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By Peter McGough - May 2016
Maxx Charles is a bodybuilder making improvements from year to year. At this year’s Arnold Classic in March he was seventh, which many felt was way too low. Personally I had him at least fifth. Now this coming Saturday, May 21st, he’s entering the New York Pro determined to shine in what is now his home territory.
Over the past few years, I have observed Maxx’s progression from the amateurs into the pro ranks and into last year’s Olympia, but during that time we never really spoke. There’s been a handshake and a couple of words here and there, but no substantial interaction. So although I got to know his physique, I never got to know the man. Let’s be honest, at 5’11” and 270 contest-ready pounds, Maxx is an intimidating figure. He strides onstage purposefully, with his face set in stern mode, as if someone has stolen his protein shake. He looks for all the world like a lion on the prowl. Well, I was to learn when I interviewed him at length that this beast is really a pussycat.
Stay with this feature and learn, among other aspects, the following.
- How that mean look got him into trouble as a youngster.
- Why, from the age of 8, he has been driven by the ambition to be Mr. Olympia.
- Why he maintains his off-the-wall training principles— as in training for three hours a day for months on end.
- How he survives on one hour’s sleep a night.
- How this gym rat, who spends more time there than anyone this humble scribe has encountered, doesn’t want to talk bodybuilding once he leaves the weight room.
- How outside the gym, he has a thirst for knowledge that has seen him gain two degrees in computer sciences.
- Why he wept during our interview.
LOVE AND HAITI
Maxx Charles was born Max Charles in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti on February 21, 1980. He had an older brother and younger sister, and life was tough. So tough that when he was one year old, his father decided to go to New York and earn a living, so he could take his family away from the ravages of Haiti to a better life in the Big Apple.
Of his childhood in Haiti, Maxx says, “It was pretty much like hell on earth. I woke up every day not knowing if we’d go to bed that night hungry or not. There was a lot of violence involving kidnapping and murder. People would disappear and there wasn’t really an urgency by the authorities to find them, and after a couple of weeks if they didn’t come back the police, who were fully stretched, would give up looking for them. So every day, you live with the thought in the back of your head that you could disappear and never be heard of again.”
Of the family’s eventual relocation to New York, he says, “We moved to New York when I was 10 years old and hadn’t seen my father since I was one. I had talked to him a few times on the phone, but had to get to know him at age 10. I eventually realized how much he’d sacrificed for us all; how he scrimped and scraped, worked long hours at menial jobs to get his family to a better place.”
Against Maxx’s “hell on earth” summation of Haiti, it’s surprising to learn of his education experiences there: “The education system in Haiti is really good. You had to work really hard at school, five days a week. They taught in a very intensive manner: if you did something wrong, made a mistake or didn’t hand in homework, then you got a whuppin.’ That focuses your mind. I loved the learning process.”
It didn’t surprise me after our conversation to learn that Maxx was a model pupil who got straight A’s, and was recognized as one of the brightest students in the whole island nation. His application for learning still thrives today, as we learn later in this narrative.
He continues, “But given what life was like outside school, I couldn’t wait to leave Haiti.”
So now he is a U.S. citizen, and with those dark thoughts of his homeland, does he feel Haitian? He laughs in reply, “I really don’t have much of a choice. I was born in Haiti so I am Haitian and am proud of that, even though now I am a citizen living in this country.”
He found the education system in the United States to be somewhat different from what he experienced in Haiti. “In Haiti, you had to really deliver or get punished for any misdemeanor or shortfall in work, with a whuppin.’ On Long Island, where we moved to, things weren’t so intense or strict. If you missed handing in your homework, they’d say, ‘OK, bring it in tomorrow.’”
In discussing the transition from Haiti to New York, our subject waxes philosophically: “Given my background, I hate to see so much money wasted by so many people on material things. I see people buying an expensive purse and I think … My god, the cost of that purse would keep somebody in Haiti eating for a couple of months.”
Showing his heart is as big as his other muscles, he continues, “Knowing what it is like to be poor, my greatest satisfaction in life is helping someone who is struggling. As regards people wasting money, don’t get me wrong— if you work hard for the money, then certainly they can spend it on whatever they like and enjoy, but having a life that revolves around material possessions is not my way.”
