Ronnie Coleman: How a Texan police officer became the greatest bodybuilder of all time

Ronnie Coleman is the greatest bodybuilder of all time, breaking records and winning competitions across the globe.

Let's look through the journey of the man who captivated bodybuilding at the end of the 20^th century.

Ronald Dean Coleman was born May 13, 1964, in Louisiana.

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Coleman was a bigger physical specimen than most kids at a young age, weighing 80kg and being nearly 6ft by the time he was 12, according to en.smi.org.

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In 1984, he graduated from Grambling State University with a degree in accounting. At college, he played middle linebacker for the school's football team.

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After graduating from university, Coleman struggled to find a job in accounting, resulting in him working at a local Domino's pizza branch and eating complementary food to stop him from going into starvation.

He began working for the police in 1989 in Arlington, Texas. He would stay working for the police for a long proportion of his bodybuilding career until 2000.

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Coleman's fellow officer Gustavo Arlotta suggested he should start training at the local gym under the guidance of bodybuilder Bryan Dobson.

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Dobson offered Coleman a free lifetime membership at his gym if he allowed him to train for the upcoming Mr. Texas Bodybuilding competition. Later in the year, Coleman won Mr. Texas in 1990.

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After winning the absolute world title in Warsaw, Ronnie Coleman was given his professional card in 1992.

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His rise to the upper echelons of bodybuilding was slow, winning only three professional events between 1992 and 1997 (Canada Pro Cup twice and Russia Grand Prix).

His ultimate win at Mr. Olympia looked out of reach, finishing sixth in 1996 was his best finish in five attempts at the competition. Until 1998 came around.

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Coleman would defy the sport of bodybuilding, winning the prestigious Mr. Olympia eight times in a row from 1998-2005, equalling the longest winning streak of the competition with Lee Haney.

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The bodybuilding professional's training program was simple but intense. It consisted of a six-day split training cycle supplemented with aerobic loads.

His alternating work between heavy and light weights allowed him to keep his body in good shape, avoiding injuries with tissue rupture and damage to the joints.

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After losing at the 2006 Mr. Olympia, Coleman had a few severe injuries as he got into the later stages of his career, requiring two hip replacements and multiple surgeries to alleviate pain from damaged intervertebral discs.

Including eight Mr. Olympia titles, Coleman won over 20 professional titles in his long and successful career in bodybuilding. His other notable titles were the World Pro Championships in 1999 and 2000 and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 2001.