Could Ronnie Beat Phil Heath? Ronnie Says, "Hell Yeah!"

The accolade of who is the best bodybuilder of all time is one of the sport’s perennial questions; on a par with what threads Bob Cicherillo will be wearing at his next emcee gig? One who is always front and center in that best ever debate is eight-time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman. I first saw Ronnie when he won his pro card by taking the heavyweight title at the 1991 IFBB Amateur World Championships in Poland. At that point talk of Ronnie being a future Mr. Olympia would have been as ridiculous as the notion of Donald Trump running for President of the United States. I first interviewed Ronnie at that event and have conducted numerous interviews since as he evolved from journeyman pro to unbeatable eight-time Mr. Olympia champion (1998-2005.) We became friends and I like to think this interview wasn’t really an interview but more of a conversation between two friends. See what you think.

PM: Do you consider yourself the best bodybuilder of all time?

Ronnie: No, I don't consider myself the best of all time, that's for others to judge. Having said that I have always tried to do the very best I could be but it’s for others to judge where I stand in comparison to other Mr. Olympias.

Well let's see how you think you match up with other Mr. Olympias. Dorian Yates last win was 1997 when you were ninth. He and you at your best, who wins?

I competed against Dorian in five Olympias and three Grand Prix, and never got a comparison. So I couldn’t hang with him when he was at his best, but I don’t think he could have hung with me when I was at my best. We’re both 5’10’ and he topped out at 265 pounds, while I was 280 pound plus. I just think my greater size and conditioning would have won. We both had great backs and he had those calves and I had the biceps.

What about eight-time champ, Lee Haney? I know you almost worship the guy?

Wow, it would've been a real honor for me to compete against him but his last contest was the 1991 Olympia the same year I earned my pro card so we never competed against each other. But I really think the size actor would play to my strengths – Lee peaked at about 245 pounds.

What about current Mr. Olympia champ, Phil Heath – would you beat him?

Hell yeah; he just doesn't have the width to hang with me. He’s a great guy and he's got a lot of going on for him but I think he could look better and more dense. I think its because he does a lot of machine movements while I think free weights build density and quality.

Your story is pretty well known that you were went to Bryan Robson’s Metro-Flex Gym in Arlington, Texas, in 1990 just to tone up and he spotted your potential and offered you a free membership if you competed. Did you know much about bodybuilding at the time?

I never knew anything about bodybuilding at that time. I had just moved to Arlington to join the police force. I was born in Monroe, Louisiana and there was no bodybuilding activity taking place there. At Junior High [Bastrop, Louisiana], in 1978 when I was 14, I started lifting weights in the gym but still didn’t know what the hell I was doing. A year later I joined the school powerlifting team. I was around 175 pounds at 5’9” and lifted in the 181-pound class. I was training for strength – wasn’t interested in building up bodyparts. Later on I went to Grambling State University [famed black university in Louisiana], played on the football team for four years and lifted weights to get faster and more powerful. I wasn’t given a scholarship -- I was there through the student loan program. I graduated on December 19, 1986, with honors with a BS in Accounting. I’m very proud of that. When I went to Brian’s gym I didn’t even know the Mr. Olympia title existed and I certainly didn’t know who held the title.

So when you got a feel of the sport, how it is structured, what the Mr. Olympia title meant, did you have any thoughts that you’d like to be Mr. Olympia?

No I don't even think about it at that point; it was impossible me to even think of achieving that goal, or even being a pro. Once I really got into it I loved it and made up my mind that I would improve every year and would not stop until I could improve no more. So even though I was on a mission – I wanted to be the best me I could be, I never thought about being Mr. Olympia. In fact even when I won my first Olympia in 1998 I never thought as I stood in the final six waiting for the countdown that I would win. The previous year I had finished ninth, and my best at the Olympia had been sixth in 1996, so I figured top five was possible especially when Dorian announced he wouldn’t defend his title. [Laughs] That was the coolest thing ever ‘cos I thought that’s one less to worry about, maybe I’ll move up a spot. I made the posedown and when they called Chris Cormier in sixth, I was elated because I had fifth at least. Then they called out fifth through third [Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Nasser El Sonbaty respectively] and I was left standing there with Flex Wheeler. I thought, Dang this is the greatest day of my life – I got second at the Olympia! I was as proud as can be. When they called me as the winner I just went into shock. I can’t remember hitting the deck and lying there facedown blubbing, or Flex kneeling down to talk into my ear and then trying to get me up. I have no recollection of Chris Cormier attempting to get me to my feet, or Vickie Gates [Ronnie’s girlfriend at that time] coming onstage and finally getting me up. I don’t remember any of that – I only know those things happened by seeing videos later on. When I thought I was second I felt it was the greatest day of my life, but winning …….?