CUE ARNOLD
Maxx’s first exposure to bodybuilding came when he was about 8 years old: “I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie ‘Commando’ and thought, Holy shit … who is that guy? No other actor looks like that. Who is he, how did he get to look like that? I was told he won the Mr. Olympia seven times. I asked what Mr. Olympia was. I was told it was the contest to decide who was the best-built man in the world. Immediately, the thought was ingrained in my head, I want to look like Arnold; I want to be Mr. Olympia. That ambition has never left me.”
Even though he had that Arnold “eureka” moment, it wasn’t until he was 15 and living on Long Island that he first went to a gym. “There was a gym a couple of minutes away from my school. I would tell my family I was staying a bit later at school on certain days to do extra work, but actually I’d go to the gym, have a workout and then go back home on a later bus. Besides the Arnold factor, what really attracted me to bodybuilding was it was an individual sport. I was a very good soccer player in Haiti and enjoyed it, but it’s a team sport; you are reliant on others for the outcome of the game. With bodybuilding, the training, the diet, the final decision on what you do is yours. You direct your own destiny.”
Did he have any role models during those formative years? “I looked up to Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. With Shawn, I just loved the way he presented himself so professionally onstage and off; he was what a bodybuilder was supposed to look like. But Kevin’s was the physique I was drawn to; he had that massive structure packed with quality muscle.”
On the language front, how did he deal with the move from Haiti, a French-speaking nation, to the USA? “I learned English very quickly, in a month or so, by digesting a French/English phrasebook and watching TV programs like ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” That last fact should underline that Maxx Charles is one smart cookie.
By the age of 19, Maxx was pretty close to 300 pounds and others urged him to enter a local contest. But he delayed: “I didn’t want to do that. You have to understand, my focus from 8 years old was to be the best in the world. No disrespect to local shows, but I wanted to enter a higher level show, as I was constantly using as my target the elite bodybuilders that were in the magazines.”
He eventually started training at Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island; a hotbed of competitive bodybuilding. “I left the gym I was in because there was too much drama there, backbiting, etc. I don’t do drama. I just wanted to do my workout, eat my food, go home and not be involved in bodybuilding chitchat.”
He found a like-minded soul in Victor Martinez. “From the get-go, Victor was always friendly and down-to-earth. Plus, like me, Victor will give everything in the gym, and then when he’s done, we’ll talk about non-bodybuilding topics. I don’t need to be obsessed with bodybuilding 24/7. Don’t get me wrong; my way doesn’t have to be everybody’s way. It would be a boring world if we all thought and did the same thing all the time. Bodybuilding is a massive part of my life, but it’s not my whole life.”
From being nearly 300 pounds when he was 19 in 1999, it was to be nine years until he entered his first show, the 2008 Eastern USA, where he won the superheavyweight division. He can’t remember what he weighed for that contest. “It’s always been about what I look like rather than what I weigh. I know I have a reputation as this massive guy, but for me, it’s not about being as big as you can— more about being as good as you can.”
ONWARD TO THE OLYMPIA
Maxx progressed through the ranks, taking second in the supers at the 2011 Nationals, third at the 2012 USAs and the winning his pro card by taking the overall at the 2013 USAs. In his pro debut, he was fifth at the 2014 New York Pro and fourth at the Tampa Pro later that year. In 2015, he was third at the New York Pro before winning the Tampa Pro and then nabbing 13th at his Mr. Olympia debut. Despite his upward competitive curve, the big knock against Maxx was that while his upper body is spectacular, his legs did not draw the same acclaim. He will tell you, “I don’t want to make a big deal of it, but my leg training in the past was inhibited by a calf injury where a vein just popped out and held me back for a long time.”
I for one noticed he had improved his legs in 2015, and he aims to maintain that progress. “Since early December, I’ve been hammering legs seven days a week.”
That seven-day-a-week regimen should alert you to the fact that Maxx’s training philosophy is, to say the least, unorthodox. He works out for about three hours, seven days a week. Now, does seven days a week mean he trains 30 days a month? Where are the rest days to facilitate a prime element in the muscle-building process, recuperation? Hear him.
