ET: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, Rodney.  Tell us about your family and  occupation. 

Rodney: I have a wonderful wife Stephanie of fourteen years.  I also have two wonderful boys Scotty age 11 and Markus age 8.  My family has always supported me in my lifting and they are an inspiration to me.  I work for my father’s commercial HVAC company, in which he will be retiring in a couple of years and I am going to carry on the family business.  My mother and father are also fantastic supporters and I am blessed to spend time with them most every day.

ET: What is your athletic background, prior to strength sports? Accomplishments?

Rodney: In High School, I played football and competed in Track and Field.  Football was a challenge since I played my senior year at 132lbs, but was blessed with good speed and a hard head.  Track was my best sport and I was fortunate to compete at the State Championships as a junior and senior in high school.  I also held High School records in the 400 relay, 800 relay, and triple jump.


ET: What strength sports have you participated in?  Accomplishments?

Rodney: For the most part Powerlifting and Strongman are my two strength sports, with the hopes of doing a Highland Games competition some day.  As far as accomplishments go my first and favorite is a conference championship and record holder for our conference weightlifting meet in high school.  I now hold a lot of state, national, and world records in multiple weight classes, age divisions, and federations.  I also have competed in at least ten strongman competitions.  

 As far as accomplishments, my highlights would have to include:

Bench American II 198 Champion

WPA World Powerlifting Champion

NAS Master Strongman Nationals LW 5th Place

USAPL Master Nationals 220 Class 2nd

IPF World Masters 220 Class 4th and Gold Medal in the Bench Press

Gus Lohman Strongman 200lb Champion

Competing at two USAPL National Open Championships and in 2007 I totaled 1703lbs one of the best days of my life in one of the deepest classes of lifters in the history of the USAPL.

Competing as a team member of the Masters M1 Team World Champions in Ostrava 2009

 

Records I am most proud of

American National Record USAPL Master Full Meet Bench Press 518

NAS Master LW Log Overhead Press Record tie of 280 between me and my good friend Mike Hemleppe

APA 198 Open Class Drug Free Squat World Record of 700

MO USAPL 198 Open Full Meet Bench Press Record of 507

APA Submaster 220 Class World Record Total 1825 Elite Total

APA Submaster 198 Class World Record Total 1760 Elite Total

ET: How did you go about qualifying for Masters worlds?

Rodney: It starts by competing in your state meet so that you have a total for Nationals.  Then I competed in the National meet which this last year was held in St. Louis where I placed second and then waited for the call to be invited to join the US team.  I was notified July 13th and had to tell them by July 15th if I was going: Needless to say, I said yes.

ET: Please describe what your training was like prior to Worlds.

Rodney: My approach is broken down into three week mini cycles. At the end of these three weeks, I will try and change up most everything.  I train an aux day which targets my posterior chain and triceps which I feel are my weaknesses.  I train a RAW day in which I hit all three lifts for a variation of the lift to target weaknesses.  The Third day is competition day in my gear in which I will train 2 or 3 of the competition lifts in my gear.  I do cycle my numbers in a typical periodization pattern, but I don’t use percentages rather target numbers.  I have done this long enough I know the numbers I need to be hitting to be ready for a meet.  My training cycles are based upon what I have learned from Louie Simmons, Steve Korte 3x3, Brent Miskell, and Rickey Dale Crain.


ET:   This meet was in the Czech Republic, right?  What was it like over there?  Any interesting experiences during or outside the meet?

 

Rodney: Here is what I brought back from the meet and The Czech Republic.

1. The city of Ostrava is very typical European city and as you rode the bus and looked around the city it reminded me a lot of the Jason Bourne movies.  I kept expecting to see Jason Bourne step out of the elevator in the hotel, LOL.  The sports facility was unbelievable!  They had two soccer fields, two world class tracks (I later learned one is the warm up track the other competition track),  clay tennis courts, and a host of different athletic facilities indoors.  The most impressive thing was the warm-up room for the competition,  which displayed eight warm up stations with nothing but the best equipment.  It was an amazing experience to see a room full of the best powerlifters in the world warming up in the best equipped room I have ever seen.

