Bert Sorin: The Evolution of Strength Training & Going From College Walk-on to Olympic Trials

Bert Sorin (@bertsorin) is the President and Owner of Sorinex Exercise Equipment, known as the industry’s premier provider of strength training equipment. Sorinex equips top professional teams, college strength training facilities, and home gyms for elite athletes. Notable training centers include Georgia, Alabama, and Nebraska football strength rooms. Bert is also a 4-time Division 1 All-American in Track and Field. He is a committed family man, raising three children with his wife, Lesley, in South Carolina. Bert is an avid hunter and he also serves as an ambassador for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him personally over the past year. He’s the real deal.

In this episode, we explore the evolution of strength training equipment and the initial business challenges faced by Bert’s father, Richard Sorin, the founder of Sorinex. We also cover how Bert triumphed as a track and field college walk-on and ultimately competed in the Olympic trials, lessons in fatherhood inspired by his dad, what truly matters in life, and the balance of being a father while managing a world-class company.

You can learn more about Bert at: https://www.bertsorin.com/ 

Thank you to 1st Phorm for sponsoring this episode. https://1stphorm.com/Judd

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Timestamps:

[00:00:21] Great men vs Good men

[00:03:07] What Sorinex did to change the strength game

[00:06:15] Why start Sorinex - Physical culture 

[00:08:03] 1968 - How Richard Sorin brought weight rooms to colleges

[00:11:21] Fatherly attributes: Compassion & Passion

[00:15:03] Funeral turnout - did you leave a legacy or not?

[00:18:22] The vast reach of Sorinex

[00:22:13] Grip King era - Richard Sorin, Father of the Modern Grip Movement

[00:25:28] Excellence without competition - fail until you succeed

[00:29:50] Raising a child with intention

[00:38:57] Shoot to eat - intense training challenge, stress inoculation

[00:43:37] Prepare for competition, practice failure & patience

[00:46:21] Bert’s past 24 hrs with Joe Rogan

[00:50:07] X Factor - Bert’s new genius Sorinex Equipment

[00:52:42] Progression to collegiate success

[00:59:25] Key people in life that shape your future 

[01:02:35] Special happens to everyone at a different time 

[01:05:18] 17 year old quick strength and growth cycle secrets

[01:09:02] You are the 7 people you hang around, their standard becomes yours

[01:12:55] Post Graduation working fulltime at Sorinex

[01:15:27] When we have the time to think about quitting, we quit 

[01:22:07] Winning breeds winning and reduces stress

[01:24:45] 1st Phorm

[01:26:55] How to create a path to the journey I know I want

[01:27:52] Creation of cutting edge workout equipment

[01:29:20] Be interested to be interesting

[01:31:49] Sorinex betrayal story - hardest day of Richard Soren’s life

[01:36:45] What Bert brought to weight machines today from 2007 

[01:45:01] Free weights aren’t free

[01:50:52] 3 Types of extraordinary people

[01:54:23] Humility & bei

The Judd Lienhard Podcast delivers unfiltered conversations with elite athletes, military leaders, and top coaches, exploring performance, mindset, and resilience. From NFL vets to Special Forces operators, each episode is packed with real-world lessons on training, leadership, and pushing limits.

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