On any given day inside Barry’s in Austin, Texas, expect to find trainer Phillip Solomon preparing to step onto the mic with a message that has nothing to do with your exercise performance: "You belong here." For Solomon, it's a recurring theme that's shaped his life, stemming from years of being one of the only Black individuals in the room. In the fitness industry, especially, where roughly 7 percent of trainers are Black, Solomon's goal is to make everyone entering his classes feel seen, heard, and represented.
"I remember two things from my late teens: Tae Bo and Insanity, because Shaun T and Billy Blanks were all we had," he told Men's Journal in an exclusive interview. "Those were the first big fitness icons I saw that looked like me. So if I can convince one person to even step in the room, just because they know that they're gonna be seen, heard, and acknowledged, I've done my job."
Before fitness, he was a middle school English teacher, running clubs and mentoring students in a predominantly white district. In 2024, he also appeared on the reality TV competition Deal or No Deal Island, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Today, as one of Barry's first Black instructors, he's known for his infectious energy and the atmosphere he creates in the Red Room.
Solomon's Fitness Journey
c/o Phillip Solomon
Born in Brooklyn to Caribbean parents, Solomon is a first-generation American who spent his earliest years surrounded by the culture of the city. In elementary school, his family relocated to suburban New Jersey, where he suddenly found himself in a mostly white community. Out of roughly 800 students in his graduating class, he recalls being one of only five of color.
During this time, Solomon struggled with his weight, often turning to food for comfort.
"I spent most of my life pretty overweight. In not seeing many people that looked like me or getting to identify with anyone else, I just relied on snacking," he explained. "I thought, 'Friends are not going to be there for me. Relationships are not going to be an option. Being seen, heard, and respected is not a thing for me.' So it was food, always. That was just always my thing."
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But one day during his senior year of high school, he decided it was time for a change. Solomon's fitness and weight loss journey began by running a single (yet brutal) lap around the block. His training gradually progressed, and by the time he began his freshman year of college, he lost about 45 pounds.
Changing Careers: Education to Fitness
After college, Solomon took a job as a middle school English teacher in a district where he was often the only Black teacher. He quickly became known for his dedication, leading clubs and mentoring students. For Solomon, teaching was a chance to give students the sense of belonging and guidance he had long sought for himself in his youth. But after earning several Teacher of the Year nominations and other awards, he was ready for a new challenge.
"I'm the kind of person that always believes in evolution," he says. "I'm allergic to two things: penicillin and complacency."
So, Solomon transitioned into full-time training, becoming a certified personal trainer and joining the Barry’s team in Austin. If you’ve ever taken a group fitness class like Barry’s, you know that energy is everything. That’s exactly what Solomon brings, drawing clients from all over to take his classes. In 2024, he also embraced a reality TV side quest, appearing on the second season of Deal or No Deal Island.
Impact for Black Trainers
Solomon admits that working in fitness can be exhausting at times, but what keeps him going is creating a space where people feel seen, heard, and empowered. He works in group fitness to reach two kinds of people: those who don’t look like him, so they can learn and grow from someone with different life experiences, and those who do, so they can see firsthand that if he can, they can too.
"Where there's not a seat at the table, I grab wood and nails and I make my own," he said. "I've had an entire life of just kind of doing what I want. If someone tells me 'No,' I say, 'Okay, then how?' And I figure out the how and the why, and I make it work every day."
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