About Marc
Marc Bartley or “Spud” is the owner of Spud, Inc. He is from Sumter, SC and holds two degrees from the University of South Carolina; one in finance and one in economics. Spud has been in the strength and training industry for over two decades. His journey began in weight lifting almost 40 years ago; this led him to powerlifting in 1998 where a career that spanned elite totals in 4 weight classes over 9 years evolved.
Spud is one of the premier 275-pound lifters in the world. At the 2005 Arnold Classic he squatted a huge 1058. His best lifts include a 1058 squat, 700 pound bench press and a 722 deadlift. His best total is 2463. His love of powerlifting, strength sports and helping people find their way, led to the founding of Spud Inc in 2002. Since then, he has been an innovative part of the strength community where he incessantly creates products, ideas and methods to improve strength and athletic performance for all types of athletes – both professional and those just beginning their fitness journeys.
Spud has written many articles, and has the opportunity to train and consult with the best strength figures in the world. He currently resides in Columbia, SC. As life changes so do you, but one thing always remains: the only way around is through.