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"I'm the guy that you say 'He probably goes home and does 30 pushups.' Yes, I am that guy," says Guillermo Dapelo, the 25-year-old boxing instructor who's taking Fight Club America by storm for the past five years. Just ask his clients at Fight Club's Midtown location. His classes are always packed, even at 12pm on a weekday, and he can name off countless success stories from those he's trained, not to mention his own. A mere five years ago he dropped his gloves after a knee injury kept him from advancing his professional boxing career, and so he did what every Miami resident has thought of doing at least once: he became a DJ.
"I'm the guy that you say 'he probably goes home and does 30 pushups.' Yes, I am that guy." – Guillermo Dapelo
"When you're into nightlife, what comes next? You want to become a part of it, but I picked a town like Miami where you kick a rock and there's a million DJs coming out," he said. Soon after, Miami's grueling party scene snuck up on him, and his scale eventually reached 230 pounds. "From one day to another it clicked on me. I quit DJ-ing and I committed myself to losing weight. It took me a year and a half and today I'm 150 pounds. I've done it all by myself. There was no encouragement or anything. I just said I'm going to do this for myself."
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But that's not to say his experience on the turntables has gone to waste. Besides turning the fans off in an 80 degree room, Guillermo is known for making his own killer 40-minute mixes, which he blasts in all of his workout classes, including his massive weekend classes, which he encourages everyone, even non-members, to try on the last Saturday of every month. Eventually, Guillermo hopes to fill up a room with 800 class goers. "That would be my dream," he says.
There really is no off time for this dedicated trainer, as he's committed to leading a life of activity. "My hobby is working out," he says. "My mindset is to not have any downtime." He loves riding his bike, so don't be surprised to see him peddling from Midtown to South Beach (possibly to workout at Barry's Bootcamp, of which he's a huge fan). If you had to twist his arm, though, he might oblige if you're talking about tanning at The Standard Spa. Or if you simply offer him a slice of pizza, but don't expect him to hibernate for long. Guillermo will most likely peddle back to the gym to get back on track.
"I love the discipline boxing teaches you," he says. "Boxing has taught me bigger lessons in life than school could have ever taught me: to keep your composure, to keep your consistency. The same consistency you need to get better in boxing is the same consistency you need in your everyday life."
Needless to say, he couldn't imagine doing anything else.
"I've tried every profession in the book," he says. "I've tried construction, I've tried being a bus boy, I've tried being a server, a barback. None of those jobs have ever made me feel as alive as I do right now, training people."