What do you consider your best-ever look?

No doubts: That first Olympia in 1998. I was hard, grainy, dry, ripped and full.

Many, including me (which immediately blows credibility) think you were at your best in winning the 2001 Arnold Classic.

Yeah I was pretty good there too but I think the first Olympia just takes precedence – I was 245 pounds at both of those contests.

Jay Cutler beat you in 2006 to become Mr. Olympia. You came back in 2007 and were fourth. Although you talked about still competing it never happened due to injuries. Was it hard letting go?

It was really difficult for me to let go. I really didn't want to, I would've gone on competing but my back injury gave me so much pain and inhibited what I was doing that it just wasn’t possible. I hated to admit it was over but I had to accept that the pain made it impossible for me to return and compete at the highest level. So it was hard, but on the other hand there was something cut-and-dried about it. I had no alternative, there was no way I could compete – I didn’t have a choice. I had to tell myself, you had a fabulous career; the truth is you overachieved in winning eight Olympias. You’ve travelled the world made so many good friends. You’ve achieved a lot, and now as you look back you have a lot to be proud of, particularly your legacy.

There’s a simmering debate going on comparing modern days pros with those of the ‘90s and early 2000s. There are those who say that in the ‘90s we saw much more quality in depth than we see today. Your view?

Hell yeah! They were better. Look at who was competing then: Dorian, Flex Wheeler, Nasser, Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray and even me, Paul Dillett, Chris Cormier, Charlie Clairmonte. And they all got hard and conditioned. You don’t see that going down the line these days. At last year’s Olympia I was amazed at how many guys just didn’t nail condition. Modern guys have all sorts of gurus -- for this, that and the other -- and they still can't get it right. The secret is following a hardcore diet not doing all sorts of weird stuff in the days before a contest. I’d go on a 12-week contest prep diet and I never had a cheat day or a cheat meal. It was super hard because I’d be on a very low carb diet and I lacked energy throughout the diet but I stuck to it because I knew what the reward would be. To be the best I had to diet the best. My energy would only kick in when I stepped onstage.

We know you had had a major surgery on the back – a fusion -- a few months ago and you still going through rehab what's the current state of play

It's gonna take me two years to get back to normal. I do my own rehab exercises every day and then twice week work with a physical therapist. It's a slow process.

You know Ronnie is always amazes me when I see you at a show in that even though you haven't competed in nine years you always seem to have the longest line and you’re always smiling and laughing as you sign autographs and pose for photos. You’re not one of those guys who has a long face in the booth – you seem to be enjoying yourself.

That’s because I realize how blessed I am to be in the position I am. I don't take anything for granted. You know I have struggled real hard at points in my life. When I first got out of college with a business degree I couldn't find a job in Monroe or the surrounding area. I worked at Domino's pizza and delivered newspapers for two years. So to go from that to where I am now I feel really blessed at the life this sport and the fans have given me. I always thank the fans for the great support they have given me over the years and I want them to know how much I appreciate that their support, which means the world to me, hasn’t wavered even though I haven’t competed for nine years – I’ll always be thankful for that.

Okay, I want to return to the best ever bodybuilder question. Of the other 12 Mr. Olympia winners is there one you maybe would like to look like.

No, I’m pretty much content with what I made of my genetics and the physique I built.

So we line up all 13 Mr. Olympias in their best ever shape. Who wins?

[Shy sort of laugh] I gotta be honest Peter I think I could pretty much handle them all, my best would beat their best

Well, Ronnie, you just said you could beat the other 12 Mr. Olympias -- doesn’t that make you the best of all time?

Like I said ……

I’m sorry Ronnie I rest my case. Have to go, time for my flower arranging class. [Click]

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