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STRONG Life Podcast ep 527
Who Will "Carry the Torch?" - Louie Simmons, Bob Hoffman & Early Days Strongman Inspiration
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Brought to you by:
The Underground Strength Con, brought to you by TURN KEY COACHÂ
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Sponsors of The Underground Strength Con:
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Brothers in Strength and IRON,
On November 15–16, we gather for Underground Strength Con.​
At Underground Strength Con, forgot about boring power points and the same ol' talking heads while you fall asleep in your chair.
At UGSC, we take the intensity, education and passion through the roof!
Of course, we are swapping training tips, building connections, and sharpening the iron…
We’re also honoring the late, great Louie Simmons — a man who left fingerprints on every weight room worth a damn.
One of Louie's favorite quotes:
He wasn’t just talking about barbells or bones. He meant in life, in spirit, in business, in coaching… If you’re not building strength, you’re breaking. Period.
My favorite Louie quote is:
Normal does NOT build a GREAT life, a GREAT business or GREAT anything.
You must break through the norms to achieve something worth a damn.
That same spirit is why I started The Underground Strength Gym in 2002 out of my garage.
My strength & conditioning education wasn’t from a university textbook.
It came from worn-out VHS tapes of Westside Barbell, reruns of World’s Strongest Man from the 70s and 80s, and the old tales of men like Jon Pal Sigmarsson.
My education came from what many talk about but only the rare few actually LIVE:
Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Ryan Lee told me,
Jon Pal’s famous roar still echoes:
That fire. That pride. That defiance. That’s what lit me up to train athletes like Gladiators, not just kids lifting weights.
And decades before that, Bob Hoffman of York Barbell was doing the same thing. He hosted the Strength & Health Picnics because he knew strength wasn’t just about numbers on the barbell… it was about community, health, and purpose.
He brought lifters, coaches, and families together because he understood something we’ve forgotten in today’s world:
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"Strength unites us. Weakness isolates us."
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Listen HERE on Spotify PodcastsÂ
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"Strength unites us. Weakness isolates us."
That’s why this November we’re coming together at The Underground Strength Con. Not just to learn, but to honor those who paved the way and to pass the torch.
If you’re a Coach or Gym Owner, a Dad, a Lifter, a Man who knows there’s more inside him — Underground Strength Con is for you.
Strong men have always gathered to sharpen one another. This is your call.
⚔️ Join us Nov 15–16. Step into the brotherhood.
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👉 [Click HERE} - Reserve your spot at Underground Strength Con]
** Price Goes up October 1st **
Live the Code 365,
Zach Even - Esh
P.S. Bob Hoffman built York Barbell into the “Barbell Capital of the World” by bringing men together.
Louie built Westside into the most feared training crew in the world.
What will YOU build? It starts here.
Secure your place at The Underground Strength Con—before it’s gone.
==>Â Register HERE
