Ronnie Coleman Credit Flex Wheeler For Serving to Begin His Mr. Olympia Dynasty

Regardless of being rivals, Coleman thinks Wheeler helped him turn out to be a legend.

Written by Robert Zeglinski Final up to date on April 17, 2023

Within the late Nineties and early 2000s, Ronnie Coleman and Ken “Flex” Wheeler had an incredible bodybuilding rivalry. Of his eight general Mr. Olympia victories from 1998 to 2005, Coleman would greatest Wheeler for 4 of them (1998-2000, 2002). The closest Wheeler got here to toppling Coleman have been consecutive runner-up finishes in each the 1998 and 1999 editions. The 1998 contest, specifically, holds a particular place in bodybuilding historical past as Coleman’s first Olympia win. It’s that exact same contest wherein Coleman believes Wheeler gave him an preliminary benefit.

On Apr. 12, 2023, Coleman mentioned elements of his bodybuilding profession in a phase of a dialog with current bodybuilding star Derek Lunsford. Coleman and Lunsford not too long ago educated collectively in a meeting of past and present superstars. In his dialogue with Lunsford, the legend revealed it was Wheeler who launched him to iconic coach Chad Nicholls and altered his nutritional outlook.

In accordance with Coleman, when Wheeler launched Coleman to Nicholls someday earlier than the 1998 Mr. Olympia, he altered the course of bodybuilding historical past.

His eventual rival helped flip Coleman into the all-time legend he’s now often called.

“Lots of people don’t understand it however Flex Wheeler is just about the explanation why I received the [1998 Mr.] Olympia as a result of he turned me on to Chad Nicholls,” Coleman informed Lunsford.

At first, Coleman had hassle reaching Nicholls. Nevertheless, that was solely a minor and anticipated deadlock within the pair’s training relationship. Ultimately, they’d get collectively, and Coleman’s dynastic run would begin quickly after.

“He [Wheeler] gave me his quantity and I referred to as Chad [Nicholls] however Chad didn’t choose up the cellphone,” Coleman defined. “I mentioned, ‘Flex [Wheeler] why’d you’ve me name this man Chad, he didn’t choose up the cellphone.’ He [Wheeler] says, ‘Nah, he’s identical to that, man. Name him once more, and he’ll name you again.’ He [Nicholls] referred to as me again and the remaining is just about historical past. I received my first Olympia that 12 months [1998] by hooking up with him.”

How did Nicholls change Coleman’s Olympia preparation method? Per Coleman, amongst different tidbits, the coach revamped his vitamin, finally having the athlete eat nearly a full pound of meals in each meal.

“He [Nicholls] modified all the pieces I used to be doing, all the pieces,” Coleman mentioned. “I went from doing, like, an hour of cardio a day to 2 hours. I went from consuming half a pound of meals with each meal to an entire pound. I went from coaching perhaps 45 minutes to an hour a day to about perhaps an hour, an hour and a half, generally an hour and quarter-hour of coaching as a result of I used to be attempting to do a few of all the pieces.”

In recent times, lengthy after after his work with Coleman, Nicholls is probably most notable for his partnership with former two-time Mr. Olympia (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. The coach’s son, Morgan, is also an ascending powerlifter.