A legendary Olympia meeting of the minds.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
When all is said and done, eight-time Mr. Olympia (1998-2005) Ronnie Coleman and seven-time champion (1970-1975, 1980) Arnold Schwarzenegger will be remembered as one of the two greatest bodybuilders in history. To this day, Coleman and Schwarzenegger remain iconic influences in the sport, keeping close tabs on the modern pantheon of fitness superstars whenever possible. One can only imagine what happens when these two legends get together these days.
On August 8, 2023, Schwarzenegger posted a video to his YouTube channel where he trained with Coleman at the hallowed Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA. The title of “2 Goats Walk Into a Gym” is more than fitting.
2 Goats Walk Into a Gym – The Arnold and Ronnie Workout
Schwarzenegger and Coleman’s training session wasn’t very long overall, but it still seemed effective and intense for their goals.
The pair began by working in some seated lateral machine raises, trading sets intermittently. Coleman would regularly push for at least another rep with each of his sets after being urged by Schwarzenegger. With each successive set, Schwarzenegger would match Coleman, praising his size and strength in the process.
The second exercise was a seated shoulder press to work the front deltoid muscles. Both Coleman and Schwarzenegger completed three successful sets each before moving on to requisite triceps training using a dips machine. It was here that Coleman remarked on the rarity of the moment featuring two Mr. Olympia greats teaming up.
“Fifteen [Mr.] Olympias [titles] in the house,” Coleman said. “This don’t ever happen.”
Coleman and Schwarzenegger closed their workout by doing machine preacher curls for their biceps muscles. Each man finished four sets each. Here is a complete overview of their workout:
Schwarzenegger and Coleman’s Gold’s Gym Workout
- Lateral Raise Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
- Seated Overhead Press Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
- Triceps Dip Machine — Three sets of 15-20 reps
- Machine Preacher Curl — Three sets of 15-20 reps
Schwarzenegger and Coleman concluded the workout by doing a signature “hand clasp” seen in some Schwarzenegger films, such as Predator.
Following the conclusion of their careers, Coleman and Schwarzenegger have followed very different paths as former legendary bodybuilders. Yet, they still found a way to intersect here. In Coleman’s own apt words: This don’t ever happen.
Featured image: Arnold Schwarzenegger on YouTube
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).