Josh Hines-Allen Sleeps in a Hyperbaric Chamber to Invest in his Body

The athlete formally known as Josh Allen made headlines earlier this week when the former Kentucky Wildcat announced he is changing his name to Joshua Hines-Allen. He made the move following the best year of his career and now he’s sharing the secret to his recent success and it starts off the field.

This week he spent time on the set of the Rich Eisen Show in Los Angeles where he detailed his process. We often hear players emphasize process-based improvement, but what exactly does it look like? For Hines-Allen, it’s thorough and it doesn’t stop while he’s sleeping.

He sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber every day. He even brought it with him to London during the Jaguars’ extended stay last season.

“I go to sleep with my wife every night. I make sure she’s good, I’m here and we’re good. Then I set my alarm for 1 o’clock every morning and I spend the rest of my time in my chamber,” he said. “Then I wake up and go to work.”

Many Americans first learned about hyperbaric chambers when Michael Jackson purchased one in the early 90s. Hyperbaric chambers are now more commonly used in medical facilities and by professional athletes. They increase the air pressure two to three times higher than normal air pressure, allowing your lungs to gather more oxygen, which aids in recovery and fights off bacteria.

Hines-Allen doesn’t just use it to sleep. When he’s studying the game plan and scouting opponents, he’s in the hyperbaric chamber. He’s also become an avid reader, a practice that provides mental and emotional benefits that he uses to prepare for games.

Hines-Allen has Detailed Pregame Prep

The hyperbaric chamber is just one way he’s going the extra mile to prepare his body to play in the NFL. He thought he was eating well, but he thinks he can do it better, so he’s hiring a chef.

“On game days I’m locked in. If it’s an away game I’ll fly my IV doctor and my physical therapist out to every game,” he said.

They work with Hines-Allen the night before and the morning of every NFL game day. The mental preparation is just as important as his physical prep. Some guys like to listen to loud, uptempo music to get them fired up to play football. Hines-Allen does the opposite. He reads in a quiet room and will turn the lights off to meditate.

“Throughout my journey in football, I’ve learned that being fully mentally involved is really important and I feel like if you don’t have a good foundation — if you need to rely on other people to help you feel some type of way, when that stops, how are you really feeling?

Hines-Allen added, “I think getting past that point in a career is very important. Once I got past that and I said, it’s all about me, it’s all about the way I carry myself. I can be the only one that’s going to bring me up and can bring me down. Nobody else can be in my bubble and pop that because I’m solidified in where I am and the way I think.”

Hines-Allen enters each game with a clear mind. You may see him wearing noise-canceling headphones, but there’s nothing playing through the speakers. He’s not wasting any energy until he hits the field.

There’s a Method to the Madness

If you look at Hines-Allen’s NFL career, he popped immediately as a rookie and was named to the Pro Bowl after tallying 10.5 sacks. He did not reach double-digit sacks again until last season when he had a career-high 17.5. He had four games with at least 2.5 sacks, an accomplishment only previously achieved by Lawrence Taylor.

The former Cat believes you get out what you put in. He’s invested into his body and it paid dividends with a 5-year $141.25 million deal. This detailed, process-based approach is what he believes will help him consistently play at the highest level for years to come.

“I’ve played at a high level before. Playing at a high level is not new to me,” he said. “In high school, my first year playing defense I broke the New Jersey state record in sacks. In college, went to the University of Kentucky. We weren’t really nationally known at the University of Kentucky, but I had to build my way to that. Ended up winning every Defensive Player of the Year award coming out of Kentucky and had 17 sacks.

“I know what 17 sacks feels like, even though it’s a different level, I played at a very high level before. So right now I don’t know what my limit is. What is my limit? If I keep doing the things I’m doing now, keep taking care of my body, mentals, family, what is my limit?”

.@Jaguars LB @JoshHinesAllen had 17.5 sacks last season and he wants more and he knows he can get more — great insight on what drives the Pro Bowler's greatness:#NFL #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/6ewVM1efO7

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 11, 2024