and baddest. Arnold had Sergio and Louie. Haney has Gaspari and Labrada, Ronnie battled Flex, Levrone, Shawn Ray, Cormier, Nasser, and Jay Cutler for years. Ronnie set the bar so high that no other competitor can even think coming close to his record.If Olympia wins are the measure of greatness, then Coleman and Lee Haney are tied at eight Sandows each. But the tie is broken in Coleman’s favor by virtue of him winning 26 pro contests (more than any other competitor) to Haney’s 11.

Ronnie is absolutely superhuman. He won the Arnold in 2001. That same year won the Olympia. He returned in 2002 and won the Olympia again. A week later he won the Grand Prix in Hungary. Two weeks later he lost the GNC to Gunter. He peaked five times in two consecutive seasons!When he returned to the Olympia in 2003 and 2004 the world changed forever. The world saw the biggest mass of muscle to ever hit the stage – a 290 pound beast! That’s what made Ronnie the ultimate champion. That, and his iron will, his big heart, and his belief in his faith. His work ethic is extraordinary. Ronnie’s Motto is: train like each workout is your last. He has intense drive to be the best at whatever he does, extreme confidence and love for the sport. That’s why Ronnie Coleman is the greatest Mr. Olympia of all time – and also the strongest. The stories of Ronnie’s 800-pound squats or his parking lot lunges will endure forever!

In “Up Close With the Greatest Mr. Olympia Ever!” bodybuilding historian Peter McGough gives us an exclusive and in-depth look at the eight-time Mr. Olympia. Ronnie opens up about the greatest highs of his bodybuilding, and some stuff you’ve never heard before – like what really went down at the 2006 Olympia when Ronnie lost the Sandow to Jay Cutler.

The rest of the book is packed with our special Olympia issue! MD has the most comprehensive preview and coverage of any bodybuilding magazine or website in the industry. In “The 2012 Olympia Preview”, Four Team MD athletes and Mr. Olympia champions Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Lee Haney, and Jay Cutler size up this year’s lineup, giving MD readers their unbiased and no-holds barred opinions of the larger-than-life competitors who will storm Las Vegas. Hall-of-Fame bodybuilders Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray, and Flex Wheeler are among the MD experts who answer the question, “Can Anyone Dethrone Phil Heath?” Flex also previews the 2012 Showdown, the Sheru Classic, and the Arnold Classic Europe. It’s kick-ass coverage that you’ll find only in MD on sale August 28th and online at musculardevelopment.com.

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