Elite Sports Training Facilities | Professional Sports Clubs
Our Legacy
The Wizard of Weightlifting (1907–1948)
It all started with legendary strongman William A. Pullum, ‘The Wizard of Weightlifting’.
An undefeated competitive weightlifter and strongman, Pullum won more than 50 gold medals and set nearly 200 records throughout his career.
Among his many achievements was a world record of 204 pounds in the two-hand-anyhow lift, a feat immortalised in the original Pullum Sports logo.
The Evolution of Our Logo
Pullum Sports began as a basement lifting club in Camberwell, London, originally named ‘The Lothian Club’.
The club quickly evolved and spread across four storeys, where Pullum worked, lived and trained British champions, including Olympic silver medallist Julian Creus and bronze medallists James Halliday and Mel Barnett.
Ironically, the building where Pullum had his club and office is now home to a burger restaurant.
But Pullum’s achievements didn’t end there.
At the onset of World War I, Pullum was appointed by the British military authorities to take charge of the conditioning of physically rejected recruits. His conditioning program produced a 95% success rate.
At age 42, retiring undefeated in strength competitions, Pullum's two books, "Weight-Lifting Made Easy and Interesting" and "How to Use a Barbell," became standard textbooks.
Wally's Innovation (1948–2005)
In 1948, The Wizard of Weightlifting’s nephew, Wally Pullum,
joined the business.
Wally’s Uncle taught him everything there was to know about weightlifting and weight training. Wally
went on to open a branch of the Pullum Sports weightlifting club in 1949 in the shed at the bottom of his garden.
But Wally’s branch was different; he saw an opportunity.
He went beyond simply training local lifters and began building equipment based directly on their feedback. At a time when few manufacturers sought input from the athletes using their products, Wally designed equipment around the real needs of lifters.
From that point on, Pullum Sports became dedicated to designing and manufacturing fully customised, bespoke weightlifting equipment.
The close relationship between Wally and his clients and the evolution of equipment alongside professional lifters allowed Pullum Sports to soar.
Pullum quickly became one of the leading and most trusted names in strength sports and gym equipment manufacturing.
This 45kg cast iron barbell plate belonged to Wally himself!
Pullum Today
The legacy of William and Wally Pullum still shapes everything we do.
Over a century since its conception, Pullum Sports remains one of the UK’s leading and most trusted names in custom strength equipment and facility design.
We remain proudly independent and dedicated to British craftsmanship. Every piece of Pullum kit is hand-built in the UK, ensuring exceptional quality that the Wizard of Weightlifting would be proud of.
In 2005, Wally retired, but Pullum Sports continues to operate with the same drive and expertise on which the company was founded.
We continue to work closely with gym owners and lifters to understand their unique requirements and create custom equipment that suits their every need.
