A New Day for Personal Trainers
by Phil Kaplan
When You Are Committed to Human Betterment . . .
As I write this I’m sitting in Barnes & Noble with two books on the table in front of me.
I'll tell you how I got here.
I left my Weston facility, Biohackers and headed North. My phone rang.
For the entirety of the long drive from Weston to Boynton Beach, I was on an emotionally charged phone call with a doctor/friend who was so fed up with medicine he’s ready to hang up his stethoscope, trade his white coat for scuba gear, and retire to Bimini.
Immersed in conversation, I programmed my internal GPS to mindlessly take me to Barnes & Noble on Congress Avenue (I wanted to buy a gift for someone who still relishes the experience of reading hard copy books). Once I arrived, I sat in my car for another 15 minutes working hard to restore a positive mindset to this very talented physician.
There was one thing I didn't do.
I did not attempt to talk him out of his resolute want to swim among the coral reef inhabitants and live on an island away from the field that has consumed him for decades.
The truth is, I've heard the "I'm done with medicine" sentiment from a surprising number of medical practitioners over the past few years.
We wrapped up the call, I stepped out of my car, and as I walked into B&N my phone rang again.
I saw the name JR Burgess on the screen and I immediately answered.
I knew JR was at the airport in Minnesota getting ready to fly to Peru for a lengthy retreat.
"Hey man. What's going on?"
JR and I are kindred spirits. We’re both fitness professionals who found a divinely destined path into the world of medicine and when we compare notes its clear we’ve tapped into much of the same revelation, a revelation reinforced by my previous conversation.
Is the medical field filled with joy and wonder, with cures and healings?
Allow me to thoughtfully pause before answering.
OK, here goes . . .
What we see under the covers of the medical playing field is a great deal of ugly.
Sure, there are miracles, and yes, there are caring individuals who strive to make lives better, and yes medical students enter the field with a noble desire, but the powers that drive the machine have little interest in patient joy.
At least that appears to be true from my birds-eye view.
As I spoke on the phone with JR I walked among the aisles in this monolith of bookshelves.
Where was I walking to?
Nowhere in particular. I didn't anticipate landing in front of the two books that now sit on the table in front of me.
Walking aimlessly is not unusual for me. I pace. It’s sort of a thing. When I do telephone interviews I put respectable mileage on walking back and forth, round and round, to and fro. I’m not sure why but it somehow relates to my inner passion. My energy needs to orbit and walking, pacing, ambling, and locomoting seem to be a need that gets called upon when I’m lit up.
As JR and I discussed our recent projects, the frustrations of combatting a stoic paradigm built upon drug prescription, and the impact fitness professionals can and should have in a societal mess where health care has nothing to do with healing, I stopped in my tracks. On the shelf in front of me I noticed two books and grabbed them.
JR readied for his flight and I sat at a table with my laptop and the two books that caught my attention.
One is called “Wonder Drug,” the other, “I Used to Be a Miserable F*ck.”
They called to me.
I scanned them and I realized, the truth is right here. These books define the passion that JR and I have for our work, and help to point out the missing element that drives some docs to a sense of burnout and a desire to leave the field.
The Wonder Drug is not a drug at all at least not in a pharmaceutical sense. It refers to an adherence to 7 Dictums that create happiness, and when you wrap it all up, the summation is, “Helping Others and Finding a Sense of Fulfillment Makes Us Healthy, Happy, and Aligns Fully with Reward in every arena.
What defines "a drug" other than a pharmaceutical creation? The innate biochemical power of the human machine. When we feel fulfilled, we optimize our production of neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. No man-made drug can match the power of these biological wonders in delivering feelings of joy and comfort.
The Wonder Drug was written by two MDs who, within the pages, expressed precisely what JR and I have intimated.
Without a definitive effort to stay connected to the desire to help others,
frustration, hurt, pain, and a desire to escape are inevitable.
The other book, by John Kim, shares the path he, an Angry Therapist took, to find peace, and although the style is very different, the message is almost identical. Rather than 7 dictums, "Miserable F*ck" delivers 40+ ideas in chapters where the author urges you to “own your shit,” to be authentic, but it goes even further. He urges you to Meditate, To Put Your Phone Down, and To Believe in Yourself. He even goes on to discuss your power over your belief system and taps into managing your vibrational frequency, and that all ties in to the language I speak every day. The language of mindset.
So here’s the bottom line and the shared sentiment that emerges from both of these books.
Care about people. Help people. Be yourself.
That rolls forward into:
Love what you do. Love who you are. Love how you live.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO NOW, TO YOU, AND TO YOUR FUTURE
* * * * *
When you are committed to human betterment, as I know you are, you have massive opportunity.
Right now, with a flawed health care system, escalations in chronic disease, and the impotence of conventional medicine in restoring health to those chronically afflicted, massive opportunity abounds for a progressive health and fitness professional seeking joy and reward.
Why won't all fitness professionals see the opportunity?
It's sometimes elusive, it requires some pivoting, it demands re-positioning, and too often that opportunity is overshadowed by “industry norms” and “what trainers are supposed to do.”
I’ve broken the mold of the personal trainer quite some time ago, and I recognize the virtues of being committed to fulfillment and bettering the lives of others, both emotionally, and financially.
Is there room in your future for helping people at a higher level, feeling great about what you do, and seeing your potential escalate as you ascend to new heights?
I invite you, wherever you are on your career path, whether you’re a healer in need of reward or a Miserable F*ck in need of a new belief system, to join me for 3 Days during which I’ll lead a group of like-minded health and fitness practitioners to rediscover their power and leap to prosperity.
Join us! It starts October 18!
Phil Kaplan
Who is Phil Kaplan
Phil Kaplan is a Personal Fitness Trainer by passion and trade. His commitment to delivering thrilling outcomes and his hunger for mastery of human betterment has led him along an extensive path establishing him as a Medical Fitness Leader and Pioneer. Having worked with over 10,000 clients, travelled the world conducting seminars for over 500,000 people, and appearing on over 1,000 TV and radio programs, he stepped away from the limelight to pursue a divine vision. In 2005, after being misdiagnosed with a chronic disease, Phil obsessed over the idea of creating interventions that empower people to “treat” themselves, and “cure” rather than “manage” their conditions. He continues to appear at fitness and medical conferences sharing his insights and strategies, and continues to build a massive body of evidence for 21st century “human healing.” The A.L.I.V.E. Program, the Metabolic Reboot, The Younger Better Stronger Program, and The Miracle of 7 are all active vehicles toward helping people return to excellence and find their best selves.
