Everyone loves an underdog story, and Hollywood has historically done a phenomenal job telling these tales. Take, for instance, the instinctive fighter pilot, Maverick, from “Top Gun”; the undersized football player, Rudy; and of course, the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa.

These stories share a common theme — each protagonist faces either an antagonist, a dilemma, or both, incurring physical and emotional stress. Yet in the end, each hero triumphs over his respective challenges. Maverick battles against his inner demons and his father’s legacy, Rudy contends with the naysayers and more physically imposing athletes at Notre Dame, and Rocky withstands punishment to eventually defeat the iconic Ivan Drago.

Now, I’ve got an entrepreneurial underdog story to share — a true tale of friendship, entrepreneurship, chasing the American Dream, and a touch of corporate greed. The star of this narrative is a small, self-funded startup company hustling to make a name in the crowded fitness arena. And playing the villain? A company with the size and stature of the iconic Ivan Drago.

Just a heads up, though, the ending to this story is still up in the air. It’s all on you — the reader, the consumer, the athlete — to call the shots on how this unfolds.

Now, let’s dive back in…

In a San Diego suburb, our tale starts on a youth softball diamond tucked away in the communal fields of Rancho Bernardo. The adventure begins on Field 5, where the heroes of our story — the parents of Charlie, Bridget, and Taylor — are brought together by their daughters’ shared love for the game. So, without any more delay, let’s meet our heroes.

I am Frank Savarese, a former collegiate baseball player and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. My 20-year Marine Corps career had me flying F/A-18A-D Hornets. Along the way, I became a decorated combat veteran, carrier naval aviator, TOPGUN graduate, and squadron commander. Having retired from the Marine Corps in 2022, I now fly the skies internationally on Boeing 747s for UPS, while also being a part of HERO.

Now, onto my co-founders. First up is Greg Spillane — a former collegiate football player for San Diego State University, with a deep competitive edge and entrepreneurial spirit. Over his career, Greg has founded several companies across different industries, showcasing his knack for new product development. Holding an MBA from the University of Southern California, he’s affectionately known as the group’s mad scientist.

Lastly, meet Mike Butler, our All-American Kid. A natural athlete, he’s also a seasoned business professional, lending his consulting expertise to companies like Under Armour and TaylorMade. With an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA from the University of San Diego, Mike completes our trio of HERO founders.

The three of us became thick as thieves as we spent more time together in the softball dugouts coaching our kids, or in the bleachers cheering them on and heckling the umpires. As we grew closer, we discovered many shared loves: coaching our daughters on and off the diamond, relentlessly competing in CrossFit, spending time with our families and friends, and a “work hard, play harder” approach to life.

And then, when COVID-19 reared its head and Governor Newsom issued the quarantine order — closing not just our CrossFit box but the beaches too (as if the surfers in SoCal couldn’t maintain social distance on the surf breaks) — our three families made the unanimous decision to quarantine together, navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic as a united front.

With nowhere available to workout, our mission to morph our garages into personal fitness havens kicked off. Being seasoned CrossFitters, we knew the heart of a good workout often fell in the grip of a top-notch barbell. It was the feel of the right kind of knurling against the palm, the smooth spin of the bar during a lift, the lively whip while nailing a snatch, and that comforting familiarity every time you grabbed your favorite bar. A barbell wasn’t just a piece of steel; it was a companion through the sweat, grit, and grind of every workout.

Venturing into the market for that perfect barbell, however, felt like trudging through a swamp of disappointments. The shelves were lined with mid-quality bushing bars boasting of spins that felt clunky, all while slapping a price tag of $300 to $400. And if your sights were set on a bar that did justice to quality? Well, be ready to shell out a solid $500 or more.

Then came a fateful afternoon at Greg’s casita, set against the backdrop of his pool and hot tub, during yet another one of those Covid days where time seemed to stand still. As we indulged in one too many greyhounds — courtesy of Greg’s wife — a spark of an idea flickered in Greg’s mind.

He laid it out for us: “Fellas, hear me out. We all agree the current barbell options leave much to be desired, right? They’re all about big brand names, lacking character, and priced sky-high. Now, what if we took a leaf out of Dollar Shave Club’s book? Just as they challenged the high-priced razors by offering equally good quality at a fraction of the price, we could do the same with barbells. We cut through the crap, design the best barbell possible, and offer it at a price that undercuts the competition.”

