Who Is Charles Griffen?
American-sponsored athlete and IFBB professional bodybuilder Charles Griffen hails from Arizona.
He gained popularity quickly, winning numerous prestigious tournaments along the way and winning over admirers with his unwavering devotion to the sport.
Short Career Of Charles Griffen
Unfortunately, Charles Griffen lost his mother when he was a young man, which “devastated” him and caused him to become quite furious with the rest of the world.
He attributes his mother’s guiding spirit to keeping him away from this because he claims that without bodybuilding, he would have almost surely gone down a criminal road.
Moving forward to the present, Charles has made a career out of bodybuilding. At the 2014 NPC Minnesota State Light Heavyweight, he earned his pro card, and since then, he has triumphed in a match. This is the account of Charles Griffen:
Body Measurements of Charles Griffen
Full Name: | Charles Griffen |
DATE OF BIRTH: | 1982 |
ERA: | 2010 |
PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder |
NATIONALITY: | American |
AGE: | 235–245 pounds (106.6–111.1kg) |
HEIGHT: | 5’9″ (175cm) |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 2014 NPC Minnesota State Light Heavyweight, 1st
- 2015 NPC USA Heavyweight, 3rd
- 2015 NPC Nationals Heavyweight, 1st
“Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles.”
Biography
Young Years
Charles grew up with a lot of activity. He was raised in Arizona, where he played football, baseball, and basketball as a junior high school athlete.
Despite his passion for football as a child, he wasn’t selected for any high school football teams since the coaches all claimed that he was too little at 5’5″.
Charles decided against playing football and opted to run for his school’s track and field team while maintaining a high level of basketball performance.
Addiction To Drugs And Bodybuilding
Charles’ mother served as his life’s compass. He claims that when she passed away unexpectedly in 2012, it felt like the “end of the world” to him.
After she passed away, Charles fell into a pattern of poor conduct and irresponsibility, doing drugs and riding his motorcycle carelessly.
He attributes his willingness to adapt to the strength of his love for his mother. He thinks she encouraged him to pursue bodybuilding and demonstrated to him how the activity could provide an outlet for his rage and hopelessness.
Getting Experienced
Charles became acquainted with a bodybuilder who competed, and he gradually introduced Charles to the sport. Charles enjoyed learning how to perform simple lifts as he was shown how to watch professional exhibitions.
He acknowledges that at this early point, his only training consisted of “chest and arms, arms and chest!” He further claims that because he hardly ever trained his legs, their proportions were completely off.
“I honestly don’t know where I would be right now if I hadn’t discovered this sport. It’s quite unsettling to even consider that. I’ll say that it’s probably not a good place.
I will stop there because I am aware of that. My life was saved by this sport, and I am grateful for that. I would rather focus on the gift of tomorrow.
Competition Success
Charles had to wait 8 years to reach the point where he was thinking about making a career out of bodybuilding. Friends started to inform him that he had the genetics to compete in 2014 after he had been going to the same gym for years to “attract ladies.”
Charles says that at the time, he “wasn’t hearing it.” He claims that at that point, “the sport just did not catch my interest, and I never gave their comments much of a secondary consideration.”
But over time, as he read more about bodybuilding, he started to consider the prospect of wowing an audience at a competition.
He focused on the 2014 NPC Minnesota State, finishing a large portion of the show’s preparation on his own. He requested the assistance of IFBB Pro Tim Johnson, and Johnson consented.
Tim “truly cares about his clients,” according to Charles, who worked hard to win the competition that earned him his Pro Card.
Charles did not perform as well at the NPC North American and Nationals that year. He failed to place in the top 5 at each, but he seemed to enjoy himself and it was obvious that he had the genetic potential to do much more.
“A life lived in error is not only more respectable, but also more valuable, than a life lived in inaction.”
Competitors Who Are Professionals
Charles and his coach met together to discuss his future steps after these contests. He had the option to either stay at light-heavyweight and continue competing or go up in weight and compete at heavyweight.
Charles placed an order for the largest pancake dish the restaurant had after they agreed that he could likely go up to heavyweight.
Charles was able to add 25 pounds of lean muscle thanks to Mr. Johnson.
The next year, as a Heavyweight, he competed in the USA Nationals and won. By doing this, he obtained his professional card and cemented his status as the all-time greatest light-heavyweight fighter.
Charles thinks the therapy was worthwhile because he noticed a significant improvement in his legs. He also thought the “round caps” he had managed to grow on his shoulders were a terrific addition.
Training
Training in Heavy Weapons
Charles works hard to build muscle throughout his entire body. But when it comes to his arms, he goes all out and pushes himself to the point of exhaustion.
The media claims that he has some of the best arms in the game as a result. Due to his size and appearance, they have referred to him as “a young Phil Heath.”
Muscle-Mind Connection
When he trains, he pays particular attention to the “feel” of the lift. He claims to have spent a lot of time honing his mind-muscle connection and enjoys the squeezing that occurs after the exercise.
“I try to imagine the blood flow entering the muscle with each press until I have a skin-splitting pump,” the author said.
Charles prefers to slow down the pace of the workout with the same goal in mind. He claims that by doing this, he can lengthen the period of tension.
All beginners should quit working out quickly to obtain a quick pump and start taking their time with each set, he recommends.
Training with Instinct
Charles acknowledges the value of instinctive training. He’s learned to understand his body, so he knows just when to finish a given workout. He bases this decision on how his muscles are feeling to determine how far he can push without getting hurt.
When Charles entered his professional tournaments, he thought his back was one of his strongest regions.
Charles claims that he was able to significantly improve its size and shape via instinctual training. He attributes his victory at the heavyweight NPC Nationals in 2015 to these advancements.
Nutrition
Periodic Cheat Meals
Despite having a very healthy diet, Charles occasionally indulges in a cheat meal. A stack of pancakes drenched with butter and maple syrup is one example of such a meal. He doesn’t mind indulging periodically during bulking season, even though he knows it could be healthier.
Delivered food
He also prefers to use a bodybuilding meal service to have meals and meats delivered right to his home. He enjoys this approach since it frees him up to focus on his training rather than spending all day cooking.
The 8 oz. steak with rice and beans and the chicken and sweet potato dish are his two favorite dishes from this firm. He considers these meals to be “life savers” for when he is exhausted and needs a quick option.
Aimed at His Macros
He does consume convenience foods, but he also ensures that every meal precisely meets his macronutrient requirements.
Fortunately, the business recognizes that, but when he isn’t using their dishes, he obtains lean meats like turkey and chicken. He consumes a lot of fish as well, including cod and salmon.
Charles Griffen enjoys sweet potatoes a lot when it comes to his carbs. He also enjoys eating different kinds of rice and lentils. He drastically cuts back on these carbs during cutting season, concentrating solely on muscular gains.
Influences and Idols
Charles’ mother has the most impact. He was emotionally torn apart by her passing, yet he feels that her ghost inspired him to take up bodybuilding. In interviews, he frequently brings her up.
What Charles Griffen Can Teach Us?
Charles Griffen used bodybuilding to change his life for the better. He suffered through the loss of his mother which affected him deeply, but he saw bodybuilding as a means to re-introduce discipline and structure into his life.
Fast forward to now, and the same determination has led him to numerous triumphs in the IFBB pro circuit.
Charles’ tale can be a lesson to us all. Bodybuilding is a terrific method to add structure to our lives. It may be good to take your fitness regimen more seriously, as the benefits it may give to your life cannot be understated.