HELD IN THIGH REGARD
Former rugby star turned fitness model Dan Tai is the whole package
Your legs are as big as your Instagram following. When did your social media profile sky- rocket? Thanks [ laughs]! I started to take Instagram seriously when I took a break from professional rugby. I had some injuries and was sitting on my sofa, unemployed. I decided that Instagram was a great way to document my recovery process, and I wanted to use it as an online CV. I remember celebrating 10,000 followers in October 2017, and it was a mindblowing number for me. It took a full year for me to get up to 50,000 from there. I hit that mark when I was on holiday in Sri Lanka. From there, my holiday and gym posts seemed to take off. I gained about another 20,000 followers in a few weeks and that was when I realised it was something I really needed to pursue.
How long were you a professional rugby player for? What made you get into it?
I’ve played rugby since I was three. My dad got me in to it initially and I dreamt of being a professional through most of my teenage years. I signed my first pro contract when I was 17 — it was the best day of my life.
What made you leave that behind to become a fitness model?
Injuries. It was the end of the rugby season and I was going to move clubs. I knew I needed a shoulder operation but the recovery process for that would’ve allowed me to be match fit for the first game of the season. My club, Rotherham Titans, were aware I was leaving and we had a mutual agreement on that. I was a few days away from signing my new contract when I snapped my Achilles tendon in the gym. Recovery from a shoulder operation is roughly four months, but with an Achilles injury it can be six to 12 months. I needed my Achilles fixed before I could have shoulder surgery, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to walk, and I would have an arm in a slingmeaning that crutches would’ve been impossible. Long story short, the injury complications and time away from rugby made me think. I was in debt from the medical bills, waiting for my shoulder surgery and I was applying for jobs. I got turned down for a lot because the only real substantial job experience I had was professional rugby — some businesses forget how many valuable skills you can learn and develop playing professional sport. We don’t just kick a ball around and have a laugh! I decided to make sure when I got back fit, that I was the fastest, strongest and best version of myself that I could be. I spent a lot of time rehabilitating and working out in the gym to make sure I was fit to return to sport. I also did PT sessions alongside that — I’d qualified during my time playing rugby. One of my clients had a wedding and I got speaking to the photographer. He also shoots fitness and fashion models, so I decided to take the leap and do a shoot with him to look the part of a personal trainer.
“Businesses forget the skills you learn playing pro sport”
Have you ever competed on stage?
Never. It is something I would debate doing, but I love food too much! I also love high- intensity training sessions, and don’t think I could handle long cardio sessions.
What would you say is your fitness philosophy?
I recently started a hashtag on Instagram — # GID, which stands for Get It Done. It is something I have always said to my clients, and as well as myself. Coming from a professional sports background, training was my job. Even if I didn’t feel like it some days, I had to get the job done.
Would you ever go back to sport?
Yes, 100 per cent. I’m currently competing in a few CrossFit
“People can’t look like me and I can’t look like them”
competitions and I’m loving it. I am naturally competitive, so I need an outlet. If I decide to move away from CrossFit, I would be most likely to return to rugby at a lower level.
How the hell do I get thighs like yours?
A lot of people ask me this. I didn’t realise how much of a talking point they were until I expanded my social media following. A lot is genetics. My parents both had strong legs, and I used to be a sprinter before I was a rugby player. I think all the explosive training I did when I was younger set a solid foundation. Currently, I can’t isolate legs and do too much body building because my legs will get too big. But for someone wanting to build their leg muscles, my advice is to try some plyometrics [ stretching and contracting muscles] and low- rep strength training. Factor them into a training plan, and progressively overload the weights and volume. If I was to train my legs now, I would
follow a power- building approach, where I choose a compound lift, such as squats, and do a power- lifting session, for example 5x3 reps. After that, the rest of my session will be focused around higher reps and more volume training.
What is your favourite body part to work out?
It’s a strange one, but I like working my triceps.
If a client says they want to look like you, how do you respond?
I tell them everyone is different. I can’t look like them, and they can’t look like me. I also try to encourage people to set performance- based goals rather than those that are purely aesthetic. With social media, it can be disheartening seeing all those seemingly perfect people. I stick to performance- based goals because it’s more personable. If you focus on improving your performance, your physique will improve anyway. I prefer that outlook because it’s more holistic and includes other factors such as sleep, nutrition and flexibility.
Are you aware of the large audience you have in the gay community?
I have noticed! My Instagram gets a lot of support from the gay community which is great. I get a lot of messages about how I inspire people to train and better themselves not only physically, but mentally. They are the most important messages to me.
Having such a large social following, how do you manage with the pressure to look good all the time?
I do think there is a bit of pressure for this. But I split my Instagram into two segments. My main posts are always my favourite photos and I edit them in Lightroom to make sure I like the photos. I try to make these look aesthetically pleasing because that is what catches people’s eye. However, on my stories, I post all the videos of me training and I will speak to the camera without my hair styled and so on. I feel that my main feed is a business; I want the photos to look good and
I try to write motivational captions. But my story is where you really get to know me.
What would be your advice to anyone wanting to become a fitness model? Surely you need to find a sponsor, which is work in itself?
From my findings, the fitness world is what you make of it. A lot comes from being true to yourself, and networking with companies, photographers and other models. Many of my opportunities have come from people putting me forward. You have to work hard but you also have to be unique, and the only way you are going to do that is by being yourself. But step one would to be to book a photoshoot. Use the shoot date as a goal and document your progress on social media for your own benefit as well as others. The shoot should give you confidence and spur you on to do more.