“Ronnie!” The kids in Timisoara, Romania, shouted at him as we strolled from the hotel to the restaurant. They knew about Ronnie Coleman, if only because his enormous visage was plastered all around the neighborhood before the 2006 Romanian Grand Prix. What they didn’t know was the huge man they were calling to was Eddie Abbew. Of course, it’s an honor to be mistaken for the legend many consider the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
But there’s no comparing Abbew’s contest record with Coleman’s. After winning the 1997 British Championships, the 6'1" Ghana-born Englishman struggled to make an impact during his 12-year pro career. The highlight was his third in the 2007 Ironman, which qualified him to compete in that year’s Olympia. Though he was a little slight for his big frame, he never lacked biceps. Today, he owns Eddie Abbew’s Olympian Gym, in suburban London.
ABBEW ON BICEPS
“Originally, all I did for biceps was concentration curls. My bi’s did most of their growing from that one exercise.”
“I do barbell curls sometimes, but I really like dumbbells for biceps.”
“I try to hold and squeeze hard at the top of each rep.”
“When I do one-arm curls I don’t pause between sets. When I’m done with one side, the other side is ready to go.”
FLEX FACT: DURING HIS IFBB PRO CAREER, ABBEW WORKED AS A NURSE.
