ABOUT US
OUR
STORY
After World's Gym closed their locations down, NW Arkansas was left with nothing but commercial gyms. For 3 years, the serious lifters were scattered at workout facilities like Fitness4Less and Planet Fitness. In 2018, a gym in Siloam Springs wanted to focus on their MMA side of their business and wanted to sell their weight lifting equipment. That equipment was brought back to Bentonville and the new gym was opened.
The gym was named "J Street" because the old World's Gym had many locations, J Street, Hwy 12, Lowell, etc. and everyone referred to their gym by the location. Thus, people had already been calling the Bentonville location "The J Street Gym" the entire time it was a World's Gym giving instant brand recognition.
brian kelly
management
- Born and raised in New Orleans before relocating to Bentonville in 1997 with Unilever in a supplier role calling on Walmart.
- Began working out at age 15 but stepped away from fitness during his 30s while raising children. Rediscovered his passion for training at age 40 while working for Electronic Arts after participating in a company Pull-Up Challenge
- Started training at J Street Gym (formerly World’s Gym) and became deeply involved in bodybuilding.
- Earned professional natural bodybuilding status in 2014 through the International Pro Elite (IPE) and World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF), with aspirations of earning an IFBB Pro Card.
- In 2018, after discovering a Facebook Marketplace listing from a gym in Siloam Springs selling its weightlifting equipment, purchased the equipment to help revive the local hardcore gym scene. Opened J Street Gym in October 2018 in the former World’s Gym building.
- Built J Street Gym into one of the most elite hardcore gyms in the country, known for its unmatched equipment selection and serious training environment.
RON HEFLEY
management
- Ron Hefley is an Analytical Chemist by education and profession.
- Has been passionate about weightlifting since his teenage years, making fitness and strength training a lifelong commitment.
- Recognized an opportunity in 2018 to create a gym environment centered around traditional, old-school bodybuilding culture.
- Co-founded J Street Gym with the vision of building a hardcore yet inclusive training facility welcoming people of all fitness levels and goals.
- Opened J Street Gym as both a passion project and a personal training environment designed around how the founders themselves wanted to work out.
- Hopes that others who value serious training, camaraderie, and personal growth will experience and appreciate J Street Gym as much as its founders do.