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Who Is the King of all Freaks – Ronnie or Ramy?
By Ron Harris
When two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy was first crowned the winner in December 2020, it was the first time a man over 250 pounds had held that title in over a decade. At 290 pounds, we hadn’t seen such a mass monster rule the sport since the days of Ronnie and Jay. Ronnie Coleman remains the heaviest man to ever win the Mr. Olympia at a bodyweight of 296 in 2004. Comparisons between the two colossal men, Ramy and Ronnie, soon sprung up everywhere online and in social media. Who is the king of all freaks? To answer that, we sought out the best qualified men to answer that question: Giles Thomas, Ronnie Coleman himself, and the only man to coach both champions to Mr. Olympia wins, Chad Nicholls.
Giles ‘Tiger’ Thomas
Photographer and journalist since 1995, former UK Market Manager for Ronnie Coleman Signature Series
King of ALL freaks? Hmm, I’d like to say this is a tough one to answer, but my Dad didn’t raise no liar, no sir. It’s pretty easy. Why? I’ll tell you.
Let’s break it down. We have the new Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy. He’s big; the clue is in the name. For seven long, agonizing years, we waited, we hoped that Egypt’s finest would, pardon my French, get his shit together. We saw him storm to victory at two New York Pro victories, one year making even 2007 Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez look positively, well, “not so big” next to Big Ramy. (Did I mention the clue is in the name?) But this was Ramy with still many improvements to make; the structure was all there, the size was certainly there (hoo-whee), but the balance was “off,” the conditioning, inconsistent. Seemingly, his team – at that time – wanted Ramy to live up to the name; they wanted him to be the biggest thing who ever stood on an Olympia stage.
I remember legendary industry photographer Kevin Horton, fresh back from his trip to Kuwait, raving to me over the phone at how he had just shot Ramy at a whopping 150kg bodyweight. That’s 330 pounds, my friends. “If he nails it, Giles, he will win the Olympia,” Kevin stated boldly. Well, that was six or seven years ago. For the following few years, we grew weary, the conditioning was – to be fair - hit and miss, the same physique strengths and weaknesses were being presented onstage. We lost faith; well, some of us did anyway.
Let us fast-forward now to the 2020 Mr. Olympia. Ramy – receiving the special invite – came in like a Stealth Bomber, with no pictures, no videos, nothing. Just quietly working away with Chad Nicholls and staying at his friend Dennis James’ house in Arizona, reportedly posing three times a day for Dennis, steadily grinding away. No fuss, no noise, like a ninja. A big one. On December 19th and 20th in Orlando, Florida, a 289-pound completely rebooted version of Ramy was unveiled. The conditioning was fixed; the leg separation, better. The size? Unmatched by anyone else in that contest. Ramy won/steamrolled the Mr. Olympia, the 16th man to do so.
But what about Ronnie Coleman? KING Ronnie Coleman? After all, in the land of freakdom have we all lost our tiny, feeble minds and simply forgotten what he brought to the stage? I was lucky enough to see Ronnie in his prime, on stage. The first time was in 1996 at the British Grand Prix, at two Mr Olympias (2001 and 2002, definitely not his best years, but still, damned impressive) and also at the 2004 British Grand Prix. Ronnie was over 300 pounds in that one. Shredded. The muscle bellies, the fullness, oh my. It was a site to behold, we all gasped in the audience. ALL of us. King Coleman at his all-time freakiest. For me? Nothing even comes close to that. Not Ramy, not anyone.
But – just like Ronnie – Big Ramy took a few years to really hit his stride. Hell, Ronnie was getting nowhere in the Mr. Olympia for several years before he morphed into the G.O.A.T. My point is, let’s revisit this comparison in a few years, shall we? It was six years of even BEING Mr. Olympia before we saw Ronnie hit the 2003 Olympia stage at the likes of something never before seen on ANY bodybuilding stage that left everyone else fighting for second place. So, let’s talk then yeah, and then let’s see who really is – who truly is – the F.O.A.T. (Yeah, buddy).
Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Speaks!
Who carried more mass, you or Ramy?
I think I carried a little bit more than he did. I might be a little bit taller than him, too. At the 2004 Mr. Olympia I was 296 pounds, the year before I had been 286.
What differences do you see between your two physiques?
Everyone’s body is different. My body was more equally proportioned. I didn’t have real big legs and arms that weren’t as big. I had big arms and legs, big back, big chest, big everything. More of his mass is distributed in the lower extremities. His legs kind of overshadow his upper body a little bit. He could either bring his upper body up or bring his lower body down to fix that. It should be easy to fix.
If he came to you for physique advice, would you suggest he stop training legs for a while?
I quit training arms for a while because I thought they were getting too big and throwing off my proportions. He could either stop training legs for a while, not train them as hard, or train his upper body twice as hard.
I see a difference in muscle quality, where you had more detail and separation than Ramy. You’re both pretty much the same size if you go by the scale or even if you took measurements, yet your muscle had a different look to it. Do you think that was due to genetics, or your training style?
It’s both for sure, and conditioning too. Ramy could be a little more conditioned in certain areas, especially his legs.
I see it in the back too, mainly the lower back where you always had that clear Christmas tree and he doesn’t have much mass or separation in the lower back. Ramy trains hard and he’s not a weak man by any means, but I do see him using a lot of machines. You were known to use almost solely barbells and dumbbells, and the weights were what world-class powerlifters were lifting. Does that make a big difference?
