Interview Ronnie Coleman

One of the most successful bodybuilders of all time is undoubtedly Ronnie Coleman. With his 8-time Mr. Olympia titles, he holds the record in numbers, along with Lee Haney. But Ronnie is undoubtedly much more controversial and a real personality.

FITsociety had the chance to exclusively interview Ronnie Coleman. For that, we had to go to the far north, namely to the new building of Body en Fitshop in Heerenveen. It was a small effort to meet the living legend and ask him a few questions about his life after bodybuilding and what keeps him busy now that he has officially retired.

Arrival in Heerenveen

We had the appointment with Ronnie Coleman at 9:30 am because he would have the meet and greets with his fans from 10:00 am. Fans could sign up for the Meet and Greet organized by Body en Fitshop, and some had already gathered at the building and braved the cold. When we arrived around 9:30, Ronnie was nowhere to be seen. After some inquiries, it turned out that Ronnie wanted to eat something first, so he went to do that with his travel companions. He arrived around 9:50, equipped with his meal, and we could start the interview.

Interview Ronnie Coleman

FS: Hi Ronnie, thank you for taking the time for the interview. Enjoy your meal. Ronnie: Thank you. I'm happy to be here. FS: Is this your first time in the Netherlands? Ronnie: No, I've been here before. Previously, there were PRO competitions here, and I used to come to the Netherlands regularly for those. FS: Are you having a good time? Ronnie: Yes, I always like coming to the Netherlands. But this time it's colder. Normally, I'm not used to this because I live in Texas. I prefer the warmth. FS: You and the rest of the Netherlands agree on that. How do you spend your time now that you've officially retired? Ronnie: I travel the world. With my products, we are now available in 100 countries, so I was in Australia two weeks ago. FS: Do you enjoy traveling so much? Ronnie: Oh, it's not a problem at all. I like it. Light Weight! FS: Are you still keeping an eye on the current Olympia? And what do you think of the top 5? Ronnie: Definitely! I still follow it. And I think the guys on stage now are not as big. I don't know how they train, but they're not massive. I think they have a different mentality than my generation. FS: What advice would you give to people who want to follow in your footsteps? Ronnie: Educate yourself. Many people think that bodybuilding is all about training a lot or eating a lot. But bodybuilding is about knowledge. I always surrounded myself with people who had a lot of knowledge about bodybuilding. So find someone who knows a lot about the sport and who you can learn from. FS: Everyone has those days when you can't muster the strength or motivation or just feel down. What was your source of inspiration or motivation to get through those days? Ronnie: I didn't have those days. I always want to train. Bodybuilding is a hobby for me, and I've been doing it since I was 13 or 14. So I never had to train reluctantly, and I enjoy it. I enjoy how I look and how I feel. FS: Let's talk about the titles you've won. You've probably heard this question before, but which of the awards was most special to you? Ronnie: The first one! There has been no Olympia as important to me as the first one. And that's because of my expectations. Back then, I hoped to perform well and secretly hoped for a top 5. And then I won. That was the impossible for me. There's nothing as special about the first Olympia for me because I did the impossible. FS: With that said, was it not difficult to stop? Ronnie: After winning a lot and breaking many records, there's not much more to win. I would have to do the same thing again, and that wouldn't be a challenge for me anymore, and I would find it boring. FS: So you decided to see more of the world? Ronnie: Exactly, so that's what I'm doing now. FS: Thank you for the interview. Ronnie: You're welcome.