Ronnie Coleman, an eight-time Mr. Olympia champion, is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders in history. Known for his incredible size, strength, and work ethic, Ronnie continues to inspire millions of bodybuilders around the world. Even after his competitive career, he stays involved in the fitness world and maintains a rigorous workout routine. One of his famous sessions is his Chest & Triceps Workout at the Signature Series Gym, where he focuses on heavy compound movements and intense isolation exercises.
In this article, we’ll break down Ronnie Coleman’s chest and triceps workout, the techniques he uses, and how you can incorporate elements of his legendary routine into your own training program.
Ronnie Coleman's Training Philosophy
Before diving into the workout, it’s essential to understand Ronnie Coleman’s overall training philosophy. Coleman was known for his high-intensity workouts, lifting incredibly heavy weights with strict form. He believed in pushing his body to the limit, combining powerlifting techniques with bodybuilding isolation work.
Key principles of Ronnie's training:
- Heavy Weights: Ronnie often trained with extreme loads, building both strength and muscle mass.
- High Volume: While lifting heavy, he also incorporated high volume, performing many sets and reps to thoroughly exhaust the muscles.
- Strict Form: Even with massive weights, Ronnie maintained good form to ensure maximum muscle engagement and prevent injury.
With that in mind, let’s explore his Chest & Triceps workout.
Ronnie Coleman’s Chest Workout
Ronnie’s chest routine focuses on building size and thickness in the pectoral muscles. His workout includes compound movements that allow for heavy lifting, followed by isolation exercises to target specific areas of the chest. Here’s a breakdown of his typical chest routine:
Flat Barbell Bench Press
- 4 sets of 8-12 reps
The flat bench press is a staple in Ronnie’s chest workouts, helping build overall chest mass. He uses a heavyweight but always ensures that his reps are controlled, focusing on squeezing the pecs at the top of each rep.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
- 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline pressing targets the upper portion of the chest, which gives that full, rounded look. Ronnie includes this exercise to ensure complete chest development, working the clavicular head of the pectoralis major.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
- 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
This movement helps target the lower part of the chest. By using a decline bench, Ronnie focuses on building the lower pecs, creating balance and symmetry across his chest.
Flat Dumbbell Flyes
- 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Flyes are an isolation movement that stretch and contract the chest muscles through a full range of motion. Ronnie includes dumbbell flyes to emphasize the stretch and shape of his chest.
Cable Crossovers
- 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Cable crossovers provide constant tension on the chest throughout the entire range of motion. Ronnie uses this exercise at the end of his chest workout to fully exhaust the muscles and enhance the pump.
Ronnie Coleman’s Triceps Workout
Ronnie follows up his chest workout with an intense triceps session. The triceps, being a smaller muscle group, are often pre-fatigued from pressing movements in the chest workout. Ronnie capitalizes on this and hits his triceps hard with a mix of compound and isolation exercises.
Close-Grip Bench Press
- 4 sets of 8-10 reps
This compound movement targets the triceps while still involving the chest and shoulders. By bringing his hands closer together on the bar, Ronnie puts more emphasis on the triceps, especially the medial and lateral heads.
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
- 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Overhead extensions are great for targeting the long head of the triceps, which makes up the bulk of the upper arm. Ronnie uses a single heavy dumbbell and focuses on a full stretch and contraction of the triceps.
Skull Crushers (Lying Triceps Extensions)
- 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Skull crushers are an excellent isolation exercise for the triceps. Ronnie keeps strict form, lowering the bar toward his forehead and pressing it back up while keeping tension on his triceps throughout the movement.
Triceps Rope Pushdowns
- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Ronnie finishes his triceps workout with rope pushdowns. This exercise isolates the triceps and allows for a strong contraction at the bottom of the movement. He uses moderate weight with higher reps to focus on squeezing the muscle and achieving a great pump.
Workout Summary
Chest Routine:
- Flat Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Incline Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Decline Barbell Bench Press – 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Flat Dumbbell Flyes – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Cable Crossovers – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps Routine:
- Close-Grip Bench Press – 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension – 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Skull Crushers – 3 sets of 8-12 reps
- Triceps Rope Pushdowns – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Tips for Success
- Progressive Overload: Ronnie Coleman built his massive size by consistently increasing the weight he lifted over time. Ensure that you're gradually adding weight or reps to your exercises to keep progressing.
- Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on feeling the chest and triceps work during each rep. Don’t just move the weights from point A to point B—really concentrate on contracting the muscles.
- Rest and Recovery: Ronnie trained intensely but also understood the importance of recovery. Make sure to give your muscles enough rest between workouts and get adequate sleep to facilitate growth and repair.
Ronnie Coleman’s Chest & Triceps workout is a challenging routine that emphasizes both strength and muscle development. It incorporates heavy compound lifts, intense isolation exercises, and high volume to fully target the chest and triceps muscles. By following this workout, you can build size, strength, and definition, just like "The King" himself. Remember to push yourself, stay consistent, and maintain good form, and you'll be well on your way to achieving impressive results.
