July 26, 2025

Episode 178 - Legacy Series: The Underground Strength Blueprint, Raw Training Lessons, and the Real Story Behind the Rise of Zach Even - Esh

1 hour 21 minutes

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The fitness world today feels polished and perfect, but real strength was forged in garages with rusty weights and a warrior mindset. That raw, underground power is what built legends.

I sat down with Zach Even - Esh, a true icon, the founder of The Underground Strength Gym, and one of the OGs who laid the foundation for the raw, garage-style training that changed the game.

While most gyms were getting softer, Zach Even - Esh was welding the bars himself, dragging radiators through alleys, and flipping tires caked in grease, on purpose.

This episode takes us right to the raw roots of the underground strength movement. We’re talking stone-lifting, backyard beatdowns, and no-BS coaching that built unshakable toughness in athletes… and in life.

You’ll hear how Zach helped shape one of the most authentic eras in strength history, and why his style still hits harder today than ever before.

This one is for the coaches, creators, and anyone who believes hard work should hurt a little.

Enjoy the episode.

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

06:18 - The bodybuilding origin story and training in the 80s and 90s

14:02 - Transition to Underground Strength movement

18:12 - The "idiot" feedback on unconventional training methods

29:00 - Building the Underground Strength Gym

33:28 - Learning online business and creating the first eBook

38:46 - Making $1000 a day online in the golden era

45:07 - The rise and fall of affiliate marketing and ClickBank

55:14 - The value of structured programs

57:22 - His #1 program and why it still hits

1:03:47 - The "Wu-Tang Clan" of fitness

1:07:35 - Connections with Joe DeFranco and Smitty Diesel

1:14:36 - Honoring the pioneers who shaped underground fitness

This Episode Is Part of Our Legacy Series

We’re honoring the ones who did it before the hashtags.

The ones who trained before content was a thing.

Zach Even - Esh isn’t just a pioneer; he’s the underground pulse that still fuels real training today. He built strength. He built character. He built a movement.

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Connect with Zach Even - Esh:

- Website: https://zacheven-esh.com/

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZEvenEsh

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZachEvenEsh

- Twitter (X): https://x.com/zevenesh

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zevenesh/

- The STRONG Life Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-strong-life-podcast-with-zach-even-esh/id740235285

Connect with Funk Roberts:

- Website: https://www.over40alpha.com/

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkrobertsfitness

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funkrobertsfitness

- Funk’s Book: www.over40meals.com

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By Funk Roberts

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