Who We Are
This gym was created because I found what I love to do, a calling if you will. Making people stronger involves more than the amount of iron on the barbell. It involves courage, hard work, discipline and most of all heart. I can go on and on about the virtues of strength, but I don’t want to distract you from the idea and focus of this page. The Battle Axe is a gym and a family. It’s for everyone, and at the same time, it isn’t. You have to come, train and prove that you belong here.
If working hard, getting stronger, fitter, and more powerful is what you desire then this may be the place for you but like I said earlier, it’s not just the outside that counts. All of these aspects cannot be achieved without a proper understanding of body mechanics and mastering your quality of life. At the Battle Axe, we not only build, we repair and RE-build. Strength comes in many aspects, and we continue to take on new people with physical limitations and injuries and rebuild them back to health.
The Battle Axe accepts all sizes, shapes, ages, and genders. I never close my doors to anyone that has a true desire to better themselves via the barbell. I only ask that you give everything you have while you are training. The Axe is filled with families, friends, and competitors who all seek to better themselves and their gym. If you think you have what it takes, please contact me, via my Contacts page, to set up your FREE trial training session. Like I said, open to everyone but not everyone.
I am Michael De La Pava. Former Muay Thai fighter, 14+ years in Martial arts before I focused on my gym, Rugby Player, Power Lifter and Strongman. Former Florida’s strongest man at 231# and 15th in the nation. I seek to build my legacy not through my personal accomplishments but through the accomplishments of those I train. Proud brother to 1 sister and 1 brother and proud son to two Colombian parents I love dearly. This journey is bigger than I am and this gym is my Legacy. I don’t beat around the bush and I don’t accept weakness. If these ideas light your soul on fire then the Battle Axe