Steve Rovella is a picture of health, and has a thing or two to
say about steroids
He’s a three-time winner of both the Mr. California and Mr.
U.S.A. competitions. And little wonder
– at 54 years old, Steve Rovella’s body is as chiseled as most
competitors that are half his age.
And he’s done it all naturally
– without ever taking a single steroid or any other illegal
substance, he said.
Steve Rovella is a picture of health, and has a thing or two to say about steroids
He’s a three-time winner of both the Mr. California and Mr. U.S.A. competitions. And little wonder – at 54 years old, Steve Rovella’s body is as chiseled as most competitors that are half his age.
And he’s done it all naturally – without ever taking a single steroid or any other illegal substance, he said.
“I’ve never taken drugs in my life,” said Rovella, who owns and operates Rovella’s Gym on Industrial Way in Hollister.
In fact Rovella is such a fitness buff that his strict health-conscious diet would rival that of legendary fitness guru Jack La Lanne. He doesn’t drink coffee and he won’t even use the protein supplements that he sells in his gym. For Rovella, it’s 100 percent natural or nothing.
“I mostly eat vegetables, fruit, fish, chicken and raw nuts. I also eat 24 egg whites a day. I will take some vitamins,” he said.
“I also make juice out of green apples, oranges and spinach and I drink it everyday,” Rovella said. “I think it gives me an extra edge on the competition.”
It must. Last weekend in Reno, Rovella took first place in the International Natural Body Building competition. He captured the lightweight division and finished third overall in the open division.
He chooses to compete in the Natural Body Builders Association sanctioned events only because of their strict testing guidelines.
“They do drug testing, blood and urine,” Rovella said. “If they find anything, you are banned for life. Kids need to know that they don’t need steroids to succeed. I’m proof of that. For one thing, they are illegal; for another thing, they can kill you. Young people need to be educated on this because they are our future and last hope for America. If they don’t stop (using steroids) our society will be bankrupt.”
Despite all of his experience in the sport and impressive titles, Rovella still competes as an amateur. Had he competed as a professional last weekend in Reno, Rovella would have made roughly $15,000, which he proudly points out that he would have donated to some handicapped children’s charity.
That is, ultimately, the goal for Rovella: to turn professional and donate the majority of his winnings to children’s charities.
“So far, I don’t think I’ve been good enough to turn pro,” he said. “Those guys are much bigger than me. Going from amateur in this sport to the professional ranks is a huge, huge step.”
But Rovella wants to give it a whirl to help the needy. He has always had a soft spot for handicapped children.
“I have a handicapped brother with Down’s Syndrome. All handicapped kids can come here and workout and swim for free, for life,” Rovella said.
At his age, the road to becoming a successful professional is a long one, but he’s just happy to have the chance to be competing again.
Three years ago he suffered a major head injury after falling some 20 feet off a ladder during extensive remodeling of his gym. The injury left him temporarily blind in one eye, he lost hearing in one ear and it also caused him to suffer severe memory loss.
“It took about two, two-and-a-half years to get over it. I had to relearn everything. I didn’t even know who my wife was,” Rovella said.
“It changed him a lot,” said Lisa Rovella, his wife of 16 years. “He used to be like the Energizer Bunny. Now he’s slowed down a bit more.”
But Rovella isn’t going to let any obstacle stand in the way of his goal. He’s had setbacks before.
“I weighed only five pounds when I was born,” he said. “I was a preemie. I’ve always been real small.”
Today, he stands 5-foot-6 and weighs 154 pounds. To keep his chiseled look Rovella works out up to 5 hours a day, which doesn’t include his daily 40-minute runs.
During workouts, he focuses on all body parts. As a bodybuilder and not a power lifter, the main focus is on repetitions, not to lift for sheer mass.
“I bench about 275 but I do everything for reps,” said Rovella, as he worked on one of the many weight machines in his gym, which also includes a swimming pool and numerous training devices. “To look at me you’d probably think I was on steroids but it’s all natural.”
A graduate of San Benito High School in 1971, Rovella, who also holds a master’s degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly, started out working in the area for Exxon and the Moran Seed Co. where he would test the soil for uranium contamination. He left the field in order to open his gym in 1979.
“I was always working out and just loved it,” he said. “I started working out back when I was a kid. So I rented a small building downtown.”
From day one it was a success.
“When I opened up there were only about 8,000 people in the city and we still managed to get 400 members that first year,” Rovella said. “There are more than 1,500 members now.”
And to attract those members he has offered some interesting amenities that show that he’s in it for the love of the sport, not for the money.
“I’m a personal trainer and I’ll train anyone up to 18 hours a week for no charge,” he said.
There is, however, a charge to join the gym. It’s $37 a month for an individual and $16 a month for a family. The 30,000-square-foot facility, which includes 400 workout machines, is open 24 hours a day.
On Oct. 28 Rovella will be competing in Sacramento in the World Natural Bodybuilding championship, which also happens to be a pro qualifier, meaning that he can turn professional if he wins the event.
“The pros are bigger and more ripped; it’s like going five steps up,” he said. “But that’s the goal. It’s a lot of work. Knowing that I would give most of my winnings to handicap kids is what motivates me to do it. Otherwise, I couldn’t motivate myself. If I know that some kid is dying in a children’s hospital than I’ll die dieting (and working out) to help them out.”
