The world of bodybuilding has been graced by many greats, but few have the motivation of Ronnie Coleman, the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion.
Known for his unmatched dedication, relentless work ethic, and awe-inspiring physique, Coleman's training methods have become the stuff of legend.
As a fitness expert with years of experience in the industry, I’m going to break down the Ronnie Coleman chest and tricep workout, revealing the principles that guided his training and the diet that fueled his success.
Let’s dive right in.
Quick Summary
- Ronnie Coleman’s chest and tricep workout routine included exercises like the bench press, incline press, dumbbell flyes, and close-grip bench press.
- Most of Coleman’s workouts combined strength and hypertrophy movements to build muscle strength and size.
- Ronnie ate 5332 calories and consumed a total of around 546 grams of protein a day to maintain his physique.
Ronnie Coleman’s Stats
- Date of birth: May 13, 1964 (58 years)
- Height: 5’11” (180 cm)
- Weight: On-season: 300 lbs (136 kg) / Off-season: 315 lbs (143 kg)
- Arms: 24 in (61 cm)
- Chest: 58 in (147.3 cm)
- Waist: 36 in (91.4 cm)
- Thighs: 36 in (91.4 cm)
- Calves: 22 in (55.88 cm)
The Ronnie Coleman Chest and Tricep Workout Routine
Ronnie designed his chest and tricep workout to push his muscles to their limits, maximizing both strength and hypertrophy.
His workouts typically involved a combination of compound and isolation movements with high intensity and heavy weights.
Let’s explore his workout variations.
Workout Variation A
Here’s a breakdown of a typical chest and tricep workout for Coleman.
Chest
- Bench barbell press: 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps
- Incline bench press: 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps
- Dumbbell flyes: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Close-grip bench press: 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps
Triceps
- Tricep dips: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Tricep pushdowns: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Seated tricep extension: 4 sets x 12 reps
Workout Variation B
Here’s a simpler variation of the previous workout.
We recommend this routine for beginner Coleman fans who want to build a strong chest and triceps.
This variation includes new movements like cambered bar extensions and incline dumbbell flys.
Here’s the split:
Chest
- Bench barbell press: 5 sets x 12 reps
- Incline barbell press: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Flat bench dumbbell press: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Incline dumbbell flys: 4 sets x 12 reps
Triceps
- Seated cambered-bar extensions: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Seated dumbbell extensions: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Close-grip bench barbell press: 4 sets x 12 reps
This routine keeps things simple by giving you a set rep range. So, pick a weight that’ll allow you to do each exercise until failure.
Substitutions
You can make substitutions for the following exercises to switch up your workout routine:
- Incline bench press: You can switch this with a decline press or different angles of the incline press to target your pecs at different angles.
- Close-grip bench press: You can switch this one for skull crushers in case your pecs are worked up from previous bench lifts.
Workout Principles
Here are the workout principles that helped Coleman maximize his muscle gains, on and off-season.
- Use perfect form: Ronnie performed all his reps with perfect form to engage every muscle to the fullest and prevent injuries that could backtrack his progress [1]
- Use the heaviest weight possible: Using the heaviest weight possible allowed Ronnie to perform all the reps in every set till failure, which maximized his muscle gains [2].
- Full range of motion: Coleman emphasized doing reps using a full range of motion for greater muscle hypertrophy [3].
- Strength training: Ronnie Coleman was different from other bodybuilders because he trained like a powerlifter, focusing on muscle strength and hypertrophy.
“When you hit failure your workout has just begun.”
- Ronnie Coleman
Read More: Ronnie Coleman Workout Routine
Diet Plan for Chest and Triceps Gains
Based on what he shared in a YouTube video, here’s what Ronnie’s daily diet looked like:
- 10:00 am: 3–5 grams of L-arginine supplement
- 10:30 am: A cup of grits with cheese, 2 cups of egg whites, and 1 cup of coffee
- 12:30 pm: Strong pre-workout supplement and 3–5 grams of L-arginine
- 4:00 pm: Two 8-ounce servings of chicken breasts, 1.5 cups brown rice, 1.5 cups red beans, and 2 pieces of cornbread
- 6:30 pm: 3 grams of L-arginine
- 7:00 pm: Two 8-ounce servings of chicken breasts, one medium baked potato, and 10 ounces of filet mignon
- 10:00 pm: 5 ounces of chicken breast, one medium baked potato, french fries, and one serving of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA)
- 1:30 am: 4 scoops of whey protein powder
The Principles
Here are the diet principles that Coleman abides by:
- High-protein meals: Given his size, Ronnie’s daily diet comprised 5000+ calories and close to 550 grams of protein per day.
- Multiple meals a day: Ronnie had to eat multiple meals a day to maintain his physique. He even reported having to wake up in the middle of the night to get in his calories for the day [4].
- High-quality supplements: Ronnie took supplements throughout the day to enhance his exercise routine and make up for what he couldn’t get from food.
Ronnie Coleman’s Supplements
Ronnie Coleman took several supplements to fuel his exercise routine and supplement his diet.
Here’s what he took before hitting the gym:
- Pre-workout: Taking a pre-workout before the gym allowed Ronnie to tackle as much weight as possible.
- L-arginine: Ronnie took this throughout the day to improve his athletic performance with aerobic and anaerobic exercises [5].
- Whey protein: Ronnie relied on consuming several scoops of good whey protein every day to meet his protein demands.
- BCAAs: Ronnie took these before going to bed to repair and build his muscles overnight [6].
Related:
Enhance Your Fitness Routine With the Ronnie Coleman Chest and Tricep Workout
Ronnie’s chest and tricep workout is a great way to add variation to your exercise routine and train like the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion.
To get the most out of your training, we recommend taking a high-quality protein powder after your workout.
We’ve put all these products to the test, and our clients reported experiencing better muscle recovery after taking them post-workout.
They won’t turn you into Mr. Olympia in a day, but they’ll definitely help you push past your limits.
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training/art-20045842
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31895290/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6977096/
- https://www.sportskeeda.com/health-and-fitness/ronnie-coleman-importance-diet
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282262/
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-bcaas
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