Ronnie Coleman is widely considered to be the biggest, freakiest, most dominant bodybuilder to ever walk the planet. The former Arlington, Texas, police officer is also the winningest pro bodybuilder in history (26 titles) and is tied with Lee Haney for the most Mr. Olympia wins ever (8). This past September saw the first Olympia in 16 years to not feature “Big Ron,” as he decided to bow out of bodybuilding’s premier event. He does, however, plan to return to the posing dais in October later this year, at a seasoned 45 years old, when he will take the stage in the inaugural edition of Joe Weider’s Pro World Bodybuilding Championships in Berlin, Germany. After nearly two decades in the sport, the titanic Texan still has a passion for bodybuilding.

» Bodybuilding has always been my hobby. I never considered it a job or something I had to do. I like being a bodybuilder. I like getting into the gym and lifting heavy weights. If you approach it as a hobby, you’re always going to have fun doing it. If you are not having fun doing it, then you shouldn’t be doing it.

» If I hadn’t gone into bodybuilding I would have stayed on the force. I enjoyed the job, but it was tough working eight-hour shifts and trying to get all of my meals in. I tried it for a while, but it was hard.

» I don’t really miss competing too much. What I enjoy most is the training and dieting and living like a bodybuilder. Competing was just something to do once I had all those muscles.

» I never got nervous onstage — even at my first contest. For me it was just fun. I loved being up there, and I think it showed.

» I originally competed so I could get a free [gym] membership. Brian Dobson, who owns Metroflex Gym [in Arlington], told me he’d let me train for free if I competed, so I was like, Why not?

» I’d say my bodybuilding heroes are Lee Haney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. When I came into the sport, Lee was the guy on top, so I looked up to him. Of course, Arnold is Arnold, and he’s always going to be the best.

» I like Arnold a lot. He’s always been a real down-to-earth guy with me. I remember one time when I was doing a fundraiser with him and he treated everyone like he’d known them all his life. Didn’t matter who they were, he’d talk to them like they were friends. He is just a really good guy.

» Being a bodybuilder has given me so many things I never would have had otherwise. I have so many good memories and have had the chance to do so many great things. I was able to buy my mom a house and a car. I bought my kids cars. And I went on a cruise after winning one time. I always wanted to go on a cruise.

» I never had competition except for myself, even when I was coming up in the sport. It’s not like I was out to beat so-and-so; I always just enjoyed training hard and getting better all the time. When I was Mr. Olympia, I knew that if I could at least look as good as I did the year before, I would win. And I did — eight times. That wasn’t too bad.

» It didn’t ever occur to me that I’d be Mr. Olympia. I know some guys think about that stuff all the time, but for me it was only about the training. Winning was like icing on the cake.

» I don’t know if I’m the strongest bodybuilder. I lifted some heavy weights, but I’m not concerned with whether or not I’m the strongest. If somebody else wants to say that about me, that’s fine.