Exercise Scientist Critiques Ronnie Coleman’s SHOCKING DIET!
In a Nutshell
Dr. Mike Israetel defends Ronnie Coleman's 600g daily protein intake (up to 1.5g/lb bodyweight) as viable for elite bodybuilders like the 300lb 8-time Mr. Olympia, emphasizing its structured precision, meal weighing, and psychological benefits for consistency and muscle growth/retention. Key takeaways include bulking slowly (0.5lb/week) with flavorful cooking and aids like diet sodas to handle massive meals, skipping unnecessary veggies if bloodwork is perfect, realistic 5-10lb annual muscle gains via phased cycles, and carb cycling in prep for fat loss and peaking. Ronnie's disciplined "machine-like" approach exemplifies optimal physique dieting.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Ronnie Coleman went from 280 to 325 lbs by eating a ton of food, including 600g of protein a day. 600g is a lot and gets annoying to eat. Up to 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight per day has theoretical basis for growing more muscle than 1g per pound. Ronnie weighed about 300 lbs, so 600g is not far off from that.
Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization, professor of exercise and sport science, analyzes Ronnie Coleman's diet. Ronnie is the 8-time Mr. Olympia. Previously covered his training; now his diet. Plans to eat every meal Ronnie ate for his career all at once: lots of chicken, tens of thousands of meals. Challenge to food challenge people.
Ronnie was structured with food and training, never missed, ate at the same time daily. For best physique, enhance precision: eat exactly what's on your diet. Use RP Diet Coach app to check off. Sticking to plan for 8 Mr. Olympias has mechanistic and psychological benefits.
- Mechanistic: well-structured diet provides benefits.
- Psychological: saves cognitive bandwidth (no decisions on what to eat); builds confidence (no doubt if diet is right vs. yolo-ing with good/bad days).
"If you are a machine like Ronnie Coleman and you eat the diet you're supposed to be eating, your cognitive bandwidth is freed up and you can rest assured that you're doing your very best."
Ronnie never cheated, never went to restaurants, weighed and measured everything. Not always necessary due to labels (e.g., packet of chicken breasts lists macros). Log in RP Diet Coach app. Weighing helps for unlabeled foods, especially near end of diet for leanness.
Ronnie ate 600g protein in contest prep (sometimes 550g). Up to 1.5g/lb bodyweight defensible for muscle growth/retention; difference from 1g/lb is small but notable for elite like Ronnie at 300 lbs (450-500g defensible, 600g not crazy overkill). Don't overdo protein to leave room for fats and carbs. Max 1.5g/lb. Dr. Mike eats 300g+ at 220 lbs.
600g is annoying, especially whole foods (no shakes). Suppresses hunger. Protein sources: full rotisserie chicken, boneless turkey breast, bison burger, lean steak, chicken breast, egg whites, real eggs. Tasty, nutritious, not hard.
Ate 16 oz protein per meal, 5-6 meals/day (close to 100g protein/meal for 600g total). Ronnie used slow chew to finish. For bulking tips to cram food:
- Gain 0.5 lb/week instead of 1 lb (cut surplus by half, less fat gain).
- Cook/flavor better: air fry, grill, spices/seasonings (off-season fine, no macro impact). Tastier food = more palatable (food palatability reward hypothesis).
- Non-nutritive sweetener drinks (diet soda, Crystal Light, Mio) with meals ease eating savory foods.
Took 3 months to stuff food down, went from 280 to 325 lbs.
Ronnie ate no vegetables (didn't like taste), blood work perfect. Vegetables great for health: fiber (slows digestion, reduces hunger on fat loss), vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals. Eat veggies almost every meal on fat loss.
Ronnie gained 5-10 lbs muscle/year. Patience key; rapid ballooning leads to fat. Better: gain 0.5 lb for 12-20 weeks, maintain 1-2 months, lose 1 lb/week for 1-2 months, repeat. Gets 5-10 lbs muscle/year realistically.
5.5 weeks out: low carb week (6 low carb days, 1 high carb up to Olympia). Monitors look. Low carbs/low calories burn fat but accumulate water/fatigue; high carb day refills glycogen, reduces stress, practices peak week (carbs, sodium, fluid). Pulsatile low-high approach universal in bodybuilding.
Ronnie's rating: Big Dogs Got to Eat out of 10 Chicken Breasts.
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