WRITTEN PODCAST RECAP: Steve Austin Unleashed! w/ C.T. Fletcher on training with Braun Strowman, a look into the world of weightlifting and bodybuilding

The Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!

Release Date: May 25, 2017

DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

Recap by: Chris Gaspare

Top Newsworthy Items

-C.T. Fletcher talks about working out with Braun Strowman.

– C.T. Fletcher talks about his diet, supplements, and weight lifting routines.

Timestamps

00:00: Introduction to the show
08:30: Sponsor Ads
10:41: Steve and C.T. talk supplements, diets, and cardio
36:18: Sponsor Ads
38:12: C.T. talks about his youth in weight lifting, current and past stars, and training with wrestlers

Show Highlights

Introduction to the show

Austin updated the listeners on his window treatments being installed and how makeshift his current gym set-up is, but he wants to improve it after visiting C.T. Fletcher’s Iron Addicts Gym.

Steve and C.T. talk supplements, diets, and cardio

Austin started the conversation with C.T. Fletcher, a legendary weight lifter in California, talking about supplements because C.T. gave Steve a gift basket. C.T. jumped into the supplemental market because he was tired of dealing with other companies. He tests all of his products on himself first before he will sell them. He specifically recommended his whey protein called I Command You to Grow and his pump formula called Sleevebuster. C.T. is still heavily involved in weight lifting, but he doesn’t make it his focus anymore because there is “s**t more important than being the strongest motherf****r on the planet.”

In terms of his diet, C.T. said he stopped eating cheeseburgers and meat finally. He started a vegetarian diet to try to be healthier, and Austin chimed in that his wife has been a vegetarian for twenty years, and doctors always praise her bloodwork. C.T. just recently has started eating fish in addition to the vegetables. In terms of what C.T. does beyond lifting, C.T. said “f**k cardio.” He thinks anything that makes you sweat counts as cardio. In the past he has boxed, tried professional wrestling, and ran track, but boxing has always been a mainstay for him in his workout routine. Austin asked C.T. about whether he went to Gold’s Gym at his peak. C.T. would go on a weekend basis to “get discovered” during the time Lou Ferrigno, Tom Platz, and the Barbarian Brothers.

C.T. talks about his youth in weight lifting, current and past stars, and training with wrestlers

Austin and Fletcher discussed past weight lifting stars such as Bill Pettis, who once had the biggest arms in the world. Pettis recently died after years of mental problems that led him to lapse in and out of homelessness. Fletcher was once approached by a television producer who wanted to do a show about Pettis, but he realized the show was designed to make fun of him, so he refused. Next, they talked about Craig Munson. C.T. said Munson wasn’t the most cut, but one of the most “impressive” since he was over 300 pounds and still had veins. He thought Craig should have been Mr. Olympia because Mr. Olympia should always be the “biggest motherf****r” like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva. He also talked briefly about Franco Columbu, Frank Zane, Larry Scott, Dave Draper, and Steve Reeves.

Fletcher talked about his history with weight lifting. He started training in Compton with a bodybuilder named Jim. Jim was a big believer in reps even though C.T. wasn’t and still isn’t. Jim told C.T. he couldn’t out rep him, so C.T. would be in the gym with his for 12 hours per day doing reps. He said his body adapted to working out that much, which is why he doesn’t believe in anyone who talks about overtraining nowadays. He trained every Monday with his friend, Richard, for many years. They made it a competition between them, which helped both men. They would practice pause reps in order to simulate competition settings. C.T. unofficially bench pressed 705 and said he has deadlifted 750. He friend, Rich, could military press 525 lbs. They discussed other lifting, such as shoulder presses incline presses, and behind the neck presses. CT said that no regimen is perfect for everybody. Everyone should try someone else’s regimen until they find what works for him or her.

Lastly, they talked about professional wrestlers. C.T. is a big fan of pro wrestling. He has trained with Big E, Jinder Mahal, and Braun Strowman. He tried to break Braun by making him do reps on 245 lbs. on preacher curls. This usually makes others stop. Braun not only did it, but could have done more; he only stopped in order not to embarrass Fletcher. Fletcher would love to train with Brock Lesnar, The Rock, John Cena, and Titus O’ Neil, who he said made his and his grandchildren’s night at a live event when Titus called him out at ringside.

Score and Review (8/10)

The interview started off a little rocky, but as they got into a rhythm about halfway through, it improved. The listener doesn’t need to know a lot about weightlifting or bodybuilding to follow along. As someone who isn’t engrossed in that world, the latter half of the interview was still engrossing as Fletcher is an entertaining personality. He’s even more foul-mouthed than Austin, but his language and cadence is engaging and almost elegant at times considering. It was reminiscent of two warriors at the mead hall talking about past glories, and it provided a nice break from the domestic struggles and ranch talk of the past two weeks.

About Chris

Chris Gaspare is a teacher from Maryland who has been watching wrestling since 1989 when he saw his first WCW Saturday Night episode and quickly rented as many NWA and WWF VHS tapes he could find in local stores. He also attended Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and early ECW shows in Philadelphia, which really kicked his fandom into high gear. He lapsed in the mid-2000s, but returned to the wrestling fold a few years ago.

For more, check out last week’s episode of Steve Austin -Unleashed!

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