“I don’t really have breaks. Since the Arnold last March, I’ve trained every day, no days off at all. I came back from the Arnold on the Sunday and went straight to the gym. I can train every day and make progress. If I feel my body needs some sort of break, I will probably take a day off. But it’s not an option I use very often. In fact, in the whole of 2015 I had maybe just three days when I didn’t work out.”
As regards diet, he eschews the six-meals-a-day, Tupperware-laden program favored by most, and exists on three daily meals of moderate calorie counts. Then there’s his training style, which is loose, no full range of motion. As for reps, he completes sets of 20-30 reps, and when he kicks in with rest-pause or drop sets, those reps increase to 40-50.
So, how did Maxx come up with this training and diet philosophy that goes against just about every modern tenet of building muscle?
“I’ve always analyzed what I was doing in terms of gauging results. I came to the conclusion that training every day, three hours a day, is the ideal means to make my body respond. Don’t get me wrong— I listen to people who know what they’re talking about, who told me I should train less. I actually tried doing workouts of 45-60 minutes, and it didn’t work for me: I didn’t feel I was working hard enough and stressing my muscles the way I should do. Again, with full range of motion, I tried it and didn’t get the same results as I do with my style, in which I fully get the mind-muscle connection.
“What I do doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, but it makes sense to me. This is an individual sport, and you have to find what works best for you. Once you come to that realization that what you’re doing is perfect for you, that the results keep coming, then there’s no other way to go. I’m exploring the limits of my physical capabilities, because to fulfill your potential, you have to take your body to the limit. With my approach, I’m getting better all the time.”
Having competed his first Olympia last September at a bodyweight of 270 pounds, how does he reflect on the experience? “It was great, amazing. I mean, you never forget your first Olympia. You don’t know what it’s going to be like until you are actually there. I watched the top five guys, analyzed how they looked— saw what they had and what I didn’t have, what I needed to bring— which was balanced leg development. I’m after that balance, like Dexter Jackson has. Thirteenth didn’t disappoint me, although I thought I would make top 10. No recriminations; I can’t control my placing— I can only control my physique. A lot of guys bitch about their placings and that makes them lose focus. They think they are good enough when they are not. My next step is to make the Olympia top 10, then the top five, then I zero in on the title itself.”
From 13th in the Olympia to having ambitions to take home the Sandow is a big task. (Although Jay Cutler was 15th in his Olympia debut, and Ronnie Coleman didn’t make the top 15 in his.) Not too many guys openly declare they are committed to winning the Olympia, so why that stance?
He laughs in response, “Right from the beginning, being Mr. Olympia has been my goal. Even if I came in second or third, that wouldn’t suffice. I would keep going until I won it. I don’t see that goal as being unrealistic. To fulfill your potential, you have to shoot for the very top— being satisfied with less than that will impact your chances of ever getting there. When I cease to improve, then I’ll be done— but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”
So what is a typical day for this human dynamo, who makes the Energizer Bunny seem comatose?
“I do my three-hour workout, and then go home to interact with my 13-year-old daughter, Kayla. Then in the night, I hang over my computer studying. I have two degrees in computer subjects and am going for a third. Then I maybe have one hour of sleep before starting the next day. I have this tremendous thirst for learning and gaining knowledge and that will never leave me. But my main focus is Kayla, who I love doing stuff with. I don’t want her to grow into an adult thinking her Dad was this big bodybuilder who didn’t spend enough time with her. Sometimes I might be exhausted, but if she wants to do something, then we’ll do it.”
He continues softly, “Kayla’s birth has been the greatest experience of my life. The birth of a child changes your outlook, makes you look at the world differently.”
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Given his Haitian roots, I ask if he’s ever been back.
“Several times I thought about it and then something happens, like the 2010 earthquake, political upheavals … so I abandoned my plans. No, I’ve never been back. I don’t want anybody to infer that I’m talking crap about my country. I love my country, but the reality is I miss my friends and family still there, but don’t miss starving or having to worry about being the victim of violence. I wanted to go back to see my uncle who was sort of my father in my early years, but he died a few years ago and that really devastated me. I have nightmares about not seeing him for the last time.”
