Fans of ‘90s television might remember actor David Charvet best for playing a rookie lifeguard named Matt Brody in Baywatch or a dreamy looking Craig Feld on Melrose Place. But his proudest role in life isn’t showing off his six-pack abs in his red swim trunks or showing off a charming smile as Sydney Andrews’ boyfriend. In fact, it’s far from that.
As the father to son Shaya Charvet, 18, and daughter Raine Charvet, 24, David says that starring simply as dad is his favorite job he’s ever taken on. So when the opportunity arose to bring in his son as a trainer and co-creator to his latest fitness concept, BUILD, it was a subconscious decision based on years of being actively involved with his fitness-minded son.
“When I was at his graduation, I was looking at those bleachers because I was there every single day after 3:30 after work, and I used to always watch him and just support him throughout his whole high school career,” David explains to Muscle & Fitness exclusively. “I didn’t miss a day. And so, I was leaving the graduation and I said, ‘Wow, I’m never gonna see these bleachers again.’
From there, David believes a moment of self-reflection kick-started a fun fitness idea that could still allow him to spend time with his family while helping others.
“And then something popped in my head and I realized that, ‘Did I really create BUILD because I still wanted to be on a bench and I wanted my son to perform in front of others still? And did he become a trainer because we talked about it and he was in love with weight training? Did I subconsciously do this so that I could still be close to him?
“And the answer is definitely yes,” adds David. “I couldn’t see myself not being able to be close to my son, and I guess I deliberately created something that he was interested in and he was very passionate about, and I think that we both created it together without knowing that we were going to stay together.”
Fitness Built By Family Bonding
The new strength training concept was co-created alongside BURN’s Maria Chase and has created quite the following in Southern California. The 45-minute class is the first ever to integrate progressive heavy lifting with low infrared heat and medical-grade LED/NIR red light therapy which enables clients to have a workout gentler on the cardiovascular system while sweating more efficiently and safely.
David’s construction company designed and developed all of Chase’s studios that has only 10 students per class. The more personalized workout allows for low reps using between 10 to 95 pounds of. weights and targets the upper body and lower body separately.
While Shaya may not have inherited his father’s love for acting or physically building the fitness studios, he has his passion for exercise and working hard.
“He’s been taking me to the gym since I was probably 8 years-old,” says Shaya. “And he had me working around the house, and when you instill that work ethic in your kid, it for sure has an impact. I think just him always pushing me. He was very hard on me as a kid in a good way, especially with sports, just having me doing training and kind of instilling this discipline in myself, so for sure it’s had a huge impact and definitely was the start of me working out. One hundred percent we used to work out together. That’s all we’d do. That’s like our main bonding thing since I was until I was probably 14 [or] 15.”
His father admits when you walk into the studio to take his class, you’d have no idea that Shaya just received his high school diploma.
“He kind of took it upon himself in the last three years to learn more about the science behind it and everything else to the point where he blows me away now because he talks about things that I had no idea about,” says David. “I see somebody that is completely involved and has really taken the passion and being creative at the same time and is really giving a quality lesson. And I sit back sometimes and I go, ‘Holy moly: This is my son.’”
He adds: “I can’t believe how good he’s become at this. And it’s just because he’s very passionate about it. He has now gotten the bug where he sees that he’s helping people and he’s changing people’s lives, and I think that’s become a real driving force. It’s become much bigger than just him. It’s not about him just being fit for himself, but now he’s actually helping other people do it.”
BUILDing the Perfect Business Team
David still shows up for his son in the Studio City classes “three to four times a week” and his critiquing of his son’s teaching has now calmed down.
“He was super nitpicky [in the beginning] and he’s my dad, so obviously he’s gonna be harder on me than anyone else,” says Shaya. “But now? Not anymore. I like feedback, but when it comes to the classes, that’s what my expertise is in and that’s what I do. He doesn’t give a lot of input, but everything else, he’s very present. He’s always been a very vocal father in a good way.”
The father-son duo both admit Shaya is now the family member in the best physical shape, which is right where they both want to be as they look to expand BURN and BUILD across the country all year long.
“The greatest lesson I think [my dad has taught me is] that anything is possible when you truly believe in it,” adds Shaya. “I think my whole life, my dad has really pushed that on me. Both my parents, honestly. If you truly believe in something and you give everything 110%, it will happen. And if you’re gonna do something, you do it with everything, and that applied to sports, that applied to working out, that applied to relationships, business, everything that I’ve kind of done. He’s always implemented that if you’re gonna do something, you do it 100%, and if you’re not gonna do it 100%, why do it at all?”
With BUILD, the father and son fitness partners have built a relationship that really does blur the lines between family and business.
“I don’t talk to him as my son,” says David. “I talk to him as my business partner, as an equal, and that’s kind of how we go about things now. I’ll always be his dad and I’ll always be standing on the sidelines watching him, but I want him to also be able to be his own man and experience the things that he’s gonna need to experience.”