Last week we dropped the bombshell that we were going to have the opportunity to interview icon and 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, this week, we recap how it went. This episode was recorded while we were still in Texas, after returning to Austin following our road trip to the original Metroflex in Arlington. We not only got to interview Ronnie while there but also Brian Dobson, the founder of Metroflex and the man who shepherded Ronnie into competitive bodybuilding. The story of Metroflex and the philosophy it’s based on is just as important as Ronnie’s story, as it helps us understand the environment where this champion formed. We also had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Big J, who we are eternally grateful to as he was the one who set up our interview with big Ron. He shared his experiences as the training partner of Ronnie and as a long-time member of Metroflex. You’ll learn a lot of interesting things in this episode, like: what was the Texas bodybuilding scene like decades ago? What were Ronnie’s early competitive experiences like? Who were Ronnie’s inspirations? What was Metroflex like at that time and how did its culture form? You don’t want to miss this one if you’re a fan of contemporary bodybuilding!

00:00 Yeah buddy! (intro)

06:57 Conor and Eric’s experiences of Metroflex

Iron Culture Ep 234 We Met Ronnie Coleman- The Recap (feat. Conor Heffernan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIRZnkzsLlk

16:10 Metroflex and gym cultures

29:26 The community of intensity and the importance of environment

38:36 Defining a “hardcore” gym

48:10 Meeting Ronnie

1:06:14 Dogma vs intensity

1:20:12 Training, motivation, and how it fits into your life

1:24:15 Brian Dobson, lunges, and muscular glutes

1:31:00 Closing out a hardcore Iron Culture episode