At this point, the Beast of Long Island becomes emotional. “I am sorry to cry. I loved my uncle and it gets to me every time. Whatever happens to me I can handle, but I can’t stand people I love suffering. My uncle died in 2005 and I was living in Manhattan at the time. My uncle had been ill with blood cancer for some time, and my sister called to say he had died and I needed to come to Long Island to comfort my mother. I was in pieces but started to drive there. Then I got a call that my closest friend in high school, who also had blood cancer, had died. In the space of an hour, two people who I had loved passed away. I still can’t understand how I didn’t have an accident on that drive to Long Island. But I knew I had to forget all about the way I felt and that I had to show strength for my mother and family. When I got home, my mother was so distraught she dropped to the floor and I had to pick her up. I had to show the strength that we could all get through this.”
For the New York Pro Maxx promises: “I will definitely be better than the Arnold --I’ll be more balanced. But I’m not going to be one of these guys talking about taking it to a different level. I’ll just be better.”
The remarkable career of a remarkable bodybuilder and man continues. I for one will continue to observe his progress with interest.
MEAN MAXX
As stated in the intro, Maxx has a really mean facial look to him. He makes “Mean Joe” Greene of Coca-Cola commercials and ‘70s Super Bowl fame seem like Mary Poppins. I ask him about that set expression and he laughs in reply, “I’ve always had that mean look to my face. As a kid, my mother would give me grief and say, ‘Wipe that mean look off your face!’ I’d reply, ‘This is my face, I can’t do anything about it.’ She’d get mad and tell me, ‘Don’t be a smart-ass.’ I think a lot of people see my mean look and think I’m unapproachable. But I’m just the opposite. I can’t do anything about my expression— I was born with it.”
Ah, Maxx … as regards a physique and a physiognomy, genetics rule.
MAXX GIVES THANKS
First of all, I would like to thank all at Scitech Nutrition who continue to give me great support as I pursue my goals. Then— they know who they are— my friend Roy and his wife. Angelica and my two training buddies, JB and Nick, my boy Cedric McMillan for being a great support. And most importantly, my girl Julie. We’ve been together four years, and she supports me in every way. I just thank her for everything she does. And finally, all the people and friends that have supported me along the way. Thank you all so much. –Maxx Charles
Maxx Charles is a bodybuilder making improvements from year to year. At this year’s Arnold Classic in March he was seventh, which many felt was way too low. Personally I had him at least fifth. Now this coming Saturday, May 21st, he’s entering the New York Pro determined to shine in what is now his home territory.
Over the past few years, I have observed Maxx’s progression from the amateurs into the pro ranks and into last year’s Olympia, but during that time we never really spoke. There’s been a handshake and a couple of words here and there, but no substantial interaction. So although I got to know his physique, I never got to know the man. Let’s be honest, at 5’11” and 270 contest-ready pounds, Maxx is an intimidating figure. He strides onstage purposefully, with his face set in stern mode, as if someone has stolen his protein shake. He looks for all the world like a lion on the prowl. Well, I was to learn when I interviewed him at length that this beast is really a pussycat.
Stay with this feature and learn, among other aspects, the following.
- How that mean look got him into trouble as a youngster.
- Why, from the age of 8, he has been driven by the ambition to be Mr. Olympia.
- Why he maintains his off-the-wall training principles— as in training for three hours a day for months on end.
- How he survives on one hour’s sleep a night.
- How this gym rat, who spends more time there than anyone this humble scribe has encountered, doesn’t want to talk bodybuilding once he leaves the weight room.
- How outside the gym, he has a thirst for knowledge that has seen him gain two degrees in computer sciences.
- Why he wept during our interview.
LOVE AND HAITI
Maxx Charles was born Max Charles in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti on February 21, 1980. He had an older brother and younger sister, and life was tough. So tough that when he was one year old, his father decided to go to New York and earn a living, so he could take his family away from the ravages of Haiti to a better life in the Big Apple.
Of his childhood in Haiti, Maxx says, “It was pretty much like hell on earth. I woke up every day not knowing if we’d go to bed that night hungry or not. There was a lot of violence involving kidnapping and murder. People would disappear and there wasn’t really an urgency by the authorities to find them, and after a couple of weeks if they didn’t come back the police, who were fully stretched, would give up looking for them. So every day, you live with the thought in the back of your head that you could disappear and never be heard of again.”
