Lifting – A Lifelong Passion… and Still Going
No Nonsense Magazine Volume 25 #1
By: Steve Rouff
At a Glance: Steve Rouff
Age: 55
Occupation: Director, Strategic Program Management – Kroger Co.
Current Residence: Cincinnati, OH
Years training: 40+
Weight: 185
Favorite Meal: Shaved Brussel sprout salad with grilled chicken breast and a hardboiled egg.
Favorite Supplements:Creatine Select, UMP, Glutamine Select, FitTabs, and Up-Lift
Hobbies and Interests: Performance automotive (new and classic), hiking, and travel with my wife, Kelly.
Words to work out by: Trust the process and be disciplined. Know and listen to your body. Training builds both a strong body and mind that brings opportunity to both your professional and personal goals.
My interest in lifting began when I was 4 years old, drawn to the sound of 45-pound steel plates smacking together in the home built gym attached to our house. My dad, Tom Rouff, had started out with an interest in bodybuilding in the early sixties, winning Mr. Cincinnati and then getting into Olympic lifting. He went on to make the USA Olympic Team in the '70s (see Tom's photo below). His dedication to the sport continued, and I started Olympic lifting at age 10. My first meet was a state-level meet at the age of 13 with a body weight of 84 lbs. I won my weight class and "Best Lifter," which is given to the lifter with the best total to body weight percentage.
I continued lifting through high school, and at age 16, I captured my first national gold medal in the US Junior Olympics at a body weight of 148. My main diet during this time was chicken and more chicken for protein with fresh vegetables from the garden and some light supplements. (Ok, I did have a couple of cheat days a week, but I was a teenager, and it didn't have any effect on my weight classes) We trained 5 days per week with sessions focusing on speed, technique, and strength. Olympic lifting mainly utilizes fast twitch muscle fibers, so training was intense and focused.
Throughout my high school years, my dad and I continued to train together and competed in many of the same meets. By the time I was 20, I had captured state, regional and national titles. At 23, I competed in the Junior and Open Olympic Nationals. I placed 3rd overall in the 181-lb weight class. I had dedicated most of my life to Olympic lifting, but now I needed to give my body a break. It was tough, but I decided to hang up my Olympic lifting gear.
In 1995, I joined our local Powerhouse Gym and met my wife, Kelly. We trained together, and I began to focus on competing in bench press competitions in the National Athletic Strength Association (NASA), and local gym meets. The lifters at Powerhouse Gym introduced me to Beverly International supplements. Muscle Provider, Mass Aminos, and Ultra 40 were my mainstays.
Fast forward to October 2019, we decided to complete our home gym and start setting some new goals for competing in powerlifting bench competitions once again. We updated our home gym(most of our basement) with Rogue equipment alongside all my old school York weights from my Olympic lifting years. Now it was time to sit down and start planning training, nutrition/supplements, and which meets I wanted to target.
Nutrition and Supplement Plan to Gain Strength and Drop Bodyfat
I turned 55 this year, placing me in the 55-59 Masters class and at the front end of the age group. I wanted to add strength while bringing my weight down from 198 to 181 lbs. I've choked down many different protein powders throughout my years of lifting. When I discovered Beverly's UMP, the taste made me feel like every day was a "cheat day." Not only that, but I created a lot of space in our pantry by throwing out all the half-full protein products I had accumulated but couldn't finish.
My wife and I eat a relatively clean diet, allowing one day a week to indulge. As an aging lifter, I knew I couldn't train myself out of a bad diet and that I needed to rely more on my supplements and meal planning to achieve the results I was after. Since I'd had solid results with Beverly products in the past, I referenced their Nutrition and Supplement solutions at BeverlyInternational.com for some guidelines. It was easy to develop the best supplement strategy for me that was aligned with my goals and budget.
My nutrition and supplement plans were designed to gain strength while dropping extra body fat. I went from a body weight of 198 to 181 in 4 months, getting me close to a double bodyweight bench press.
Meal 1 – 6:30 am
(30 minutes pre-workout)
2 scoops of UMP with cold water, 1 scoop of Power Greens powdered (generic), 2 hard boiled eggs
Supplements
1 scoop Creatine Select, 1 scoop Glutamine Select, and 2 scoops Up-Lift with cold water, 2 FitTabs, 6 Mass Aminos, 6 Ultra 40, 3 Quadracarn, 1 Lean Out, 6 GH Factor
Snack (midmorning/post workout)
1 scoop Glutamine Select w/water, 12 almonds, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 rice cake
Meal 2 – Lunch (11:30 am)
6oz grilled chicken, 2 cups broccoli, 1 half sweet potato, 2 sugar-free Jello cups
Supplements
6 Mass Aminos, 6 Ultra 40, 3 Quadracarn, 1 Lean Out
Snack (Mid-Afternoon 2:30 pm)
My favorite snack late afternoon is two scoops of chocolate UMP, blended with ice and water. This quenches my sweet tooth with what is like a soft serve chocolate ice cream (highly recommended)!
Meal 3 – Dinner (6:00 pm)
6oz grilled chicken , 8 cups of salad greens, 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt w/1 Truvia sweetener. (For dinner, my wife and I have a variety of meals that consist of lean meat proteins, various salads, and, or a vegetable.)
Supplements
1 scoop Creatine Select, 1 scoop Glutamine Select, 2 scoops Up-Lift with cold water, 2 FitTabs, 6 Mass Aminos, 6 Ultra 40, 3 Quadracarn, 1 Lean Out, 6 GH Factor
You'll notice that I'm taking quite a few tablets with my meals:
6 Mass Aminos
6 Ultra 40
3 Quadracarn
1 Lean Out
... the results make it worth it
In Closing
At the time of writing this article, I've hit my weight goal of 181lbs and am three weeks out from my national qualifier meet. I'm on target for setting the state record and am feeling confident. My lifting journey has introduced me to my wife, countless new friends, and opportunities to train alongside the best.
A special thanks to my dad and coach for setting me on this journey so many years ago. The confidence and discipline he taught me have opened many doors personally and professionally. He still offers support, solid training tips, and guidance. Like many of us pushing to find our limits, my biggest competitor is myself. Staying focused through the peaks and plateaus for success.
Stay focused and listen to your body – we'll see you around the gym.
Postscript: "Hi Sandy - Had a good weekend. For the two meets, I walked away with 3 gold and 1 bronze and set 4 State Records (on my first attempts, both days, I set the record and then broke my own record on my second attempts).
I changed into my Beverly shirt on day two for the medal presentation. I was asked a few times if I was a rep for the company!!!"