My transformation - One Year and 60lb of Muscle Later!

[bbgonnabe]

How about an update, Charles? Knowing you, you are likely progressing even beyond your expectations! Remember, I'm the guy that told you you could easily hit 240 the frist time you started training and not to stop short of that. You agreed and then ended up blowing us both away!!!

[alyacarmen]

This has been a strange couple of months - first, I felt lost and my trip to the United Kingdom, which I struggled to get into the routine of weight training / lifting / falling. Work has been busy, and traction was hard to find. At first I thought my days were numbered was Huger ... This last month, things took off like a rocket again so. People have told me that I am stronger than ever again for a while, my interlocutors have their eyes fixed on my arm when they talk about me instead of my face so I knew it went well. I knew that my diet and training have been right. I knew I was going back up.

[bbgonnabe]

Originally Posted by alyacarmen

This has been a strange couple of months - first, I felt lost and my trip to the United Kingdom, which I struggled to get into the routine of weight training / lifting / falling. Work has been busy, and traction was hard to find. At first I thought my days were numbered was Huger ... This last month, things took off like a rocket again so. People have told me that I am stronger than ever again for a while, my interlocutors have their eyes fixed on my arm when they talk about me instead of my face so I knew it went well. I knew that my diet and training have been right. I knew I was going back up.

Who is this?

[inm]

I'll join; how did contest prep go? and the contest itself?

[Aronymous]

You look awesome dude! Congrats!
So jealous right now haha.

[achilles]

Hey guys,

Long overdue for an update here, right? (I have no clue who that Alyacarmen poster is, wasn't me...)

The last year had been a bit on and off with my growth, due to work commitments and other things that tend to get in the way; I managed to exercise enough to keep my muscle, but 2010 was mostly not a year where I managed to continue the trend of freaky growth - until the end of November that is, where I knuckled down and began really tackling my muscle gaining goals hard once more. As a result, I'm now up to 245lb, which is the heaviest I've been (previously got up to 240lb before my first contest), only this time my bodyfat is lower than before / more muscle mass, which means I'm still on the path of bulking. My current bulk cycle ends Mid-March, and I'm hopeful of getting up to 260lb. If I can do that, I will have gained 100lb since I began bodybuilding! What a treat

As before I'm gearing up big-time to enter my next bodybuilding competition, which will be in August later this year. Last time I placed 6th out of 11 competitors in my class, but recent big improvements in my physique have me hopeful of breaking into the top 3. If I can do that, I'll have the chance to enter the international event in Reno later in November. Will let you know how it goes.

Below are some recent pics from December / this week I've been sharing on my bodybuilding blogwhich I've revived after some inactivity. And that's a wrap :-) Here's to good things for everyone in 2011!

Pic 1: http://pics.livejournal.com/ccmuscle/pic/00062cfp
Pic 2: http://pics.livejournal.com/ccmuscle/pic/00061wpx
Pic 3: http://pics.livejournal.com/ccmuscle/pic/000603tg

[pdxflex]

It is great to see you back, Achilles! Sounds like a fantastic plan, and I am already jealous of your progress. I look forward to seeing your updates!

[Ragetiger]

Small world. Once I saw your pics, I knew you from another site. How cool is that. Can't wait to see how you'll appear at the end of your bulk cycle. Go for broke dude.

[RyBearATL]

Hey there! Great to see you posting again, let's see more pictures when you get time!

Best,
R

[spidey_ry]

You are such an inspiration! Loving the beard as well!

[Tawan]

awesome and inspiring...

[Nib18]

Hey dude, really good job!
I'm a skinny guy too (as you WAS(!)) as it is right now, but i've started using dumbbells and normal exercising like that, AT HOME.
So i've got a question: How much did you work out to begin with, to see the first results? (I know genetics and diet follows the progress too, but I'm very curious about your specific transformation, Great job man!)

[UKMuscle2]

Nice work mate. Very Impressed

[arpeejay]

Time for an update, wot?

xoxo

Richard

[bbgonnabe]

Charles, please update us!

