This man lifted a 4-year-old bull

Hi Reader,

I was loading a barbell in the gym the other day when it hit me…

Niche pursuits are fun.

Like writing online.

Or weightlifting.

Weightlifting is big business now.

But in the 19th century?

A weird niche sport.

One for strongmen and entertainers.

(Kind of like writing online a few years ago)

They trained in the mid-1800s using a clunky steel barbell.

Those old-school barbells came with fixed weights or fillable globes attached to the end of a four- to six-foot barbell.

Strength training only works if the lifter overloads their system from one workout to the next.

So, when these 19th-century strongmen wanted to lift more…

They either found a second heavier bar.

Or they filled the globes with different materials.

Lifters got a break in 1908.

American weightlifter Alan Calvert founded the Mao Barbell Company.

Guess where he got the name?

From the famous Greek wrestler Milo of Croton.

Get this:

Milo lifted a calf every day from when it was born...

Until it was fully grown…

Four-year-old bull!

Calvert wanted to solve a problem for his customers.

So he invented the Milo Triplex bar, which he named after that Greek wrestler.

For the first time…

Weight lifters could add or remove plates to the ends of one barbell.

Weight lifting, as we know it today, was born.

Writers working online need a similar way of working, too.

A new writer needs to track what’s working and not working.

And a more experienced writer trying to lift their four-year-old bull?

They need an adaptable system too.

They need to track if their hard work is paying off.

So, I started creating something that does just that.

Write on,

Bryan Collins

P.S. What’s your no.1 niche hobby? Reply and let me know.