Feel better, transform your body, and take your health into your own hands.
An online coaching system that gets you fast and sustainable results.
Developed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy to make sure your body feels as good as it looks.
Hey, it’s John.
I’m thrilled to see you here. Thank you for considering working with me.
Before we jump in, I want to make one thing clear. Whether or not we’re a good fit to work together, I am on your team.
You’re here. That alone means the world.
So, no pressure. I’d love for you to sign up today, transform your life, and be my all time greatest success story. If that’s not in the cards right now, I will always be in your corner, rooting for you.
Now, onto the good stuff! By the time you scroll to the end of the page, you will have learned:
My goals for you
Why you should work with me
How coaching works
What’s at stake
The results you can expect
My goals for you.
Physical strength and resilience - Feel strong in and out of the gym. Have the physical capacity to get the most out of life. Today and as you age- for example, play basketball without achy knees today and be able to hike in Hawaii when you’re 80.
Feel comfortable in your own skin - Walk into any room with confidence. Your clothes fit well, you’re comfortable, and you feel great about your outward appearance. Look good, feel good.
Know how to eat to look and feel your best - Enjoy your favorite foods while losing fat and gaining muscle. No foods are off limits. Learn how to indulge and still make progress.
Allow the momentum to carry over - Fitness is a vehicle for self improvement. Following through on your fitness goals will help you develop discipline and confidence. Your relationships, work, and quality of life may improve as a result.
Reduced risk of disease and longer life - Exercising and eating well are two of the most powerful ways to prevent chronic disease. You’ll live longer, sure, but also live better for longer. Know what to do today so that, at 80, you’re living a full life instead of being constrained to the couch.
Get the long term fix - I’m not in the business of selling fish. I’m in the business of teaching you how to fish. When you’re confident you’ve learned how to maintain your results long term, kick my butt to the curb.
Why should you work with me?
I graduated from Duke University with a doctorate in physical therapy in 2022
I’ve been a personal trainer since 2017.
I’ve worked with hundreds of people (men and women aged 16-75) and helped them get in the best shape of their lives
I talk the talk because I walk the walk. I’ve squatted and deadlifted 400+ pounds and have dieted to below 10% body fat.
I take a realistic, holistic, and long term approach to fitness. My coaching gets you results that compound over time - feel better today, look better tomorrow, and maintain a high quality of life as you age.
How coaching works.
Step 1 - You apply by filling out this quick form here.
Step 2 - We set up a meeting to chat more and make sure we’re a good fit. If we’re a match made in Heaven, we move on to Step 3.
Step 3 - I get to work on your custom training program, meal guide, and other materials. You download my coaching app and prepare to change your life.
Step 4 - You start the program. You have access to me 24/7 through the app for support and questions.
Step 5 - We check in weekly through email. Discuss what went well, what needs work, and what the goals are for the week. Consider me your accountability partner, cheerleader, and personal fitness advisor.
Step 6 - Every month, we talk higher level strategy for the month ahead. I update your workouts and make sure you’re progressing toward your goals. If you are, we keep it rolling. If not, we refocus and adjust the plan.
What you’ll get when you sign up.
1 on 1 access to me
Custom training program
Custom meal plan and realistic nutrition guidelines
Long term results
Personalized education
A lifelong teammate to help you with all things fitness and health
What’s at stake? Nothing and everything.
Nothing - If you’re not happy with my coaching - for any reason - you’ll receive a 100% refund, no questions asked.
Everything - I love my job because I truly believe there is nothing more important than being confident in your body and enjoying good health. I’m the luckiest guy in the world - I get to help people add life to their years and years to their life. If you sign up for coaching, serious change and improvement in quality of life is on the other side.
Don’t take it from me - See what my clients have to say.
Veronica, 26
Got into the best shape of her life for wedding and did 6 pull ups.
“In the past I have worked with some pretty bad coaches so I’m always a little skeptical when working with someone new. John worked with me through my biases, food insecurities, past injuries, form, and most importantly he lets ME lead my own strength journey. He is extremely knowledgeable and never shied away from my interrogations (sorry John <3) about body mechanics or progressions.
All I have ever heard from John is strict encouragement and support of my decisions and my progress. All of these reasons are why I continue to work with John. 100% recommend if you're serious about your goals because if you put in the effort John will work with you to make it happen.”
Eshan, 26
Lost 30 pounds while gaining strength and fixing his low back pain.
“The progress was awesome. Can't believe I held on to as much size as I did given that I dropped almost 30 pounds - not to mention fully recovered from a back injury and in the best cardio shape of my life without forcing myself to run lol.
