Samuel Bigler started lifting weights at Columbia High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He attended Millersville University, where he won four NCAA titles and was a five-time Pennsylvania AAU Champion. Bigler graduated from Millersville in 1973 with a degree in elementary education. He then worked as a strength coach for several athletic teams at Millersville, while obtaining a masters’ degree in elementary education with a reading specialist certification. He continued coaching through 1970 and began work as a reading specialist at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He also formed CBS Properties in Millersville, Pennsylvania, renting apartments and mobile homes.
United States