Inside Westside Barbell, Powerlifting's Most Exclusive and Controversial Gym 

Growing up, this is what I thought all gyms looked like.

vice always with the most out of touch reporter they can find.

Rest In Peace Louie. Your work will never be forgotten

As a small, bullied kid, I started going to the gym at 15. Becoming stronger than all of my friends and many adults boosted what I thought of myself. It also protected me. For those who have little, going to a place where you feel good about who you are and what you can do is a place of refuge. I never felt as good as I did emotionally than when I was as strong as a bull. Those around you treat you better, see you better. And you treat yourself better in many ways.

This is actually incredibly wholesome, mostly troubled men who find comfort and satisfaction through lifting under a wise old man who has dedicated his life towards powerlifting.

Eh, I'd rather have them lift weights than do crime.

"He'll never admit it, but he wants us to succeed." ....just like my dad.

Rest In Peace, truly changed the landscape for strength training. It’s crazy to think we are so lucky to have all of the knowledge we do about strength training, if it weren’t for people like louie we would not be doing the things we do today.

This is like anti-planet fitness. Ideal.

I like how they get breakfast together 4 times a week

"If you think its the drugs? Ill tell you ehat i take, and you can try it" Honestly fair, bro is confident in himself

Rest In Peace, Louie. Your efforts won’t be forgotten

People are mad that they are open with their drug testing instead of lying about it?

At least they admit to their steroid use. Most powerlifters nowadays obviously use steroids but will deney it to the death

7:15 hits different now… R.I.P Louie Simmons

RIP to the legend, Louie Simmons.

“To be honest we’d never let you in here.” Haha, ouch!

Welcome to the salty spitoon, how tough are ya?

Visiting Westside as a 16 year old powerlifter was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I got to have a 10ish minute conversation with him about powerlifting and training

lifting is a really special sport. i go to a gym that’s home to a bunch of elite lifters, and contrary to the stereotypes they’re all incredibly helpful and thoughtful. i can’t even deadlift my bodyweight (yet) and i get treated with respect, kindness, and encouragement. like they said in this video, it’s such a mental sport and the “meathead” stereotype isn’t really true.

My testosterone levels doubled just watching this

"it's great for lateral movement, I can really feel it strengthening my feet...."

Imagine being in jail and getting out, thinking your life is out of direction, and finding refuge, dedicating your life to reaching your peak physical strength under a wise old man who does it FOR FREE, I love it

They made sure to get the manliest VICE reporter they had in the office to do this report

It's not against the rules to take drugs its against the rules if you get caught -TJ Dillashaw

Westside gives them: 1) [Community] A group of friends that loves and helps them to succeed in what they care about. 2) [Competence] The ultimate chance to master the passion that matters most to them. 3) [Autonomy] The feeling of freedom to do exactly what they want - to lift like no other. Of course they're addicted to that gym - to them it fulfills all three requirements for human happiness!

903 bench press…. Drugs or not, that is fucking impressive.

62 years old and I guess I got a late start. This is inspiring stuff, I’ll never get as strong as these dudes but I’m gonna try.

You can say what you want about Louie Simmons but about 20 years ago a called WestSide from Pittsburgh just to ask Louie a couple of question's and he had me on the phone for like 45 min and was very nice to me and helpful. I had just started to Powerlift and was a older guy. Nothing but love for the man.

The bench press dude has the shortest arms I've ever seen lol

I wish my gym had metal plates. The feeling of metal and the sound it makes gives the gym character

It’s amazing the mentality that they have. They love lifting and found people to share their passion with. I would never do something so destructive to my body but I definitely have respect for the hard work these people put into lifting.

The only difference between these guys and all the other competitors is that they’re upfront with what they’re doing/using. Honesty has become taboo in our society.

Me walks in : So how do y’all feel about cardio

I just found out about Louie's death... Thanks to this man opening up about his low self-esteem issues at the beginning, even if it was mentioned for a few seconds, it helped motivate me to be consistent with working out... I'm 5 months in, monday to friday. By the time I was born in 2000, this man was lifting for decades, but I wish I could've thanked him. RIP The Last Samurai of Weightlifting.

Rest In Peace Louie. You taught me what I know.

