Lori Graham
Contributing writer
Rodney Gaines has not only an incredible dedication to his health and training, but a positive spirit that is contagious to anyone that meets him, and now the three-time Hokie graduate has come back home.
Gaines grew up in Tappahannock, Va., and first came to Virginia Tech as a freshman in 1985. After graduating in 1989, he returned to his hometown where he accepted his first postgraduate job.
It was during his time at VT as an undergrad when he began to become involved in weightlifting. When he returned to his hometown, he found no weightlifting facilities nearby. Gaines was determined to continue with his training, and discovered some older equipment at a hospital that was not being used. So, he and others formed a gym at an empty bank building.
“Basically in 1990, we formed a club, a gym, and everyone was volunteer. I didn’t get paid for it,” Gaines said. “I worked 8-5, then at night I managed the gym. It was called Riverfront Fitness Center.”
It was his passion for fitness that called Gaines back to Virginia Tech in 1993, for his master’s degree in Exercise Science while also working in the athletics department as a graduate assistant with Coach Mike Gentry. He graduated with his master’s degree in 1996, but just prior to his graduation, something else thrilling would happen in his life.
“In ’95 is when I won Mr. Virginia Bodybuilding,” Gaines said. “That was a turning point in my life. That was exciting.”
Upon his 1996 graduation, Gaines would leave the Hokies again, this time for Richmond where he worked for American Family Fitness, one of the biggest gyms in the Richmond area. He would then go on to work for a large food distributor, as a Wellness Coordinator for the organization’s employees.
However, in 1998, Virginia Tech would call Gaines back again, this time to remember a dear professor who had passed.
“My professor from Tech passed away, Dr. Sebold,” Gaines said. “I came back to his funeral, they had it at the chapel.”
It was while seeing some familiar faces that he found out about a position in Recreation Sports. He interviewed and received the position, so again, he found his way back to the VT campus. For the next four years, Gaines would work on his PhD at night, achieving his doctorate in 2002. A position at Norfolk State University as a professor and strength coach would take Gaines away from Blacksburg once more, but that would not be the last time he would see the VT campus.
“Blacksburg is a really nice community, the crime is low, and I always felt comfortable here,” Gaines said.
It is this dedication to health and fitness that has brought Gaines to his most recent position as a professor in the department of Health, Nutrition, Fitness and Exercise at Virginia Tech University, completing his first semester back with the Hokie Nation, this December 2023.
Also in 2023, Gaines competed in the AAU, where he has had a long-standing and solid competitive relationship. As a focused athlete on healthy training without the use of enhancing steroids, he competed in and won the Lifetime Drug Free World Championship and Lifetime Drug Free Mr. Universe, as well as winning his over-50 age group competition.
Gaines has also competed in the Mr. Universe Fashion and Sports Model competitions, receiving both World Championships and Universe Competitions.
It hasn’t been an easy road though, requiring daily dedication to healthy eating, consistent training regiments, and proper rest.
“I’ve been as heavy as 270, I’m probably about 160 today,” Gaines said. “When I moved back in 2018 to Virginia…it was during a time in my life where my dad had passed, I just wasn’t in a place where I wanted to be. I started eating bad, I stopped training for a year, and I got up to 270 pounds, and I was like, I need to get back to Virginia.”
Gaines had to work for a year to get his weight back down, but after a scare with his health, he knew it was important to be at a healthy size. He maintains his current weight by doing cardio, running, and strength training. He also has removed meat from his diet, sticking to a vegetarian regimen. Most importantly, he has stayed away from steroid use as a bodybuilder.
“I love the drug-free lifestyle,” Gaines said. “Bodybuilding has kind of had a black eye since it’s been around, because people look at those people and think, they got pumped like that on ‘roids. I’ve taken the natural approach.”
Gaines is a strong proponent of keeping an eye on your health, having his own struggles with rheumatoid arthritis, and maintaining a healthy sugar level to prevent diabetes. As you get older, he expresses that it is even more important to maintain lean muscle and flexibility through strength training, yoga, and other physical activities.
“We’re never too old, and I’ve seen like on a long run, I can be stressed to the max you know, not that Virginia Tech is stressing me out there, but along with any job stress you know deadlines and pressure I can go for a long run and by the end of that run I’ve worked it out,” Gaines said.
When asked what he would say to those in the over-50 age group, or really anyone that wants to improve their physical and mental health, and is discouraged about finding time to exercise, he said to make a date with yourself every day.
“Some might say they don’t have time to. Get up before everybody else, get up at 4-5 a.m., or 5-6 a.m.,” Gaines said. “I would say now, more than ever…you’ve got to take health more seriously because it doesn’t get any easier. From here, it’s just going to get harder in your 60s and 70s.”
Gaines went on to say low vitamin D, low testosterone, and becoming diabetic are three common things for people as you age. In addition to these things that happen to older adults, Gaines has asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Exercising has kept him at a healthy weight, and increased bone density, which has prevented him from being in a wheelchair.
“Strength training three to four times a week naturally increases your testosterone. Fitness is the fountain of youth,” Gaines said.
Gaines ran in the Richmond marathon on Nov. 11, finishing with a time of three hours and 41 minutes. He missed the Boston marathon qualification by six minutes but will try again Dec. 2 in Chesapeake, Va. He says his faith and belief in God is central to his successes in life and continues to give honor to the Lord in all he does.
