Issue 191

July 2020

The garlanded trainer on adjusting to life in lockdown. Netflix doesn't feature heavily

With the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire world, how has your daily routine changed personally and professionally?

I like to make it challenging on myself because in the middle of the pandemic, I actually opened up two gyms on my own. It’s going alright. I still have fighters that have fights coming up. I still have some of my athletes coming in, in small groups, making sure we are staying safe and keeping everything sanitary. As far as my day-to-day, it’s definitely changed. We aren’t working out at ATT right now. Income wise, I am doing really well. I have the body weight program that I just launched. It helped out a lot of people, especially right now as people can’t get to the gym. I am still building up both gyms. I have one with Mo Vaughn. We are opening up a full sports complex for baseball and football. I will be bringing some of the fighters over there, too. I have my other gym that is 15 minutes away from there. That will be more of a fitness boot camp and strongman gym. It will be fun. I am excited about it. I always take a negative and turn it into a positive. I am ready to go. 

How did your relationship with former MVP Mo Vaughn start and how did it turn into opening a gym together?

Mo came into American Top Team because he knew Conan (Silveira). Conan said he had a guy, who was an ex-baseball player, who wanted to train with me. Conan didn’t tell me who it was. Let’s face it. I’m not the biggest baseball fan. I played football and I fought. Those are two total opposite sports. He came in the gym and Conan introduced him to me. He told me who he was and he looked familiar. I couldn’t put it together, though. The whole side of my dad’s family is from Boston. When I told him he couldn’t believe it. He (dad) was all happy. I did some more research and realized he was pretty legit! Fast forward about two years. I trained his daughter, too. His daughter plays tennis. I started training both her and him. He opened up a facility for hitting. He had batting practice and batting cages in there and everything. He grew that facility, it was about 2,000 square feet. He just opened up a 5,000 square foot facility right across the street. He hit me up and said he really wanted to get me in there and work with the kids. He said I can have my own space. Because it was him, I was down to do it. I have so many moving parts with all of my stuff. It’s just a good fit and he is a good guy. I respect him and I trust him. Now, we are going in together and getting these kids ready to go. The great thing about it is that I will be able to bring the fighters over there. I am ordering new equipment. It’s going to be good. 

You have the Daru Strong training systems, the two new gyms, the Fight Science stuff, the Daru Strong podcast and so much more. How do you prioritize and balance everything?

I am a worker, man. I have a solid team around me. I can’t do it all on my own. Organization is key. Scheduling is key. I have a media marketing team. I have a videographer. I have coaches under me. I have interns coming in and out. There is a huge amount of help but, like I said before, I always like to work. There isn’t a time of the day when I am not trying to get better and do something. I think I would get stir crazy if I sat down and tried to watch Netflix all day. I don’t think it would work. 

What gets the juices flowing most for you right now?

It’s really just helping people. I know that sounds a cliché, but I honestly love it. I love when I get DMs, messages and emails about people doing my programs or watching my YouTube videos or listening to my podcast and getting something out of it and actually changing their lives. I am constantly getting myself better and increasing my own value. I always look forward to that. When I learn something new it’s like my birthday! If I don’t understand something it bothers me for a few days. It sticks in my mind until I fully get it. I am constantly trying to improve. If I can learn something new each day it drives me to do even more. It doesn’t even have to be about strength and conditioning. It can be anything. That is why I started the podcast. I want to converse with individuals that I respect. Tony, you are asking me questions all the time. I want to ask questions!