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BONNEY LAKE, Wash. — Eric Shuty first started lifting weights about 34 years ago in Shelby’s Mad Dog Gym.
Fitness has remained a steady part of his life ever since.
Shuty was born and raised in Shelby and is a 1998 Shelby High School grad. After attending college in western Pennsylvania, he joined the United States Army in 2004 and was stationed in Washington.
He decided to stay in the Pacific Northwest state after exiting the Army in 2011. Shuty currently runs his own business known as Imperiya Barbell, providing coaching and training for youth and adults.
The focus of his fitness journey has shifted over time, Shuty said. It began as a way to grow stronger for high school football and has since evolved into competing on national and global stages.
After centering his efforts around powerlifting for several years, Shuty gained an interest in the Official Strongman Games — the largest international Strongman event in the world.
“It’s kind of gone all over the place (Shuty’s fitness journey),” he said. “But it’s always returned to absolute strength, as in what can you do, because Father Time is undefeated and there’s a limited window as to when you can test out what you can really do.”
Shuty has consistently competed in the OSG for the past five years. He most recently claimed a national title in the 2025 United States Strongman competition and finished in the top 10 during the three-day OSG world championship event in November.
The events are a mixture of competitiveness and camaraderie, he said.
“It’s for the love and the challenge,” Shuty said. “They are always a lot of fun.”
Below are photos of Eric Shuty. The picture on the left was taken during the Official Strongman Games in 2024. The middle photo was captured during this year’s OSG. Photos courtesy of Eric Shuty
Shuty shares his passion with others
Shuty’s experience training other athletes dates to his time in college. He said his first job after the Army was as a personal trainer for a LA Fitness.
But he never had the desire to start his own business necessarily, he said.
“In 2019, I got a chance to do some coaching for someone else and came up with the idea to do my own thing,” Shuty said. “It was a chance to offer some things that other training and gyms don’t offer.”
Imperiya Barbell offers training for anyone from high school athletes to older folks who may just want to get or stay fit, he said.
Shuty specializes in athletes training for strength sports. He frequently takes groups of athletes to strength competitions.
“That’s probably the most exciting thing to me, is when someone who is not familiar with it (strength competitions) at all gets hooked — which happens fairly often and then I get to help them out,” he said.
Maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle is automatic to Shuty, who is now in his 40s, he said.
“To me it’s second nature. But for others who may not have that experience, it’s one of the most important things you can do,” Shuty said.