C. T. Fletcher: training plan, diet and life story

Basic information:

• Age: 56

• Place of Birth: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA.

• Weight: 113 kg

• Maximum weights: Bench Press: 320 kg / Squat: 329 kg / Barbell Bicep Curl: 102 kg

• Favorite Exercises: Cable Bicep Curl, Dumbbell Bicep Curl, EZ Bar Scott Curls, Seated Dumbbell Bicep Curl.

C. T. Fletcher and his history

A year after his birth, his family moved to Compton, California. Fletcher grew up in a strong believer family and his father frequently punished him. During his religious education, he managed to get involved in street gangs in Compton, which meant he had to spend a considerable amount of time in the reform school. This harsh past motivated him during his gym workouts. Later, he and his family moved back to Lakewood, California, where his father bought his own church.

Perhaps, it would be too vague to describe his upbringing as strict, but “beating” is not a strong enough expression. We are talking about the physical abuse he and his older brother had to endure. Extreme discipline and frequent physical abuse were their way of life. It was all they knew as children. [1]

One lesson he had learned from his rigorous upbringing was the mental focus and perseverance that allowed him to build a glorious bodybuilding career. [2]

In 1977, when he was 18 years old, he joined the U. S. Army and was subsequently stationed in Germany. He became interested in martial arts there. He started to do karate two years later, then he achieved the 2nd degree black belt. Bruce Lee became one of his favorite idols, but Mohammed Ali was his most favorite one. After returning home from the army, he tried several jobs. Eventually, he was employed at the post office. However, in 1980, Fletcher experienced a huge life breakthrough. He began to consider bodybuilding as a fascinating sport and trained 7 days a week. From that moment on, bodybuilding was his passion, his life. At first, he wanted to become a bodybuilder. “I longed to be the most shredded, natural son of a b*tch ever.” As his figure developed, he took part in various bodybuilding contests. In the mid-1990s, his attention shifted again – to powerlifting. “My goal was to be the biggest, strongest, hardest and most natural son of a b*tch ever to have lived on this planet.” His diet consisted mostly of fast food. He said that he ate what he wanted and when he wanted to. He has won several powerlifting competitions and has gained a notable reputation on this scene.

In 1995, he married a woman who worked at the same post office as him. Together, they raised 7 children. Eating a huge amount of fast food eventually affected his health. While most people blame steroids to be their cross, CT believed that his health problems were the result of 7 to 8 McDonald’s meals a day for over 20 years. [2] Doctors warned him that by continuing this diet, he would worsen hypertension (high blood pressure) he had already developed. “Back then, I didn’t care about it and I didn’t mind it when I grew strong.” [1]

CT began to experience heart problems in the early stages of preparation for his last powerlifting contest. “I told the doctors what I was going to try to do at the competition. Their answer was: the effort needed to overcome a lot of weight can cause your aortic valve to tear and you’d die. They looked at me uncomprehendingly and asked if I understood what they were trying to explain to me. “You can die!” I replied: “Yes, but how better to die than to be on the fucking bench press bench at the greatest competition of my life trying to perform the biggest lift in my life?” [3]

When Fletcher was 42 years old, the doctor informed him that hypertension was starting to put his life in danger. It was getting worse because of the work his body did every day. Just three years later, he got another devastating blow. On May 26, 2004, his mother died. She was his biggest role model. The following year, Fletcher’s health condition got seriously worse. On May 20, 2005, he was transported from Long Beach Hospital to UCI Medical Center due to emergency heart surgery.

“Later, I learned from one of the doctors that my heart stopped three times during the surgery. I suffered from long-term difficulties after the surgery which required months of hospitalization. I was weak and you would find almost no muscle on my body. ”

“I realized I got a second chance and adopted a healthy lifestyle.”

“After the surgery, I lost my job at the post office where I worked for almost 30 years. I lost my job, my home, I lost everything. At first, I felt like a bum – unemployed and homeless.” [4]

“I was blessed with the opportunity to compete again in bodybuilding and win a title here and there.”

“The bottom line is that I didn’t give up the gift of my life. I decided to live and strive to achieve happiness and fulfill my desires. Along the way, I was able to pass on this passion to others. I felt the joy of helping others discover what they already have!”

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Fletcher’s training philosophy

While some people search for information on the Internet, in books, or in formulas to create a training plan, CT trains instinctively, which helped him to improve for 35 years. For him, the most important thing is to do as many reps as possible. Traditional series and repetitions do not relate to his training. He encourages people to discard such a system and not to follow it. People consider his style to be extreme or masochistic, but CT calls it a “no choice method”. “There’s nothing else you can do, no option, no plan B, ’cause I f*ckin’ say so!”

“When leaving the gym, you should be exhausted. It should not be easy for you to get into your car.” He achieves this level of fatigue using the OMW training method or single-workout training. For example, when he squats, he would squat during the entire leg training. Another time, he will simply do the exercise he wants.

