US Strongman 2025: Davidson Strength & Fitness Hosts the North Carolina State Competition
Davidson Strength & Fitness proudly hosted the 2025 NC State US Strongman Competition on October 25
Incredible displays of strength, from 800+ lb deadlifts to 175 lb sandbag showdowns.
The event inspired members, teens, and even the youngest Minis to dream big.
Strength is for everyone. Join our Strength Club or free Saturday classes to start your journey.
Holy smokes, what a weekend! Saturday we were host to the 2025 NC State US Strongman competition and it was awesome. There is no other way to describe it. To say that the men and women competing are strong is like saying glaciers are cold. Sure, yeah, that’s true. But it doesn’t even come close to reality.
How It All Started
So how does a little family strength and fitness gym end up playing host to the state’s strongest folk? Well, we shot our shot. Back at the beginning of 2025 we knew this would be a big year for the gym. Privately we had made the decision to rebrand but had not announced it publicly. We knew we wanted to keep the general format in the gym the same, but also to bring a highlight to strength training for all humans. We started to incorporate more focused strength training into our programming and got amazing feedback from our members. Perfect.
Then we got a screenshot from one of our friends and partners of a post in an online group we were not members of. The post was looking for any gym in the Lake Norman area that may be big enough and interested in hosting the state US Strongman competition roughly eight months down the road. They needed a new venue, and we saw a chance to jump into our lane with two feet. We went straight to the source, finding the original poster, Brittany, online and contacting her directly. I told her we’d love to be considered for the location and a little bit about us. We were thrilled when she reached back out to us and agreed to see the space and bring her husband Zack, the president of the state organization and ambassador of the sport at large (see what I did there? 🙂).
A Partnership Built on Strength
We were nervous. At the time that we first met, the gym was still under old branding and affiliations. It wasn’t necessarily the look we were going for, but we were hopeful. We did let them in on our plans and timeline for rebranding, so as not to represent a false offer. After walking through the gym with Zack and Brittany Young, two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and discussing broad logistics, we could all feel the possibilities available to the partnership. We agreed right there with a handshake, a look in the eye, and a promise to tag each other in all things social media, that Davidson Strength and Fitness would host the 2025 state championship meet.
The Big Day
As our new friend Ross would say, “Cut to eight months later,” and here we are. The day is actually behind us by a full 12 hours. We are still riding the high of witnessing 800+ pound deadlifts, casually without belts or excess gear. Of watching two women face off with a whopping 50 and 51 sandbags over the bar respectively with a 175-pound sandbag! Think about that. They each lifted close to 9,000 pounds cumulative in that one event. Strong is one thing, mentally fortified is a whole other thing. They are both.
Inspiring the Next Generation
For me, the best part, though, is watching inspiration strike in real time. To see my members come by and watch in awe. To hear a few say, “[so-and-so] should be here, she could do this,” or “I think maybe next year I might try to see if I can do novice.” My favorite moments of the day, though, were watching the next generation get excited. The teens who stopped by and realized there really was a teen division and now they have a whole year to get ready for it. The Minis (3–5 year olds) that came to watch and tried to get out on the floor with their bright-colored dumbbells to get in their own lifts. To feel the energy in the room when even competitors cheer each other on because they know the effort it took to get there and “we all want to win against our best, so we got to get it from each other too!”
Looking Ahead
These are the habits and practices we want to continue and nurture. We’ve already told them we’re in for as long as they’ll have us, so keep your eyes peeled early next year for the 2026 details. And while you’re waiting, get into the gym with us. Strength Club meets three times a week, and group fitness classes run six days a week, multiple times a day. Kids programming is on Saturdays, and best of all, adult classes on Saturdays are ALWAYS free. There is no limit to how many times you can come see us at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. on any given Saturday. You can’t beat 50+ free classes a year. Strength is for everyone, whether you want to safely lift your groceries off the floor or a 175-pound sandbag 51 times in a row.
