Louie Simmons, the weightlifter and strength coach who will always be remembered for developing the Training method “Westside Conjugate”He passed away at the age of 74 on Thursday, according to Westside Barbell’s official Instagram account.
Simmons had been a powerlifter since the age of 20 and was a highly influential trainer during his 50-year strength career. The Westside Conjugate System was described by the same man as a combination of the Soviet system; where various special exercises are completed to advance the training of top athletes, along with the bulgarian system; where they are performed near the maximum limits during each workout. In the Conjugate system, gradual progressive overload is replaced with cycles of heavy and light sessions to avoid the physical and mental fatigue that often comes from constantly training at 90% or more of your current maximum. The method also uses resistance bands and chains.
In addition to being an innovator of the technique, Simmons also developed state-of-the-art exercise equipment, including the reverse hyper; a machine that is designed to strengthen the posterior chain.
Simmons trained dozens of athletes to deadlift over 800 pounds and at least three who could deadlift over 900 pounds. He was a prolific writer of books and blogs and continued to contribute to his westside-barbell.com site as recently as last week.
the @westsidebarbellofficial Instagram account commented: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Louise Simmons. We will make a formal announcement after we process this loss.”
Louie Simmons’ death has already generated a slew of tributes on social media. “Mad Scientist” Chris Duffin, who is the founder of Kabuki Strength and has credited Simmons with greatly influencing his career, was one of the first members of the powerlifting world to share his tribute to the legend.
“Nothing but respect for someone who raised life 100% on his terms and influenced so many people. He left his mark. RIP Louie Simmons – Westside Barbell,” Duffin commented via Instagram.
Friends and fans of the lifting community have shared their own experiences of Simmons, noting his kindness and generosity of spirit.
Simmons was only one of five lifters to total “Elite” in five different powerlifting weight classes. He was a strength coach for collegiate and professional sports teams and his training methods are cited in the CrossFit Powerlifting certification program. Simmons will not only be remembered for his physicality, but also for his inspirational quotes, including the timeless lines “Normal people will achieve normal things” and “Not being willing to try is the beginning of the end.”
Louie Simmons’ teachings will continue to influence the world of sports and weightlifting for generations to come.
