Underground Strength Gym Throwback Video circa April 2012 (20 Minute Video) 🎥 from UndergroundStrengthCoach.com aka The Underground Strength Academy. 

I speak very often on my podcast with the changes in athletes since before the iPhone became popular and took over everyone's life.

We used to train athletes much more often, usually 4 x and sometimes 3 x week.

Athletes often stayed extra and showed up early, today they show up late and leave early.

Our athletes were bigger and stronger back then as well - perhaps the food was better quality than all the fast food and processed sh-t of today?

The communications skills of athlete before the iPhone was better as well. Today, athletes will be in a group for an hour and NOT say a word to each other, as if they don't know how to talk unless texting.

I listen to my coaching in this video below and it would likely NOT work today.

Too intense, too frequent, too much of everything really.

The volume of work was much higher as well.

25 heavy ball throws with one group throwing a keg. We barely lift kegs today.

Most of the athletes below are high school, today, most are middle school.

The kids of the past are not better than today, but, if we look at sports accomplishments, we have LESS today than before. And, that's with athletes doing 2 x as much sports skill training today.

The Video below is One of hundreds upon hundreds of videos inside The Underground Strength Academy:

So, what is the answer?

Kids need to eat more. Strength train more. Do less sports skill but when they are in practice, they need to do it with intent and focus. Today, athletes lack intensity because they are trying to survive from one workout to the next.

Athletes today struggle to build muscle because they are on the run non stop, their dinner is on the road from WAWA and they don't get enough sleep.

The answer is doing more of the right stuff and less of the BS that makes you busy yet produces little to no results.

Here is a short 2010 throwback:

Even though the times before were amazing and more pure, the way to move forward is to keep growing, evolving and impacting more lives.

I will leverage technology to help make a greater positive impact on more people!

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I asked ChatGPT:

What would Zach Even - Esh say is the difference between the modern athlete of today vs pre 2010?

What would a training program from Zach look like today vs what he did pre 2010?

ChatGPT ANSWER: Great questions—and if we’re channeling Zach Even-Esh, especially with everything he's preached from The Underground Strength Gym, the early YouTube days, and his Iron Roots podcast, here's how he’d likely break it down:

🏋️‍♂️ What a Zach Even-Esh Training Program Looks Like Today vs. Pre - 2010

⏳ Pre - 2010 Training Program

Think: Garage gym. Tire flipping. Playground pull-ups. Rocky-style grit.

Sample Weekly Layout (Pre-2010):

• Day 1: Full-Body Strength

  • Trap bar deadlifts, weighted push-ups, thick bar rows, sandbag carries

• Day 2: Bodyweight & Conditioning

  • Pull-ups, dips, sprints, sled drags, burpees

• Day 3: Odd Object / Strongman

  • Keg lifts, stone carries, tire flips, sledgehammer

• Day 4: Wrestling-Based Circuit

  • Rope climbs, dumbbell snatches, grip work, partner drills

Raw. Simple. Intense. Run on instinct and guts, not spreadsheets.

✅ 2025 Training Program

Still rooted in old-school training, but now with structure, smarter progressions, and better recovery protocols—especially for in-season athletes or younger kids.

Sample Weekly Layout (2025):

• Day 1: Lower Body Strength & Speed

  • Trap bar deadlift → box jumps → split squats → sled push

• Day 2: Upper Body Power & Hypertrophy

  • Weighted pull-ups → dumbbell bench → barbell rows → banded triceps

• Day 3: Full-Body Conditioning / GPP

  • Carries, sleds, bodyweight circuits, med balls

• Day 4: Athletic Movement / Sprint Work

  • Acceleration drills, jumps, agility, game-based movement

Still intense. Still Underground. But more refined, individualized, and planned.

🔑 Key Takeaways from Zach's Evolution:

• Same values: toughness, consistency, grit, hard work.

• Smarter delivery: more individualized, safer for young/in-season athletes.

• More balance: still trains savages—but now builds them smarter and longer-lasting.

“I haven’t changed my standards. I’ve just gotten better at delivering the training in a way that meets kids where they are—without lowering the bar.”

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