EPISODE 44 - Physical Development, Managing Athlete Recovery & Building Buy-In w/ Josh Bonhotal

In episode 44, Dr. Bubbs sits down with Josh Bonhotal, Director of Strength & Conditioning for the Purdue Boilermaker men's basketball team, Big 10 conference champions in 2017. In this episode, Josh talks about how he got started in Strength & Conditioning, lessons learned from working with Al Vermeil and the Chicago Bulls, how he prepares his guys in the off-season, the importance of solid nutrition & sleep fundamentals with young athletes, things to consider in-season to keep the team fresh and of course, perhaps the most important area, how to build buy-in and build relationships with players to really propel their success. Great, practical tips and insights here from Josh.

Lay-Ups In This Episode

1. Off-season – train general capacities, build maximal strength and speed development. (rather than a focus on conditioning)
2. In-season – Build the “repeatability” of those qualities
3. What is an athlete’s “trainability” – how do they control movement and how is their posture. 

Performance Hacks From This Episode

1. Match up qualities in the weight room with qualities trained on the track or playing field.
2. Player interactions, outside of the use of technology, are key in forming player bonds.
3. Prioritize how athlete moves, rather than how much they move, to be able to drive maximal long-term gains.

Coffee Talk

Josh’s early morning reading + coffee primer

About Josh Bonhotal

One of the most highly regarded strength coaches in America, Josh is in his seventh season as Director of Strength & Conditioning for the Purdue Boilermaker men's basketball team, Big 10 conference champions in 2017.

Josh played a critical role in the development of 2017 All-American Caleb Swanigan, helping him cut weight while developing improved quickness and explosiveness. Swanigan lost over 20 pounds from his arrival date to his selection in last year’s NBA Draft.  Prior to his arrival at Purdue, Bonhotal spent nearly three years with the Chicago Bulls as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Bonhotal's philosophy centers on increasing general strength and stability, while also removing limitations, deficiencies and imbalances to support the development of strength, power and speed.