Louie Simmons Westwide Barbell Gym and created the conjugate training method.
Louie Simmons, legendary powerlifter and founder of Westside Barbell Gym, has passed away at 74 yeas old. Simmons is credited with creating the conjugate training method over the course of his career. The cause of death has not been revealed at this time.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Westside Barbell Gym courtesy of its Instagram account. A poem was shared and the caption did not reveal a cause of death. Westside Barbell Gym is prepared to make an official statement at some point in the future.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Louie Simmons.
We will make a formal announcement after we process this loss.”
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Louie Simmons began powerlifting early in his life. During his career, he became an incredible competitor along with a coach for some of the top competitors in the sport. This includes Dave Tate, Chuck Vogelpohl, and Jim Wendler. Simmons was able to help take training to the next level for competitors who wanted to mix it up.
Westside Barbell Gym is located in Columbus, OH. This is a gym founded by Simmons, along with the reverse hyper and belt squat machines. Simmons had a great mind for fitness and training and he showed it with his inventions. He is also created the conjugate training method, which used chains and resistance bands as a way of adding resistance to certain lifts.
Louie Simmons had a career of his own that spanned from 1979-2012. He competed in equipped powerlifting and completed some massive personal records during his time while competing in the 100 and 110kg weight class. Below, you can find some of Simmons’ competition best lifts.
- Squat (Single-Ply): 821 pounds
- Squat (Multi-Ply): 920 pounds
- Bench Press (Raw): 496 pounds
- Bench Press (Single-Ply): 530 pounds
- Bench Press (Multi-Ply): 600 pounds
- Deadlift (Single-Ply): 705 pounds
- Deadlift (Multi-Ply): 715 pounds
The 2019 documentary Westside vs. The World takes a deep dive into Simmons’ career and his contributions to powerlifting. This includes how Westside Barbell Gym came to be and the reaction to his new styles of training.
Louie Simmons made a huge mark on powerlifting and strength sports. This is a loss that will impact the community as a whole. Generation Iron sends condolences to the family and friends of Simmons at this time.
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