Tuesday: A conditioning day, this is where things take a brutal turn. Lacroix has cooked up all kinds of sadistic workouts. One of Paul’s least favorites: Heading outside to drag a weighted sled up a hill—while backpedaling.
Wednesday: Paul spends the day inside the ring. Just like on Sundays, he’ll go 10 to 12 rounds with three different partners. For all his sparring, he brings in local talent—another benefit of moving to Puerto Rico. The island is home to a thriving boxing scene, and there’s no shortage of skilled fighters.
“A lot of these guys are really good,” says Paul.
Unfortunately, some of them sign up expecting to trade punches with a softie. They quickly get a rude awakening.
“They’re all excited until they actually spar with me,” he says. “The comment is always, ‘Holy shit, you’re not a YouTuber, you’re a real fighter.’ ”
Thursday: Another two-a-day practice, Paul starts with a five- to six-mile run in the morning, then dives into an afternoon devoted to strength work. But you won’t find a lot of heavy weightlifting in his training schedule. Although he’ll hit the squat rack to work his legs, he focuses mainly on bodyweight and resistance band moves to work his core and upper body. This way he can get strong without tacking on huge amounts of muscle.
“I get big very, very quickly,” says Paul. But that growth equates to slowness, and one of my strongest attributes is my speed.”
Dialing in Diet: The Secret’s in the Shrooms
Aside from the usual round of carbs and protein, Paul’s nutritionist, Eric Triliegi, has put some special additions on his plate that offer unique benefits.
First, Triliegi focuses on adding natural supplements that have anti-inflammatory properties, which help Paul’s body recover and even assist with his breathing. Two of these are fresh basil and pineapple. Basil contains a compound called eugenol, which helps block inflammation in the joints. Pineapple contains a compound called bromelain that has similar properties.