Of the family’s eventual relocation to New York, he says, “We moved to New York when I was 10 years old and hadn’t seen my father since I was one. I had talked to him a few times on the phone, but had to get to know him at age 10. I eventually realized how much he’d sacrificed for us all; how he scrimped and scraped, worked long hours at menial jobs to get his family to a better place.”
Against Maxx’s “hell on earth” summation of Haiti, it’s surprising to learn of his education experiences there: “The education system in Haiti is really good. You had to work really hard at school, five days a week. They taught in a very intensive manner: if you did something wrong, made a mistake or didn’t hand in homework, then you got a whuppin.’ That focuses your mind. I loved the learning process.”
It didn’t surprise me after our conversation to learn that Maxx was a model pupil who got straight A’s, and was recognized as one of the brightest students in the whole island nation. His application for learning still thrives today, as we learn later in this narrative.
He continues, “But given what life was like outside school, I couldn’t wait to leave Haiti.”
So now he is a U.S. citizen, and with those dark thoughts of his homeland, does he feel Haitian? He laughs in reply, “I really don’t have much of a choice. I was born in Haiti so I am Haitian and am proud of that, even though now I am a citizen living in this country.”
He found the education system in the United States to be somewhat different from what he experienced in Haiti. “In Haiti, you had to really deliver or get punished for any misdemeanor or shortfall in work, with a whuppin.’ On Long Island, where we moved to, things weren’t so intense or strict. If you missed handing in your homework, they’d say, ‘OK, bring it in tomorrow.’”
In discussing the transition from Haiti to New York, our subject waxes philosophically: “Given my background, I hate to see so much money wasted by so many people on material things. I see people buying an expensive purse and I think … My god, the cost of that purse would keep somebody in Haiti eating for a couple of months.”
Showing his heart is as big as his other muscles, he continues, “Knowing what it is like to be poor, my greatest satisfaction in life is helping someone who is struggling. As regards people wasting money, don’t get me wrong— if you work hard for the money, then certainly they can spend it on whatever they like and enjoy, but having a life that revolves around material possessions is not my way.”
CUE ARNOLD
Maxx’s first exposure to bodybuilding came when he was about 8 years old: “I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie ‘Commando’ and thought, Holy shit … who is that guy? No other actor looks like that. Who is he, how did he get to look like that? I was told he won the Mr. Olympia seven times. I asked what Mr. Olympia was. I was told it was the contest to decide who was the best-built man in the world. Immediately, the thought was ingrained in my head, I want to look like Arnold; I want to be Mr. Olympia. That ambition has never left me.”
Even though he had that Arnold “eureka” moment, it wasn’t until he was 15 and living on Long Island that he first went to a gym. “There was a gym a couple of minutes away from my school. I would tell my family I was staying a bit later at school on certain days to do extra work, but actually I’d go to the gym, have a workout and then go back home on a later bus. Besides the Arnold factor, what really attracted me to bodybuilding was it was an individual sport. I was a very good soccer player in Haiti and enjoyed it, but it’s a team sport; you are reliant on others for the outcome of the game. With bodybuilding, the training, the diet, the final decision on what you do is yours. You direct your own destiny.”
Did he have any role models during those formative years? “I looked up to Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler and Shawn Ray. With Shawn, I just loved the way he presented himself so professionally onstage and off; he was what a bodybuilder was supposed to look like. But Kevin’s was the physique I was drawn to; he had that massive structure packed with quality muscle.”
On the language front, how did he deal with the move from Haiti, a French-speaking nation, to the USA? “I learned English very quickly, in a month or so, by digesting a French/English phrasebook and watching TV programs like ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” That last fact should underline that Maxx Charles is one smart cookie.
By the age of 19, Maxx was pretty close to 300 pounds and others urged him to enter a local contest. But he delayed: “I didn’t want to do that. You have to understand, my focus from 8 years old was to be the best in the world. No disrespect to local shows, but I wanted to enter a higher level show, as I was constantly using as my target the elite bodybuilders that were in the magazines.”
He eventually started training at Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger’s Powerhouse Gym in Long Island; a hotbed of competitive bodybuilding. “I left the gym I was in because there was too much drama there, backbiting, etc. I don’t do drama. I just wanted to do my workout, eat my food, go home and not be involved in bodybuilding chitchat.”
