Phil grew up playing baseball, but golf became his sport in high school, and he went on to play in college. After college, he “retired” from competition and has played sporadically since then. During medical school and residency, softball and basketball were the activities of choice. Phil’s claim to fame was playing point guard in med school with a fellow student who started for Syracuse during college. His only job was to bring the ball up court, pass, and set screens for the ‘Cuse sharpshooter.

In the intervening 30+ years, career and family took precedence over sports and fitness. There were occasional forays into running, but there was seemingly never enough time. At the end of 2015, Phil retired from the Penn faculty and started his own consulting business. The moment of truth occurred one day when he struggled to get up off the floor — it was now or never to get in shape. “Functional fitness” became his mantra, and Crossfit was the way back. He toured several local boxes before joining CF Thermal. He says CF Thermal had a great facility and the right vibe, as personified by Vinny. Chris Plentus was also a big influence in the early days.

Now 15 months into the madness, he’s shed 15 pounds and can actually get up off the floor without much difficulty. The 2017 Open (his first) provided a reality check and gave him targets for improvement over the next year. The Johnson family is also represented by Phil’s son, Evan, who trains with Vinny during the baseball off-season.

15 minutes of Muscle Up Practice

A. Accumulate 20 muscle ups
B. Work on skills / transitions
C. Pulling Strength (Box Ring rows / Bent Over Rows)

“Phil”

AMRAP in 20 Minutes
200M Run
40 Air Squats
30 Sit-ups
20 Walking Lunges
10 Strict Pull-ups