I'm the guy that told you should go for 240 and not stop at 220. I saw the genetic potential.

Randall
Arizona

[raven79]

Considering that he has been gone for eight months, I would say he has abandoned us! How sad, Charles was one of the coolest guys ever!

[Mdlftr]

I just reread some of the CCroft bbing blog, and I think he's just on hiatus. In one of the entries from late 2009, he talks about feeling satisfaction for the first time, with his amazing accomplishments. A 20" arm IS impressive, and to achieve it in such a short time from where he started requires dedication and a single minded focus which doesn't allow much else in your life. He's still big and maintaining-- he's just focusing on other aspects of his life: relationships, career - instead of growth right now.

More power to him. He's still inspiring for what he has accomplished. What he does going forward is up to him.

[raven79]

I know what blog entry your talking about Mdlftr. He moved to a new house and was going to become a legitimate writer. The guy writes deep and thought-provoking poetry and has impeccable tastes in music. Frankly, Charles is a bit of dream man. His transformation from an average Joe into a hot and sexy bodybuilder was mind-blowing to me. His journey was one of the best I had seen a few years ago. Of course other guys have come along and had similar mind-blowing transformations like Aaron Clark and Lorenzo Becker, but Charles Croft is probably the most enduring of the bunch. (Wow, I totally went out on a limb! Sorry! )

[arpeejay]

Raven, I see you share my condition -- crushitis! I get 'em all the time, usually with respect to guys who live thousands of miles away!

I'm still waiting for the Mormons to invent that in-home self-cloning device! Then I can have as many husbands as I have clones!

xoxo

Richard

who obviously needs some more coffee!

[raven79]

Richard you always know how to make a difficult situation a bearable one. He he!

[xboy]

Congrats!!!!

[bj1983]

That, gives myself some encouragement

[achilles]

Hello everyone,

Indeed I have been away. And coming back with great joy to find out I had been missed... I'm truly touched I made such an impact here.

I do apologise for my absence, particularly to those people I'd made good friendships with; I had some issues to sort out, I suppose, but I'm back now. And I've been BUSY!

Yes, what has brought me back is that I've got some news worth sharing. I have been keeping up the bodybuilding, and this week I reached a special milestone for me. My bodyweight (FINALLY) reached 255lb - which means I've gained 100lb from where I started in 2006.

You want to know what that looks like? You got it:
http://imgur.com/ZtSWY

When I started this journey in bodybuilding in 2006 - has it really been that long? - I started it because I grew up the skinny kid, the one made fun of because of how lanky he was. Tall and skinny, that was me. I admired bodybuilders, but could never imagine BEING one of them. I was just always going to be the skinny one, my genes would never let me pack on any size, right?

Well, I fought hard, and this is the result. When I began, my expectations were low, really, I didn't expect any major gains. I told myself if I could get 18" arms by the time I was 30 (I'm 28 now), I'd be lucky, that would be MORE that I could expect. But, I found training that worked for me, plugged away at the diet, and grew, a LOT. None of it was easy. Many sore moments, a few tears, and a few more times throwing up led up to this.

I made most of my major gains in my first couple years... and then for a few more years I'd been cycling between 200lb and 240lb, always trying to get big enough to have gained 100lb from where I started, and failing, shrinking down again.

This year however I rediscovered a new intensity to my training, pushing myself further than ever before. And this week I achieved it, 255.3lb on the scale. The skinny kid is 100lb bigger than he used to be.

I'm taking a moment to enjoy this accomplishment; but I still plan on accomplishing more. My pro-bodybuilding idols never settled for less, and I won't either. My next goal is to reach 300lb - if it takes me another six years (or more), so be it, but I won't stop trying. I say this every year it seems, but I'm planning on entering another bodybuilding competition (the last one I did was in 2009, I was a LOT smaller), and doing well.