Oh yeah, for sure. I trained a lot heavier, like twice as heavy as these guys do today. I did all the free-weight basics. I don’t know too many of these guys today that do squats, deadlifts, bent rows, and T-bar rows all the time like I did. They all use a lot of machines. Of course that’s gonna make a difference. The weights matter a lot. I’ve seen the difference in physiques when guys train very heavy versus when they don’t. Even Phil Heath didn’t have that quality and hardness like I had, the thickness, because he didn’t train like me.
Dennis James did say that he doesn’t think Ramy trains anywhere near as hard back home in Egypt as when he is right there in the gym with him in Arizona.
You gotta train like that year-round. I did it full time, year-round, all the time.
Going back to bodyweight, a lot of people feel your best looks were at your first two Mr. Olympia wins in 1998 and 1999, and your 2001 Arnold Classic win, all of which you were in the 240-250 range. Do you feel you were able to bring a whole other level of crispness and dryness at the lighter weight as opposed to when you were 280 and above?
Once you get to a certain size, there’s only so much condition you can have. It’s like a double-edged sword. You can be huge and not as sharp, or have less size and be super conditioned. You can’t have both.
Ramy came down to 290 for his Olympia win, when he’s normally 300 and has been even heavier on stage. If he wants to keep his title, would you advise him to come in even lighter next time with better conditioning?
It depends on what the judges are looking for. If he can keep beating the other guys right where he is at 290, he should stay like that.
Would you give Ramy any poses over you?
Not with the condition he has now. He needs to get a lot sharper. A lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My muscles had a certain roundness to them that his don’t. There’s not a lot of guys out there today that have that. It makes the muscle look like it’s hanging off the bone. Flex Wheeler had that, so did Phil.
Last question, Ronnie. How many times do you think Big Ramy can win the Mr. Olympia?
I’d say at least another four to five years, but you never know when someone is going to come out of nowhere. Right now I don’t see anyone to challenge him, especially if he keeps working with Chad.
Chad Nicholls – Ronnie’s Coach From 1998-2007, Ramy’s Coach 2020-
What Ronnie and Ramy Have in Common
“Ronnie and Ramy have amazing similarities while being completely different athletes, but the one common denominator with them is that both believe in their hearts that they were put on this planet to be Mr. Olympia. When you have that kind of belief and drive, you can accomplish anything.”
Who Is the King of all Freaks?
“When talking about the ultimate ‘freak,’ only time will tell. Right now, Ronnie stands in a class alone. He is the best that we have ever seen. The 2003 version may never step on stage again. However, Ramy is only at the beginning of his reign, still young and hungry and ready to improve and distance himself further from the pack. This is the same mindset that Ronnie had in 1998, and we saw his astounding progression over the next four to five years. Ramy has that same ability, the same drive and the same mindset and I can promise I now have the blueprint to duplicate this type of progression – so the next few years will tell the tale.”
Final Verdict
“For sheer freak factor, I have to award the title to Ronnie. However, as Giles pointed out, Big Ramy is still in the infancy of his Mr. Olympia reign and could very well make dramatic improvements over the next few years as Ronnie did. For now, he is still a work in progress and it’s possible that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Ronnie vs. Ramy: Comparison Poses
Front Double Biceps
Ramy has a longer torso, which in one sense gives him a better V-taper in this shot. He also has superior outer quad sweep, probably the best in the sport today. Ronnie has him beat on arms, mainly due to the jagged peaks of his biceps rising higher. You will also note a slight asymmetry in Ramy, with his right arm being larger and with a better biceps peak than his left, whereas Ronnie’s are symmetrical. Ronnie’s legs have superior hardness and separation.
Front Lat Spread
Here it’s apparent that Ronnie’s upper body was significantly thicker and denser than Ramy’s. His back in particular was so massive that there is zero gap between his arms and lats in this pose.
Rear Lat Spread
Ramy has a lot of work ahead of him before we can say his back is close to Ronnie’s. Then again, many feel that Ronnie along with Dorian Yates had the best back development of all time. Their upper backs aren’t so far apart, but Ronnie’s lower lats and spinal erectors were much thicker and harder – no doubt in part due to his love of heavy deadlifts. Remember that 800-pound pull? Since the entire physique is being analyzed, you will also note that Ronnie’s glutes were twice as large and more clearly striated, and his hamstrings were like steel cords. Even Ronnie’s calves, which were not great, were better.
Side Chest
This is a shot I actually concede to Ramy, even though Ronnie does edge him out in the chest. I like the way Ramy hits this pose and the way his physique flows. His legs in the side shots are breathtaking, with sweeping hams and deep chasms delineating them from the quads and glutes.
Side Triceps
Ronnie dwarfs Ramy in this one. The side tri showcases Ronnie’s tremendous overall upper body thickness. Those of you with a real eye for detail will notice how much thicker and higher Ronnie’s traps were compared to Ramy. That’s typical of men who have spent decades toiling with heavy slag iron, such as top powerlifters and strongmen. I stood next to Ronnie many times in his prime, and his traps damn near touched his ears. Considering we all saw him deadlifting 800 pounds and performing shrugs with six plates a side, it’s no surprise Ramy’s traps don’t have that same look.
Most Muscular (hands on hip)
Here is where you can see Ronnie’s balance of thickness from top to bottom on full display. With Ramy, you can’t help but be drawn to his outrageously huge quads, because they are larger in proportion to his arms. No one muscle group stands out with Ronnie, because they were all developed to the max.
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. facebook Instagram
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Who Is the King of all Freaks – Ronnie or Ramy?
