Justin was first exposed to weight lifting at the age of 12; working out with his uncle and mentor Ronnie Gray. At the time Ronnie had a small home gym set up in his garage. As Justin recounts “Uncle Ronnie would bang out 3 sets of 10-12 dips and I couldn’t do 1; I think that’s what got me hooked!” 

A couple years later Justin’s cousin, Ed Smith Jr. “Little Ed” opened the first Goodbodies gym in Kinston; where Justin and Ronnie started lifting. Soon after, Justin was exposed to the gym business when he started working for Little Ed after school at the original Goodbodies, in the mid 90’s.

Those early days in the gym quickly became a passion and eventually led to competitive powerlifting, where Justin competed at the State level setting 2 State records. Justin still carries many friendships and fond memories from the old GoodBodies days. 

As Justin recounts, “back then everybody didn’t walk around the gym with cell phones and headphones; we had a CD player cranking AC-DC and no distractions!!” 

To this day Justin and Ronnie can still be found working out together at the new GoodBodies facility…

Owner

In 1980, right out of high school, Ed Smith opened his first gym as a place to work out with his friends, not thinking that this would shape his career for the next 39 years. He designed much of his equipment for that first little gym and had a local welder fabricate it for him.

Through the years, with a few different career moves in sales and management, Ed continued to be active in the fitness world as a boxer, trainer, competitive body builder and power lifter. He owned and managed several different clubs and then opened his second gym in 1993 in a small storefront in his hometown of Kinston, NC.

That gym, “GoodBodies” grew into a new facility in 1999 and was rebranded as a World Gym franchise. Ed then expanded the franchise, opening a new 12,000 square foot facility in Wilson, NC in 2000. He sold his Kinston location in 2005.

In 2007, Ed and his partner changed the name of the Wilson club to Fit4Life, expanding to five locations by 2009, all with 24-hour access.

Ed brought on a new partner that same year, and together they opened and expanded Fit4Life clubs across Eastern North Carolina, finessing their approach with each new facility. They have expanded to 13 clubs in Eastern North Carolina, with three more in the works.

Owner