Dean McDermott is a man who has worn many hats in his career. His latest professional venture? Boxing instructor at Tapout Fitness’ Woodland Hills, California, location.
“I’m a certified Tapout instructor,” Tori Spelling‘s husband tells Us. “I can take you through a multitude of boxing classes and MMA classes.”
McDermott, 52, has recently begun teaching a class called Lunch Punch at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. “It’s a 75-minute boxing sparring class, and what makes it unique is, with my class you get to get in the ring with me and do one-way sparring. One-way sparring is you get to hit me, but I don’t hit you,” he explains. “So, you get to put into practical use the things you’ve learned on the heavy bag and the punch mitts in a real fight scenario and be protected and be safe and not get hurt.”
And he already has a knockout idea in mind for his next class: a couples’ therapy sparring session. “We have big 44-ounce boxing gloves that I am going to start a class with husbands and wives so they can get in — these boxing gloves are huge — so they can come out and work out some aggression towards each other,” says the star, who’s no stranger to marital problems himself.
The actor, who just finished filming Season 3 of Netflix’s Slasher, calls his foray into fitness a passion project. “I’ve boxed pretty much all my life, and I got into it seriously in my 20s and then I got into MMA,” he says. He is also a chef and author of the cookbook The Gourmet Dad.
While he’s managed to teach his wife of 12 years some moves, she’s not planning on taking his Lunch Punch group class. “I like to say, I would never want to punch my hubby out, but I welcome other women to come in and go for it,” Spelling, 45, tells Us. “Empowerment at its best!
Still, the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum — who recently confirmed a 90210 spin-off — adds that McDermott tries to get her in the ring. “He always tells me, ‘You should come do it more’ as a way for women especially, and moms to get out your stress. And this is a way of, you know, you can come in and relieve all your stress from your husband, your kids, life, work, and get it all out,” she says, adding, “He’s taught me some moves.” The couple share five children: Liam, 11, Stella, 10, Hattie, 7, Finn, 6 and Beau, 23 months. McDermott also has son Jack, 20, from his first marriage.
McDermott agrees that throwing punches creates more than just toned arms and abs — the activity can help with mental health, wellness and personal development. “The thing I love about boxing and the thing I love about seeing females in the class and younger kids is, boxing reveals character,” he says. “It builds character, it builds confidence, it empowers you and on top of that it’s a great way to get in shape.”
With reporting by Nicole Pajer
