I was watching some old footage of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno in their younger bodybuilding days and I thought to myself where are all the black ones? This week’s open threads will highlight well-respected back bodybuilders and powerlifters.
C.T. Fletcher (born June 8, 1959) is an American powerlifting vlogger, media personality, actor, personal trainer, and former powerlifter and bodybuilder. He is a three-time World Bench Press Champion and three-time World Strict Curl Champion.
Fletcher was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on June 8, 1959. Son of Walter and Ogie Rea Fletcher and younger brother of Walt Fletcher. During the time of his birth, his father was a field worker and his mother was a housewife. Approximately one year after birth, he and his family moved to Watts, California and later they moved to Compton, California where he resided during his youth. He grew up with an abusive father who at the time was preaching in a 4-car garage. When he began junior high, they’d moved to Lakewood, California, there his father invested in his own church. At age 12, C.T acquired a job at a gas station.
In 1977, aged 18, he joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Germany. Soon after, he married his high school sweetheart and had children of their own. While stationed in Germany he became interested in martial arts. In 1979, he started to take Karate classes and earned a second degree black belt. In 1980, he began weightlifting and bodybuilding. At first he was interested in bodybuilding but then powerlifting caught his interest. During the early 1990s, his marriage ended. While working at the post office, he met a woman and in 1995 they had a child, Samson. In total, he and his wife have 7 children. Due to his work schedule, he ate a lot of fast-food. This unhealthy diet caused him to become a frequent patient in hospitals, he developed hypertension because of this diet.
At the time, he didn’t seem to be affected but the doctors warned not to continue his bad habit. In 2001, he received a phone call from his doctor regarding his hypertension and how it could be life-threatening. His body had taken a major hit and he was disabled at age 42. In 2004, he lost his mother, Ogie Rea Fletcher. She passed away from congestive heart failure. The following year, 2005, he was admitted to a hospital in Long Beach, Virginia from there he was transported to UCI Medical Center for open heart surgery. In 2013, he began vlogging on YouTube. In 2016, he opened his first gym, Iron Addicts Gym in Signal, California.
Fletcher resides in Signal Hill, California.
C.T. Fletcher inherited from his mother’s side of the family a heart condition that has heavily impacted his life. His mother and all nine of her siblings have died from heart problems. In 2005, he underwent life-saving open heart surgery. On The Joe Rogan Experience Fletcher talked about how in June 2017 he had another heart attack and is currently hoping to get on the wait-list for a heart transplant.