As we approach our 10th anniversary celebration, I wanted to take some time to reflect and share the story of Warlock CrossFit — where it all began, how it came to life, and the journey that led us here. I’m here writing the story of how my gym came to be. So, let’s rewind the clock to 2013 and start at the beginning.
A Turning Point in NYC
It’s 4:30 AM, and I’m just getting home from work. At the time, I was a DJ and producer in some of the hottest nightclubs in New York City. I was living in what most would consider a fantasy world of travel, parties, booze and celebrities 5–6 days a week. After getting in from another late night / early more I gathered about 4.5 hours of sleep. I woke up that day, looked in the mirror, and realized it was time for a change. I felt dissatisfied with the person looking back at me. (I took a picture to remind myself how far I’ve come.)
What was once a Division 1 athlete at the top of his game had become a tired, out-of-shape version of himself. Something had to change. That day, I threw on my running shoes and ran a three-mile loop through Central Park, just two blocks from where I lived. As I ran through the crisp February air, I knew I wanted out of nightlife.
I started talking with people in my circle, hoping to figure out the next step. I reached out to my friend Joe Rizzo — a Grammy-nominated artist and the official DJ for the NFL — and asked, “What’s next after DJing?” Joe replied, “I’m just going to keep DJing.” That made sense for him, but it didn’t feel right for me.
Next, I asked my friend and mentor DJ Chachi, “What’s the long-term game plan? No one wants to be in the clubs until 5 AM forever.” He told me he’d probably open an agency someday. While both paths made sense for them, neither offered the direction I was seeking. There was no clear retirement, no pathway for growth — and the constant grind wasn’t doing anyone’s health any favors. It was time for a change.
Moving Upstate and Finding CrossFit
I made up my mind: I wouldn’t renew my lease in New York City. I moved back upstate, where I had grown up, knowing I needed to figure out what was next. I’d dabbled in CrossFit since 2005, trying to follow the workouts at globo gyms. But once I was back in Poughkeepsie, I joined a local CrossFit gym. It was early in CrossFit’s evolution, and gyms like these were rare back then.
The gym I joined had a lot of character — holes in the wall from handstand push-ups, a chalkboard with leaderboard times. It looked more like a glorified frat house than a fitness facility, but that didn’t bother me. I just wanted a place to train and get fit.
Around this time, I was still producing music out of my home studio and traveling to NYC a few nights a week to DJ. I slept on couches, crashed in my office, or caught a hotel room if I was lucky. But the commute was draining, and the nightlife hustle didn’t align with my new priorities. I started cutting gigs, only keeping the ones that were worth the trip. I knew my time in nightlife was limited.
CrossFit became my outlet, and I threw myself into it — training five to six days a week. I loved the community and the challenge. Coaching or opening a gym of my own wasn’t even on my radar at the time. But all that changed during a trip to Miami.
The Eye-Opening Moment in Miami
While in Miami for the Winter Music Conference, I dropped into Reebok CrossFit Miami Beach for a workout. The gym was spotless, and the coaching was top-notch. It was an incredible experience, and it made me realize just how bad things were back at my local gym.
When I returned to my gym in Poughkeepsie, I saw it with new eyes. The coach was distracted, scrolling on his phone.The gym was dirty — holes in the walls, floors covered in grime. Worst of all, the owner’s dog would regularly relieve itself on the gym floor, and the mess would be cleaned up with nothing more than a paper towel.
One day, after a workout, my girlfriend pointed out a strange rash on my back. When she took a photo, I realized that the pattern matched the texture of the gym’s dirty floor. Members were experiencing similar problems — some had even reported staph infections. I told the owner, “You’ve got to clean the floor more.” He started mopping twice a week, but the water was black by the time he was a quarter of the way through the gym. Even that effort didn’t last; soon, he was back to mopping once a week with no real system in place.
It hit me then: People deserve better. CrossFit is a high-end service, and members should receive high-quality coaching, clean facilities, and a great experience. I knew I could do better — and that’s when the idea of opening my own gym started to take shape.
Building Warlock CrossFit
I took my cousin Chris — who I had also introduced to CrossFit — out to lunch. I told him I was going to open a CrossFit gym. He wished me luck, but I smiled and said, “No, you’re going to be my business partner.” Luckily for me, he agreed because this company wouldn’t have survived the last decade if it wasn’t for him.
Chris and I already had experience running a semi successful business together; we’d launched a mobile DJ company back in 2001. I was the visionary, and Chris handled logistics, numbers, and equipment. Now, we would apply the same formula to the fitness space. Looking back, he’s the best business partner.
We found a spot in LaGrange, just outside Poughkeepsie, and Warlock CrossFit was born. I was a 27-year-old with a passion for helping people improve their lives — fitter, stronger, and with a better mindset. I wanted to build a space that was clean, professional, and focused on getting people real results. A place where members could high-five their friends, work out, and improve every aspect of their lives.
As someone who has done CrossFit for 19 years, I’ve experienced firsthand how every part of my life has continued to improve — physically, mentally, and emotionally. I wanted, and still want, to share that same experience with every person who walks through my doors.
We opened on the second story of a retail space — which came with its own set of challenges. (That’s a story for another time!) From the beginning, Warlock CrossFit was about more than just fitness. It was about building a community where people could push themselves, support each other, and grow in every area of their lives.