Despite being rivals, Coleman thinks Wheeler helped him change into a legend.
Within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, Ronnie Coleman and Ken “Flex” Wheeler had a fantastic bodybuilding rivalry. Of his eight overall Mr. Olympia victories from 1998 to 2005, Coleman would best Wheeler for 4 of them (1998-2000, 2002). The closest Wheeler got here to toppling Coleman were consecutive runner-up finishes in each the 1998 and 1999 editions. The 1998 contest, particularly, holds a special place in bodybuilding history as Coleman’s first Olympia win. It’s that exact same contest during which Coleman believes Wheeler gave him an initial advantage.
On Apr. 12, 2023, Coleman discussed parts of his bodybuilding profession in a segment of a conversation with current bodybuilding star Derek Lunsford. Coleman and Lunsford recently trained together in a gathering of past and present superstars. In his discussion with Lunsford, the legend revealed it was Wheeler who introduced him to iconic trainer Chad Nicholls and altered his dietary outlook.
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In keeping with Coleman, when Wheeler introduced Coleman to Nicholls sometime before the 1998 Mr. Olympia, he altered the course of bodybuilding history.
His eventual rival helped turn Coleman into the all-time legend he’s now referred to as.
“Plenty of people don’t realize it but Flex Wheeler is just about the explanation why I won the [1998 Mr.] Olympia because he turned me on to Chad Nicholls,” Coleman told Lunsford.
At first, Coleman had trouble reaching Nicholls. Nonetheless, that was only a minor and expected impasse within the pair’s training relationship. Eventually, they’d get together, and Coleman’s dynastic run would start soon after.
“He [Wheeler] gave me his number and I called Chad [Nicholls] but Chad didn’t pick up the phone,” Coleman explained. “I said, ‘Flex [Wheeler] why’d you’ve got me call this guy Chad, he didn’t pick up the phone.’ He [Wheeler] says, ‘Nah, he’s identical to that, man. Call him again, and he’ll call you back.’ He [Nicholls] called me back and the remaining is just about history. I won my first Olympia that 12 months [1998] by hooking up with him.”
How did Nicholls change Coleman’s Olympia preparation approach? Per Coleman, amongst other tidbits, the trainer revamped his nutrition, eventually having the athlete eat almost a full pound of food in every meal.
“He [Nicholls] modified every part I used to be doing, every part,” Coleman said. “I went from doing, like, an hour of cardio a day to 2 hours. I went from eating half a pound of food with every meal to an entire pound. I went from training perhaps 45 minutes to an hour a day to about perhaps an hour, an hour and a half, sometimes an hour and quarter-hour of coaching because I used to be attempting to do a few of every part.”
Lately, long 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 trainer’s son, Morgan, can also be an ascending powerlifter.
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Even while he never beat Coleman for a Mr. Olympia title, Wheeler can still boast 4 Arnold Classic (AC) victories (1993, 1997-1998, 2000) in addition to a runner-up placing within the 1993 Mr. Olympia, behind six-time winner Dorian Yates. Along with his competitive record, Wheeler is usually considered certainly one of the best bodybuilders to never win the game’s most prestigious title. With each legends’ careers now within the rearview mirror, the previous rivals each have something to hold their hat on. It’s ironic, then, that without Wheeler’s training intervention, Coleman perhaps never ascends to bodybuilding prominence.
Featured image: Ronnie Coleman on YouTube