By Ron Harris
When two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy was first crowned the winner in December 2020, it was the first time a man over 250 pounds had held that title in over a decade. At 290 pounds, we hadn’t seen such a mass monster rule the sport since the days of Ronnie and Jay. Ronnie Coleman remains the heaviest man to ever win the Mr. Olympia at a bodyweight of 296 in 2004. Comparisons between the two colossal men, Ramy and Ronnie, soon sprung up everywhere online and in social media. Who is the king of all freaks? To answer that, we sought out the best qualified men to answer that question: Giles Thomas, Ronnie Coleman himself, and the only man to coach both champions to Mr. Olympia wins, Chad Nicholls.
Giles ‘Tiger’ Thomas
Photographer and journalist since 1995, former UK Market Manager for Ronnie Coleman Signature Series
King of ALL freaks? Hmm, I’d like to say this is a tough one to answer, but my Dad didn’t raise no liar, no sir. It’s pretty easy. Why? I’ll tell you.
Let’s break it down. We have the new Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy. He’s big; the clue is in the name. For seven long, agonizing years, we waited, we hoped that Egypt’s finest would, pardon my French, get his shit together. We saw him storm to victory at two New York Pro victories, one year making even 2007 Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez look positively, well, “not so big” next to Big Ramy. (Did I mention the clue is in the name?) But this was Ramy with still many improvements to make; the structure was all there, the size was certainly there (hoo-whee), but the balance was “off,” the conditioning, inconsistent. Seemingly, his team – at that time – wanted Ramy to live up to the name; they wanted him to be the biggest thing who ever stood on an Olympia stage.
I remember legendary industry photographer Kevin Horton, fresh back from his trip to Kuwait, raving to me over the phone at how he had just shot Ramy at a whopping 150kg bodyweight. That’s 330 pounds, my friends. “If he nails it, Giles, he will win the Olympia,” Kevin stated boldly. Well, that was six or seven years ago. For the following few years, we grew weary, the conditioning was – to be fair - hit and miss, the same physique strengths and weaknesses were being presented onstage. We lost faith; well, some of us did anyway.
Let us fast-forward now to the 2020 Mr. Olympia. Ramy – receiving the special invite – came in like a Stealth Bomber, with no pictures, no videos, nothing. Just quietly working away with Chad Nicholls and staying at his friend Dennis James’ house in Arizona, reportedly posing three times a day for Dennis, steadily grinding away. No fuss, no noise, like a ninja. A big one. On December 19th and 20th in Orlando, Florida, a 289-pound completely rebooted version of Ramy was unveiled. The conditioning was fixed; the leg separation, better. The size? Unmatched by anyone else in that contest. Ramy won/steamrolled the Mr. Olympia, the 16th man to do so.
But what about Ronnie Coleman? KING Ronnie Coleman? After all, in the land of freakdom have we all lost our tiny, feeble minds and simply forgotten what he brought to the stage? I was lucky enough to see Ronnie in his prime, on stage. The first time was in 1996 at the British Grand Prix, at two Mr Olympias (2001 and 2002, definitely not his best years, but still, damned impressive) and also at the 2004 British Grand Prix. Ronnie was over 300 pounds in that one. Shredded. The muscle bellies, the fullness, oh my. It was a site to behold, we all gasped in the audience. ALL of us. King Coleman at his all-time freakiest. For me? Nothing even comes close to that. Not Ramy, not anyone.
But – just like Ronnie – Big Ramy took a few years to really hit his stride. Hell, Ronnie was getting nowhere in the Mr. Olympia for several years before he morphed into the G.O.A.T. My point is, let’s revisit this comparison in a few years, shall we? It was six years of even BEING Mr. Olympia before we saw Ronnie hit the 2003 Olympia stage at the likes of something never before seen on ANY bodybuilding stage that left everyone else fighting for second place. So, let’s talk then yeah, and then let’s see who really is – who truly is – the F.O.A.T. (Yeah, buddy).
Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Speaks!
Who carried more mass, you or Ramy?
I think I carried a little bit more than he did. I might be a little bit taller than him, too. At the 2004 Mr. Olympia I was 296 pounds, the year before I had been 286.
What differences do you see between your two physiques?
Everyone’s body is different. My body was more equally proportioned. I didn’t have real big legs and arms that weren’t as big. I had big arms and legs, big back, big chest, big everything. More of his mass is distributed in the lower extremities. His legs kind of overshadow his upper body a little bit. He could either bring his upper body up or bring his lower body down to fix that. It should be easy to fix.
If he came to you for physique advice, would you suggest he stop training legs for a while?
I quit training arms for a while because I thought they were getting too big and throwing off my proportions. He could either stop training legs for a while, not train them as hard, or train his upper body twice as hard.
I see a difference in muscle quality, where you had more detail and separation than Ramy. You’re both pretty much the same size if you go by the scale or even if you took measurements, yet your muscle had a different look to it. Do you think that was due to genetics, or your training style?
It’s both for sure, and conditioning too. Ramy could be a little more conditioned in certain areas, especially his legs.
I see it in the back too, mainly the lower back where you always had that clear Christmas tree and he doesn’t have much mass or separation in the lower back. Ramy trains hard and he’s not a weak man by any means, but I do see him using a lot of machines. You were known to use almost solely barbells and dumbbells, and the weights were what world-class powerlifters were lifting. Does that make a big difference?
