Coach Jacob

Owner and operator of BIG Speed and Strength, as well as a professional strongman.

Background

Head coach and owner of BIG, Jacob Finerty, commonly referred to by his members and friends as The Bear is the one who will serve as a guide during your fitness journey. He has competed on multiple levels his entire life. He was a three sports letterman in high school competing in baseball, basketball, and football. Some of his sports accolades in high school were for All league and All-County in baseball and football. His senior year he played in the All-County games. In his free time, he also trained at White Tiger Martial Arts in Hesperia, California where he became a blue belt in both kickboxing and Ju Jitsu under Sensei Brandon Hastings.

After high school, he went on to play for Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. Chadron was a Division 2 undefeated powerhouse for three of the five years he was there. They were ranked Top 2 at one point, but stayed in the Top 25 for four of the five years he was there. He started over 40 games on the Offensive Line under the direction of multiple time Division 2 coach of the year Bill O’Boyle. Jacob stayed for five years and finished his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Sports. Biomechanics was his focus and he wanted to continue coaching but at the time he lost his oldest brother, which led him back home to California where his only goal was to open an all-inclusive athletic facility. B.I.G. is the first stage of his goal.

Experience

The Bear currently competes in Strongman and is a member of Team USA MAS Wrestling as a heavyweight. He has competed in multiple countries such as Russia, Kyrgyzstan and more. He has also been an assistant coach for two different schools assisting with the strength and conditioning programs. His training has taken him through the police academy, won him titles such as California’s Strongest Man, Northern California’s Strongest Man, USA heavyweight MAS Wrestling Champion and a Silver Medalist in the World Championships of MAS Wrestling in Moscow, Russia.

After opening his first gym, The Training Hall by Odd E. Haugen located on Thousand Oaks alongside some of his closest friends, he volunteered at obesity clinics and also worked for “The Camp Transformation Center.” Jacob then became exposed to the world of Obstacle Course Racing and Spartan where he participated in racing and endurance events such as the sprint, super, beast and the 4+ hour and 12+ hour Hurricane Heats. With these experiences, he opened his own gym which combined what he had learned throughout his experiences.