Josh Englehart's Author Profile

Born on December 12, 1981 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Josh was adopted at 3-days-old and raised in Fort Wayne with three brothers and a sister. He grew into a skinny kid, whose low self-esteem often overtook his natural athleticism. He started smoking at the age of 13 and continued the habit for seven long years. Then, in 2001, he lost his good friend Tony—and quit for good.

Just one year later Josh's older brother, Ryan, died of Cystic Fibrosis—a medical condition affecting the lungs. Everything changed. Ryan had loved weightlifting and playing sports, so Josh made it his goal to help others reach their goals. A friend said it best when she told Josh, "Do what Ryan couldn't."

In late 2003, standing 5'11" and weighing 145 pounds, Josh began reading everything he could get his hands on about the eating right and building muscle. He had always wanted a muscular body like the ones he saw in magazines, and now, motivated by thoughts of his brother and his friend, nothing could stop him.

Every time Josh reached a goal, he set a higher one. All of a sudden, people were looking at him like he should be in magazines. People were actually e-mailing him and approaching him in stores with questions about diet and weightlifting. Before long, the once-skinny kid who looked up to his big brother and best friend became the one to inspire others.

From the glossy pages of national magazines to the weight room of his local Michigan gym, Josh continues to make it his mission to help others. "I feel like it is not only my hobby and not just my job to motivate others, it's my responsibility," Josh says. He has a ceaseless passion for helping others grind away at their goals, and hopes people recognize that hard work is part of the process. "Progress is a slow process, but the hard work does pay off!"

Today, Josh is more driven than ever. "My mistakes and bad choices make me even smarter now than before. I am not just speaking of fitness related subjects either. I am talking about life!" Working closely with Betancourt Nutrition, and PrayFit allows Josh to reach and educate so many, while learning himself. "Betancourt Nutrition has some awesome products, but the people I get to deal with is what got me on board with them.

PrayFit exemplifies how I want to be and even would like my site to be more like one day. The relationship between faith and fitness and how they show it gets me going everyday.

God, his new wife Julaine, 5 kids, and the rest of family and friends are his support and priorities. "I still love fitness. I am working on God's purpose for me as a husband and father. I know there are still big opportunities out there for me I have yet to experience. Now, instead of going by what others want, I am calling the shots in my life. I want to educate, inform, and motivate, that is the purpose of this site first and foremost. My experiences, 'field knowledge' if you will, is what makes me an expert. A lot of people read about it, talk about it, I have seen it and been it."