Oh yeah, for sure. I trained a lot heavier, like twice as heavy as these guys do today. I did all the free-weight basics. I don’t know too many of these guys today that do squats, deadlifts, bent rows, and T-bar rows all the time like I did. They all use a lot of machines. Of course that’s gonna make a difference. The weights matter a lot. I’ve seen the difference in physiques when guys train very heavy versus when they don’t. Even Phil Heath didn’t have that quality and hardness like I had, the thickness, because he didn’t train like me.
Dennis James did say that he doesn’t think Ramy trains anywhere near as hard back home in Egypt as when he is right there in the gym with him in Arizona.
You gotta train like that year-round. I did it full time, year-round, all the time.
Going back to bodyweight, a lot of people feel your best looks were at your first two Mr. Olympia wins in 1998 and 1999, and your 2001 Arnold Classic win, all of which you were in the 240-250 range. Do you feel you were able to bring a whole other level of crispness and dryness at the lighter weight as opposed to when you were 280 and above?
Once you get to a certain size, there’s only so much condition you can have. It’s like a double-edged sword. You can be huge and not as sharp, or have less size and be super conditioned. You can’t have both.
Ramy came down to 290 for his Olympia win, when he’s normally 300 and has been even heavier on stage. If he wants to keep his title, would you advise him to come in even lighter next time with better conditioning?
It depends on what the judges are looking for. If he can keep beating the other guys right where he is at 290, he should stay like that.
Would you give Ramy any poses over you?
Not with the condition he has now. He needs to get a lot sharper. A lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My muscles had a certain roundness to them that his don’t. There’s not a lot of guys out there today that have that. It makes the muscle look like it’s hanging off the bone. Flex Wheeler had that, so did Phil.
Last question, Ronnie. How many times do you think Big Ramy can win the Mr. Olympia?
I’d say at least another four to five years, but you never know when someone is going to come out of nowhere. Right now I don’t see anyone to challenge him, especially if he keeps working with Chad.
Chad Nicholls – Ronnie’s Coach From 1998-2007, Ramy’s Coach 2020-
What Ronnie and Ramy Have in Common
“Ronnie and Ramy have amazing similarities while being completely different athletes, but the one common denominator with them is that both believe in their hearts that they were put on this planet to be Mr. Olympia. When you have that kind of belief and drive, you can accomplish anything.”
Who Is the King of all Freaks?
“When talking about the ultimate ‘freak,’ only time will tell. Right now, Ronnie stands in a class alone. He is the best that we have ever seen. The 2003 version may never step on stage again. However, Ramy is only at the beginning of his reign, still young and hungry and ready to improve and distance himself further from the pack. This is the same mindset that Ronnie had in 1998, and we saw his astounding progression over the next four to five years. Ramy has that same ability, the same drive and the same mindset and I can promise I now have the blueprint to duplicate this type of progression – so the next few years will tell the tale.”
Final Verdict
“For sheer freak factor, I have to award the title to Ronnie. However, as Giles pointed out, Big Ramy is still in the infancy of his Mr. Olympia reign and could very well make dramatic improvements over the next few years as Ronnie did. For now, he is still a work in progress and it’s possible that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Ronnie vs. Ramy: Comparison Poses
Front Double Biceps
Ramy has a longer torso, which in one sense gives him a better V-taper in this shot. He also has superior outer quad sweep, probably the best in the sport today. Ronnie has him beat on arms, mainly due to the jagged peaks of his biceps rising higher. You will also note a slight asymmetry in Ramy, with his right arm being larger and with a better biceps peak than his left, whereas Ronnie’s are symmetrical. Ronnie’s legs have superior hardness and separation.
Front Lat Spread
Here it’s apparent that Ronnie’s upper body was significantly thicker and denser than Ramy’s. His back in particular was so massive that there is zero gap between his arms and lats in this pose.
Rear Lat Spread
Ramy has a lot of work ahead of him before we can say his back is close to Ronnie’s. Then again, many feel that Ronnie along with Dorian Yates had the best back development of all time. Their upper backs aren’t so far apart, but Ronnie’s lower lats and spinal erectors were much thicker and harder – no doubt in part due to his love of heavy deadlifts. Remember that 800-pound pull? Since the entire physique is being analyzed, you will also note that Ronnie’s glutes were twice as large and more clearly striated, and his hamstrings were like steel cords. Even Ronnie’s calves, which were not great, were better.
Side Chest
This is a shot I actually concede to Ramy, even though Ronnie does edge him out in the chest. I like the way Ramy hits this pose and the way his physique flows. His legs in the side shots are breathtaking, with sweeping hams and deep chasms delineating them from the quads and glutes.
Side Triceps
Ronnie dwarfs Ramy in this one. The side tri showcases Ronnie’s tremendous overall upper body thickness. Those of you with a real eye for detail will notice how much thicker and higher Ronnie’s traps were compared to Ramy. That’s typical of men who have spent decades toiling with heavy slag iron, such as top powerlifters and strongmen. I stood next to Ronnie many times in his prime, and his traps damn near touched his ears. Considering we all saw him deadlifting 800 pounds and performing shrugs with six plates a side, it’s no surprise Ramy’s traps don’t have that same look.
Most Muscular (hands on hip)
Here is where you can see Ronnie’s balance of thickness from top to bottom on full display. With Ramy, you can’t help but be drawn to his outrageously huge quads, because they are larger in proportion to his arms. No one muscle group stands out with Ronnie, because they were all developed to the max.
