Lessons from the Dark-Side of the Gym

I spent a little over a year training at the dirtiest gym in the world. It is also the strongest gym in the world. Half biker gang, half herd of bulls, the group that trains at Westside Barbell is there by invitation only. Somehow, Louie Simmons, the owner and alpha of the pack, gave me a spot in the morning crew. Lou provides the ‘ethos’ through his 30+ year career and the Conjugate system he developed throughout those decades. The stats provide the ‘logos’; amount of records to come out of that gym make the reign Chicago Bulls and the 6 NBA Championships look cute. And they are still turning out world records. (Warning explicit language in video) But the dirt was part of the ‘pathos.’ Each provision yielded remarkable results and elicited an unparalleled work ethic from each of us. Lou always told me, “If you want extraordinary results you have to have extraordinary people.” This is why people come first in that gym before the gear or equipment. People yield data, not the gear. Lou is after the data because the data helps refine the system. 

While other gyms have signs to re-rack weights, monthly gym dues, locker rooms, family friendly music and equipment that is continually wiped down. At Westside there is none of that. There members walk into dimmed lighting. Every Friday is speed squats and gangster rap (Lou said the guys got into less fights when there was a steady beat than when heavy metal was playing). The dumbbells are thrown in a pile at the foot of the rack and Lou doesn’t mind because it means the guys are using them. The carpet under the mono-lift is stained from nosebleeds coming out of the hole on a heavy squat. While we were never reckless with the gear, Lou encouraged ingenuity. Bars are taken outside, gear is altered, bands are added anytime it adds a new or different stimulus.

Since leaving Columbus, Ohio and the morning crew, walking into a gym smells too clean, sounds too quiet and feels way too comfortable. I think Lou keeps Westside dirty so there is no mistake walking in: you are there to work and no, it will not be comfortable. The dirt is part of his rhetoric and it works. [1 image, 4 links, 1 quote, 387 words]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwQYVSIThFs&feature=youtu.be

Source: https://www.westside-barbell.com/blogs/february-2018/conjugate-system

Source: https://www.westside-barbell.com