Rare is the running back who celebrates a loss.
But when the loss is in the form of 25 fewer pounds, A.J. Ouellette can rightfully rejoice.
A dedicated training regimen and disciplined diet enabled the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ running back to reinvent himself over a two-month stretch of the off-season.
“I didn’t like the way I felt halfway through the year,” he said of the 2024 regular season, during which he was hampered by a hip injury.
“Not being able to run and do all the stuff I’m normally doing in the season, I gained a little bit of weight, so I wanted to do a little transformation.”
Much of the heavy lifting took place in Piqua, Ohio at No Name Athletics, of which Ouellette is an owner in addition to being a coach.
“I was talking to the coaches who are at the gym and they were talking a little bit of trash,” he said with a chuckle. “They basically said I couldn’t stick to a diet. I said, ‘No, you couldn’t stick to a diet,’ so they said, ‘All right. We’re all going to enter this (competition). Let’s see who has the biggest transformation.’
“So my diet changed. My workouts changed. I wanted to try to beat them, because I’m too competitive in everything I do. I don’t want to lose.
“I basically gave myself one rule — not to get below 200 pounds. On weigh-in days, I’d weigh 200.6, so that was basically as low as I was going to let myself get.”
The 5-foot-8 Ouellette hopes to play in the range of 205 to 210 pounds during the 2025 season, balancing the advantages of weighing less with carrying the bulk that is advantageous for someone whose position calls for him to absorb and administer punishment over a long and gruelling season.
“I think it’s going to change a little bit of the way I play,” he said. “Once I got to a certain size, my mindset was, ‘I’m only a one-dimensional, run-through-your-face type of guy,’ and then I felt that the coaches thought that as well.
“I didn’t get too involved in the pass game, except for protecting the good ol’ quarterbacks. So now I feel like they will have a little bit more confidence in the way I can move out in space. And, of course, the body’s going to feel better running.
“Hitting-wise, I’m going to gain a little bit of weight. I’ll just keep the fat off and keep the joints healthy through all these long seasons.”
Ouellette arrived in Saskatchewan last year after earning East Division All-CFL honours in back-to-back seasons with the Toronto Argonauts.
He rushed for a career-high 1,009 yards while dressing for 15 games in 2023 before signing with the Roughriders as a free agent.
In 2024, he rushed for 550 yards in eight regular-season contests — a 1,238-yard pace over a full 18-game slate. He was available for both Roughriders playoff games, producing three TDs in the post-season.
Despite the robust finish, Ouellette was downcast as he entered the off-season.
“I was angry and depressed from a season of pain and disappointment,” he wrote on Instagram, accentuating his resolve to wish “my old lifestyle a slow, painful death” and introduce the “new me.”
Mission accomplished!
“There were definitely a lot of people who said, ‘You have no fat to lose,’ ” he noted. “But you look at the pictures and you think, ‘I do have some.’
“I’m strong as heck and a physical runner, but there’s some areas where I can improve and be a little bit healthier. I’ve learned a lot through this process about taking out a lot of carbs and that decreased inflammation and joint pains.
“The hip healed a lot faster than I thought it was going to just by taking away some of the bad foods.”
A feeling of accomplishment is a key takeaway from a successful off-season.
“For me, it’s just a matter of coming in, staying healthy, and knowing that I can stick to a plan,” Ouellette said. “That diet kicked my butt.
“Just knowing that I can stick to a regimen through a full season to keep myself healthy is important.
“I can’t fall into the trap of, ‘I’m exhausted from playing football. I’m going to go eat some junk food.’ It’s just a matter of staying on my regimen and keeping myself healthy.”
Historically, Ouellette’s regimen has included other-worldly squats of 700 pounds. That routine has been amended — partially at the behest of Head Coach Corey Mace — to reduce some of the wear and tear and add longevity.
“I can always do stuff hard,” Ouellette said. “Workouts are hard. I’ve always been good at that.
“It was pushing away the cookies and making sure I’m going to bed on time. Stuff like that was a little tough.
“Knowing that I stuck to this plan for two months without a single cheat day just kind of built, ‘Yeah, you’re disciplined. You’re capable of doing what other people will not do.’
“That’s just a mindset going into the season that’s going to separate the great from the good.”
That mindset elicits plaudits from a fellow Ohioan, Trevor Harris.
“A.J.’s a beast,” the Roughriders’ starting quarterback said. “He has always been a beast.
“To see him kind of transform his body and do those kinds of things, even with the kind of strength he has always had, he’s like a freaking mule. The fact that he’s doing that just shows his character.”
Not to mention his commitment to helping the Roughriders take the next step after reaching the Western Final in 2024.
“Coach had the mindset of ‘Build It,’ ” Ouellette said. “Last year, it was just stacking bricks on bricks on bricks and building this team and meshing this team together and getting a couple of more pieces that we were missing.
“Now it’s just like, ‘All right, guys. We’ve built it. We’re going to continue to build,’ but we’ve got to take over now.”
