Legendary powerlifter Louie Simmons has died

Westside Barbell Gym have announced the death of Louie Simmons (74) on their official instagram account. They announced Simmons' death in the caption to the post, but did not reveal the cause of death - apparently it is not yet known.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Louie Simmons. After we process this loss, we will make a formal announcement,"

Louien was born on October 12, 1947, entered the world of powerlifting at the age of 20 and became one of the sport's most important figures. Simmons competed professionally from 1979 to 2012.

This strongman also founded the Westside Barbell Gym and invented the "reverse hyper" and "belt squat machines". In addition, he has been credited with developing the conjugate training method, which has been applied by hundreds of strength athletes around the world.

In 2019, the documentary Westside vs. Film was released, chronicling Simmons' countless contributions to the sport of strength and his provocative and controversial powerlifting club.

His personal bests in the 100 kg and 110 kg weight classes are as follows:

• Squat - 821 pounds
• Squat (in jersey) - 920 pounds
• Bench Press - 496 pounds
• Bench Press (in jersey) - 600 pounds
• Deadlift - 705 pounds
• Deadlift (in jersey) - £715