2.  Four plane flights in 24 hours will wipe you out big time and gives new meaning to the word jet lag.

3.  In the Czech Republic Coca Cola comes in a glass bottle just like I use to drink as a boy growing up.  And if you don’t know, it is much better in a glass bottle as opposed to can or plastic bottle.

4. Seltzer water tastes like crap.  They drink a lot of this nasty stuff and we learned to ask for pitcher of water or distilled water.  In the grocery store, they have pallets of seltzer water and it takes a while to find the distilled water because nothing is in English.

5.  Most impressive weight class, in my opinion, was the women’s 148 - 40-44 year olds, where I watched a Russian lifter dl 451 and a Japanese lifter bench 358.  Also,  in my weight class at 22,  going into the DL there was only 12.5 kilos difference between 5th and 1st place.  The Deadlifts were a knock down drag out for podium spots.  It was incredibly fun and the highlight of my lifting career.  I later figured out why a bunch of lifters bugged out of the 220s for the 242s.  I would have placed 2nd in the 242 class.  The 220s were loaded with some of the best lifters in the meet.

6.  What I loved about lifters from other countries. Polish lifters show great national pride in their lifts and accomplishments.  The French lifters sing their national anthem with the winner while on the winners’ stand, which is one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed in my lift.  Swedish lifters are loud happy and always having a good time especially on the bus ride form the motel to the meet sight.  If they were on the bus it was going to be a good time.

7.  I was lucky to make friends with lifters from Australia, New Zealand and Canada

8. It is funny how you can meet a lifter from Canada and find out you have so much in common.  Jeff Becker, a 198er from Canada, knew a lot of the lifters I have competed against in the US from the 198 class.  We both grew up on farms in rural areas and we both have blue collar jobs.  We are both a lot alike and seem to have the same drive and passion for the sport.

9. Czech Republic is a beautiful country with friendly and very warm natured people.  When I was traveling to visit this country, I initially said this will be the only time I go here, but after being there I found that it would be great to go back some day.

10.  Team USA was an experience of a life time.  To be around so many world class lifters in which everyone pulled together to bring the best out in each other on the platform, in the warm up room, and on the podium.  It was 50 American lifters competing together for one cause - to win team championships.  The camaraderie of the lifters was unbelievable   This cannot be found anywhere else in powerlifting and it was the best part of the experience of the meet.  And I was a proud member of the M1 IPF World Championship Team.

ET: You have been powerlifting for a while, and have competed in various orgs.  Do you have a preference of one org over another?  What is your opinion on the state of PL today? 

Rodney: I don’t have a preference as I have competed in the USAPL, APA, USPF, NASA, and yes even SLP.  As far as the state of Powerlifting, we have a division of two groups one - is trying to up hold the tradition and integrity of the sport that has a proud tradition here in the United States and the other that is out to obtain personal achievement at any cost which is what really hurts our sport.  If you know me, you know which side I stand on when it comes to this issue.

ET:  What do you do to occupy your time when you aren’t working or lifting?

Rodney: Aside from lifting and putting bacon on the table, because my boys are big eaters and somebody better feed them, I love to spend time with my family and I preach the gospel of my savior Jesus Christ.

ET: Anything else you would like to add?

 
Rodney:In high school I was a very average athlete at both football and track; my little brother was the star.  I always wanted to be that all conference or state athlete, but it was just not there.  God has opened these doors for me later in life and I would like to give him credit for what he has done for me.

 

I would like everyone to know that I believe with all my heart when I walk onto a platform to lift, God goes with me and is present in me strengthening, giving courage, and protecting me each and every time I make or miss a lift.  I never want to glory in anything I have done, just give God the credit that I might show forth his glory in my life.  This is only possible because of my Savior Jesus Christ and may I only glory in Him in this life. 

 

As Lance Armstrong titled his book It’s Not About the Bike, my lifting career comes down to It’s Not About The Lifter, It’s About The Lift.

 Last, I would like to thank everyone from KCStrongman who has supported me in my training, competition, meets that I have directed, and helped me get to the IPF Master Worlds.  You guys are a very special group.

ET: Thanks for taking time to talk to us Rodney, and a HUGE congrats on your performance.  Thank you for representing KCSTRONGMAN around the globe!