Ronnie Coleman Paralyzed: When Did It Happen and Whats the Real Story?
Alright, folks, let’s dive into this thing about Ronnie Coleman and when he ended up paralyzed. It’s a story that really got me thinking, and I figured I’d share my little journey of figuring it all out.
So, first off, I hit the internet. I mean, where else do you go when you need to find stuff out, right? I typed in “when did Ronnie Coleman become paralyzed” and started sifting through a bunch of articles, forum posts, and whatnot.

What I found was pretty wild. This guy, Ronnie, was a total beast in the bodybuilding world. I mean, eight-time Mr. Olympia? That’s insane! But it turns out all that heavy lifting took a toll on his body.
Here’s what I pieced together:
- Early Injury: Apparently, Ronnie had his first back injury way back when he was just 17. He was trying to squat 500 pounds at a powerlifting meet, and bam, something went wrong. He talks about it in his book, “Yeah Buddy!”
- Brutal Routine: I read about this one time he dislocated a disk during a crazy squatting routine. Some guy named Wedeking called it the “most brutal” routine he’d ever seen. It happened at a gym at Cleveland State University, no less.
- 800 Pounds: This dude was lifting 800 pounds on squats during his prime. 800 pounds! Just thinking about that makes my back hurt.
- Ignoring the Pain: It seems like Ronnie, being the tough guy he was, just kept pushing through the pain. There were warnings, even reports that his obsession with training might lead to paralysis, but he kept at it. There was even this article from The New Zealand Herald about him getting back into training after being warned about paralysis.
After digging around, it became pretty clear that Ronnie’s paralysis didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual thing, a result of years of intense training and pushing his body to the absolute limit. It’s kind of a cautionary tale, you know? It shows that even the strongest among us have limits, and ignoring your body’s warning signs can have some serious consequences.
It took me a while to sort through all the info and connect the dots, but in the end, I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of what happened to Ronnie Coleman. It’s a tough story, but definitely one worth sharing.