I mean they lift heavy ass weights and take steroids to get big, strong and break records. People around the world do worse stuff and never get judged

I'll pay anyone 500 bucks to go to that gym and erase that board. That is, if you make it out alive.

Started lifting 1+- years ago and watch this video, got me into powerlifting right from the start. A legend will always be remembered. RIP Louie.

Fun fact: you don't have to travel all the way to West side to have this sort of experience. The power lifting gym from my home town had a similar vibe. We were all brothers/sisters all driven to getting stronger. It was a great experience.

“We’d never let a guy like you in here, nothing personal.” Reporter: takes it personal.

Notice how these men don’t judge. Mind their business and do what they do best. More respect to them ✊

RIP man

I started in a gym a lot like this. Chalk on the floor. Torn carpets. Writing on the walls. Missing ceiling tiles. Mismatched plates. I miss it.

That day when Louie passes, powerlifting will forever lose a *titan* among men. Respect for him taking troubled men under his wing and giving them new direction and purpose.

I like the bald T-Rex little arms guy.

I love the spirit in this gym and that everyone knows each other and be buddys. That's great 😎👍🏻

I actually watched this video a couple of months ago and was amazed, watching this again just to find out in the comments that Louie Simmons died 24th of March! He will always remain a legend of powerlifting.

I think a lot of guys who watched this video can’t comprehend the mindset of guys who compete out of this gym. Most of these guys Louie takes under his wing either fell on hard times or are avoiding rock bottom. Louie builds them up and gives them something to strive for. Powerlifting gives them an outlet for misplaced aggression or the stress of life and allows them to focus on staying straight. David Goggins another inspirational athlete and former NAVY SEAL stated, “Suffering breeds character. You cannot feel extreme highs without extreme lows”. So all of the grueling workout sessions and strained muscles aren’t just for the hell of it. Just like the world record bencher stated in his interview. He feels his best and most motivated when he’s so beat up he can barely make it to the bathroom. They don’t care about how they look or how they feel, it’s about putting themselves through pain with fellow men with the same mindset, very similar to military training. One of Louie’s prodigies Matt Wenning actually revamped special forces training and improved recovery and resistance to injury for the 75th ranger regiment. When you see the comments on this video where dudes are like “Lol look how beat up and unattractive these guys are; I’m glad I just train to look good!” Or “Wow these guys are just a bunch of juice monkeys”. Those dudes are most likely soft as shit and can’t comprehend pushing the body and mind past a place of comfort and into the void. Mad respect to the guys who put up with hardship and try to push past it. If you think it’s easy or can’t see the benefit of it, try pushing yourself out of the comfort zone and see how it feels. Maybe you’ll enjoy it or maybe it breaks you. You’ll never know until you try.

'i feel it really strengthening my feet'

7:19 hit different 😞😞

RIP Louie - a true legend of the sport

Not a neck between them.

I first watched this about two years ago before I had started lifting; I thought these guys were crazy. After two years of being in love with lifting it just makes sense now.

R.I.P. Your knowledge and work will never be forgotten. LETS GO WESTSIDE!

The way he said dead or in trouble somewhere was so honest and humble. No lying in it. What a great thing to see, finding purpose

“I feel it really strengthening my feet” I know louie facepalmed inside at that

Awesome see you guys feature Louie and westside. Powerlifting is a niche sport with a culture not many get to see in pop media.

Only those who workout for real will understand the strength and will this guys put into their sport.

Louie’s legacy will live on. He will be sorely missed. ❤️

I wish people would understand the passion powerlifters have for their sport. Fighters beat up their metabolisms for the sake of weight classes. Pro basketball players are willing to destroy their knees and ankles for their sport. Football players risk countless injuries on the field, and so on and so forth. Powerlifters aren't concerned with their health. It's not for the sake of staying in shape or being physically healthy. They do it because they want to be the best, and I wished more people understood that level of dedication and passion in anything.

"I crawl to the bathtub in the morning because I can't stand up straight, that's when you find out what you're made of" Well I'd guess Glass now

Man, I'd love a full-length doco on West Side. Plenty of interesting characters and what a story!

