Young Guns: Ben Lowry building workout supplements based on science

It started with a simple realization after hearing same question over and over.

Ben Lowry, a 27-year-old who served multiple tours in Afghanistan, was routinely asked about what he took to augment and support his daily workout regime.

The questions were unstable of course, for the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder who at one time held a Florida military record of doing 812 sit-ups without stopping.

"Yeah, people were always asking what supplements I was taking," Lowry recalls with a laugh. "That's kind of where this started."

This is ScoopSmith.com, an online venture Lowry has started with some help. It is designed to engineer and direct the proper supplement combinations for those looking to get the most out of their work outs.

"We want to make sure we help everyone, and we think we can whether you are working with a trainer or just trying to get in better shape," Lowry says.

Lowry said a recent investment - "seed money" he called it - has moved the ScoopSmith.com idea forward.

About Lowry

* Age: 27* Job: Co-founder and CEO of Scoopsmith* Education: A former U.S. Navy cryptology technician, he attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, studying enterpreneurial and small business operations; completed CoLab accelerator program in the fall of 2016.* Former job: Chief executive of Petrichor Consulting Group Inc. in Chattanooga* Personal: He and his wife, Madison, live in Chattanooga

It started with an announcement on Facebook last August: "Forged in the crucible of pain and training, ScoopSmith is a brotherhood of athletes, coaches, personal trainers and gym owners that believe in simple and transparent custom workout supplements based on science. Forge a supplement as unique as you are with ScoopSmith!"

"We are hoping to get FDA compliant (soon)," Lowry said. "Right now we are working out of our house but the investments and seed money have helped us dedicated a lot more space toward ScoopSmith."

Lowry's wife Madison teaches eight grade math at Soddy-Daisy Middle School. And not unlike so many hopeful entrepreneurs, the steps toward making a dream a reality are a mixed bag of emotions.

"I'd say it has been equal parts scary and exciting," Lowry says. " I know this an idea that will work but getting here has been scary at times too."

Lowry's experience in gyms and weight rooms his whole life gave him a starting point and he said a lot of folks casually asked hime about "Ben's Blend" of supplements.

The name ScoopSmith came from an idea of the mixing the various powders that many of the interchangeable supplements are with the idea of the old-school blacksmith days in which things were forged and made with strenuous effort.

"The word play worked really resonated for everyone," says Lowry, who said the "Ben's Blend" suggestion did not even make the top 10 of names. "It goes back to the blacksmith days and creating a coat of armor for yourself.

"It just kind of fit."

A fitting name designed to help anyone get even more fit.

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