| He tells us his ideas on sports training, his personal history and his advice for young athletes. |
Interviewed By Kyle Coleman
Josh Henkin is a conditioning specialist in Scottsdale, Arizona. He holds a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science. He has been a Bodybuilding.com writer for awhile now, and his amazing articles have helped thousands of people from around the world to gain muscle, excel in their sport, get in shape, and much more. To learn a little more about Mr. Henkin, Kyle Coleman recently interviewed him.
Kyle Coleman: Josh thanks for taking some time to share your ideas about training. Can
you tell us about your Training history?
Josh Henkin: Kyle, I always enjoy trying to share my viewpoints. I always like to say
though that what I state in relation to my ideas are generally a combination
of scientific theory and practical application.
My training really began when I suffered a severe ankle injury in high school
basketball. I was told by doctors I might not be able to walk correctly and
was on crutches for 12 weeks. The only thing I could do was lift, so my older
brother brought me by the local gym and turned me on to strength training.
I carried the love for training for the next few years. I was fortunate
enough to eventually return to basketball and found my time in the gym had
given me a whole new edge in the sport. I was unable to jump or run as I once
did, but my new found strength and power helped me remain competative and
even walk-on to a major Division I program.
 After my basketball career I knew I did not want to go into anything, but
athletics. Since I saw how much strength training did for my career I was
intrigued to learn more and help athletes achieve their potential. From this
time it has been an incredible adventure of learning. I have been very
fortunate to learn from great coaches of diverse backgrounds. Each person I
have met has been able to provide me with new ideas, or better ways of
understanding traditional methods. Some of my mentors include performance
coaches like John Davies and Charles Staley. There are many others, but these
men have truly helped shape the way I view training.
KC: At what age did you become interested in Sports Science?
JH: This is a good question because like many others that were interested in
training I really started with a bodybuilding background. For years I trained
as though bodybuilding methods were optimal for everything. It wasn't till I
was 19-20 that I started learning from Charles Poliquin that there is a
definate difference between body composition training and sports performance.
With this knowledge though it is also important to notice this does not mean
athletes can not achieve impressive physiques. It simply means the way we
produce hypertrophy and strength is far different than bodybuilding. In
sports performance we have to worry not only with body composition, but
speed, range of motion, proprioception, agility, reactive ability, and
strength. To focus on only one aspect leaves the athlete underprepared.
KC: Who had the greatest influence in your life and why was it such an
impact?
JH: Well, like I mentioned earlier there have been many great coaches that
have stimulated my hunger for knowledge. I have also been fortunate enough to
have basketball coaches and general friends that instilled very important
qualities in me. For example, never seeing things as black or white, don't
believe you know everything, and character determines a lot of the desired
outcome.
I don't think I can say one single person has impacted my life than others. I
believe it has been a combination of knowledgeable and professional coaches
and good people that have helped shaped my perspective on life and sport. It
is amazing how many athletes, bodybuilders, and scientists have bad attitudes
and outrageous egos. Even though we have all been guilty of these qualities
once upon a time, it is not recognizing that these will turn others off and
ruin our abilities to reach our dreams that ruin individuals. If you don't
give back your knowledge or experiences in one way or another then you are
not playing a vital role in life. This is my honest belief.
KC: What advice would you give younger athletes like me?
JH: Drop the ego and open your minds. This is not only true with younger
athletes, but I have been saddened by the amount of people on internet boards
that believe name calling and insults are the way to share and learn new
information. We can generally learn from everyone from the beginner to the
advanced. Sometimes when we have to teach a beginner it allows us to learn
better ourselves and when we listen to the experiences of a seasoned veteran
we often can gain new ideas.
The other thing is to realize the difference between marketing and science.
If you really want to learn about training and sports science then you will
have to start reading actual texts. It is rare to find a magazine that
contains accurate information on training ideas or methodolgy. Even though
the internet is a great tool, there is also a lot of garbage that goes
around. It is important to see the source of information. Is it a bodybuilder
so drugged that what they do is unreasonable to the average lifter, or is it
a coach/scientist that has hours of working with many different populations
with great results?
KC: Thanks Josh, I found what you had to say pretty interesting. I hope we
will be able to do it again sometime.
JH: Definately. I always enjoy sharing my experiences and learning from
others as well. I believe Curtis Schultz wrote a great article about not
having tunnel vision when it comes to learning, that is SO true!
AAPJosh@aol.com
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