IVI Performance Gives New Meaning to Personal Fitness Training

By Stacey Gualandi

All I can say is lookout Adli Edwards and Bruno Silva. On Saturday, April 22, 2023, they’ll go one-on-one respectively with mixed martial arts fighters Kai Kamaka III in Hawaii and Brad Tavares in Las Vegas—two top-tier fighters in top form, thanks to their ultimate secret weapon: IVI Performance.

But before taking even one step into the Octagon, Kamaka III and Tavares have spent months training at the recently opened Las Vegas-based IVI, a center “dedicated to personal training, elite athletic performance, and deep health coaching, featuring a team of expert trainers with a combined 60+ years of experience and certifications.”

Two weeks ago, IVI welcomed the press to watch these focused fighters work out —along with fellow MMA bruiser Gabriel Checco, who just started strength and conditioning training there, and boy, was I exhausted!

“The biggest thing for us at IVI is to add value at a premium level,” said IVI vice president of fitness operations Deon Hodges.

Hodges has been training world-class athletes since 2011 and is now one of the most sought-after performance coaches in the country.  The one-time Southern Miss. wide receiver has worked with professional athletes in a variety of sports and levels, including Philadelphia Eagles and Big Game champion Fletcher Cox.

At this open workout, Hodges put Kamaka and Tavares through their performance paces with weighted sit-ups and squats, hanging crunches, medicine ball slams, box jumps, ski-erg, rower, jumping rope, and trap bar squats—and literally took no prisoners.

“We want to deliver something that’s not the norm, but also understanding it’s not just a training experience, it’s an overall environment of community building at the grassroots level,” added Hodges.

“Training with Coach Hodges has taken me to a new level mentally and physically,” said Hawaii native Kamaka III.  The American Bellator fighter, who began his career at six, competes in the featherweight division of the 10-point must promotion.

“I feel good. I’ve been with Deon since 2021, and having him as my direct coach, as opposed to having multiple, has made a big difference in my athletic training. Deon and I have a great connection, and IVI makes the workouts extremely personable and private.”

“This is the first time in six years that I’ve been with a different strength and conditioning gym, and I feel like it is really paying off,” said middleweight competitor Tavares. A professional since 2007, Tavares fought in local promotions in his home state of Hawaii before joining the ultimate league in 2010.

“I needed something fresh and new, and Kai was a huge proponent of IVI. Every day, Coach Hodges puts me through something different, and I never get bored or used to the training.”

That has been the mission since AYYA Hospitality Group first opened IVI Performance in late 2022.  Other athletes have also signed up in that short time, including Sparks’ Jordan Canada, former Raider Keshawn Nixon, and Las Vegas native Nick Gates, who plays for the Washington Commanders.

(The only professional sport they say they haven’t had an athlete come through the door yet is the NHL. Are you reading this, Golden Knights?)

But IVI means more than just one versus one.

“I always say it stands for ‘intelligent individualization,’” said fellow IVI partner and VP of fitness operations Jeremy Kambel. “Movement is movement, but how do I build a program specifically for your goal, and what’s the minimum effective dose? I like to be a cheat code for my clients, like how do I make it easier for you to hit your goal? That’s my job.”

This father of five is an athlete and Air Force Reserve-turned-police officer-turned-health professional. He says deep health coaching sets them apart from other Vegas fitness centers. Each trainer has expertise in “movement, nutrition, sleep, recovery protocols, behavioral psychology, and more to help clients achieve their goals—whether for weight loss, improving athletic performance metrics, gaining muscle, optimizing your physique, or adding life to your years.”

“We’re the frontline of that healthcare-providing paradigm,” said Kambel. “What we can do as fitness professionals to improve and impact people’s lives is almost unparalleled in that community. We provide actionable advice and techniques to make tangible improvements in your life.”

But if you think only a VIP can utilize IVI, think again.  While it targets “a niche market of high performers, athletes, and ultra-high net worth individuals who really view training not as a luxury, but as a necessity,” it also caters to individuals who want to optimize every part of their life…people like me.

My personal workout with Kambel included an InBody test (to check my level of fitness); a customized coaching session based on that test using state-of-the-art equipment (I worked out next to Nick Gates!); a recovery session and then a trip next door to another AYYA Hospitality concept called Thick & Thin Treat Bar, a blend between a juice bar and ice cream parlor.

It was inspiring, individualized, and not at all intimidating. I’d like to return to IVI ASAP!

But I think the secret sauce to Kamaka’s and Tavares’ IVI secret weapon is simple: a balance between science and a good old-fashioned workout.

“It’s a trust factor,” said Kambel. “There’s a lot of fitness professionals and a lot of fitness facilities, but when you take on an athlete, especially a professional, I mean, you’ve gotta be bought in on both levels. These guys have become extended family to us.”

While some would argue it’s all about the journey, a win for Kamaka III and Tavares would certainly be a personal one for their coaches.

“It would mean everything,” said Hodges. “For me personally, just being a part of what they’re doing to provide for their family because I’ve been on the other side of it; the win and loss matters, you know, and in certain sports, your paycheck is your paycheck. But to be on the winning side of this sport, yeah, it’s a big difference.”

Adds Kambel, “It pays to be a winner.”

Thanks, Jeremy and Deon, for the workout!

We’re rooting for you, Kai and Brad!  Good luck tonight!

To learn more, click on the link:  IVI Performance.