Seriously, thanks again - this is the best progress I have ever made in a single period!”
Read Eshan’s full story here
Eshan’s 16 week transformation
Matt, 45
Lost 25+ pounds (without giving up beer) and did his first pull up since high school.
“In a typical busy year like that, I would’ve skipped the gym, ate whatever, and gained weight. The fact that I was able to make progress despite it all feels amazing.
With your help, I lost 25 pounds. My blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are healthier than they’ve ever been. Plus, I was finally cleared by my doctor to go scuba diving with my son, a long term goal I’ve dreamed about for a while.
I’m not done yet, but it’s great to look back and see how much you can accomplish in just a year!”
Read Matt’s full story here
Scott, 58
Lost over 40 pounds and hasn’t skipped a workout in 2 years.
“When the gym had to shut down due to COVID-19 and I had to stop my personal training appointments I tried to keep exercising on my own. Even with great advice from my personal trainer John Solokas I felt stalled. I was a big skeptic of training virtually– I spent my days on zoom in meetings and I didn’t see how it would be possible to make a virtual training work – but I needed a spark to my physical fitness efforts so I decided to give it a try. I could not be happier that I did!
John has been GREAT and the sessions have made me push myself harder and to get back on track. In some ways the ability for John to watch my form and to zero his attention on specific areas as I perform my sets might even be greater on zoom since I can focus the camera better. While face-to-face is hard to beat I think virtual training is an excellent option and I can’t wait to sign up for my next block of sessions!”
Read Scott’s full journey here
Joe, 61
Lost 40+ pounds in 6 months while gaining strength.
Kelly, 25
Added over 200 pounds to her deadlift and improved her relationship with food.
“John is hands down the most dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable trainer out there. He lives and breathes fitness, and it shows in how much he invests in every single client.
I came in as a ballet dancer with very little strength training experience (#teamcardio), as well as eating less than 1,500 calories a day. With John’s help, I am deadlifting 300 pounds and eating more than I ever have before while maintaining my weight and improving my body composition. John is so inspiring and 100% the guy you need training you! If you go with Solokas Focus, you won’t regret it!”
Derrick, 37
Lost 15 pounds and 5 inches off his waist in 3 months
Eric, 31
Increased his push ups from zero to twenty. Added 120 pounds to his squat.
Some great tips from Eric:
Me: Many readers are in your “Day 1” shoes and would love to make a fraction of the same progress. Do you have any advice for those folks?
“First, ignore anything I say if it conflicts with what works for you. The essential thing is to get a habit formed; you don’t want to have to forever refight the battle of convincing yourself to workout each week, even if you might have to for the first few weeks. Towards that end, I’d say start with the minimal necessary amount of change in your life.
Don’t buy a ton of random gear, protein powder, and supplements that you think you’re going to immediately start using. What is easier: buying a pair or two of shorts and shirts (if you even need to buy some) and then go workout once a week OR buying all the gear and supplements and attempting to use them all throughout the week as you planned and then go workout?
For me, the second option has too many points of possible failure for what would mentally feel like a single complex habit. Form the simplest possible habit, which could take a few weeks to a couple of months, and then add to that.
Last, and this is cliché, but don’t compare yourself to others. Hell, don’t even necessarily compare yourself to where you want to be, unless that’s motivating for you (it frustrates me). And be ready to recognize and appreciate the benefits of your efforts that are unrelated to your goals.”
Read Eric’s full story here.
Jason, 32
Lost weight while getting the strongest he’s ever been.
I had always considered working with a personal trainer in the past, but felt that I knew enough about working out on my own that it wasn't necessary. Then the COVID pandemic started, I lost access to my local gym, and like so many others, my fitness took a considerable hit. I finally decided to try out personal training, and working with John has been one of the best decisions I've made for my health.
He always brings the energy, has a smile on his face, and it was so easy for me to feel comfortable working with him. Despite my very limited home workout equipment, he customized a workout plan that made it felt like I was back at my local gym. I've learned so much from him, and undoubtedly this is the strongest I've been my entire life. Without a doubt, working out with John will be a fantastic experience!
Reilly, 21
Learned how to lift weights safely and set new PRs on every exercise.
“First thing first, I got excellent, tangible results after working with John for three months. I started as a complete newb to the whole health/fitness thing, and I looked and felt noticeably better by the end. He was consistently pleasant, understanding, and knowledgeable. It’s not a “one simple trick” sort of thing either; he’ll make ya work for it, but that work is genuinely empowering and effective.”
