Episode 62: Phil Daru – The Strength Coach Forging UFC Champions Like Dustin PoirierIn this powerful and high-performance episode of the Shawn Johnson Podcast, Shawn welcomes Phil Daru, one of the most respected strength and conditioning coaches in combat sports and elite athletics. Born November 20, 1988, Phil is a former professional MMA fighter, Division I college football player at Alabama State University, and multi-sport competitor in powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding. He turned pro in MMA at age 21, opened his own gym young, and retired from fighting in 2014 after sustaining injuries (including concussions) that redirected his path toward coaching. Phil joined American Top Team as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach before stepping down in 2020 to fully build Daru Strong Performance Center in Boca Raton, Florida (with additional locations). Through his science-backed, experience-driven methods — blending sports medicine, exercise science, functional training, and mental resilience — he has trained over 200-300 professional and Olympic-level athletes. His client list includes UFC stars like Dustin Poirier (with whom he worked for 10+ fight camps, helping him thrive at lightweight), Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Colby Covington, and many others such as Frankie Edgar, Junior dos Santos, and Kyoji Horiguchi. He’s also worked with NFL players, Olympic athletes, and celebrities like Kevin James and Timbaland. Phil holds elite certifications (CSCS, CFSC, FRCms, etc.) and has been named Trainer of the Year multiple times (including World MMA Awards and Florida MMA Awards). In the episode, he breaks down what it takes to prepare world-class fighters: building unbreakable durability, optimizing strength without sacrificing speed or cardio, injury-proofing the body, and developing the mental “Viking mentality” needed for the highest levels. He shares specific stories from Dustin Poirier’s camps — from the move to 155 lbs, preparing for title fights like against Khabib, to the long-term friendship and evolution of a champion. Shawn and Phil dive deep into the realities of high-stakes training: periodization, recovery, the importance of faith and purpose, avoiding compensation patterns, training smarter not just harder, and transitioning from athlete to coach/entrepreneur. They explore how Phil’s systems help athletes across disciplines achieve longevity, peak performance, and life balance. Listeners gain practical insights on building elite conditioning, mindset shifts for high achievers, and why true performance is physical, mental, and spiritual. This conversation is packed with wisdom for fighters, athletes, coaches, and anyone chasing excellence. #PhilDaru #DaruStrong #UFCStrengthCoach #DustinPoirier #EliteAthleteTraining #MMAConditioning #FromFighterToCoach #PerformanceMindset #AmericanTopTeam #StrengthForChampionsThis podcast depends on sponsors and donors to exist, if you resonate with what we are developing here and wish to help keep it going, our donation link is below. Thank you and love you all!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SKUPY5XJGFLQ2Shawn Johnson Podcast is proudly independent and supported by:Grizzly Coolers: Get 15% off of Grizzly Cooler products with promo code SHAWN at www.grizzlycoolers.comMasterPeace: Get 11% off of High-Grade Zeolite with the code SHAWN at www.masterpeace.healthSubscribe to stay up-to-date on all Shawn Johnson Podcast content