Rest In Peace Louie for being an inspiration to all of us

That one dude who broke the bench press record has the craziest looking body I’ve ever seen

"We're going to do an interview in one of the toughest gym in America, full of harden members from all corners of society, who should we send ?" "Well, all we have left is a guy that weighs about 40 cups of Starbuck and has probably never lifted a dumbbell his entire life" "Good enough"

Thank you for intro video and referral to movie West Side vs The World. Just finished watching it and it has got to be the best raw transformation of emotional strength tied into physical performance with the true love of moving iron. Amazing influences into all other sports, too. A silent icon that definitely deserves hall of fame notoriety. Thank you for your service, too. Semper Fi & Ductus Exemplo.

driving 4 hours to the gym and back everyday is wild

We got anyone here at Vice, anyone at all, who lifts weights? No. Ugh. Fine. Send Dhani.

Something tells me that these guys ain't vegan or practice yoga

Really provides some perspective. I go to the gym 5-6 times a week, lift, heavy often but am sometimes frustrated by lifts. That said, it's fine, I mean, least my back isn't fucked up and I already play rugby so.

Saw this in 6th grade (months after the vid dropped) and it kicked my passion to lift and get deeper into powerlifting

What's with all the frustration and hate aimed towards powerlifters? Yes, some may be short and not aesthetically pleasing.... but this isn't bodybuilding..... these guys are pushing their bodies and health to the limit to lift insane weights. They have my respect at least

I wish I heard a *YEAHHHH BUDDDDAAAYYYYY* at the end.

Thank you Louie for showing me how to train into my 40s being banged up. Love and respect from Greece.

People online are trolls. Steroids aid in recovery time, you still have to put a tremendous amount of work, and have a great amount of dedication and discipline.

3:09 owned

I mean in all honesty, even if you’re on steroids, you still gotta do all the work. The steroids just help you be able to put in better work, more often but you still gotta actually put in the work

rip Louie Simmons a legend forever long live Louie Simmons 🙏

I have much respect for that place. I was troubled too growing up and found running. I do 5ks clear up to the marathon. Been part of the running community for years. Running saved my life and did more for me than any psych drug, doctor or therapist. And I live in Columbus Ohio too so this is cool

7:22 over 400KG! That's fucking insane!

This place is the exact opposite of Planet Fitness lmao

RIP Louie Simmons, a true Legend

RIP Mr. SIMMONS. Thankyou for everything and everyone you inspired, changed the spirit, the sport, and helping bring science and knowledge to POWERLIFTING. 🤝🇺🇲🏋️‍♂️🇬🇧🏋️‍♂️🇨🇦🏋️‍♂️

Seems counterproductive to lift weights to the point where you wake up disabled

I love the 'eat together, stay together' embodiment/spirit instilled by him in that he brings his soldiers to the diner to have breakfast together four times a week. That's an awesome community vibe right there. You can build such loyalty by making gestures like that. Chapeau.

Crawl to the bathtub? Crawl? I can't ever conceive of wanting to be strong so badly you'd sacrifice your health and quality of life for it. Additionally, I envy having something you want to fight for so badly you'd risk life and limb for it. Two sides to the same coin I guess.

The only issue I have is with people who are juiced to the gills but selling themselves and their products on Instagram to teenagers while claiming to be natural. Otherwise, if you’re honest about what you’re doing, have at it!

I've always had this quote stuck in the back of my head. I used to compete in powerlifting and I had always wondered what 1st place had won. I asked my coach and he looked me dead in the eyes and said "about a week's worth of groceries and a fuckin back-ache".

My dad broke the Arnold classic in 98 in bench 650 pounds and Westside Barbell was where he trained

They pointed this out in the Westside vs the World documentary but imagine all the record-breakers and legends whose names we don't know because their numbers were replaced on that board over time.

RIP LOUIE!!!

400 LB power lifter leaning on a Prius in the gym parking lot.

It’s all about the passion and love for the sport. For a lot of weightlifters, the iron has saved their lives.

This is literally a whole new world of weight lifting. This is where warriors are made. Much respect.

what the fuck i think i'll stick to weenie hut jr

"We're kicking the shit out of our selves just because we love it". I couldnt stop my self from smiling because you do love it; you love the pain, the will,and mentality,and daily grind thinking to yourself "I'm going to improve from yesterday today".

Why isn’t the gym out west? “Because I live here” so simple yet so deep.

Just heard of his Passing this morning. RIP a Powerlifting Legend.

They are like a strange order of monks