Kalon, 23
Lost fat while improving his bench press to over 225 pounds.
“John has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He is knowledgeable, detailed, and best of all, invested in his client’s success. He takes the time to curate dynamic workouts and macro plans according to the client’s lifestyle.
Not only that, he makes sure to check in frequently with the client to make sure they are feeling good physically and mentally.
I honestly don’t believe there are many trainers out there like him. Overall, I give John a 10/10 rating and am grateful for him helping me on my fitness journey.”
Trevor, 54
Lost 20+ pounds in 3 months and prevented type 2 diabetes
“I'm feeling really good about my weight now. Obviously i want the number to dwindle at least a little every Friday when I weigh in, but I'm feeling so much better overall, clothes are fitting in ways they haven't for YEARS (in good ways!), and my energy levels have vastly improved, so even though weight is coming off more slowly at this point, I'm good!
I've really been trying to focus recently on thinking about the long term ... If I keep at this for at least a full year, I know these small weekly numbers will add up significantly. Thank you for all of your help, John!”
Jiayue, 20
“I was very much impressed with the professionalism of John and the practicality of the advice he gave. Personally, I was a super newbie in the fitness field, and I felt a bit stressed to get started and was afraid that my assessment would be too overwhelming for me. But it’s very fortunate for me that John was the person that I worked with.
John was very welcoming, professional and he explained everything to me with the language that I can understand. The few exercises he recommended were easy for me to complete in the office/home setting, and were amazingly effective in relief of lower back pain as well as neck stress. In all, John’s knowledge and consideration for personal conditions make him the perfect personal trainer to work with.”
Jonathan, 34
“John provided me with an efficient, full-body routine I could weave into my busy schedule that took my needs and interests into account. I’ve been able to keep consistent with my workouts for the first time in a long time thanks in large part to John’s advice and thoughtful routine development.”
Harry, 22
“I have worked with John for almost a year and a half now and there is absolutely nothing to complain about. He is knowledgeable about all areas of working out, including nutrition and sleep. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to his physique yet, but we are working on that.
We have developed a genuine friendship and that is all I can ask for in a personal trainer. In short, John is great!”
Ila, 21
“I had an excellent experience working with John. Not only did he help me achieve my fitness goals and get stronger, but he also became a friend, not just a trainer. John was always willing to send me workouts to do on my own time and give pointers on getting better nutrition and sleep.
I can confidently say that working with John helped me improve many aspects of my life, not only fitness, and I highly recommend his training to anyone looking to boost their quality of life!”
Dave, 30
“During the current pandemic, having a healthy physical and mental condition is essential to us. Therefore, I choose to continue having personal training with my trainer. It has been great that personal training has improved me in many ways such as eating habits, body fat awareness, and even my posture during working.
My personal trainer not only taking notes for each of my workouts but also giving me many helpful suggestions for building up a long-term healthy lifestyle. I’m very grateful that we can still be doing training online during this period and I highly suggest this fitness coaching.”
James, 21
“John is definitely the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s very patient and knows a lot about training, eating, sleeping, and keeping good habits to keep healthy. My friend has worked with him for more than a year and he introduced me to John, and now I understand why he so strongly encouraged me to get to know John. He is the man!”
Abby, 21
“John is a great personal trainer! He is extremely organized, a great listener, and makes sure you reach your goals. He also makes himself available to any help you need outside of your sessions and is really dedicated as this is his passion!”
Feichen, 28
“I worked with John for 10 sessions when we were still in Duke. I really liked his style - we talked about my expectations in the first session, and he offered actionable and simple instruction that I still benefit from till this day. During the sessions he explained the everything in a professional (scientific) and easy to understand way. I appreciated that.
John is a chill dude - the type you would go out for a protein shake with. I texted him after the 10 sessions from time to time and he gave me some valuable opinions for my workout at home plan during quarantine.”
Dan, 37
“John is full of energy and motivation. He helped me stay focused and increased my strength. I reached my PR for a few different movements with John. Thanks for your help!”
Luke, 19
“Shadowing John was extremely valuable in my journey to become a personal trainer. He was knowledgeable about all areas of working out, including nutrition and sleep, and was able to share this information both with myself and with his clients. John is a super friendly guy and a great trainer. He's all I could ask for in a professional role model.”
Garrett, 26
“John did a great job personalizing the workouts. He made sure they had exercises I would enjoy and benefit from. He made sure to give me ways to make things easier when I had injuries as well! I saw a lot of gains in the way I looked and felt in a pretty short amount of time!”