He loves doing the workout. You don’t have to say what’s going on in your life. He can tell right away. He has magic that inspires you. He knows exactly what to teach you to make you feel empowered. It’s intimidating. When I first started nine or 10 years ago, boxing wasn’t trending, especially for women. Boxing was a sport, known most of the time, for men. I related boxing to men. But I fell in love. My first day training, I wasn’t 100-percent strong, but Dino really knew how to help me discover myself and understand my power.
There were many days, and there still are many days, that I don’t think I can do it. But it’s a training for your mind. You keep doing it and you keep doing it and with repetition and inspiration, you realize at one point, ‘look where I am and look what I achieved.’ To me, everything is possible. In your mind, if you want to be an actress, no matter how old you are, it doesn’t matter. If you have that goal in mind, you can achieve it. Everyone is different, yes. Some will achieve faster than others. But the key is not giving up.
HL: What’s your no-nonsense advice for hitting the gym when you’re in a fitness rut? Was there one time, when you were having a really bad day where getting into the ring turned it around?
AL: Every day! Even the simple ones. I have children. There are days that my kids are sick all through the night and it’s not even about me. It’s just about getting out of bed. Dino will be the first to text me saying, I’ll see you soon!
DINO SPENCER: It’s funny she says that because it’s reciprocal. I’ve always wanted to do inspirational speaking. She’s convinced me to do it. She’s given me the confidence. It’s my job technically to motivate her. But just through one short conversation, she said you can do it. I never even thought about taking the step until she said it. So, everyone here has energy. We all flow off of each other. We all give to each other. It’ a small gym and only people who are serious are allowed in here.