We put our boxing gloves on to meet up with Dale Santiago to catch up with him between some of his boxing clients just in case he wanted us to throw some punches. Luckily, we didn’t hurt anyone and Dale shared with us some of his tips that got him and his clients through 2020.
E: How are you staying fit without being able to go to the gym?
DS: Making the most of at-home workouts and getting creative with what can be done from the comfort of my own home! I’ve been focusing on a strength training regimen with all the heavy dumbbells and kettlebells I can get my hands on to keep my body challenged. For cardio, I’ll occasionally go for a run outside, but my go-to outdoor workout is hitting a weighted jump rope. I’ll do 3 minutes on the rope and 1 minute resting for 10 rounds total. If I really want to take it up a notch I’ll add in 10 pushups or 10 sit-ups during the 60-second rest period.
E: What is your go-to workout people can do at home?
DS: Any HIIT-inspired classes because you get the most bang for your buck in terms of resistance training and cardio in a limited amount of time and with limited equipment. You also don’t need much space for these types of classes, so they are easy to do from just about anywhere.
E: What is your favorite ‘easy button’ meal to make at home?
DS: Turkey chili! Runner up is meatballs. Anything that can rock in the crock pot – you can set it and forget it for 6-8 hours to go about your day and then come home to a delicious meal.
E: When ordering Door Dash/Uber Eats, how do you make sure you order a healthy meal?
DS: Ordering out is my opportunity to have a little fun with my meal, so I don’t overthink it or what exactly I’m ordering. I’ve always been conscious about things that are overloaded with dairy (cheeses, heavier sauces), so I naturally stay away from those. If I order a burger, it’s going to be the whole thing! I would rather cook the healthier meals at home and let loose when I order out (which is 2-3 times a week). Nutrition is a lifestyle and needs to be sustainable, which means there should always be some balance between the good (healthier) things, and the ones that might not be as much.
E: What is keeping you motivated right now?
DS: I could probably use a little bit more motivation when it comes to my personal fitness because it’s not easy coaching yourself. You need to find ways to push yourself when you’re alone, or finding an accountability buddy to make it fun. Outside of personal fitness, I have been motivated by the success of my own business and having the opportunity to stand on my own two feet both digitally and in-person, teaching group classes and private personal training. It’s been exciting to continually find new ways to improve and grow my business over the past 6-8 months as we all try and figure out how to live and succeed in this new reality.
E: What is your favorite healthy snack?
DS: Roasted almonds and RX bars (both easy to bring while on-the-go to and from client sessions).
E: What is your favorite EBOOST product right now and why?
DS: EBOOST SUPER FUEL, hands down. I can hydrate and caffeinate at the same time – boom! This is my go-to morning drink and the can makes it easy to take it out the door for early sessions and get fueled for the day. POW is my pick before getting my own sweat equity on, especially since the caffeine level is not super high for someone who is caffeine sensitive. It gives me the jumpstart I need to hit the workout and stay sustained throughout.
E: What does your morning routine look like (if you have one)?
DS: I wake up around 6:15am, wash my face, and eat breakfast right away. It’s super important to fuel your body right after you’ve been resting for 7-8 hours and I always stick to that. The rest of my morning can be a bit different every day depending on when my first private training session begins whether digital or in-person and I’m usually on-the-go between clients until the early evening.
E: If there is one piece of equipment someone could get the most results from while working out at home (or the local park), what would it be?
DS: Let’s make these two pieces of equipment! A set of moderate to heavier dumbbells for working out at home. If they are not super heavy you can level up your resistance training by adding more reps, more time under tension, or tempo to your movements or pauses. There are always ways to make things more challenging despite not having heavy weights. The second is a weighted jump rope (the easier of the two to take outside), which adds another level to the benefits of cardio training, plus but an extra upper body burn along with biceps, shoulders, forearms, and back. My recommendation for the rope weight: ¼ lb for beginners; ½ lb rope will be pretty challenging for advanced jumpers.
E: What is your motto right now?
DS: Work hard, feel good!
For some great workout motivation, follow Dale on Instagram!
