Earlier than selfie sticks and temper lighting, the gymnasium was a spot to place 100% into any carry with out caring about likes or subscribers. Thankfully, the cameras nonetheless rolled nevertheless, as Ronnie Coleman just lately shared probably the most retro clips you’ll see for some time, repping 495 kilos with an unbelievable show on the entrance squat.
The yr was 2000, and Coleman was capturing his legendary coaching DVD, The Unbelievable. Within the DVD itself, we see the massive man headed to the gymnasium in his Dodge Viper, donning brilliant yellow tights and a “Shut Up and Squat” T-shirt — simply to make his intentions abundantly clear. The gymnasium in query was the Metroflex Fitness center in Arlington, TX, the place Coleman crushed a herculean exercise together with hack squats and barbell weighted lunges, however this explicit entrance squat clip retains going viral, as a result of it has all the things {that a} classic coaching video ought to must make it a traditional. Grunting? Verify! Questionable wardrobe? Verify? Proof that old-school bodybuilding is not for the faint of heart? Verify!
Ronnie Coleman’s Viral 495-Pound Entrance Squat Nonetheless Shocks Lifters
As Coleman reached for the Barbell, we meet Metroflex gym owner, Brian Dobson, who’s carrying a camouflage stringer and a pair of excessive lower denim shorts. “There’s no man who trains tougher, anyplace,” mentioned Dobson on the DVD itself. Time would show that he wasn’t mistaken.
After warming up, Coleman could be seen gripping the bar and attending to work. “I’ve the sunshine weight on it now,” jokes The King, with 5 45 kilos plates on both facet of the bar. After some encouraging “Yeah!” motivation from Dobson, Coleman cranks out ten stable reps earlier than re-racking the bar. And, since a regular Olympic barbell weighs 45 kilos, this locations the full load at 495 kilos.
Regardless of how surreal the clip seems in 2026, front squats are still a staple for those who wish to build bigger quads, glutes, hips, and hamstrings. However on the subject of bodybuilder’s who carry heavy, Coleman was typically in a league of his personal. In the “Unbelievable” DVD, Coleman deadlifted 800 pounds for two reps, and later upped his entrance squat weight to 585 kilos for 4 reps.
“Subsequent technology will say it’s AI,” wrote one amazed Instagram viewer. “Goosebumps,” wrote one other. “These denim shorts are legendary,” concluded the feedback.
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