Q&A With Charlie McMannis, Fitness Professional
Charlie McMannis has made a career out of fitness and healthy living by helping others improve their physical and mental health, supporting their journeys and inspiring clients to a better lifestyle.
Tell us a bit about what you do.
I come from a family of blue-collar workers in the west side of Chicago. For 35 years, I worked as a railroad worker for the Union Pacific Railroad before retiring in early 2018. About 15 years ago, it really dawned on me that the railroad life was beginning to take a serious toll on my body and on my health. I had gained weight, was struggling with health-related issues, and was really just down on how I was feeling about myself. That’s when I made a commitment to improve my lifestyle, and made a vow to living a healthier life. Now, I would consider myself a fitness and healthy living advocate – I help others make that change too.
What gave you the idea for a life in health and fitness? How did it start?
When I decided to turn my life around, I had the support of family and friends. They believed in me, helped me and made sure I stuck with my promises. After retiring, I wanted to do the same for others. I wanted to help them make healthy living choices, develop workout routines and eat a healthy diet. People have the drive to change, but sometimes they just need someone in their corner giving them a little push forward.
What’s your favorite thing about working in fitness?
I love seeing the progress people make. For me, I went from being overweight to in shape. But that didn’t happen overnight. I had to change my diet, my lifestyle and start working out. The weight came off and I saw a change. Today, when I’m helping someone transform their lifestyle, seeing that change reminds me of the hard work, dedication and commitment it takes. I also enjoy seeing a client’s happiness when they first witness results.
What keys to being productive can you share with us?
First, have a plan. It makes all the difference. Think about it, write it out and follow it. It’s easy to say “I want to lose weight” and never go to the gym or eat healthy. But once you write down a gym schedule, mark off what fitness classes you want to attend and jot down a meal plan, everything becomes real. You’ll have something to check off, remind you and refer back to. Second, make sure you have a support system. Getting healthy is a major lifestyle change—one not many people can do on their own. Therefore, it’s important to involve the people around you—your friends and family. Talk to these people about your struggles, concerns, and problems, because bottling up these feelings will only hurt your progress. Finally, don’t be afraid to fail or mess up. Did you miss the gym two days in a row? That’s ok: Get back out there tomorrow. Just because there was a minor setback doesn’t mean you’ve failed. And, if you do fail, learn from that failure and try again.
Tell us one long-term goal in your career.
One long-term goal of mine is to never stop learning so I can continue implementing new techniques and skills into my business. In fitness, you have your bread and butter workouts—things that have always worked for everyone. Then, you have things that work for certain clients. In order to serve a wide-ranging client base, I want to make sure I keep learning new ways to help them with their journey. This also applies to being a businessman. I know I’ll have setbacks and failures, but I want to keep progressing as an entrepreneur.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?
It comes from an old sports quote: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” When I was working for the railroad, I was out of shape and probably could have kept living like that until it caught up to me in a serious way. But I took a chance on myself even thought I thought failure was inevitable—and, guess what, it worked out. After retiring, I had the idea to start this business and did. If I failed, I still would have been happy I took the shot. Don’t not try something because you think you’re going to fail. Humans are extraordinary and you’ll be surprised what you are capable of doing.
What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?
Stay up to date on new trends and movements in the field. In order to succeed you have to continue providing up-to-date, high-quality service. And to do so, you have to study the industry and new emerging trends. But if you really love this work like I do, this will be simple because you’re essentially reading about something you love. Another piece of advice I would give is don’t get down on yourself if something goes wrong.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
It sounds like an aspect of work because it involves exercising, but I enjoy walking. It’s casual walking, though, and includes people and dog watching, taking strolls down different streets in different neighborhoods and just relaxing. I am also a huge baseball fan. My grandfather worked as an usher at old Comiskey Park for decades, and it just became part of my life from an early age. I’m really hoping to see the White Sox turn it around in the next couple of years.
Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.
“Every Second Counts,” and “Wheelmen” which are autobiographies by Lance Armstrong. They are both powerful, inspiring talks of success, hard work and failure. They are great motivational reads for anyone looking to be great. “Strength Training Anatomy” by Frederic Delavier, which is a fantastic book because it takes you beyond the pumping iron version of working out and delves into the science of your body. Once you can understand that, you’ll view the art of lifting weights differently. And finally, “The Fitness Mindset” by Brian Keane. So much of exercising and working out is mental. You need to put yourself in the right mindset to achieve your goals. You need to believe you can do it, and this book will help with that.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Practice self-care. It’s important for so many reasons but most importantly for staying healthy both physically and mentally. Although I was a very active child and fit through my 20’s, I let working get the best of me and used it as an excuse to let myself go. If I could go back and tell a young Charlie to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even through the tough times, I certainly would – but I’m not sure a young Charlie McMannis would listen to an old guy like me!
