A couple of months ago, I attended the 2012 IDFA World Championships to watch my client, JP Castillo, return to the stage winning 3rd in the Novice Bodybuilder Category. It was another amazing event put together by Shaun Campbell and his team.

Staying through the night show, I was blown away by the IDFA’s Pro Division! What an incredible group of athletes! My team, known for spotting great talent in bodybuilding over the last decade, was very impressed with the size, detail, conditioning, and overall presentation of Curt Griffin.

We managed to get a few questions in with, what we think, will be one of the fastest rising bodybuilders and/or fitness celebrities. I also posted this interview as motivation for my male clients!

1) Curt, you had a great year competing in 2012. Can you tell us what it was like to win your Pro Card?

Well honestly, winning my Pro Card was a very difficult process as well as an awesome and extremely rewarding experience. I finally got my reward for all of the hard work and sacrifice that I put into my bodybuilding and physique competitions. The shear level of competition has dramatically increased every year that I have been competing, and the 2012 competitors were no exception. They simply left me stoked! After finishing second and missing obtaining my pro card during first go around as a bodybuilder, I could not have been more pleased that the year off I took from competing to restructure my physique paid off!

(Curt standing in 3rd spot in red trunks)

2) You had a great showing at the IDFA World Championships. What did it feel like being up there against the IDFA’s best? I remember seeing you and thinking you’ve got a great future in bodybuilding.

Finishing 3rd amongst a great line up of competitors was an amazing feeling. It was definitely a lot of fun; however it was kind of nerve-racking to compete against some of the big names in the business. These names included some guys that I’ve actually dreamed about competing against. The next step is not just to be on stage with them but to give them a run for their money and in the end conquer all those guys ;)! As far as my future in bodybuilding goes, I have serious aspirations for The Big Time, and only time will reveal if I can achieve the extreme goals that I have set for myself.

 

(Curt receiving his IDFA Pro Card status with IDFA President, Shaun Campbell)

3) You competed against 2 of your inspirations in fitness. What an accomplishment! Who are they and what did that feel like?

Well so far I have had the honor of stepping on stage and finishing behind Erik Alstrup and Dickens Lambert, two of the guys that I have seen in magazines and really look up to in terms of their physiques as well as the ridiculous level of conditioning that they consistently display on stage. It was during my first couple of real bodybuilding shows that I got to step on stage with Mr Lambert. Back then, I certainly was not really ready for him or any pro realistically. Ever since then I looked forward to having that opportunity to compete against him again, as well as against several other of my bodybuilding inspirations.

4) Speaking of inspirations, I hear you have an incredible story of how you got into competing. Can you tell us about it?

Well, I’ve always loved weight training and been an athlete, but up until six years ago I never really knew anything about eating and proper nutrition, and so I never really considered myself a bodybuilder. But in March 2006 I almost died in my sleep due to a ruptured intestine. I ended up having 6 inches of my large intestine removed and was consequently diagnosed with Chrohn’s Disease. After a painful and lengthy recovery, I decided to change my lifestyle in order to never have to be dependent on medication or to have to endure such a horrible experience again. In January 2008, I made the plunge and in the first 45 days I went from a portly 270 to a lean 225. After about a year after that, I was convinced to compete in my first fitness show in 2009, where I won in both the bodybuilding and Muscle Model categories. From there I had the bug!

(Curt in 2008!)

5) Your conditioning is also incredible but, the amazing thing is, you also hold a lot of size. What can we expect from you in 2013?

As a personal trainer and nutritional consultant I’ve been expanding my knowledge of nutrition not just to help with ailments such as Chrohn’s Disease but to enhance athletic performance as well. This year I was able to hold on to 224lbs for my stage weight which seems like a lot but at 6’3” it is not that easy to look big! Now that I’ve found a recipe that works for me, I’m going to try and fill out a little more, add some more weight as well as develop my wheels a little more. I’m thinking somewhere in the 230’s if all goes according to plan. Arnold’s size numbers are really what I aspire to achieve, and only time will tell if I can get there!

6) Tell us about your educational background. It’s quite impressive. (go into engineering and economics…and how you balance it with fitness)

Well, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgical Engineering and was in the process of finishing a Master’s Degree in Mineral Economics at McGill University when I fell in love with the fitness industry. My research skills proved substantially pertinent in my present profession and have allowed me to benefit from an extremely rapid learning curve in studying the human body and its interactions with food as well as with different types of training. At the moment, I am pursuing my passions while I am still young and able-bodied and will return to the academic and subsequently the engineering work force when the time comes.

7) What do you hope to accomplish in the fitness industry?

I hope to produce one of the nicest physiques humanly possible as well as to educate people and aid them achieve their goals in terms of physical fitness as well as in overall health. Other than that, I am hoping to break into the acting world as well. I just completed work on an independent feature film entitled Boxing Day, in which I played a caricature of myself as an arrogant heavyweight boxing champion. I hope it leads to more roles and if all goes well, Hollywood here I come!

 

(Curt hitting the “side chest”)