The founder of Underground Strength Gym, ZACH EVEN-ESH, will use any means necessary to make gains.
A DECADE AGO, Zach Even-Esh describe his training philosophy.
A devotee of oddimplement training, including sandbags and tractor tires, he said, “If it produces results, I use it.” It wasn’t a popular answer then, but he’s now known as a man ahead of his time. “Remember, in 2004, people would say, ‘I’m only a kettlebell lifter,’ or ‘I’m only a strongman.’ I said, ‘I’m not going to discriminate if it works.’ ” The Underground method (see an example at bottom right) involves constantly varied mini cycles with an emphasis on mentally grueling workouts.
“You want some perfect scientific program? Science happens in a perfect world, and there’s nothing perfect about an athlete’s life. Train the mind, not just the muscles.”
TOP 3 TIPS
1 GO OUT: Don’t do gym workouts exclusively. Train outdoors once a week, such as doing a park run with tree pullups and stone carries.
2 STICK WITH THE LIFT: If you plateau on a lift, do 2–3
heavy sets, decrease weight by 50%, and do 3 speed sets of 2
reps, then 3 sets of 10–15 reps.
3 GET FOCUSED: Get training partners. If you can’t, find
things, such as music, that motivate you to lift heavier and kick ass in the gym.