The idea resonated. Over the next couple of days, we began to envision a company that was more than just an equipment manufacturer, but a lifestyle brand. However, a question loomed — what would we call it? The discussion flowed seamlessly, and a few days later, Greg returned with a spark in his eye, unveiling his brainchild: “HERO Barbell Company.”

And so, amidst a pandemic, a round of greyhounds, cornhole, and hot tubs under the May gray skies of SoCal, HERO Barbell Co. was born.

The journey began with us pooling our resources, self-funding the venture, and rolling up our sleeves to dive into the groundwork. The ensuing six months saw us huddled together, brainstorming barbell designs. We scrutinized every single barbell out there, dissecting the details until we refined our design to perfection. The mantra was simple: sweat the small stuff, for that’s the catalyst that elevates good companies to great ones.

HERO was conceived as a true “for us, by us” barbell — researched, designed, and meticulously crafted by athletes, for athletes. Our mission transcended merely selling products. We aimed to build a brand that resonates, a brand people can rally behind. In a market saturated with barbells, we envisioned HERO as a beacon for athletes. The allure wasn’t just about the product but the branding that accompanied it. Our dream was to offer a barbell that ticked all the boxes — technically spec’ed, aesthetically pleasing, and wallet-friendly while also being a statement for those athletes who wanted to relentlessly pursue legendary. The excitement was palpable: a barbell that was not only cool but also accessible. Where do we sign up?

It was six months of rolling up our sleeves, sitting down with engineers, and meticulously putting each sample bar through a battery of tests to measure spin, coatings, and uniformity. Every step aimed at upholding quality and ensuring consumer satisfaction. We delved into the logistics — exploring warehousing solutions, storage options, and shipping costs, dissecting specs, and more. The less glamorous, albeit essential aspects that consumers often overlook.

After navigating the labyrinth of startup minutiae for those six months, HERO unveiled its offerings to the public in February of 2021, standing proud as a self-funded startup embarking on a journey to redefine the barbell landscape.

Our inaugural year was a period ripe with learning curves. Mistakes were made, plenty of them, morphing this American Underdog Story into a cautionary tale of business startups. We grappled with logistics lead time, navigated quality control issues, and struggled mightily to manage inventory levels.

During the next year, despite the hurdles, the narrative took a positive turn. The balance sheets were in the green and HERO had carved a spot on the map! Our venture was no longer just a startup, but a brand that had ignited a spark in the fitness community.

We started noticing others taking notice. One person in particular was two-time CrossFit Games athlete Tony Koens. Tony’s a serial entrepreneur, owner of three successful gyms, small business owner, investor, and coach to 16 Games athletes. A coffee meeting turned into two, leading to an introduction to Andrea Nisler (two-time Team Games Champion), our first major athlete signing, and eventually, Tony joining the team as a partner later that year.

As we steered into 2023, the horizon brimmed with promises: new products — check; the best cerakote bearing barbells on the market (in our humble opinion) — check; an expanding roster of athletes — check; competitions seeking HERO as the official barbell partner — check. Major companies began turning their heads our way — check and check again. HERO’s journey transcended mere barbells; the brand we had envisioned had started to come to fruition.

By August 3rd, 2023 we had just wrapped up our most successful month ever from a sales perspective. Our growth was accelerating, and we were on pace to triple revenues from the year before. We had just concluded our stint as the official barbell of the Monster Games on July 30th, the morale within the company had never been higher.

The story takes a sudden twist here. Being the manager of our social accounts, I planned to post a “Good luck to all our athletes competing at the CrossFit Games…” message via Instagram. However, a minor hiccup occurred — I couldn’t log in. Our @herobarbellco account had been disabled. “Hmm, that’s odd,” I thought, as I didn’t recall locking myself out of the account.

It took us two weeks of back-and-forth with Meta support to finally unearth what had transpired. Enter, Ivan Drago. We were informed by Meta that a law firm representing Rogue, had filed a formal complaint against HERO, effectively pulling the plug on our account. No kidding around, HERO Barbell Company was now in the crosshairs of the giant in the fitness realm — Wow, what had we stirred up?

The grievance lodged with Meta centered around allegations of trademark violations and intellectual property infringement. Alright, no biggie, we don’t manufacture weight plates, so it’s a common sight to see athletes pairing our bars with Rogue plates. If there are any images that ruffle their feathers, we’re game to remove them. If only it were that simple…

The trademark violation allegations pinpointed two particular posts:

The first post featured a photo of Heather Hippensteel when she was a part of Team Invictus in 2014, competing at the CrossFit Games, showing her lifting a snatch overhead. Featured in the picture was a barbell with Rogue plates. Heather provided us with the photo to post on her behalf and the context was to welcome Heather to team HERO as she officially accepted an athlete sponsorship.

