Dana Cavalea, owner of ML Strength, a performance training facility that opened in Port Washington in February, is the former director of strength and conditioning for the New York Yankees. Cavalea spent 12 years with the New York Yankees Organization, winning a World Series in 2009. In addition, he was the recipient of the 2009 MLB Nolan Ryan Award. This award is given to MLB’s top strength coach as voted for by his peers. During his career, Cavalea has had the opportunity to train greats such as Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Reggie Jackson, Justin Verlander and more. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in exercise science and sports medicine.
“ML Strength was conceived based on finding a better solution to modern-day training. After traveling the world speaking, training athletes and the general population, I saw uneducated trainers, facilities that were cluttered and dirty, and cultures that were built strictly on revenue generation, not results,” said Cavalea. “I knew something had to change. My objectives with ML Strength were to bring the same techniques, culture, attitude, service and first-class facilities to communities so local athletes of all sports and average Joes had a place to call home. Along my journey I realized that fitness is not effective. People would go to gyms with no program, gain weight and blame themselves for failing, when in fact the gym system is broken.”
Cavalea continued, “My goal with everything we do is to expand the category of performance; focusing on methods to enhance human performance with measurable, quantifiable goals and outcomes. Our training is guaranteed to deliver results. That is our commitment. That is what we stand for. We want to be the best experience you have ever had.”
In addition to being a high-level, on-field coach, Cavalea enjoys traveling the world, speaking to audiences about performance enhancement strategies built on seven elements: education, evaluation, prevention, fueling, training, competition and recovery.
Cavalea is a Long Island native and chose Port Washington as the home of his business, even though he could have opened anywhere. “I grew up in the Mt. Sinai-Port Jefferson area and have always been attracted to port towns, so Port Washington was an obvious choice. Port is a tight-knit community of professionals that value service and high-end care. I currently live in Westchester but felt like Port was the right place to deliver my business vision.”
Cavalea continued, “Things are going well with our current stable of youth and adult athletes. Many residents are under the belief we are a ‘gym’ when in fact we are a high-end training facility. We treat injuries, improve performance and, most importantly, treat each customer as if they are a professional athlete, even if they have not touched the field or court in years or ever. With that said, we also give people a chance to feel a part of something.
For some, this gives them the chance to feel like they are on a team, something they may never have experienced or miss from their college or high school playing days. ML Strength is a performance training facility. On any given day you may be training with a group of adult athletes, youth athletes or even a professional athlete. We deliver a first-class training environment focused on strength, conditioning, nutrition and rehabilitation. If you have a nagging ache or pain that has been lingering, we can fix it. If you have 20 extra pounds to lose, we can remove it. If you are looking to run, cycle or participate as a triathlete, we can help prepare you. If you are just looking to be a part of a team, we can make you a part of the ML family. We are extremely community-driven and look to become the performance training hub of the community.”
