A dedicated father and fitness enthusiast has all the motivation he needs — and the world’s most adorable dumbbell — in his baby daughter.
Rashan Stacker — also known as Coach Stacks — is a professional physical trainer in East Setauket, New York, and on May 5 he welcomed his first child, a daughter named Lorén Gray whom he and his wife call Lolo.
While fatherhood is clearly keeping him busy, the 26-year-old is also not one to skip his workouts — so Rashan just takes his little girl with him to the gym, where she serves as his motivation and sometimes even substitutes as a very, very cute weight.
Rashan Stacker, also known as Coach Stacks, is a professional physical trainer in East Setauket, New York
In May, he welcomed his first child, a daughter named Lorén Gray, and he soon started including her in his workouts
Rashan has shared several adorable videos of Lolo joining in for a workout.
Quite soon after she was born, the proud dad took her out in a stroller while he went for a run.
As she got bigger, he held onto her during crunches, lunges, and Russian twists, using her tiny little body as a weight.
Sometimes, he just straps her on to his chest while doing exercises that require both hands — but still keep her safe — like arm curls with bands.
In August, he held her directly in front of him while doing squats, the little girl smiling and giggling the whole time.
‘Only my daughter would smile on leg day,’ he wrote. ‘No weight is required but you can use anything you have available such as a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a baby if you have one.’
Talk about motivation! In one video, he does burpees, planting a cute kiss on Lolo’s tummy every time he drops down
He has also done lunges, squats, and Russian twists, using her as a very cute weight
In one particularly adorable clip, he has Lolo laying on a mat on the ground as he drops down into burpees, kissing her on the stomach every time he hits the ground.
‘If you dread doing burpees try them with a baby,’ he suggested.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Rashan said that he hopes his videos show other parents that they can still find time to work out, even with kids.
‘I always wanted to include her into my routines to show people that just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you have to stop working out or doing what you enjoy,’ he said.
‘You can do all things, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise,’ he added encouragingly.
‘What really put a battery in my back was one morning, my wife needed a well-deserved break after being up all night with Lolo. As I was setting out for my morning run, she told me I needed to take my daughter with me because she needed some sleep.’
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Rashan said that he hopes his videos show other parents that they can still find time to work out, even with kids
Daddy’s girl! Lolo is clearly a fan of the fit time with dad, with Rashan saying she ‘absolutely loves when we work out — she is always smiling and giggling’
‘Once she gave me the green light to take her for a run I knew she was comfortable with me working out with her,’ he said.
Lolo is clearly a fan of the fit time with dad, with Rashan saying she ‘absolutely loves when we work out — she is always smiling and giggling.’
He imagines he will keep it up ‘until she’s over it.’
‘There will be some movements that just aren’t physically possible to do as she continues to grow but I am confident I have some time before she tells me no more,’ he said.
‘Becoming a father is easily one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my life thus far,’ Rashan said
‘A daughter needs her father to be the standard in which she’ll judge all men,’ he said ‘l hold myself accountable on a daily basis to ensure I go above and beyond that to a golden standard’
For now, he’s just embracing the one-on-one time with the six-and-a-half-month-old.
‘Becoming a father is easily one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my life thus far,’ Rashan wrote on Father’s Day this year.
‘I can’t describe how good it feels to wake up on a daily basis knowing you have a family who depends on you yet roots for you every step of the way.
‘I am proud to have entered fatherhood and want to thank my father and the father figures in my life who have guided me to this point.
‘A daughter needs her father to be the standard in which she’ll judge all men. l hold myself accountable on a daily basis to ensure I go above and beyond that to a golden standard.’