Built for more: Dennis Kneepkens

Some people train to get stronger. Others create places where strength is forged.

Dennis is one of those people.

From a young age, he knew comfort wasn't for him. Deep inside, he felt it: growth begins where it hurts. That mindset led him to the Dutch Marine Corps, where he learned to fight, not just with his body, but with his mind. Stay calm in chaos. Keep going when everything in you screams to stop.

His military path didn’t begin in the Corps. In 2000, Dennis joined the Army as an armored engineer. But after a few years, he craved more. More pressure. More challenge. Through a friend, he discovered the Marines, a world unknown to him, infamous for its brutal selection rate. It was exactly what he needed.

During training, the hardest moments weren’t just physical. They came in the silence. Alone with your thoughts, soaked, frozen, and broken. One mistake nearly cost him everything. After a misstep, he had to report himself to a corporal. The next 60 minutes were pure hell, physical punishment that brought him to the edge. He almost quit. But he didn’t.

The Corps left its mark. Not just the busted knees or sore muscles, but the lesson that discipline isn’t a punishment, it’s a choice. The ability to do what’s needed, especially when you don’t feel like it. That principle runs through everything Dennis does today: his training, his gym, and his life.

Civilian life hit differently. After leaving the military, the world felt loose, unstructured. He missed the intensity, the brotherhood, the raw honesty. So, he built what he needed most: Outpost Gym. A space where strength isn’t measured in kilos, but in character. Where discipline, honesty, and brotherhood matter again. Where you show your weakness, so you can leave it behind.

OutpostGym isn’t like other gyms. There’s no ego here, no obsession with perfection. You earn respect by showing up and pushing through. It’s not about how you look. It’s about what you do when no one’s watching. That’s where Dennis sees who has "it." Not the loudest. The one who keeps moving in silence. Strength starts with a decision. You choose to become stronger, then you train it.

Hyrox fits Dennis like a glove. It’s not just a sport, it’s combat. Raw, fair, unforgiving. You can’t hide. You get back exactly what you put in. On race day, he isn’t nervous. He’s focused. Calm. That pain? That suffering? That’s home.

But his fight isn’t limited to the gym. In ultrarunning, he finds mental warfare. Long distances, no music, no distractions, just hours of silence. That’s where the real lessons lie. After 30, 40 kilometers, the body shuts down. That’s when the brain takes over. You don’t train your legs anymore. You train your will.

And in that quiet pain, Dennis found truth. The ego disappears. There are no medals, no likes, no applause. Just you and the road. That’s where character is built.

He sees it in his athletes too. At Outpost, it’s never about winning. It’s about fighting. Every person walks their own path. Comfort won’t take you there, confrontation will. He tells them: Don’t wait for motivation. Start small. Show up when it’s hard. Every day you do that, you earn self-respect. And that changes everything.

"Cut the Weakness" is more than a slogan from The Scythe Project. For Dennis, it’s the core of everything. Be honest with yourself. Cut out doubt, fear, excuses. Not to become perfect but to become real. Strength comes when you break free from the old version of you.

He’s had to cut his own weaknesses too. Insecurity. Self-doubt. Being told things would be too hard. Being underestimated. The Marines rewired that mindset. They taught him: if you’re willing to give everything, you’ll get further than you ever imagined.

Today, Dennis trains alongside his athletes because he refuses to preach what he doesn’t live. He stays in the arena. He keeps pushing. Growth never stops.

Leadership, for him, is simple: Lead by example. Go first. Stay honest. Build others up.

What’s next? He doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He just wants to keep growing as an athlete, a coach, and a man. He wants to show that discipline isn’t restriction. It’s freedom.

If you ask him to sum up the mindset of his community in one sentence?

“Earn it. Every damn day.”

Instagram: @denniskneepkens