Bonding over barbells

A few laps around the auditorium gets the blood pumping and the muscles loose.

Some PVC pipes help with form. Then empty barbells begin a session.

Sweat beads will form soon. Breathing becomes a struggle. Arms and legs are bound to get shaky.

Near the end of the hour-long class, the competition — be it against one’s self or against others — starts.

When it’s all said and done, fist bumps go around to signify a solid hour of speed and power.

All in a night’s work.

Welcome to Jay County Barbell Club.

“For me, I love the combination of competition but also lightheartedness, if that’s the way to put it,” said Portland resident Aaron Hoevel, a member of the group. “Just the combination of we all enjoy each other’s company, but when it comes down to it, get competitive and really dig in and just go after it.

“Pushing each other is what I enjoy.”

Founded by Kurt and Carly Hess, Jay County Barbell Club formed in May 2016 out of the couple’s love for fitness and their desire to own a gym. Kurt, a 2006 Jay County High School graduate who was a wrestling state qualifier for the Patriots, went to Wabash College for a year before transferring to Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. That’s where he met Carly, who played volleyball for the Eagles.

The couple moved to North Carolina, and after the death of Carly’s mother, they relocated back to Kurt’s hometown.

“When we moved here there really wasn’t anything like this,” Carly said. “We thought, let’s create more of a community-type, fitness-based program where people who are like-minded in fitness can come together and work out together versus a regular gym, going in on your own and doing it on your own.”

“We just kind of wanted to bring something like that more to the community.”

In addition to their history as athletes, the Hesses studied fitness as well. Carly earned a degree in athletic training from CNU, then worked as a strength and conditioning coach both for her alma mater and then Gilford College in Greenville, North Carolina. Kurt has a physical education degree and is also CrossFit certified.

The classes draw a lot of similarities to a typical CrossFit workout, but it is not affiliated with the worldwide brand. For one, the Hesses don’t have the finances for the licensing fees, but also because there are some aspects about the program they do not like.

“The fact that (workouts are) always varying and changing, is it similar to CrossFit? Yes,” Carly said.

“But a lot of the motions and movements and things that we do are not typically found in a CrossFit gym. We feel it produces a more well-rounded athlete.”

Carly said one of the biggest challenges to starting the club was drawing interest in participating in a high-intensity workout in a group setting.

“I feel like that is intimidating for people,” she said, noting members may be afraid to fail in the presence of others.

Their network of friends, and the closeness of a small community like Jay County, helped build attendees.

“It’s nice being in a small town because, yes, everybody knows everything about everybody, but it is really nice when you’re starting something new because more people are willing to try it because they know someone,” she said. “I feel like the legitimacy of our program really spread quickly. That is how it grew.”

It took Hoevel, the worship and outreach pastor at The ROCK Church who officiated the Hesses’ wedding, nearly a year to join the group.

“I’ve known Kurt and Carly for a long time,” said Hoevel, 39. “They just invited me on Facebook. Just kind of curious, I showed up. I took my fitness for granted in my 20s and most of my 30s. (There is) definitely some motivation amongst friends just to try to get back in shape a little bit.”

The group, which has had attendees as young as 7 and as old as 83, originally held its classes three days a week in the Powerhouse at JCHS after getting permission from then-Jay Schools business manager Brad DeRome. But like nearly everyone else, since the coronavirus pandemic, they’ve had to adjust. Once a week the group meets at The ROCK Church — “Any time we can have the doors open we just love to help the community however we can,” Hoevel said — and the other two classes are at the home of Heath and Pazia Williams, two of the club’s more active and physically fit members.

“It’s like a traveling circus,” Hess said. “We load up all the equipment we own and what our members own and we transport it wherever we go.”

But, by the end of the month, Hess hopes Jay County Barbell Club will have its own dedicated space; a new building on the Williams’ property on county road 400 South.

“That will give us the missing piece that we need right now (which) is a home base,” Hess said. “Honestly, being able to be somewhere we are more familiar with and comfortable with is comforting just because we’ve been doing this traveling thing since April, May.”

“It’s a lot to ask people not to just come work out but to be at different locations each week.”

For students, regardless of age, the cost for the club is $10 per class or $90 for a 10-class pass that can be used at any time. Cost for adults is $15 per class, or $140 for the 10-class pass. Hess said, though, once the group is in the new building she hopes to set up a way for members to pay month-to-month and attend as many classes as they wish. The group can be reached on its Facebook page.

Hoevel, who played soccer as a Hatchet at Washington in southern Indiana, has seen his fitness improve in the three-plus years he’s been attending classes.

“I was in pretty good shape in high school,” he said. “Compared to then I’m probably the fittest I’ve ever been in my life. It’s come full circle.”

Hess to anyone who would like to get involved: “Don’t be intimidated by what you think you can’t do. Big part of why the club has successful products with our members is we are able to modify wherever you are. You don’t have to have experience with barbells or weightlifting … Don’t be so fearful of what you think you can’t do until you’ve tried. It’s our job to help prove what you can do.”