Fitness Expert Uses Push-Ups to Strengthen Himself and Others

Former UFC fighter and Culver City resident Joe Charles uses the loss of his son nine years ago to fuel the energy he puts in to not only teaching people how to change their bodies, but also to change their lives. “For all of us who may lose another soldier, we can’t change the past, but we can change the negative energy to positive energy and use it for the future,” he said about the death of his son, who was killed in a drive-by shooting. It's a sentiment Charles lives by.

Patch caught up with the fitness buff right before his Pier-2-Pier Run/Walk, where those who dare can run or walk from the Hermosa Beach Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier and back—a four-mile run in the sand. The fun kicks off Saturday at 7 a.m.

Culver City Patch: What do you love about what you do?

Joe Charles: I love helping people change their lives. When I lost my son, it wasn’t about fitness anymore. I lost my son and had to go to work the next day. I couldn’t see his body. I had to face the reality of life. ... 

My son was kind of rebellious back then. However, his poetry showed me he was listening.  The poetry made me appreciate the message he left behind. It helped me to get my life together, to pass on the love, pass on his message.

Working out is great when you get the rush, but do you get the rush from everyday life, when you’re overcoming the things that happened to you?

Patch: Tell me about the “Push-Up Challenge.”

Charles: When I lost my son, I was doing push-ups with any and everyone. I would explain that ‘I’m hurting right now, I need to drop and do a push-up. '

I want people to get a great workout, but I also want people to go to the next level in the challenges in their life. My son lives through me to spread the message and the love to others, to make a difference with an everyday workout. In the challenge on July 4, I give away $1,000 to everyone who can do my ‘one push-up.’

I first explain what my one push-up is. First, you drop halfway down in the push-up position. Hold it there. Here’s where the love begins—count to 30, then shift and move your hands to the right side. Make a quarter turn—count to 30, then make a quarter turn to the left and count to 30. Then back to the middle and halfway down and count to 30.

I walk out with a mike in my hand and cash in my hand and wave it like I don’t care. What made me keep doing this is, I got people who are loving the message I am leaving with the push-up. Sometimes there are as many as 70 to 100 people who try the push-up, and another 300 people trying to knock out other people to see who is doing the push-up.

As of July 4, I will have given away $9,000 since it started nine years ago.

Patch: What are you looking forward to with the Pier 2 Pier Run/Walk?  

Charles: It was a graduation for all of my bootcamp students back in the day. If they would run pier to pier, then I would give them a small gift at the end. Now it’s open for the world to participate in.

I want to give thanks to Hermosa Beach for allowing it to be a community event. One thing that really impacts me is members of the Hermosa Beach City Council coming out and thanking me, and doing a push-up with me.

It was heartwarming.