"Hard work and training. There's no secret formula. I lift heavy, work hard and aim to be the best"
About this Quote
Ronnie Coleman’s line lands like a deadlift: plain, heavy, and designed to shut down excuses. In an era that fetishizes “hacks,” supplement stacks, and algorithmic shortcuts, he offers the least marketable answer possible: there isn’t one. That bluntness is the point. Coleman isn’t trying to inspire with poetic mystery; he’s policing the boundaries of legitimacy in a sport where bodies look unreal and outsiders assume science, cheating, or luck must be the real engine.
“Hard work and training” reads simple until you hear the subtext: repetition, boredom, pain tolerance, and years of showing up when motivation dies. “No secret formula” isn’t naive; it’s defensive. Bodybuilding has always been shadowed by controversy and commerce, and Coleman’s insistence on the basics is a way to claim moral authority. It reframes greatness as earned rather than purchased, discovered, or engineered.
Then there’s the cadence: short sentences, no ornament, a workman’s rhythm. It matches Coleman’s persona - the cop-turned-lifting-icon whose fame came from being both monstrous in size and almost disarmingly straightforward. “I lift heavy” is also a philosophy: commit to the hardest version of the task, not the most convenient one. “Aim to be the best” turns training into identity. It’s not “stay in shape” or “hit a goal”; it’s an all-or-nothing standard that explains both his dominance and the cost often visible in the aftermath of elite strength careers.
The quote works because it refuses consolation. It makes success feel accessible in theory, and brutally expensive in practice.
“Hard work and training” reads simple until you hear the subtext: repetition, boredom, pain tolerance, and years of showing up when motivation dies. “No secret formula” isn’t naive; it’s defensive. Bodybuilding has always been shadowed by controversy and commerce, and Coleman’s insistence on the basics is a way to claim moral authority. It reframes greatness as earned rather than purchased, discovered, or engineered.
Then there’s the cadence: short sentences, no ornament, a workman’s rhythm. It matches Coleman’s persona - the cop-turned-lifting-icon whose fame came from being both monstrous in size and almost disarmingly straightforward. “I lift heavy” is also a philosophy: commit to the hardest version of the task, not the most convenient one. “Aim to be the best” turns training into identity. It’s not “stay in shape” or “hit a goal”; it’s an all-or-nothing standard that explains both his dominance and the cost often visible in the aftermath of elite strength careers.
The quote works because it refuses consolation. It makes success feel accessible in theory, and brutally expensive in practice.
Quote Details
| Topic | Training & Practice |
|---|---|
| Source | Quote attributed to Ronnie Coleman; listed on Wikiquote page 'Ronnie Coleman' (collection of his quotes). |
More Quotes by Ronnie
Add to List





