Personal training veteran Brian Bartolomei’s career path took an unexpected turn after he suffered back injuries during firefighting rescues. These setbacks became the catalyst for creating innovative fitness equipment designed to solve problems he personally experienced. After nearly three decades as a personal trainer, cancer survivor, and confronting mounting physical limitations, Bartolomei channeled his expertise into developing equipment that makes training safer and more effective.

The result is Leviathan FitWerx, a company bringing thoughtfully designed fitness solutions to the market. His flagship product, the Lift Ryte, emerged from his rehabilitation needs and has evolved into a versatile tool, gaining traction in facilities from boutique studios to professional athletics and everything in between.

A Service-Oriented Journey

Bartolomei’s path reflects his commitment to helping others. At 18, he began as a lifeguard and then moved into physical therapy as an assistant, introducing him to therapeutic exercise and eventually personal training. His career took another turn when a client, a San Diego firefighter, inspired him to join the firefighting profession.

“I’ve always been kind of service-oriented,” Bartolomei explains. “My dad was in the Navy, and firefighting obviously puts you in the thick of helping people at their worst time.”

Two separate back injuries during rescues ultimately ended his firefighting career. During his self-managed rehabilitation process, Bartolomei began developing what would later become the Lift Ryte unit. What started as a personal solution quickly became something others found valuable, eventually spurring him to establish Leviathan FitWerx to manufacture and sell the equipment.

Personal training remained his passion for nearly 30 years, but physical limitations began taking their toll. After surviving cancer (which doctors believe may have been linked to firefighting foam exposure), and dealing with bilateral rotator cuff tears, arthritis in both shoulders, and a torn labrum, Bartolomei recognized the need to transition. Creating innovative fitness equipment allowed him to continue making an impact while protecting his long-term health.

The Innovation Behind Leviathan FitWerx

Leviathan FitWerx’s flagship product, the Lift Ryte, demonstrates the practical problem-solving at the heart of Bartolomei’s approach. What began as a shoulder press attachment for a landmine quickly evolved into a versatile training tool offering significantly expanded functionality.

“I was using a dual-handhold landmine attachment, but the problem was when going from the ground to a press movement, you had to let go and then get underneath it,” Bartolomei describes. This limitation prompted him to modify the design by adding rotating bars to seamlessly transition from clean to press without releasing the handles.

The innovation continued as he realized a full bar across the unit would allow unlimited hand position variations. This dramatically expanded the equipment’s versatility, enabling everything from RDLs and bent-over rows to deadlifts, Zircher squats, thrusters, jerks, and ballistic movements. The result is equipment that serves as a teaching tool for proper technique and a way to perform advanced movements with greater stability.

Alongside the Lift Ryte, Bartolomei has developed the Ground Control, a foot support system for suspension trainers that provides fixed, adjustable foot positioning for people with ankle, knee, and hip mobility limitations. 

Building an Equipment Company from Scratch

Transitioning from personal trainer to equipment manufacturer hasn’t been without challenges. “There are a lot of things that come up that you’re like, ‘Oh, I didn’t even think about that,'” Bartolomei admits, citing unexpected costs like liability insurance, packaging requirements, and manufacturing complexities.

With a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology rather than an MBA, Bartolomei has navigated the business learning curve while carefully building partnerships. He’s established relationships with two specialized resellers—one focused on military applications and another targeting high school and college athletics. The Lift Ryte has already found homes in several Lifetime Fitness locations, local studios, and recently, a high school in Kentucky.

His current focus centers on the CrossFit market, with 12,000 worldwide gyms representing tremendous growth potential. Intellectual property protection remains a priority, with patent approval expected soon. This strategic approach to distribution and partnership, carefully avoiding marketplaces where knockoffs flourish, reflects Bartolomei’s protective stance toward his innovations.

Final Thoughts

The path from service professions to entrepreneurship demonstrates how passion for helping others can find expression through different avenues. For Bartolomei, creating equipment represents a natural evolution, continuing to improve lives while adapting to personal circumstances. Each piece of Leviathan FitWerx equipment embodies practical solutions born from firsthand experience with training challenges.

Through Leviathan FitWerx, Bartolomei has multiplied his impact beyond one-on-one training sessions, potentially reaching thousands of fitness enthusiasts through thoughtfully designed equipment that makes movement safer and more effective. His story reminds us that our most significant contributions sometimes emerge from navigating our obstacles and limitations.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.