Ronnie Coleman Comeback?

[Ryeland]

I loved watching ronnie dominate the stage, it was great. But what i loved more than that, what really got me pumped about ronnie was his passion. I have never seen another bber with that same passion and love of the game.

When you think about ronnie coleman what gets you pumped? Sure his inhuman size and conditioning were great, but it's those screams of "Yeah Budday" or "Lightweight" or "Ain't Nuthin but a Peanut" that get me going. The inspiration for me is his infallible desire to lift and compete. He isn't doing it for money or fame, he is doing it because he loves it. You can see it on his face. You saw it on his face during his routine at the O this year.

I one day hope to have that level of passion and feel the same joy he does towards lifting.

His physique is not what makes ronnie the best bber of all time in my eyes, its his spirit and the mind blowing workouts and pleasure he derives from them.

 

[lifterdead]

Comparing something you're not quite as skilled at as you once were to something that could do serious bodily harm (or worse) to an already injured athlete isn't the way analogies typically work.

Fair enough. It was a bad analogy.





How about this: Bodybuilding is art. Bodybuilders are artists, albeit sometimes self-destructive artists. Regardless, they love to make art. Even if critics imply they aren't making good art anymore, I don't believe they should give up making art because of the critics.

Was that any better?

 

[Line]

How about this: Bodybuilding is art. Bodybuilders are artists, albeit sometimes self-destructive artists. Regardless, they love to make art. Even if critics imply they aren't making good art anymore, I don't believe they should give up making art because of the critics.

Was that any better?

Not really, no. You keep reducing the problems with his comeback to be mere performance ones when that aspect is pretty much a non-issue for his fans. Also, I'm not buying into the notion of reducing bodybuilding and the long-term health problems that can coincide with competing to self-destructive art.

 

[Ironslave]

When you think about ronnie coleman what gets you pumped? Sure his inhuman size and conditioning were great, but it's those screams of "Yeah Budday" or "Lightweight" or "Ain't Nuthin but a Peanut" that get me going. The inspiration for me is his infallible desire to lift and compete. He isn't doing it for money or fame, he is doing it because he loves it. You can see it on his face. You saw it on his face during his routine at the O this year.

The thing about that though, it would have been meaningless if he wasn't so unheard of huge and so far above everyone else. His yells during his 800 lb squats/deadlifts, 500 lb bench. etc. Then he'd turn around and hit a back shot which pretty much took up the whole lens to see.

He can't do any of that anymore. He's pushed his body to very extreme limits both physically and chemically. Id like to see him stay clean, obviously keep working out like he does, and stay around and get involved somehow at the shows.

I don't want him to stay retired because it will tarnish what I think of him. I want him to stay retired so he doesn't tarnish himself.

 

[lifterdead]

Not really, no. You keep reducing the problems with his comeback to be mere performance ones when that aspect is pretty much a non-issue for his fans. Also, I'm not buying into the notion of reducing bodybuilding and the long-term health problems that can coincide with competing to self-destructive art.

Ok, then help me develop the logic in my argument. I'll break it down and you can show me where I'm wrong.

First, this only concerns his fans who don't think he should compete again because his injuries have ruined his physique.
1) They enjoyed the body he presented from 98-2005, with possibly a few exceptions.
2) Ronnie, because of his age/injuries, will never be as good as he was before.

sooo....



3) Ronnie should not compete because he will never be comparable to his old form again.






If fans don't want to see a wrecked Ronnie on stage, that's fine. My point was, however, Ronnie competes for himself and if he wants to compete again, his fans should support him regardless.
If you don't agree with my notion that bodybuilding is comparable to art, I'd like to know why. Not because I think my opinion is infallible, but because I'd genuinely like to know your reasons.

 

[Napol3onator]

hell no..he can sacrifice some size and bring those injuries back to great bodyparts(in time)..I mean what if he came in with 2001 conditioning? mmmm,mmmm.

 

[chadcruz]

hell no..he can sacrifice some size and bring those injuries back to great bodyparts(in time)..I mean what if he came in with 2001 conditioning? mmmm,mmmm.

2001 form? dude I think even the most hardcore Ronnie fan would agree his best is well and truely behind him. I like Ronnie as much as any dude who likes bodybuilding, but the facts are he is 43 and 2001 was a long ass time ago. That conditioning and that build are long gone. It would be awesome for him to come back and wipe everyone else out but it wont happen.

 

[mvsf1]

I know it may sound stupid, but I love coming backs.

I'm a huge Jordan fan and I knew before the first game he will never do the playoffs with the Wizards but I had the oportunity to see some more HUGE games by the best ever.

The same applyes to Ronnie Coleman.

It would be amazing to see him once again onstage.

GO BIG RON!

 

[Ryeland]

The thing about that though, it would have been meaningless if he wasn't so unheard of huge and so far above everyone else. His yells during his 800 lb squats/deadlifts, 500 lb bench. etc. Then he'd turn around and hit a back shot which pretty much took up the whole lens to see.

He can't do any of that anymore. He's pushed his body to very extreme limits both physically and chemically. Id like to see him stay clean, obviously keep working out like he does, and stay around and get involved somehow at the shows.

I don't want him to stay retired because it will tarnish what I think of him. I want him to stay retired so he doesn't tarnish himself.

Don't get me wrong, seeing him hit a rear db or a rear lat spread was mind blowing.