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. facebook Instagram
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By Ron Harris
When two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy was first crowned the winner in December 2020, it was the first time a man over 250 pounds had held that title in over a decade. At 290 pounds, we hadn’t seen such a mass monster rule the sport since the days of Ronnie and Jay. Ronnie Coleman remains the heaviest man to ever win the Mr. Olympia at a bodyweight of 296 in 2004. Comparisons between the two colossal men, Ramy and Ronnie, soon sprung up everywhere online and in social media. Who is the king of all freaks? To answer that, we sought out the best qualified men to answer that question: Giles Thomas, Ronnie Coleman himself, and the only man to coach both champions to Mr. Olympia wins, Chad Nicholls.
Giles ‘Tiger’ Thomas
Photographer and journalist since 1995, former UK Market Manager for Ronnie Coleman Signature Series
King of ALL freaks? Hmm, I’d like to say this is a tough one to answer, but my Dad didn’t raise no liar, no sir. It’s pretty easy. Why? I’ll tell you.
Let’s break it down. We have the new Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy. He’s big; the clue is in the name. For seven long, agonizing years, we waited, we hoped that Egypt’s finest would, pardon my French, get his shit together. We saw him storm to victory at two New York Pro victories, one year making even 2007 Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez look positively, well, “not so big” next to Big Ramy. (Did I mention the clue is in the name?) But this was Ramy with still many improvements to make; the structure was all there, the size was certainly there (hoo-whee), but the balance was “off,” the conditioning, inconsistent. Seemingly, his team – at that time – wanted Ramy to live up to the name; they wanted him to be the biggest thing who ever stood on an Olympia stage.
I remember legendary industry photographer Kevin Horton, fresh back from his trip to Kuwait, raving to me over the phone at how he had just shot Ramy at a whopping 150kg bodyweight. That’s 330 pounds, my friends. “If he nails it, Giles, he will win the Olympia,” Kevin stated boldly. Well, that was six or seven years ago. For the following few years, we grew weary, the conditioning was – to be fair - hit and miss, the same physique strengths and weaknesses were being presented onstage. We lost faith; well, some of us did anyway.
Let us fast-forward now to the 2020 Mr. Olympia. Ramy – receiving the special invite – came in like a Stealth Bomber, with no pictures, no videos, nothing. Just quietly working away with Chad Nicholls and staying at his friend Dennis James’ house in Arizona, reportedly posing three times a day for Dennis, steadily grinding away. No fuss, no noise, like a ninja. A big one. On December 19th and 20th in Orlando, Florida, a 289-pound completely rebooted version of Ramy was unveiled. The conditioning was fixed; the leg separation, better. The size? Unmatched by anyone else in that contest. Ramy won/steamrolled the Mr. Olympia, the 16th man to do so.
But what about Ronnie Coleman? KING Ronnie Coleman? After all, in the land of freakdom have we all lost our tiny, feeble minds and simply forgotten what he brought to the stage? I was lucky enough to see Ronnie in his prime, on stage. The first time was in 1996 at the British Grand Prix, at two Mr Olympias (2001 and 2002, definitely not his best years, but still, damned impressive) and also at the 2004 British Grand Prix. Ronnie was over 300 pounds in that one. Shredded. The muscle bellies, the fullness, oh my. It was a site to behold, we all gasped in the audience. ALL of us. King Coleman at his all-time freakiest. For me? Nothing even comes close to that. Not Ramy, not anyone.
But – just like Ronnie – Big Ramy took a few years to really hit his stride. Hell, Ronnie was getting nowhere in the Mr. Olympia for several years before he morphed into the G.O.A.T. My point is, let’s revisit this comparison in a few years, shall we? It was six years of even BEING Mr. Olympia before we saw Ronnie hit the 2003 Olympia stage at the likes of something never before seen on ANY bodybuilding stage that left everyone else fighting for second place. So, let’s talk then yeah, and then let’s see who really is – who truly is – the F.O.A.T. (Yeah, buddy).
Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Speaks!
Who carried more mass, you or Ramy?
I think I carried a little bit more than he did. I might be a little bit taller than him, too. At the 2004 Mr. Olympia I was 296 pounds, the year before I had been 286.
What differences do you see between your two physiques?
Everyone’s body is different. My body was more equally proportioned. I didn’t have real big legs and arms that weren’t as big. I had big arms and legs, big back, big chest, big everything. More of his mass is distributed in the lower extremities. His legs kind of overshadow his upper body a little bit. He could either bring his upper body up or bring his lower body down to fix that. It should be easy to fix.
If he came to you for physique advice, would you suggest he stop training legs for a while?
I quit training arms for a while because I thought they were getting too big and throwing off my proportions. He could either stop training legs for a while, not train them as hard, or train his upper body twice as hard.
I see a difference in muscle quality, where you had more detail and separation than Ramy. You’re both pretty much the same size if you go by the scale or even if you took measurements, yet your muscle had a different look to it. Do you think that was due to genetics, or your training style?
It’s both for sure, and conditioning too. Ramy could be a little more conditioned in certain areas, especially his legs.
I see it in the back too, mainly the lower back where you always had that clear Christmas tree and he doesn’t have much mass or separation in the lower back. Ramy trains hard and he’s not a weak man by any means, but I do see him using a lot of machines. You were known to use almost solely barbells and dumbbells, and the weights were what world-class powerlifters were lifting. Does that make a big difference?
