If you walk into a gym in Pennsylvania, or anywhere across the country, chances are you are going to lift a York Barbell product. You may not have put much thought into the origin of the dumbbells and barbells you use to work out, but many of the fitness essentials found in every gym originated right here in York, Pennsylvania.
In 1932, Bob Hoffman, known as the “father of world weightlifting,” founded York Barbell, a company that produced one of the first ever lines of exercise equipment and served as a home to over forty National Championship weightlifting teams.
Hoffman coached a team of York Barbell Club members in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics to multiple victories. The medals won by Hoffman’s team changed the American perspective of weightlifting forever. From that moment on, weightlifting was viewed as a true competitive sport.
Over the years, Hoffman continued to advocate the importance of fitness and weightlifting, while dedicating his time to York Barbell. He developed a line of nutritional supplements, created the first energy bar in 1966 and continued to coach the York Barbell Club teams.
Today, York Barbell specializes in precision and innovative grip plates and commercial free weight equipment. The company sells everything from benches to treadmills to kettlebells. They supply fitness equipment to CrossFit centers, colleges, gyms, home gyms, and some professional athletic teams.
Insider tip: You can purchase all the equipment you need for your home gym direct from the manufacturer at the lowest price.
The York Barbell Company is also home to the official Weightlifting Hall of Fame and Museum which is open free to the public. Get an up-close view of the transformation of the average barbell, an Olympic weightlifting platform, murals, statues, and more.
The museum’s featured exhibit, Strongmanism, displays trophies, plaques, and vintage barbells from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One of the highlights of the Strongmanism exhibit is a statue of nineteenth-century professional strongman Louis Cyr and his real 220-pound stage dumbbell. The Hall of Fame tour showcases the evolution of strongmanism into weightlifting and bodybuilding today.
Whether you’re a fitness fanatic looking to upgrade your home gym, or just interested in the history of weightlifting, stop by York Barbell, located in the heart of York.
Info to know: York Barbell Retail Outlet 3300 Board Rd., York www.yorkbarbell.com 717-767-6481 Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
