Junior Venson Thipthammavong has had moments that few have experienced: the moment in which there is nothing left, the feeling that he can no longer go on; and then, the incredible burst of energy and strength, that indescribable feeling of pushing his body farther than ever before, and succeeding. Aj Lounbandith, Venson Thipthammavong, Leonel Garcia, Gerardo Soto, Carlos Brisino, and Andre Barrows live for that moment.

“I feel like there’s nothing around me,” said Thipthammavong. “Like everything is all me. When I’m lifting I can really focus and think about what’s going on, and I take all my stress out on the weights.”

High school students have been going to gyms for a very long time, but this new group is truly serious about fitness. Calling themselves the “fit fam”, this group of guys go to World Gym in Springdale and Lowell almost every day of the week.

“We’ve been working out together for about six weeks,” said junior Aj Lounbandith. The group originally began with him, working out alone. “I’ve been going to the gym by myself since junior high because I wanted to get fit for football at Central. I just asked Vennie to come with me to the gym and we’ve been going together ever since.”

After Lounbandith and Thipthammavong decided to start working out together, their circle expanded. The “fit fam” name originally came from a post on Instagram by Thipthammavong, who hashtaged the name on one of his pictures. The hashtag caught on quickly from there, with other members of the group posting photos and adding the hashtag. Members then adopted the name as their identity and began publicly addressing themselves as the “fit fam”.

It is not a new term though, Thipthammavong explained. A “fit fam” is a general term describing a circle of people that enjoy working out and being healthy working as a team to encourage and push each other to get better.

“A fit fam is just a group of fitness freaks who get together and help motivate and push each other to reach their goals,” said Thipthammavong.

Despite being young, this group of guys is dedicated to what they do. Members of the group have meal plans designed specifically for them that they stick to in order to improve themselves.

“We all have goals set up and my job is to push them through each and every rep,” said Thipthammavong. “I manage their macros and give them meal plans according to if they want to gain or lose weight. If they get stuck or have any problems, they come to me or ask around the rest of the fit fam for advice and tips.”

Macros are the recommended grams of fat, carbohydrates, and protein that a person should consume in a single day, Thipthammavong explained. By adhering to the strict diet and daily workouts, members of the group work toward the results that they seek.

“Hard work pays off,” said Soto. “You may not see results in a day but if you hit the gym and eat right, you will get where you want to and results will start to show. It just takes time.”

Workouts differ depending on the day. Each day, specific muscles and body parts are targeted to strengthen. A normal routine is in the format of a split, in which two different areas of the body are worked on.

“We have splits: chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulders and core. We also do legs,” said Thipthammavong.

In order to work on these particular areas, different machines and weights are used. The “big three,” as Lounbandith described, are the main machines used. These are the bench press, squat, and deadlift.

The name fits the group, though, because these guys have a family dynamic among them. “We’re a team,” said Loundbandith. They compete with each other as well, comparing progress and pushing one another to lift more than they thought they could. Lounbandith still believes that he has a long way to go in his lifting career, as he has not achieved his ultimate goals yet.

“I’m on team fluffy right now, not team cut yet,” said Lounbadith. He included that he has a powerlifting competition coming up in February, and hopes to do 325 pounds on bench, 535 pounds on squat, and 405 pounds on deadlift.

The fit fam is a closely knit circle of guys who motivate and encourage one another in losing weight and gaining muscle by sticking together and doing what they need to do, as well as what they enjoy doing. Their passion for fitness brought them all together, and that is what keeps them together.