Who did you look up to growing up?

I definitely looked up to my gymnastics coaches as well as Olympic gymnasts and later Olympic track athletes like Sergei Bubka and Micheal Johnson. Ricky Henderson was my favorite baseball player because he was so fast.

How would you help a client who has very little athletic experience? What’s a good way to get started?

The best was to get started is to get help from a professional. A good trainer can assess you and identify imbalances and weaknesses and outline a strategy or program to reach your goals. Having a plan is crucial for getting a healthy, fit body as soon as possible.

If a trainer is not an option for you, then find a friend to begin your journey with. Accountability is key. And set achievable goals. Going from working out zero days a week to five days a week leaves a huge margin for failure to meet that goal. Start with one or two days at the gym. Do this for a month or two, then add more once it’s part of your routine.

What are three areas of focus that a trainee should know in their journey to a perfect body?

1) Movement quality – This means adequate mobility, flexibility, and coordination to move in life and the gym with confidence and without pain.

2) Strength – This is a relative term for each individual. Getting stronger in a few basic movements (squatting, pull ups/ row, push ups) will be able to carryover to every other aspect of health and fitness.

3) Aerobic base / Conditioning – Challenging your cardiovascular system at varying durations and intensities is crucial for a well balanced body. Don’t over do it with the cardio, do at least 1 strength or movement workout for every cardio session.

Obviously, getting a body you are proud of is more than just exercise, what dieting advice do you give to your clients?

I’ll keep this simple: Drink more water – 2 liters a day. Eat more vegetables – 5-6 handful size servings. Eat more protein
– 3-4 handful size servings. Eat more healthy fats – Coconut, avocado, olive oil, fish oil. Eat 1- 3 servings of clean carbohydrates ( potatoes, rice, whole grain). Eat less (or none) processed sugars, wheats, foods. Avoid processed carbohydrates, added sugars, and drinks with sugar. This includes fruit juices, even the fancy organic ones, it’s still liquid sugar! This is a good place to start. Again, keep it simple. Focus on what you CAN eat, not what you cannot.

What is it about training and working out that gets you excited, inspires you, and keeps you coming to SSL everyday?

Any type of physical challenge inspires me. Physical expression is a huge part of my life. As a kid i climbed trees, went cliff jumping into rivers and lakes and found every opportunity to be active. This desire has stayed with me my whole life. Being active and challenging physical barriers builds my confidence. As I get older I am more conservative with how I challenge myself, as overall health and well being are my priority.

Have you had any great success stories in training?

Sure, I’ve had a client lose over 30lbs of fat and gain 15lbs of muscle during our time together. One client smash hit a personal record in an Iron Man Triathalon. One of my clients has run several marathons, to raise awareness for her non-profit, improving race after race. I’ve trained models for huge photoshoots with great success. Many male clients have dropped to single digit body fat percentages while maintaining lean muscle and great physiques. My DVD The Anarchy Workout has many great success stories, I am incredibly proud of those people who self motivate and workout at home and see these amazing results. I’ll tell you that the small successes you make every day are the best. Success isn’t made overnight. Watching someone day after day putting in the work, the small steps towards the end goal is the biggest success for me.

What do you have in store for the future of Soho Strength Lab?

SSL is growing and will have a new larger space in 2017. Our training team is second to none and our elite client list is growing daily. We look forward to continuing our mission to provide the best physical training experience possible.

How does Soho Strength Lab differ from any other gym?

SSL is a unique space in downtown Manhattan with the highest quality personal training in a fun and dynamic atmosphere. We curate every program specifically to each client. We have room to move, jump, climb and run. We have an excellent Olympic lifting area where you can drop big weights if that’s your thing. SSL can handle any situation from post surgery to high performance. Every member of our teams loves coaching, motivating and lives the embodies the physical lifestyle.

Underwear by Versace