The second post was of a photo also provided by an athlete we sponsor, showcasing them using our HERO Phoenix bar, albeit with Rogue plates on it. For the record, HERO does not sell bumper plates as of the writing of this story in September 2023.

This is where it gets interesting. The last claim Rogue made was about intellectual property infringement. They claim to own a patent on the use of rubber bands on the collars of barbell sleeves (seems silly, right?). Admittedly, this is purely a cosmetic feature and can be found on barbell collars of countless barbell manufacturers. I recently walked into a Dick’s Sporting Goods, and they are selling bars by a manufacturer called Ethos that have the same rubber bands Rogue claims to have a patent on. Wouldn’t it make more sense going after a national retailer and not a small veteran-owned startup?

Shutting down our social media accounts may seem minor to some, but this was the primary way we communicated with our loyal following. It effectively shut us off from the world. We don’t have the deep pockets to go toe-to-toe with Drago in a drag-out, 12-round bout in Moscow, so even though we don’t agree with Rogue’s claims, we heeded the requests of their legal team. We immediately ceased the production of bars with rubber bands on the collar, and offered to take down any images that contained the Rogue brand, only asking in return that they withdraw their claim against Meta so we can access our social media accounts.

It’s been nearly two months and despite our earnest efforts to square things away with Rogue’s attorneys, they keep leading us in circles. I mean, it makes sense; why play nice with us if they see us as a threat, right?

So, what’s the story here? Is it a case of a big player guarding their intellectual property? Perhaps, but we’ve been eyeing the social accounts of other brands featuring rubber bands on their collars, and they seem to be conducting business as usual. Dick’s Sporting Goods continues to sell Ethos barbells which supposedly infringe on Rogue’s rubber band patent. Why not target Dick’s, Fringe Sport, Wright Equipment, or the other barbell manufacturers who sell barbells with branded rubber bands on their sleeves (as of writing, Fringe Sports’ and Wright Equipments’ Meta accounts are active and include photos of their barbells with rubber bands)?

I am writing this not to cause trouble for any other barbell manufacturers, but to highlight the selective targeting directed at our company. Could it be that Rogue spotted a brand on the rise, capable of rivaling them, and instead of vying on the grounds of quality, value and service, chose to flex their financial muscle and legal might?

I can’t say for sure, but what’s crystal clear is that THIS company is helmed by individuals who don’t throw in the towel; they rush towards trouble instead of scampering away from it. I pledged to narrate a tale of a real entrepreneurial underdog vying for the American Dream amidst towering stacks of cash and corporate greed.

Before you turn the last page of this saga, ponder this — why are competitions nudging other barbell manufacturers aside and rolling in HERO Barbells? Why are an increasing number of elite athletes aligning with a company that’s only celebrated a little over two anniversaries? Is it the quality of our equipment, the brand ethos, or the grit, the resolve, the moxie, or whatever you wish to tag it… is that what folks are recognizing in our venture?

This Pearl Harbor-like attack on the company has ignited a fire in the hearts and minds of the ownership. We’ve been tirelessly at work in the lab doing R&D, delving into the minutiae that make a HERO Barbell unique, crafting new products including a line of competition plates that we believe will disrupt the industry on the same level as our barbells. We continue to fortify relationships forged in this fitness community. This story’s ending hasn’t been written yet, but we continue to thrive in light of recent events.

If you’ve read this far, it’s clear you’re interested. HERO Barbell Co. is on the lookout for accredited investors who share our vision. Although we started as a self-funded venture, we recognize that further growth requires additional resources. If you root for the underdogs, appreciate the success we’ve achieved, believe in our team, and wish to play a part in challenging a giant, then investing in HERO Barbell Co. could be a fitting opportunity for you.

Reach out at Frank@herobarbell.com if you are interested in investing, follow HERO Barbell on IG @freeherobarbell or @herobarbellco (if Rogue ever rescinds the complaint), and check us out at herobarbell.com. Use the code HEROFAM10 for 10% off all orders placed in October. All bars are available for pre-order! Come check us out and join the HERO Revolution!

Cheers, Frank, Greg, Mike, and Tony — the Four Suburban Legends