Oh yeah, for sure. I trained a lot heavier, like twice as heavy as these guys do today. I did all the free-weight basics. I don’t know too many of these guys today that do squats, deadlifts, bent rows, and T-bar rows all the time like I did. They all use a lot of machines. Of course that’s gonna make a difference. The weights matter a lot. I’ve seen the difference in physiques when guys train very heavy versus when they don’t. Even Phil Heath didn’t have that quality and hardness like I had, the thickness, because he didn’t train like me.
Dennis James did say that he doesn’t think Ramy trains anywhere near as hard back home in Egypt as when he is right there in the gym with him in Arizona.
You gotta train like that year-round. I did it full time, year-round, all the time.
Going back to bodyweight, a lot of people feel your best looks were at your first two Mr. Olympia wins in 1998 and 1999, and your 2001 Arnold Classic win, all of which you were in the 240-250 range. Do you feel you were able to bring a whole other level of crispness and dryness at the lighter weight as opposed to when you were 280 and above?
Once you get to a certain size, there’s only so much condition you can have. It’s like a double-edged sword. You can be huge and not as sharp, or have less size and be super conditioned. You can’t have both.
Ramy came down to 290 for his Olympia win, when he’s normally 300 and has been even heavier on stage. If he wants to keep his title, would you advise him to come in even lighter next time with better conditioning?
It depends on what the judges are looking for. If he can keep beating the other guys right where he is at 290, he should stay like that.
Would you give Ramy any poses over you?
Not with the condition he has now. He needs to get a lot sharper. A lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My muscles had a certain roundness to them that his don’t. There’s not a lot of guys out there today that have that. It makes the muscle look like it’s hanging off the bone. Flex Wheeler had that, so did Phil.
Last question, Ronnie. How many times do you think Big Ramy can win the Mr. Olympia?
I’d say at least another four to five years, but you never know when someone is going to come out of nowhere. Right now I don’t see anyone to challenge him, especially if he keeps working with Chad.
Chad Nicholls – Ronnie’s Coach From 1998-2007, Ramy’s Coach 2020-
What Ronnie and Ramy Have in Common
“Ronnie and Ramy have amazing similarities while being completely different athletes, but the one common denominator with them is that both believe in their hearts that they were put on this planet to be Mr. Olympia. When you have that kind of belief and drive, you can accomplish anything.”
Who Is the King of all Freaks?
“When talking about the ultimate ‘freak,’ only time will tell. Right now, Ronnie stands in a class alone. He is the best that we have ever seen. The 2003 version may never step on stage again. However, Ramy is only at the beginning of his reign, still young and hungry and ready to improve and distance himself further from the pack. This is the same mindset that Ronnie had in 1998, and we saw his astounding progression over the next four to five years. Ramy has that same ability, the same drive and the same mindset and I can promise I now have the blueprint to duplicate this type of progression – so the next few years will tell the tale.”
Final Verdict
“For sheer freak factor, I have to award the title to Ronnie. However, as Giles pointed out, Big Ramy is still in the infancy of his Mr. Olympia reign and could very well make dramatic improvements over the next few years as Ronnie did. For now, he is still a work in progress and it’s possible that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Ronnie vs. Ramy: Comparison Poses
Front Double Biceps
Ramy has a longer torso, which in one sense gives him a better V-taper in this shot. He also has superior outer quad sweep, probably the best in the sport today. Ronnie has him beat on arms, mainly due to the jagged peaks of his biceps rising higher. You will also note a slight asymmetry in Ramy, with his right arm being larger and with a better biceps peak than his left, whereas Ronnie’s are symmetrical. Ronnie’s legs have superior hardness and separation.
Front Lat Spread
Here it’s apparent that Ronnie’s upper body was significantly thicker and denser than Ramy’s. His back in particular was so massive that there is zero gap between his arms and lats in this pose.
Rear Lat Spread
Ramy has a lot of work ahead of him before we can say his back is close to Ronnie’s. Then again, many feel that Ronnie along with Dorian Yates had the best back development of all time. Their upper backs aren’t so far apart, but Ronnie’s lower lats and spinal erectors were much thicker and harder – no doubt in part due to his love of heavy deadlifts. Remember that 800-pound pull? Since the entire physique is being analyzed, you will also note that Ronnie’s glutes were twice as large and more clearly striated, and his hamstrings were like steel cords. Even Ronnie’s calves, which were not great, were better.
Side Chest
This is a shot I actually concede to Ramy, even though Ronnie does edge him out in the chest. I like the way Ramy hits this pose and the way his physique flows. His legs in the side shots are breathtaking, with sweeping hams and deep chasms delineating them from the quads and glutes.
Side Triceps
Ronnie dwarfs Ramy in this one. The side tri showcases Ronnie’s tremendous overall upper body thickness. Those of you with a real eye for detail will notice how much thicker and higher Ronnie’s traps were compared to Ramy. That’s typical of men who have spent decades toiling with heavy slag iron, such as top powerlifters and strongmen. I stood next to Ronnie many times in his prime, and his traps damn near touched his ears. Considering we all saw him deadlifting 800 pounds and performing shrugs with six plates a side, it’s no surprise Ramy’s traps don’t have that same look.
Most Muscular (hands on hip)
Here is where you can see Ronnie’s balance of thickness from top to bottom on full display. With Ramy, you can’t help but be drawn to his outrageously huge quads, because they are larger in proportion to his arms. No one muscle group stands out with Ronnie, because they were all developed to the max.
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. facebook Instagram
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Who Is the King of all Freaks – Ronnie or Ramy?