He found a like-minded soul in Victor Martinez. “From the get-go, Victor was always friendly and down-to-earth. Plus, like me, Victor will give everything in the gym, and then when he’s done, we’ll talk about non-bodybuilding topics. I don’t need to be obsessed with bodybuilding 24/7. Don’t get me wrong; my way doesn’t have to be everybody’s way. It would be a boring world if we all thought and did the same thing all the time. Bodybuilding is a massive part of my life, but it’s not my whole life.”
From being nearly 300 pounds when he was 19 in 1999, it was to be nine years until he entered his first show, the 2008 Eastern USA, where he won the superheavyweight division. He can’t remember what he weighed for that contest. “It’s always been about what I look like rather than what I weigh. I know I have a reputation as this massive guy, but for me, it’s not about being as big as you can— more about being as good as you can.”
ONWARD TO THE OLYMPIA
Maxx progressed through the ranks, taking second in the supers at the 2011 Nationals, third at the 2012 USAs and the winning his pro card by taking the overall at the 2013 USAs. In his pro debut, he was fifth at the 2014 New York Pro and fourth at the Tampa Pro later that year. In 2015, he was third at the New York Pro before winning the Tampa Pro and then nabbing 13th at his Mr. Olympia debut. Despite his upward competitive curve, the big knock against Maxx was that while his upper body is spectacular, his legs did not draw the same acclaim. He will tell you, “I don’t want to make a big deal of it, but my leg training in the past was inhibited by a calf injury where a vein just popped out and held me back for a long time.”
I for one noticed he had improved his legs in 2015, and he aims to maintain that progress. “Since early December, I’ve been hammering legs seven days a week.”
That seven-day-a-week regimen should alert you to the fact that Maxx’s training philosophy is, to say the least, unorthodox. He works out for about three hours, seven days a week. Now, does seven days a week mean he trains 30 days a month? Where are the rest days to facilitate a prime element in the muscle-building process, recuperation? Hear him.
“I don’t really have breaks. Since the Arnold last March, I’ve trained every day, no days off at all. I came back from the Arnold on the Sunday and went straight to the gym. I can train every day and make progress. If I feel my body needs some sort of break, I will probably take a day off. But it’s not an option I use very often. In fact, in the whole of 2015 I had maybe just three days when I didn’t work out.”
As regards diet, he eschews the six-meals-a-day, Tupperware-laden program favored by most, and exists on three daily meals of moderate calorie counts. Then there’s his training style, which is loose, no full range of motion. As for reps, he completes sets of 20-30 reps, and when he kicks in with rest-pause or drop sets, those reps increase to 40-50.
So, how did Maxx come up with this training and diet philosophy that goes against just about every modern tenet of building muscle?
“I’ve always analyzed what I was doing in terms of gauging results. I came to the conclusion that training every day, three hours a day, is the ideal means to make my body respond. Don’t get me wrong— I listen to people who know what they’re talking about, who told me I should train less. I actually tried doing workouts of 45-60 minutes, and it didn’t work for me: I didn’t feel I was working hard enough and stressing my muscles the way I should do. Again, with full range of motion, I tried it and didn’t get the same results as I do with my style, in which I fully get the mind-muscle connection.
“What I do doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, but it makes sense to me. This is an individual sport, and you have to find what works best for you. Once you come to that realization that what you’re doing is perfect for you, that the results keep coming, then there’s no other way to go. I’m exploring the limits of my physical capabilities, because to fulfill your potential, you have to take your body to the limit. With my approach, I’m getting better all the time.”
Having competed his first Olympia last September at a bodyweight of 270 pounds, how does he reflect on the experience? “It was great, amazing. I mean, you never forget your first Olympia. You don’t know what it’s going to be like until you are actually there. I watched the top five guys, analyzed how they looked— saw what they had and what I didn’t have, what I needed to bring— which was balanced leg development. I’m after that balance, like Dexter Jackson has. Thirteenth didn’t disappoint me, although I thought I would make top 10. No recriminations; I can’t control my placing— I can only control my physique. A lot of guys bitch about their placings and that makes them lose focus. They think they are good enough when they are not. My next step is to make the Olympia top 10, then the top five, then I zero in on the title itself.”
