Terrence Ruffin is closing in on his return to a bodybuilding stage. In a recent video shared on December 3, 2024, he revealed plans to compete at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. In addition, he discussed putting on more size to hold his own against Mike Sommerfeld and broke down his ‘moderate’ use of performance-enhancing drugs.
As a two-time Arnold Classic champion (2021, 2022), Terrence Ruffin stands tall among contenders in the Classic Physique category. In 2023, Ruffin took fifth place on the prestigious Mr. Olympia stage and used the momentum to earn gold at the Sheru Classic Pro.
An elbow injury solidified his decision not to perform at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, which saw Chris Bumstead claim his sixth consecutive Classic Physique title. Instead, Ruffin has used the time to fill out his physique to reach the weight cap in his division. With ‘Cbum’s retirement from the sport, and Mike Sommerfeld emerging as a top contender, Ruffin is laying out how he plans to approach his career in the months to come.
Terrence Ruffin Aims to Qualify for 2025 Mr. Olympia At Pittsburgh Pro, Talks Improvements Needed to Beat Mike Sommerfeld and Gear Use
Ruffin assured fans he’ll be competing at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro but also said he’s heavily considering contest appearances in Detroit and New York.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
“I got to qualify. I would love to do the Detroit Pro but I can’t promise that because with the stem cell treatment and the time off, it’ll be cutting it close. You may see me there depending on how I’m looking. My coach is interested in me doing it, so maybe, but we’ll see.”
“It’s the last weekend in March I think,” he added. “Then, for sure doing Pittsburgh. If I can’t do Detroit, I’ll probably do Pittsburgh and New York. It’ll be fun man.”
Given the improvements Mike Sommerfeld has made lately, Ruffin wants more ‘overall size’ to hold his own against him.
“I think I’m pretty balanced now. I would still like my arms to be bigger in certain poses. I’m pretty happy with my front double.
I think overall size is needed especially, like I saw those pictures, some people put pictures up of me back last year versus Mike. I was like okay, yeah, I need to be a bit bigger now, he’s gotten a lot bigger.”
Specifically, Ruffin would like to bring up his arms, hamstrings, back, and lats.
“My side chest, I would definitely like a little bit more in my tricep in that pose, a little bit more on the hamstring as well. In the back pose, just more back. Lats, maybe some more lats in the abs and thigh. My waist is small I would say but I don’t have the widest shoulders like Mike is very wide up top, Chris is very wide. I think a little bit more lats would benefit me to kind of build up that taper a little bit more.”
As for his steroid use, Ruffin described his cycle as ‘moderate.’
“With me, I believe I’m more moderate. I’m not super high [with gear]. I’m not super low. I’ve coached guys that reached the top of their limit with just 500 migs of test,” shared Ruffin. “I definitely do more than him [someone I coached] but I think with me, there’s a lot of things when it comes to genetics and gear.
Just genetically, I can’t push, I’ve heard of crazy cycles of Chad and Matt, some crazy things that people hear. I couldn’t do anything like that because I have to really watch my blood pressure and stuff,” he shared.
Due to blood pressure concerns, he doesn’t want to test his luck with heavier dosages.
“My liver is fine but blood pressure, in particular, is like the thing for me. So if I was ever to do anything crazy, I wouldn’t be able to compete for very long at all. I’m not high whatsoever because I’ve seen some crazy shit but I’m not like a genetic freak.”
Considering Ruffin took the entire 2024 season away from the stage, he’ll face a brand new lineup at the Mr. Olympia in 2025, as long as he qualifies. Fans look forward to seeing him back on stage which will likely come in March or May.
RELATED: Terrence Ruffin Shares Upper Body Workout, Offers Tips and Technique Pointers to Grow Muscle
Watch the full video from the Trensparent with Nyle Nayga YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