“Whenever someone asks me what do I think about my training method, I say: Try it. Never condemn anything, without trying, no matter how stupid it may seem to you. In the worst case, you will find that this is absolute nonsense, or, at best, add valuable technique to your training knowledge.”

His approach to bodybuilding is based on the idea of “deserving” the muscles through a steroid-free way – just from pure pain. Whether it is a bicep curl, squat or bench press, CT is still compared to much younger athletes and usually outperforms them. From his YouTube videos, there is one thing clear: “Either you go for it full on or don’t even try it”. These videos capture an incredible passion for brutality that has never been captured before. Fletcher’s videos offer a practical incentive to literally tear your muscles. [2]

As a 58-year-old man, this veteran has no competition plans, but still has a business vision and courage like a young man. “While others at my age simply accept the slow deterioration of their body, muscles and internal organs, I will fight! Iron Addicts (his team) says: “F*ck the average”! After opening his own gym named Iron Addicts Gym and working with iSatori company (where he developed a range of nutritional supplements), CT continues to be considered a “voice of truth” and encourages people not to accept restrictions. “The restrictions are just the ones we create,” he says.

His Iron Addicts Gym in Signal Hill, CA officially opened the door to the public this year. It’s his first gym. Today, Iron Addicts Gym is also available in Las Vegas and will soon open in Miami as well. [1]

Training plan

To date, his training consists mainly of powerlifting style. Together with bodybuilding parameters, he creates a surprisingly strong figure. [2]

Diet

CT Fletcher’s diet philosophy has quite a lot of common aspects to his approach to training. “I eat for the results,” he says. To people who complain about diets because they do not like them, CT says: “You don’t eat this s*it for taste. You eat it because you want to achieve certain results on your body. This is the main goal of the diet.”

In his own diet, he aims to obtain 50% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 10% fat. He never weighs the portions, he just eats as much as he needs. Some of his meals, however, consist only of carbohydrates or proteins because he likes it that way. 

C.T. Fletcher’s typical meals:

1st meal: Egg white – 12 pieces (omelette) + vegetables (handful) + turkey or chicken breasts.

2nd meal: Protein Drink

3rd meal: Large vegetable salad + tuna (1 can)

4th meal: Minced turkey meat

5th meal: White rice (2 cups)

6th meal: Chicken breasts

7th meal: White rice (2 cups)

8th meal: Protein Drink [6]

C.T. Fletcher’s 10 commandments for muscle growth

1. Train your mind harder than your body

2. Never accept anyone else’s restrictions

3. Pain is essential

4. Listen to your body

5. Imagine the figure you want to achieve

6. Don’t let your body get used to it

7. Angles are essential for growth

8. Learn the meaning of “overload”

9. Be obsessed

10. Never Settle [7]

Whether you love him or hate him or just hate how much you love him, it will take a long time for C.T. Fletcher to leave the fitness industry for good. Over the past few years, this 58-year-old former bench press champion has become a leading fitness figure whose videos simply ask to be watched, shared, imitated and cited. His training partners, family members and his YouTube channel have become icons of a training style that has no patience for any limit.

“My great obsession when I was younger was to be the strongest man and have the biggest arms in the world. Now I want to reach as many people as possible and let them know there is still hope.”

“I want you to know that whether it’s Kai Greene or a completely unknown person, I will train them the same way. A woman, a man, a donkey, a monkey or whatever the hell you are, if you are to train with me, I will not show mercy for you.” [4]

C.T. Fletcher trains with Kai Green and Dana Linn Bailey.

Fletcher is a person who is very happy to help and in return receives thousands of affectionate messages and letters from people around the world on how he made a positive difference in their lives.

“In conclusion, I ask you to follow your dreams and to pursue that “unreachable ”goal but also to use your instincts so that you don’t sacrifice your health! Your body is a gift from God, your temple! [1]

If you like C.T. Fletcher, we definitely recommend this document about his life.

 

Sources:

[1] C.T. Fletcher, About CT, 2016 – https://www.ctfletcher.com/about-ct

[2] ctfletcher.net, CT Fletcher - How did he get so big ?, 2013 – https://ctfletcher.net/ct-fletcher-history

[3] Nick Collias, CT Fletcher: Bigger and Badder Than The Rest Part 1, 2015 – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ct-fletcher-bigger-badder-part-1.html

[4] Nick Collias, CT Fletcher: Bigger and Badder Than The Rest Part 2, 2015 – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ct-fletcher-bigger-badder-part-1.html

[5] Stephanie Lee, Armed Warfare: CT Fletcher’s Arms Workout, 2016 – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/armed-warfare-ct-fletchers-arms-workout.html

[6] Stephanie Lee, Fitness 360: CT Fletcher, 2015 – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fitness-360-ct-fletcher.html

[7] CT Fletcher, CT Fletcher’s 10 Commandments Of Muscle Growth, 2015 – https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ct-fletchers-10-commandments-of-muscle-growth.html