Strength is the foundation of everything else: how you move, how you age, how well you recover. I coach strength and conditioning for adults of every age and level, from someone picking up a kettlebell for the first time to a lifelong athlete who wants to keep competing.
What strength and conditioning coaching is
Strength is your capacity to produce force. Conditioning is your capacity to keep going. Good coaching builds both in the right order, on programming grounded in exercise science rather than whatever is trending this month.
I am a strength and conditioning coach with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science and more than 22 years of coaching, including 11 years in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Florida. My path started on the soccer pitches of Brazil. Sport taught me what strength is for.
How I build a program
Base first. The first weeks are about the fundamental patterns, squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry, with clean form at a load you can control. I screen your movement before I load it, because a compensation under weight is how people get hurt.
Then progressive overload, on purpose and slowly. A little more weight, one more rep, a harder variation. Small steps repeated for months add up to strength that looked impossible on day one. Conditioning is built around the strength work: intervals, carries, and sport-specific work when there is a sport.
I program for the person in front of me. A healthy thirty-five-year-old can push harder and train in whatever format fits their life. A seventy-year-old tennis player needs a different pace. Same philosophy, different application.
Who this is for
- Adults who want to get genuinely strong, not just sweat
- Beginners who want to learn to lift with someone watching
- Golfers, tennis and pickleball players, and runners who want to protect their season
- People coming back to training after years away
- Anyone who has plateaued training alone
Sessions and format
One-on-one is the default. Small groups work well for friends who want to train together. In person across the Tampa Bay Area, or live online by video with real-time form checks and a program that progresses week to week. The intro call sorts out the format and the schedule.
"Dario has been my personal trainer for the last few years. I'm 75 years old and play golf and tennis several days a week, and Dario's training has kept me in good enough shape to maintain that schedule. He adjusts the workout based on my capabilities while pushing me just enough, and most importantly, he is entertaining and makes the hour fly by because it's fun!"
Common Questions
I have never lifted weights. Is that a problem?
No. Most of my clients had never trained seriously before we met. We start with the basic patterns at a weight you can control and add from there.
Will I get bulky?
Not unless you train and eat specifically for it, for years. What you will get is stronger, more capable, and usually leaner.
How is this different from a gym membership?
A membership gives you equipment. Coaching gives you a program built for your body, form checks on every set, and someone adjusting the plan as you change. Most people who train alone plateau or get hurt inside a few months.
Do you train athletes?
Yes. I started in soccer and I coach recreational athletes of all ages, from golf and tennis players in their 70s to adults getting back into sport. Programming is built around what your sport asks of you.
How many sessions a week?
Two is the sweet spot for most people. We set it on the intro call, along with what you can do on your own between sessions.
From the Blog
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Read moreOther Ways to Train With Me
- Senior Fitness Personal training for adults over 60 in the Tampa Bay Area, built around strength, balance, and staying independent. In person or online, with a clinical eye on every session.
- Specialized Health & Clinical Exercise Specialized personal training for clients managing cardiac rehab, Parkinson's, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and osteoarthritis, in the Tampa Bay Area or online. Training that works alongside your medical plan.
- Corrective Exercise Corrective exercise and functional movement screening in the Tampa Bay Area. Fix the imbalances and movement patterns behind nagging pain, posture problems, and repeat injuries.
- Online & Remote Coaching Live one-on-one personal training by video from anywhere. Real-time form checks, a program that progresses week to week, and steady accountability from a coach with 22+ years of experience.
Not sure which fits? Let's talk.
A relaxed 15-minute call to hear your goals and find the right format and schedule. No pressure, no obligation.