Official Profile of Bodybuilder Ross "The Boss" Mattis

Stats

AKA

"Ross the Boss" - "The Greek Meat"

Born

1976

Home

Villanova, PA

Occupation

Entrepreneur

Marital Status

Married to Amanda,with baby girl on the way

Measurements

Height	:	5’8”	Contest Weight	:	220-230

Chest	:	52"	Off Season	:	260

Biceps	:	21”	Legs	:	31”

Neck	:	18”	Calf		18.5"

About Me

I am 100% natural and have been my whole life. I never thought I would get into bodybuilding, but with the encouragement of friends and local competitors, I decided to have a go at it. So in 2008 I stepped on stage for the first time and have yet to look back.

I was born in Chicago in March of 1976, but grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania. I ran a five-mile race when I was nine years old and did a 75 mile bicycle race when I was 11. For my 13th birthday I was given a set dumbbells. (I think they were 20 pounds) Every day I would get up and do arm curls with those dumbbells. By the time I reached high school, I weighed about 160 pounds. I played soccer all my life but was built like a football player. In high school every coach tried to recruit me, I ended up playing soccer, running indoor track, running outdoor track and playing lacrosse. Not only was I one of the biggest guys but I was also the fastest guy. It was in college that I found the weight room. I don’t think I missed a day at the gym. I would go religiously every day even if I had a hangover from the night before.

I graduated college at about 205 pounds. I continued to work out everyday and my strength kept increasing and my weight did also. At my highest weight I was 295 pounds, but I could bench press 550 for reps and squat 680 for reps. I guess you can say that I have great genetics, although neither of my parents are large. My dad is a very lean runner and my mom is petite.

Being 295 pounds at 5’8 (5’9” on a good day) takes its toll on your body. I would not recommend anyone getting that heavy. Sitting watching TV with my roommates I would be breathing so heavy they could not hear the TV. I would break out in a full sweat just walking upstairs. This is also about the time that my joints decided enough was enough. In the years between’03- ’05 I had 5 different surgeries totaling over $80,000.

That is when I decided to enter my first bodybuilding show. I cut down to 220 pounds in six months and walked on stage at the NPC Philadelphia championship without a clue of what the sport was all about. Read more about me in my interview on the next tab.

Interview

1.		How long have you been training as a bodybuilder?

		I have been going to the gym religiously for the past 15 years, but for about 12 of those years I had been training with heavy weights and not watching my diet because I competed in strongmen competitions. After several surgeries and tons of people telling me I should enter a bodybuilding competition I started dieting and training differently. That training/ dieting started in January 2008. Since my first show in June ’08, I was hooked on bodybuilding and have not looked back.

2.		Why did you decide to train as a bodybuilder?

		After all my friends and even some bodybuilder competitors urging me to try and do a competition I finally gave in.

3.		Has another bodybuilder inspired your training or goals? Who?

		I always admired Arnold Swartzenager and Lou Ferrigno. I saw the documentary Pumping Iron a few years ago and thought “yep” this is a sport for me.

4.		Have you participated in sports other than bodybuilding? Which ones?

		Growing up I always participated in sports. My senior year in high school I lettered in four different sports: Soccer, Indoor track (I still might hold the record for 60M sprint), Lacrosse and outdoor track (Coaches took me off the lacrosse field, have me run a race and then back to the lacrosse field). My freshman year of college I went out for lacrosse. The coach had us do a weight lifting routine in the off-season but it was a terrible program and when I refused to follow it, that was the end of my lacrosse aspirations. Instead I hit the gym everyday and took up rugby. I became the captain of the team my sophomore year.

5.		What is your Occupation?
		I consider myself an entrepreneur. I've have started a few businesses over the years but am still looking for the one that is going to make me my millions.

6.		What awards/titles have you won in bodybuilding competition? Which award/title was the most important to you? Why?

		I am still working on this one; I have only entered three competitions to date and placed third and first. I am still learning how to peak. I usually peak a day late.

7.		What are your bodybuilding/fitness goals?

		That’s easy- become a pro.

8.		Who supports your bodybuilding/fitness goals? In what ways are they supportive?

		So far it seems that everyone is supportive of my bodybuilding goals. My wife Amanda and my training partner Chris are my biggest advocates. And my nutritionist Brian has also been a tremendous help.

9.		Explain your “normal diet” and your “contest diet”.

		Normal diet : six or seven meals a day: 4,200- 4,500 calories high protein
		Contest diet : Six meals a day: Keno with high protein and no carbs. 3,100 - 3,700 calories

10.		What vitamins and supplements do you use?

		I keep it simple since I am a natural bodybuilder:
		Multi-vitamin, Whey protein, Glutamine, Omega’s, (creatine every now and then)

11.		Where do you Train?

		Primary at Gold’s Gym in Conshohocken, PA- not my first choice in gyms but not many other options close by.

12.		What is your training schedule?

		6 Days a week: Monday thru Sunday (During contests training: I add cardio 7 days in the morning)
		I work one or two major body parts a day but change it regularly: Monday: Back / light bicep/Abs Tuesday: Chest/ Calves Wednesday: Quads Thursday: Biceps /Light Triceps/ abs Friday: Hamstrings/ calves/ Traps Saturday: Shoulders / Triceps I also use several different principles in training changing it up every week, heavy set weeks, high rep weeks, pyramid set weeks, super-set weeks. Along with throw in drop sets and rest/pause sets.

13.		What exercises do you use for each body part?

		Too many to list: I run the gamut

14.		How often do you practice your posing routine?

		Posing is very important and I am still learning this aspect of the sport, but I have improved tremendously over the last year and can’t stress how important it is. I practice two to three times a week when training for a contest: everyday- 30 days out from a competition

15		What musical selections do you usually choose for your posing routine?

		It all depends. It's tough choosing music, but I try and stick with music that other competitors won’t have (I like 80’s rock).

16.		Give your thoughts and feelings about the “backstage/pump room” scene and experience?

		In the few contests that I have entered the backstage /pump room where minimal. So it is not been a great experience, but talking to the other competitors back stage has always been enlightening.

17.		Give some of your thoughts and feeling about being on stage in front of judges and audience?

		It is a great feeling going up on stage and showing your stuff. Although, some of the judging has been questionable at times.

18.		What do you consider your best body part or bodybuilding strengths?

		My side chest and most muscular pose is a crowd favorite. I think my legs are a huge strength and also a weakness because they are so big and overwhelm my upper body.

19.		What are your weaknesses? How are you working towards overcoming weaknesses and making improvements and gains?

		As mentioned above my legs are a weakness although they are huge they don’t have a ton of definition because they are too big! My back needs help with definition; I am working on defining it better.

20.		How do you feel about yourself when you look in the mirror? How do you “see” yourself?

		I don’t think I will ever be satisfied when I look at myself in the mirror.

21.		What interests and hobbies do you have which are not related to bodybuilding?

		I am a family man and like helping others, I try and volunteer in my free time. I like helping out kids with their fitness goals.

22.		Explain how training, dieting and other bodybuilding disciplines have affected your life other than your physical appearance?

		Since I started dieting and training like a bodybuilder, it has been all positive. Especially on my body, I was injuring myself all the time power lifting.

23.		What you like to say anything about performance enhancing drugs?

		I have been NATURAL all my life, although it is tough competing against people who aren't, I find it challenging all the same. When I hear people say “he must be taking something” or they don’t believe that I am life-time natural, I think to myself I must be doing something right.