By Ron Harris
When two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy was first crowned the winner in December 2020, it was the first time a man over 250 pounds had held that title in over a decade. At 290 pounds, we hadn’t seen such a mass monster rule the sport since the days of Ronnie and Jay. Ronnie Coleman remains the heaviest man to ever win the Mr. Olympia at a bodyweight of 296 in 2004. Comparisons between the two colossal men, Ramy and Ronnie, soon sprung up everywhere online and in social media. Who is the king of all freaks? To answer that, we sought out the best qualified men to answer that question: Giles Thomas, Ronnie Coleman himself, and the only man to coach both champions to Mr. Olympia wins, Chad Nicholls.
Giles ‘Tiger’ Thomas
Photographer and journalist since 1995, former UK Market Manager for Ronnie Coleman Signature Series
King of ALL freaks? Hmm, I’d like to say this is a tough one to answer, but my Dad didn’t raise no liar, no sir. It’s pretty easy. Why? I’ll tell you.
Let’s break it down. We have the new Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy. He’s big; the clue is in the name. For seven long, agonizing years, we waited, we hoped that Egypt’s finest would, pardon my French, get his shit together. We saw him storm to victory at two New York Pro victories, one year making even 2007 Mr. Olympia runner-up Victor Martinez look positively, well, “not so big” next to Big Ramy. (Did I mention the clue is in the name?) But this was Ramy with still many improvements to make; the structure was all there, the size was certainly there (hoo-whee), but the balance was “off,” the conditioning, inconsistent. Seemingly, his team – at that time – wanted Ramy to live up to the name; they wanted him to be the biggest thing who ever stood on an Olympia stage.
I remember legendary industry photographer Kevin Horton, fresh back from his trip to Kuwait, raving to me over the phone at how he had just shot Ramy at a whopping 150kg bodyweight. That’s 330 pounds, my friends. “If he nails it, Giles, he will win the Olympia,” Kevin stated boldly. Well, that was six or seven years ago. For the following few years, we grew weary, the conditioning was – to be fair - hit and miss, the same physique strengths and weaknesses were being presented onstage. We lost faith; well, some of us did anyway.
Let us fast-forward now to the 2020 Mr. Olympia. Ramy – receiving the special invite – came in like a Stealth Bomber, with no pictures, no videos, nothing. Just quietly working away with Chad Nicholls and staying at his friend Dennis James’ house in Arizona, reportedly posing three times a day for Dennis, steadily grinding away. No fuss, no noise, like a ninja. A big one. On December 19th and 20th in Orlando, Florida, a 289-pound completely rebooted version of Ramy was unveiled. The conditioning was fixed; the leg separation, better. The size? Unmatched by anyone else in that contest. Ramy won/steamrolled the Mr. Olympia, the 16th man to do so.
But what about Ronnie Coleman? KING Ronnie Coleman? After all, in the land of freakdom have we all lost our tiny, feeble minds and simply forgotten what he brought to the stage? I was lucky enough to see Ronnie in his prime, on stage. The first time was in 1996 at the British Grand Prix, at two Mr Olympias (2001 and 2002, definitely not his best years, but still, damned impressive) and also at the 2004 British Grand Prix. Ronnie was over 300 pounds in that one. Shredded. The muscle bellies, the fullness, oh my. It was a site to behold, we all gasped in the audience. ALL of us. King Coleman at his all-time freakiest. For me? Nothing even comes close to that. Not Ramy, not anyone.
But – just like Ronnie – Big Ramy took a few years to really hit his stride. Hell, Ronnie was getting nowhere in the Mr. Olympia for several years before he morphed into the G.O.A.T. My point is, let’s revisit this comparison in a few years, shall we? It was six years of even BEING Mr. Olympia before we saw Ronnie hit the 2003 Olympia stage at the likes of something never before seen on ANY bodybuilding stage that left everyone else fighting for second place. So, let’s talk then yeah, and then let’s see who really is – who truly is – the F.O.A.T. (Yeah, buddy).
Eight-Time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman Speaks!
Who carried more mass, you or Ramy?
I think I carried a little bit more than he did. I might be a little bit taller than him, too. At the 2004 Mr. Olympia I was 296 pounds, the year before I had been 286.
What differences do you see between your two physiques?
Everyone’s body is different. My body was more equally proportioned. I didn’t have real big legs and arms that weren’t as big. I had big arms and legs, big back, big chest, big everything. More of his mass is distributed in the lower extremities. His legs kind of overshadow his upper body a little bit. He could either bring his upper body up or bring his lower body down to fix that. It should be easy to fix.
If he came to you for physique advice, would you suggest he stop training legs for a while?
I quit training arms for a while because I thought they were getting too big and throwing off my proportions. He could either stop training legs for a while, not train them as hard, or train his upper body twice as hard.
I see a difference in muscle quality, where you had more detail and separation than Ramy. You’re both pretty much the same size if you go by the scale or even if you took measurements, yet your muscle had a different look to it. Do you think that was due to genetics, or your training style?
It’s both for sure, and conditioning too. Ramy could be a little more conditioned in certain areas, especially his legs.
I see it in the back too, mainly the lower back where you always had that clear Christmas tree and he doesn’t have much mass or separation in the lower back. Ramy trains hard and he’s not a weak man by any means, but I do see him using a lot of machines. You were known to use almost solely barbells and dumbbells, and the weights were what world-class powerlifters were lifting. Does that make a big difference?
