About Dan Katz

Former Special Forces Medical Sergeant Dan Katz

Dan Katz
Joining the Army

I joined the Army in the summer of 2004 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. When I entered basic training, I weighed 173 pounds and was one of only nine trainees out of 55 who passed the first physical fitness test. Fourteen weeks later, upon completing Basic and Infantry training, I had gained 20 pounds, all of it fat. Clearly, military physical training had not lived up to the hype.

Medical Training

I had elected to become a Special Forces Medical Sergeant and was now beginning an entire year of training which would bring my medical knowledge to between that of a paramedic and a physician’s assistant. The Medical Course included two one-month long rotations to hospitals in the US. On these rotations, I had the opportunity to sample many clinical specialties as well as spend considerable time in the Emergency Department and on ambulances.

I quickly noticed that many of the patients I saw had the same things wrong with them: diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure. And I knew that so much of this suffering is unnecessary and easily prevented with proper exercise and nutrition.

A Strength Training Education

Around the time I was finishing Arabic Language School, which came after the medical training, I was introduced to the strength-training concepts of Charles Poliquin. For those unfamiliar with him, Charles is considered “the most successful strength coach in the world.” Bodybuilding circles like t-nation.com refer to Charles as “The King.” I had been using other coaches systems for the past year and a half but it was with Charles Poliquin’s writings that all the questions I had were answered.

Through the next two years I served in 5th Special Forces Group and deployed to Iraq twice. During this time, my fitness and nutrition “hobby” began to grow. I read all of Charles’ books and as many of his articles I could find. I also began to train my fellow soldiers so they could also reap the benefits of proper training.

Post-Army Plans

As I made plans for my post-Army life, I applied to graduate schools for international affairs. I would eventually matriculate at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC. However, while my career would be in international affairs, I still wanted to be involved in fitness and nutrition.

I became certified as an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a certification which has global recognition. I followed this up by attending Poliquin International Certification Program (PICP) courses so that I could learn all the in-depth fundamentals of proper coaching.

As a Level II Strength Coach and Biosignature Modulation Practioner, I’m qualified to assess an entire body’s structural balance and improve it to increase both resistance to injury and athletic performance. I’m capable of writing programs to accomplish virtually any fitness goal and prepared to coach clients on proper technique for hundreds of weight-lifting exercises. I’m well versed on nutrition and supplementation. I can also recommend supplement protocols to improve health and, through the power of Biosignature Modulation, achieve spot reduction of fat deposits.

Optimal Fitness Coaching

I have two passions in my life: The first, and admittedly foremost, is protecting America’s national security. The second is improving the health and fitness of its population. To this end, I have formed Optimal Fitness Coaching (OFC) with two of my close friends from Special Forces who also share this passion.

In DC I will provide select clients with the benefits of Poliquin-style coaching. In other cities, OFC instructors – all approved personally by me – will provide some of the same services. In addition, to battle this health crisis our nation faces and educate more people than we could ever coach personally, we will be offering three-hour introduction to fitness seminars.

Attend a seminar and you will receive instruction on nutrition, supplementation, and proper weight, endurance, and athletic training.

We hope to see you there.

Dan Katz, CEO and Founder
Optimal Fitness Coaching