With a record-breaking eight Mr. Olympia titles in a row, Ronnie Coleman etched his name in the history of bodybuilding. But the titles were a result of his long-standing friendship with many other elite bodybuilders, who inspired and drove him to success. One of them was veteran icon Flex Wheeler.
Wheeler, who won the Lifetime Achievement award at the Arnold Classic a year ago, made immense contributions to the bodybuilding world. Despite undergoing life-threatening health issues, the 58-year-old still perseveres to educate and train aspiring fitness freaks. Coleman recently credited Wheeler for being one of his significant mentors in the arena.
In a recently resurfaced video clip, Coleman confessed how the veteran bodybuilder taught him every tip and trick he knew. Sometime around 1994, the eight-time Mr. Olympia heard about an elite bodybuilder who won the Arnold Classic at the time. With a perfectly symmetric figure complete with impeccable muscle definition, Wheeler had caught his eyes.
Coleman confessed that he wanted to know the veteran’s secrets. What made him the Arnold Classic title-holder, and how did his physique get so good? The conclusion to the mystery wasn’t as straightforward as the audience would wish for.
“I done went to Flex’s room, like ‘Man, what you doing?’. He told me, I did exactly what he said, to a T. He even hooked me up with the guy!”
While Coleman detailed the before and after, he never revealed what Wheeler’s secret was. When prompted by his team member, he just laughed away, with an implied meaning behind his words. Yet, the Arnold Classic champion seems to have woven some magic because Coleman went on to win his first Olympia four years later.
“He was doing some of everything!”
Coleman and Wheeler were some of the elite bodybuilders that set the blueprint for the upcoming bodybuilders to thrive. However, in a tragic twist of events, both veterans went on to suffer from major health issues.
Ronnie Coleman battled multiple surgeries with grace and power
After his Olympia streak ended with Jay Cutler taking over the throne, Coleman fell into a pit-full of health troubles, mostly surrounding his back. Having had surgeries on all 25 spinal discs, the veteran only recently attained some peace.
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Over the last few years, Coleman switched to stem cell therapy for his ailments. Already witnessing a ray of hope, the king of bodybuilding has already gotten back into action with intense workouts and collaborations with various bodybuilders. Fans now hope to see their favorite veteran get back on track.