I agree that he should keep his health in mind, i would like to see him around for a long time. But the man has to follow his passion. To quote braveheart "All men die, but few men ever really live". Now don't take that to mean be reckless and pursue what you want at any cost, he should do what he loves. The real shame would be for him to give up on something he really loves to do.

 

[Lionheart]

I kind of miss seeing Ronnie on stage,but i just dont think he should come back.

 

[Ironslave]

hell no..he can sacrifice some size and bring those injuries back to great bodyparts(in time)..I mean what if he came in with 2001 conditioning? mmmm,mmmm.

Ronnie 2001 conditioning? Im guessing you mean the Olympia, that was the year he almost lost to Jay. Unless you're talking about the Arnold Classic, which was among his best for sure.

I agree that he should keep his health in mind, i would like to see him around for a long time. But the man has to follow his passion. To quote braveheart "All men die, but few men ever really live". Now don't take that to mean be reckless and pursue what you want at any cost, he should do what he loves. The real shame would be for him to give up on something he really loves to do.

All good points. Thing about bodybuilding though is that it's different from other sports. The best example I can think of is Jerry Rice in football, he literally played to the point where the best position any team in the NFL would offer him was a #4 wide receiver spot. With bodybuilding, there's nobody who can tell him to stop competing, even when he's out of place.

This hasn't been raised, but I think it should be. Would Ronnie enjoy competing as much if he was finishing 7th place in shows? There's a big difference between loving training and busting your ass and getting rewarded with a Mr. Olympia, and a 6 figure check, than busting your ass and finishing in something like 7th place.

 

[Line]

Ok, then help me develop the logic in my argument. I'll break it down and you can show me where I'm wrong.

First, this only concerns his fans who don't think he should compete again because his injuries have ruined his physique.
1) They enjoyed the body he presented from 98-2005, with possibly a few exceptions.
2) Ronnie, because of his age/injuries, will never be as good as he was before.

sooo....

3) Ronnie should not compete because he will never be comparable to his old form again.

Where you're going wrong is the essence that true fans of Ronnie should be more concerned about his health as opposed to his presentation onstage. Thus, if they don't want anything to happen to the man (ie. death or a even more drastically shortened life expectancy) they'd want him to represent and be an ambassador for the sport through other means, be it contest promoting, judging, etc...

If you don't agree with my notion that bodybuilding is comparable to art, I'd like to know why. Not because I think my opinion is infallible, but because I'd genuinely like to know your reasons.

That's fine. Nowadays I feel that bodybuilding in its strictest form is less of an art than before as one doesn't necessarily express themselves artistically through their physique as much as they do what they need to do in order to bring home the checks and/or trophies. The act of bodybuilding and competing in its purest form may have been comparable to art but now there are fairly stringent guidelines that one must follow in order to win, making it about the furthest thing from an expressionistic movement. Now posing on the other hand you could make a case for.

 

[lifterdead]

The act of bodybuilding and competing in its purest form may have been comparable to art but now there are fairly stringent guidelines that one must follow in order to win, making it about the furthest thing from an expressionistic movement. Now posing on the other hand you could make a case for.

Good point, I hadn't thought of it that way.

If bodybuilding was indeed art, then Palumbo could make a case for himself to be a pro based on his own tastes, but he can't because even the judging panel has some guidelines to follow.

 

[power]

Stay retired.

 

[Tonka]

Stay retired. He made that speech so why a comeback?

 

[nigster]

Stay retired. He made that speech so why a comeback?

I also think that he should stay retired. It's 100% sure that he is not able to fix those problems he has. And secondly, he has absolutely nothing to prove (I know that's not his reason to come back but still). It will be only sad to see him compete looking like complete shit like he did at Olympia 2007. Ronnie is one of the best (if not the best) bodybuilder ever but I don't still want to see him compete looking like half of it he was...

 

[bangbang]

Man I remember a long time ago I had seen Ronnie in the original Musclemag lol, and there was an interview on him winnning his first Olympia. I had no idea who Ronnie was but remember thinking, that is one big ass cop haha. Now, he is retired.....

 

[Tonka]

I also think that he should stay retired. It's 100% sure that he is not able to fix those problems he has. And secondly, he has absolutely nothing to prove (I know that's not his reason to come back but still). It will be only sad to see him compete looking like complete shit like he did at Olympia 2007. Ronnie is one of the best (if not the best) bodybuilder ever but I don't still want to see him compete looking like half of it he was...

Completely agree.

 

[d.capodiferro]

I loved watching ronnie dominate the stage, it was great. But what i loved more than that, what really got me pumped about ronnie was his passion. I have never seen another bber with that same passion and love of the game.

When you think about ronnie coleman what gets you pumped? Sure his inhuman size and conditioning were great, but it's those screams of "Yeah Budday" or "Lightweight" or "Ain't Nuthin but a Peanut" that get me going. The inspiration for me is his infallible desire to lift and compete. He isn't doing it for money or fame, he is doing it because he loves it. You can see it on his face. You saw it on his face during his routine at the O this year.

I one day hope to have that level of passion and feel the same joy he does towards lifting.

His physique is not what makes ronnie the best bber of all time in my eyes, its his spirit and the mind blowing workouts and pleasure he derives from them.

probably, the best post i've ever read on this site.
agree at all