Oh yeah, for sure. I trained a lot heavier, like twice as heavy as these guys do today. I did all the free-weight basics. I don’t know too many of these guys today that do squats, deadlifts, bent rows, and T-bar rows all the time like I did. They all use a lot of machines. Of course that’s gonna make a difference. The weights matter a lot. I’ve seen the difference in physiques when guys train very heavy versus when they don’t. Even Phil Heath didn’t have that quality and hardness like I had, the thickness, because he didn’t train like me.
Dennis James did say that he doesn’t think Ramy trains anywhere near as hard back home in Egypt as when he is right there in the gym with him in Arizona.
You gotta train like that year-round. I did it full time, year-round, all the time.
Going back to bodyweight, a lot of people feel your best looks were at your first two Mr. Olympia wins in 1998 and 1999, and your 2001 Arnold Classic win, all of which you were in the 240-250 range. Do you feel you were able to bring a whole other level of crispness and dryness at the lighter weight as opposed to when you were 280 and above?
Once you get to a certain size, there’s only so much condition you can have. It’s like a double-edged sword. You can be huge and not as sharp, or have less size and be super conditioned. You can’t have both.
Ramy came down to 290 for his Olympia win, when he’s normally 300 and has been even heavier on stage. If he wants to keep his title, would you advise him to come in even lighter next time with better conditioning?
It depends on what the judges are looking for. If he can keep beating the other guys right where he is at 290, he should stay like that.
Would you give Ramy any poses over you?
Not with the condition he has now. He needs to get a lot sharper. A lot of it has to do with genetics, too. My muscles had a certain roundness to them that his don’t. There’s not a lot of guys out there today that have that. It makes the muscle look like it’s hanging off the bone. Flex Wheeler had that, so did Phil.
Last question, Ronnie. How many times do you think Big Ramy can win the Mr. Olympia?
I’d say at least another four to five years, but you never know when someone is going to come out of nowhere. Right now I don’t see anyone to challenge him, especially if he keeps working with Chad.
Chad Nicholls – Ronnie’s Coach From 1998-2007, Ramy’s Coach 2020-
What Ronnie and Ramy Have in Common
“Ronnie and Ramy have amazing similarities while being completely different athletes, but the one common denominator with them is that both believe in their hearts that they were put on this planet to be Mr. Olympia. When you have that kind of belief and drive, you can accomplish anything.”
Who Is the King of all Freaks?
“When talking about the ultimate ‘freak,’ only time will tell. Right now, Ronnie stands in a class alone. He is the best that we have ever seen. The 2003 version may never step on stage again. However, Ramy is only at the beginning of his reign, still young and hungry and ready to improve and distance himself further from the pack. This is the same mindset that Ronnie had in 1998, and we saw his astounding progression over the next four to five years. Ramy has that same ability, the same drive and the same mindset and I can promise I now have the blueprint to duplicate this type of progression – so the next few years will tell the tale.”
Final Verdict
“For sheer freak factor, I have to award the title to Ronnie. However, as Giles pointed out, Big Ramy is still in the infancy of his Mr. Olympia reign and could very well make dramatic improvements over the next few years as Ronnie did. For now, he is still a work in progress and it’s possible that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Ronnie vs. Ramy: Comparison Poses
Front Double Biceps
Ramy has a longer torso, which in one sense gives him a better V-taper in this shot. He also has superior outer quad sweep, probably the best in the sport today. Ronnie has him beat on arms, mainly due to the jagged peaks of his biceps rising higher. You will also note a slight asymmetry in Ramy, with his right arm being larger and with a better biceps peak than his left, whereas Ronnie’s are symmetrical. Ronnie’s legs have superior hardness and separation.
Front Lat Spread
Here it’s apparent that Ronnie’s upper body was significantly thicker and denser than Ramy’s. His back in particular was so massive that there is zero gap between his arms and lats in this pose.
Rear Lat Spread
Ramy has a lot of work ahead of him before we can say his back is close to Ronnie’s. Then again, many feel that Ronnie along with Dorian Yates had the best back development of all time. Their upper backs aren’t so far apart, but Ronnie’s lower lats and spinal erectors were much thicker and harder – no doubt in part due to his love of heavy deadlifts. Remember that 800-pound pull? Since the entire physique is being analyzed, you will also note that Ronnie’s glutes were twice as large and more clearly striated, and his hamstrings were like steel cords. Even Ronnie’s calves, which were not great, were better.
Side Chest
This is a shot I actually concede to Ramy, even though Ronnie does edge him out in the chest. I like the way Ramy hits this pose and the way his physique flows. His legs in the side shots are breathtaking, with sweeping hams and deep chasms delineating them from the quads and glutes.
Side Triceps
Ronnie dwarfs Ramy in this one. The side tri showcases Ronnie’s tremendous overall upper body thickness. Those of you with a real eye for detail will notice how much thicker and higher Ronnie’s traps were compared to Ramy. That’s typical of men who have spent decades toiling with heavy slag iron, such as top powerlifters and strongmen. I stood next to Ronnie many times in his prime, and his traps damn near touched his ears. Considering we all saw him deadlifting 800 pounds and performing shrugs with six plates a side, it’s no surprise Ramy’s traps don’t have that same look.
Most Muscular (hands on hip)
Here is where you can see Ronnie’s balance of thickness from top to bottom on full display. With Ramy, you can’t help but be drawn to his outrageously huge quads, because they are larger in proportion to his arms. No one muscle group stands out with Ronnie, because they were all developed to the max.
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. facebook Instagram
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SUBSCRIBE TO MD TODAY
GET OFFICIAL MD STUFF
VISIT OUR STORE
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