From 13th in the Olympia to having ambitions to take home the Sandow is a big task. (Although Jay Cutler was 15th in his Olympia debut, and Ronnie Coleman didn’t make the top 15 in his.) Not too many guys openly declare they are committed to winning the Olympia, so why that stance?
He laughs in response, “Right from the beginning, being Mr. Olympia has been my goal. Even if I came in second or third, that wouldn’t suffice. I would keep going until I won it. I don’t see that goal as being unrealistic. To fulfill your potential, you have to shoot for the very top— being satisfied with less than that will impact your chances of ever getting there. When I cease to improve, then I’ll be done— but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”
So what is a typical day for this human dynamo, who makes the Energizer Bunny seem comatose?
“I do my three-hour workout, and then go home to interact with my 13-year-old daughter, Kayla. Then in the night, I hang over my computer studying. I have two degrees in computer subjects and am going for a third. Then I maybe have one hour of sleep before starting the next day. I have this tremendous thirst for learning and gaining knowledge and that will never leave me. But my main focus is Kayla, who I love doing stuff with. I don’t want her to grow into an adult thinking her Dad was this big bodybuilder who didn’t spend enough time with her. Sometimes I might be exhausted, but if she wants to do something, then we’ll do it.”
He continues softly, “Kayla’s birth has been the greatest experience of my life. The birth of a child changes your outlook, makes you look at the world differently.”
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Given his Haitian roots, I ask if he’s ever been back.
“Several times I thought about it and then something happens, like the 2010 earthquake, political upheavals … so I abandoned my plans. No, I’ve never been back. I don’t want anybody to infer that I’m talking crap about my country. I love my country, but the reality is I miss my friends and family still there, but don’t miss starving or having to worry about being the victim of violence. I wanted to go back to see my uncle who was sort of my father in my early years, but he died a few years ago and that really devastated me. I have nightmares about not seeing him for the last time.”
At this point, the Beast of Long Island becomes emotional. “I am sorry to cry. I loved my uncle and it gets to me every time. Whatever happens to me I can handle, but I can’t stand people I love suffering. My uncle died in 2005 and I was living in Manhattan at the time. My uncle had been ill with blood cancer for some time, and my sister called to say he had died and I needed to come to Long Island to comfort my mother. I was in pieces but started to drive there. Then I got a call that my closest friend in high school, who also had blood cancer, had died. In the space of an hour, two people who I had loved passed away. I still can’t understand how I didn’t have an accident on that drive to Long Island. But I knew I had to forget all about the way I felt and that I had to show strength for my mother and family. When I got home, my mother was so distraught she dropped to the floor and I had to pick her up. I had to show the strength that we could all get through this.”
For the New York Pro Maxx promises: “I will definitely be better than the Arnold --I’ll be more balanced. But I’m not going to be one of these guys talking about taking it to a different level. I’ll just be better.”
The remarkable career of a remarkable bodybuilder and man continues. I for one will continue to observe his progress with interest.
MEAN MAXX
As stated in the intro, Maxx has a really mean facial look to him. He makes “Mean Joe” Greene of Coca-Cola commercials and ‘70s Super Bowl fame seem like Mary Poppins. I ask him about that set expression and he laughs in reply, “I’ve always had that mean look to my face. As a kid, my mother would give me grief and say, ‘Wipe that mean look off your face!’ I’d reply, ‘This is my face, I can’t do anything about it.’ She’d get mad and tell me, ‘Don’t be a smart-ass.’ I think a lot of people see my mean look and think I’m unapproachable. But I’m just the opposite. I can’t do anything about my expression— I was born with it.”
Ah, Maxx … as regards a physique and a physiognomy, genetics rule.
MAXX GIVES THANKS
First of all, I would like to thank all at Scitech Nutrition who continue to give me great support as I pursue my goals. Then— they know who they are— my friend Roy and his wife. Angelica and my two training buddies, JB and Nick, my boy Cedric McMillan for being a great support. And most importantly, my girl Julie. We’ve been together four years, and she supports me in every way. I just thank her for everything she does. And finally, all the people and friends that have supported me along the way. Thank you all so much. –Maxx Charles