The Origins: The Rise of Kabuki Strength
Founded in 2015, Kabuki Strength began as a small group of powerlifters training in a garage, growing into a recognized name in high-quality specialty strength equipment. Supplying education and equipment to collegiate and university sports teams, as well as organizations in every major sport (MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL, and NHL), Kabuki was at the forefront of rethinking equipment design to better fit the human body, enabling athletes to excel without creating or worsening injuries.
2015: Kabuki’s first product was the ShouldeRök, a training tool designed to enhance shoulder mobility and strength. Inspired by traditional club and mace training, the loadable ShouldeRök blended practical application with biomechanical insight.
2016: Named after one of Kabuki’s founders, the Duffalo Bar was engineered to reduce shoulder strain and promote proper joint alignment during squats and bench presses. Upon release, it became a must-have specialty barbell for amateur and professional lifters, inspiring numerous imitations.
2017: The Transformer Bar redefined the cambered squat bar. With patented adjustable camber and height settings, lifters could choose from 24 positions to customize movements like Good Mornings, Front Squats, Goblet Squats, Low and High Bar Squats, and Safety Bar Squats. The catalyst for the StrapBar and SquatSaddle, it remains the gold standard for specialty squat bars, available through industry leader Rogue Fitness.
2018: Inspired by the Duffalo Bar, the Kadillac Bar combined its signature cambered shape with multiple grip positions. Unlike standard football or Swiss bars, the Kadillac featured variable grip widths and precise angles to promote safer, stronger joint positions and better movement mechanics for curls, presses, and rows, marking another leap in biomechanically superior equipment.. Like the Transformer Bar, it’s available through Rogue Fitness.
The Battles: Challenges and Repair
This string of innovations built Kabuki’s reputation among the elite lifting community, fueling multiple world-record athletes. However, by the late 2020s, a combination of challenges took its toll: fewer innovations, increased competition, lower-priced overseas knockoffs, patent disputes, quality control issues, and pandemic-related supply chain disruptions left Kabuki struggling to survive.
In fall 2023, fitness enthusiast and seasoned entrepreneur Rich Galgano provided financial support with a mandate to refocus and revitalize the brand by stabilizing operations and broadening its customer base beyond its niche origins. Despite improved inventory and lower prices, the restructuring couldn’t overcome Kabuki’s challenges or fully restore its reputation.
After over a year of effort and additional investment, Rich made the difficult decision to move on from Kabuki. As the owner of its intellectual assets, including specialty and straight barbell designs, he offered them for licensing or purchase to various manufacturers. Rogue Fitness opted to continue offering the popular Transformer and Kadillac bars, but the remaining barbells never found a home.
Rich, however, was far from defeated—he was ready to take over.
The Evolution: The Birth of TAKEOVER STRENGTH
In January 2025, Rich Galgano launched TAKEOVER Strength, a new company focused on designing and manufacturing superior mobility and recovery products for all users—athletes, clinicians, enthusiasts, and professionals. These include:
SquatSaddle System: Evolved from the industry-leading Transformer Bar, the StrapBar, SquatSaddle, and Harness enable safer, stronger squats across belt squat machines, cables, functional trainers, smart home gyms, or virtually any straight barbell.
Recovery Multipliers: Inspired by the original Babyboomer, Boomstick, and MyoRök (instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, or IASTM) massage tools, the RX Blades and RX Sticks offer superior self-care features and versatility.
Mobility Optimizers: Coming soon, the VersaMace reimagines the ShouldeRök with faster loading, improved usability, and unmatched versatility.
As the Kabuki name fades into strength history, its DNA of groundbreaking design lives on. With reimagined products and a renewed spirit, TAKEOVER Strength is dedicated to manufacturing world-class mobility and recovery tools in the USA—tools designed to help everyone move better, recover faster, and take control of their health and performance.