"My most dominant pose" - Ronnie Coleman on his back lat spread and three other poses that pushed him to greatness

Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman poses for the camera: Image via Instagram (@ronniecoleman8)
Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman poses for the camera: Image via Instagram (@ronniecoleman8)

When it comes to bodybuilding, there is only one man known in the world as 'The King' — Ronnie Coleman. Having won the Sandow trophy a record eight times, Coleman stands alongside Lee Haney as one of the two greatest bodybuilders of all time.

Coleman dominated the stage, making his opponents look small. He did this by building a monstrous physique that changed the game forever. Showcasing an exemplary mix of esthetics and sheer muscularity, Coelman was the personification of a dream. In a recent YouTube video on his channel, 'The King' opened up about his favorite and most dominant poses, beginning with the back lat spread:

"Back lat spread quickly became my most dominant pose and the reason I won the 1998 Olympia. ... I pretty much won the competition from the back. I’ll never forget a judge approaching me after the show and claiming my back was so wide it reminded him of a cobra head. It stuck with me throughout my career. One of my most extraordinary poses was as deadly to my competitors as a cobra."

In 1998 Ronnie was up against the likes of Flex Wheeler and Nasser El Sonbaty. He beat them both to claim his first ever Olympia title.

Coleman then spoke of his iconic side chest pose:

"I’ve always considered the side chest pose the most challenging one because I naturally have dominant arms. Coming into my second Olympia victory, I felt my side chest was a weak point. So, I spent extra attention doing my training and hopefully turn the weakness into a massive strength. This is my favorite pose now because I worked my butt off for it."

After winning the title in 1998, Coleman went on to win seven more Olympias consecutively.

Ronnie Coleman is often credited as the person who birthed the mass-monster era in the sport. He did this with his muscularity and the next pose he spoke of was the most-muscular pose:

"The most muscular pose is probably the most common and popular pose of all-time because it incorporates nearly every muscle in your body and gives the judges and the audience an overall view of your conditioning. I’ll never forget the room going quiet and the faces in pure shock."

Arguably the most memorable pose in Coleman's career as a professional in the sport is his front lat spread. His lats were so big that he looked like he had wings. Speaking of the pose, he said:

"I brought some serious width with this pose. It felt like I was on an island all on my own when it come to balance. Hell, I was usually told that I could fly with those wings and I believed it."

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Ronnie Coleman - A giant amongst men

Ronnie won eight Mr. Olympia titles throughout his career. Although he does not stand alone in achieving this feat, many argue that he did it in the most-competitive era in the sport.

In the late 90s and the 2000s, Ronnie had to consistently go up against some of the greatest bodybuilders in the sport. The list includes the likes of Jay Cutler, who would have won eight titles himself if it was not for Ronnie.

Since retirement, Ronnie has remained a giant in the sport, albeit in a different way. His lovable, soft personality, his legacy and his determination have truly etched his name as a historic figure within the sport.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman
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