Get to Know Bryan and Haley May from The Bar
What started as a 45-minute drive to a gritty, graffiti-covered gym in Milton, FL has become one of the most respected underground powerlifting and bodybuilding gyms in the Panhandle region. Bryan and Haley May, owners of The Bar Gym and The Bar Apparel, have built this brand from the ground up — literally. After discovering powerlifting in 2013 and getting kicked out of a commercial gym for being “too intense,” Brian found his true home at The Bar. By 2016, he purchased the gym, walked away from his offshore diving career, and poured everything into building something different.
Together with his partner Haley, elite powerlifter and bodybuilder, and no-BS businesswoman, the duo has grown the gym, the apparel line, and now they’re hosting their first Powerlifting United meet in Crestview, FL and they’re not holding anything back. Think fog machines, dry sparks, flames, next level audio visual production, and even a $500 prize for the most hyped spectator.
For Bryan, this isn’t just about lifting. It’s about creating an unforgettable experience, supporting lifters at every level, and pushing the sport forward without the politics and ego. “I didn’t get into this to be mediocre,” he says. “I got into this to be the best to ever do it.”
From selling shirts at CrossFit events to setting up at the Arnold, Bryan and Haley are on a mission to grow The Bar brand nationwide and build the mecca of gyms in the South while they’re at it.
This is more than a gym. It’s a movement.
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Coming to Powerlifting United National Championships in New Jersey? You can find The Bar, our title sponsor, all weekend long at their booth! You can also follow The Bar on Instagram, YouTube, and at thebarstrengthstore.com.
