FOUNDER'S STORY
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Founder Story: Larry Nolan — From “Blueberry Larry” to Bulletproof Visionary The Diagnosis That Sparked a Revolution At 15 years old, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud’s phenomenon. Doctors told me I’d be on medications for life—that I’d never lift, never train, never play sports again. But I refused to accept that. Maybe it was rebellion. Maybe it was movies like Rocky and Bloodsport. But something in me wasn’t willing to give up. That same day, I went into my garage, picked up a rusty barbell my dad had left behind, and started moving. No plan. No clue. Just determination. Over time, the flare-ups subsided. My strength returned. The nickname “Blueberry Larry”—earned because my skin turned blue in the cold—started to fade. Fitness gave me more than strength. It gave me control over my life. |
A Job Before Adulthood—and a Dream in the Making
At 16, I was determined to become a personal trainer—even though you had to be 18. So, while most kids used fake IDs to buy alcohol, I used mine to get hired at 24 Hour Fitness.
Back then, I was still in high school, riding the city bus from the house I shared with roommates to class, then off to work. Eventually, I dropped out to pursue fitness full-time, throwing myself into every role the gym industry had to offer—from training to sales to operations.
It was a few years later that I got into legal trouble and acquired two felonies. But even through that, fitness remained my anchor. It kept me grounded, focused, and hopeful.
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Boot Camp Beginnings to Building an Empire In 2007, I met my wife, Nadia, while working as a trainer. She believed in me, saw my passion, and gave me the push I needed to go all in. With no credit, no loans, and no blueprint, I launched a bootcamp in a local park with just two clients—my wife and my mom. Back then, the boutique fitness model didn’t even exist. I was carving a new path through nothing but trial, error, and sheer willpower. I wanted to stand out, so I started building my own equipment. I braised custom squat racks with a friend of my dad’s, stacking them like shopping carts in a U-Haul. I trained clients with 100 lb dumbbells, Chuck Norris Total Gyms, and anything I could use to offer what no one else did. Even before I had a building, I was creating the experience I wanted to give others. That bootcamp became Hardcore Fitness, a franchise that eventually grew to: • 5x Inc. 5000 company • #3 Fastest-Growing Private Company in Los Angeles • Entrepreneur Magazine Top New Franchise • And I earned 2x Top 10 World-Ranked WBFF Pro Muscle Model |
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A Family That Built Bulletproof As Hardcore Fitness grew, something else began to take root. My sister, Nicole, started helping out around the gyms—just odds and ends at first. But it quickly became clear: she had a gift. Over time, she became my right hand, and eventually the most valuable person in the company. She didn’t just support me—she helped build the business from the inside out. So when it came time to start Bulletproof Fitness Equipment, there was no question—Nicole was going to be my partner. We’ve always been close. She’s always believed in me. And she has the rare mix of loyalty, brains, and execution that makes her the ultimate teammate. |
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And then there’s my mom—one of the first clients I ever had, and now a full-time part of Bulletproof. She spent years working a job she hated as a medical transcriptionist. Thanks to the success of our gym business, I was finally able to retire her, buy her first home, and get her a reliable car—but I told her one thing: “You still need a purpose every day. You’ve got to keep moving. You get to choose what that is—but it has to matter to you.” Her choice? Working in our warehouse, packing orders by hand and writing handwritten thank-you notes to our customers. She loves being part of the process, and she’s proud of what we’re building together. |
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So while people often think Bulletproof is a large company, the truth is: it’s just us—me, my sister, and my mom.
We’re small. We’re tight. We’re relentless.