Zach Even-Esh

MusclePharm contributor Zach Even-Esh is the owner of The Underground Strength Gym.

Zach has been infatuated with strength training and the physical body since age 13. It even got to the point where he did his homework in the gym while sitting at the juice bar enjoying a protein shake.

From high school forward, his dream was to open a hardcore gym. A gym for bodybuilders, very much like Gold’s Gym Venice from the Golden Era back when guys like Arnold, Franco, Ken Waller, Robby Robinson and Frank Zane trained together.

Zach visited countless gyms where the atmosphere was dead and the members looked like walking zombies. Zach vowed to find a way to open something that brought together those who want great atmosphere blended with great training.

Another hurdle Zach dealt with before opening Underground was injuries, mainly from lack of solid information. The magazines on the newsstands weren’t cutting it. To create what became Underground, Zach used the garage, the back yard and a few busted up local playgrounds in the place of fancy gym equipment. Stones, axes, sledgehammers—anything could be used to build strength.

After consulting with guys like Louie Simmons, Dave Tate, Jim Wendler, Alwyn Cosgrove, Joe DeFranco and Pavel Tsatsouline, Zach used their know-how to shape his own methods. In time, Zach built a following of athletes—even though the closest thing they had to a gym was Zach’s own backyard.

Clearly, Zach needed a gym. And one day, in his hometown of Edison, NJ, a local warehouse space became available for rent. Zach began to tighten his unique blend of powerlifting, strongman training, gymnastics based movements, Russian Kettlebells and “golden era” bodybuilding training.

And The Underground Strength Gym was born. Everyone, from youth to senior citizens, began to take part. Athletes saw its value and started to train for state and national competitions the “Underground way”. Zach developed seminars, coaches flew in to learn more and soon “Underground Strength Gyms” began to pop up in cities.

And Zach started it all.