So thanks to everyone who's cheered me on so far. All my fellow muscle-heads, gym-goers, fans, watchers, friends. Sometimes it's you that helps me keep believing in me. If there's anything I can do to encourage others to stick to their own goals, I'll gladly do it. We're all on the same path, that's what I think.

May you all achieve what you set out to do, whatever it is.

[raven79]

I have never forgot about you Charles! I missed reading your blogs and following your progress on YouTube. You made some incredibly amazing sleeve ripping videos.

You became the big, hulking, muscle bull! Now you just need to write some great stories.

Your transformation is one of the greatest ever and I loved how articulate you were/are.

Please, don't be a stranger!

[arpeejay]

Awesome current pic, awesome transformation -- it's good to see you here again!

And I'm looking forward to the next 100 lbs.! I know you'll hit 350, all muscle, at some point, and won't that be a sight? :-)

xoxo

Richard

[arpeejay]

Also:

Are you on Facebook? If not, you should be! We need a Charles fan page!

xoxo

Richard

[Mdlftr]

255 pounds -- and looking and enjoying every bit of it!

Congratulations on the results of your hard work!

Keep lifting!

Mdlftr

[massingUP]

Phenomenal work Charles - and by that, I mean that you are truly a phenomenon! It's great to know that you've kept the faith this whole time and have been working hard -- and it shows! You are truly HUGE.

Congrats on your MAJOR accomplishment -- and as Richard says, we'll all be looking forward to the next 50#... and then the next 50 after that!

All the best,

- James

[WhoDunIt]

Wow, congrats on the new size and welcome back!

[BigSteve6ft3]

Wow, Charles! You look awesome! Welcome back. I've been following your progress since the beginning, and you just continue to amaze. Great job.

Now ... More pics, please!

[achilles]

I am also on twitter nowadays

https://twitter.com/#!/nz_achilles

Feel free to add me! Lots of recent pix in my twitter timeline. Plus, these:

http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/t...Muscle%202012/

http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/t...Muscle%202012/

http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/t...Muscle%202012/

[wpgym_nl]

congratulations ! what a great piece of work you have accomplished !
go on ! you are never big enough as a bodybuilder

[gogr2]

Charles! CONGRATS!!! You look amazing! We all look forward to your continuing gains.

[Notbigenuff]

That's all, just "wow."

[raven79]

My favorites:
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...2/250lb_me.jpg
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t.../quads_may.jpg
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...12/noshirt.jpg

Charles, you are such a gorgeous man! Yep, you are pretty much everything I want in a man. (No pressure! )

I hope you don't mind me posting these. I should have asked first.

[vlad]

Awesome stuff, and HOT new pics man! WOW you look huge!

[lsosuke]

o.o YOU ARE TOO SEXY HEY I WANT TO BE YOUR PARTNER, OTHER FANTASY WOULD BE TO HAVE A PARTNER FOR GYM

MY PARTNER WOULD BE TOO STRONG AND INTELLIGENT FOR TRAIN ME FOR THE FUTERE HE AND ME WILL BE BODYBUILDER TOO SEXY XD

[lsosuke]

T.t why you erase the videos i never can see it

[F_R_Eaky]

Yeah gotta love that quad shot. Your briefs are just the right tightness in that pic... all of us who love muscle growth stories I'm pretty sure automatically, even though it's just a still shot, picture you expanding, hear you expanding and the sound of cloth ripping, and imagine you hulking out of those briefs via the thighs, abs, and .... ..... .... well you do look like you could rip them out that way too in that shot. Nice pic.

[bbgonnabe]

Hey Charles,

It is so cool to see you around again!

I think this pic better represents your size because the preacher curl bench provides something for comparison: http://s620.photobucket.com/albums/t...3DjuneGym1.jpg

This is the first time that I've seen a gorilla hanging out on a preacher curl bench!

Long ago, you started making really rapid gains using Isatori's Morph. Has there been any other supplement(s) that worked that well or even better (in terms of rapid gains or total gains in size and/or strength)?

The 395lb bench is astounding. Maybe you should take a run at a powerlifting comp too!!!

Randall