The 4:30 AM Question: What RJ Van Hook Knows About Showing Up

What separates someone who talks about getting healthy from someone who actually does it?

It's not willpower. It's not some perfect meal plan or the right pair of running shoes. According to RJ Van Hook, who's been running River Valley Fit Level for six years now, it comes down to something more simple (but harder): just showing up. Consistently. Even when—especially when—you don't feel like it.

RJ wakes up at 4:30 AM every weekday. He's at his gym on Parham Lane by 5:30, ready to coach his first class of the day. He'll do that three more times before the sun goes down. On Saturdays, he gives himself the luxury of sleeping until 5:45. When you ask him what time he goes to bed, he laughs. "I'm up promoting. I'm up marketing. I feel like if you're an entrepreneur of anything, it's no sleep."

That kind of dedication might sound extreme. But here's the thing: RJ's not just building a business. He's building something Russellville desperately needs more of—a place where people can show up as they are and leave a little bit stronger.

The Consistency Crisis

We're living through what public health experts are calling a physical inactivity pandemic. According to the CDC's 2023 data, only 28% of adults in America meet the federal physical activity guidelines. That puts us near the bottom nationally. The consequences show up everywhere: in our diabetes rates (which are 13.2% statewide, well above the national average), in our cardiovascular disease statistics, and in our healthcare costs.

But here's what the data doesn't capture: the psychological barrier that keeps people from even trying. The gym can be an intimidating place, especially if you're starting from scratch or coming back after years away. The equipment looks complicated. Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. You feel like you're already behind before you even begin.

RJ gets it. "I get people that come in terrified," he says. "Like, their first time working out in years. And I need everybody to know—I'm gonna hold your hand when you come in. I'm gonna baby you. I'm gonna make sure you get through the workout. I'm not gonna kill you. That's not what it's about."

Building a Different Kind of Gym

River Valley Fit Level sits off Parham Lane, right behind the Interstate Fireworks facility. It's 2,600 square feet. Free weights everywhere. No machines, really. Almost 100 members now, ranging from six years old (RJ's son and his friends) all the way up to the mid-70s.

Ms. Gwen, one of his members in her 70s, leads her age group in the state for marathons. He's got doctors, nurses, caregivers, business owners, pastors. He's got moms and daughters training together. Whole families signing up. Husbands and wives holding each other accountable.

But what makes Fit Level different isn't the equipment or even the demographic diversity. It's the culture RJ's built around consistency over intensity, progress over perfection.

Every class is different. RJ designs each workout fresh, focusing on specific muscle groups but always mixing up the exercises. "If you come in and we got the same exact exercise that we did last week on Tuesday, then it's gonna come a point that I'm not coaching you no more," he explains. "I'm there, I'm making sure you progress, add weight when you need to add weight, but I'm not coaching. I like to show you something new every single day."

This matters more than it might seem. A 2023 study published in the *British Journal of Sports Medicine* found that exercise variety—not just frequency or intensity—was a significant predictor of long-term adherence to fitness programs. When people get bored, they quit. RJ figured this out through experience, not research papers.

His members can come to unlimited classes. Some come twice in one day. Angela Stokes does that when she feels like she's fallen behind. Sailor comes in on days she knows she'll miss her regular session. RJ doesn't think it's crazy. "If I'm gonna lead my team, that's how I gotta be. If I'm gonna expect that of them, if that's the way I've told them we gotta get results, I gotta be a leader."

The Recovery Connection

On top of his regular classes, RJ works with two groups that might surprise you: the Arkansas Tech Cheerleading Squad and patients in recovery at ARVAC.

The ARVAC work is particularly close to his heart. He goes out to the facility and spends an hour—often two or three—working with people who are fighting their way back from addiction. They work out. They sweat. They push through exercises designed to be challenging, to put them in controlled stressful situations where they have to fight through discomfort.

But they also talk. And pray. And share.

"Some of them don't even have family that support them anymore," RJ says. "And I tell them, but what did you do? What did you do to get in this situation? What did you do for your family to feel this way? You gotta earn that back. How we gonna earn that back? How we gonna get that back? Who you gonna apologize to first?"

The word of the day recently was "apologize." RJ admits it's something he needs to work on, too. "A lot of stuff that I talk to them about is not only something that I'm talking at them. It's also something that I listen to and I have to hold myself accountable to as well."

The connection between physical fitness and addiction recovery is well-documented. A 2022 study in the *Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment* found that regular exercise reduced relapse rates by up to 30% and significantly improved mental health outcomes for people in recovery. Exercise releases endorphins, provides structure, builds self-efficacy, and offers a healthy way to manage stress and cravings.

But RJ's not thinking about studies. He's thinking about the guy who left ARVAC and still keeps in touch, who's clean now and motivating others. He's thinking about the woman in his regular classes who went through recovery herself, added fitness to her lifestyle, and is now a peer support specialist helping others navigate the same path.

"Man, it's just good to see people not go back to nothing," he says. "It's motivated me."

Motivated enough that RJ himself quit drinking over a year ago—October 22nd, to be exact. "It wasn't no big deal or anything like that, but I just eliminated it. I wanted to show myself that I could do it."

The Inclusion Imperative

Next year, RJ wants to expand. Maybe open a second location in Conway or Clarksville, somewhere he can stay hands-on. But he's also planning something closer to home: a class specifically designed for people who are wheelchair-bound or have limited mobility or disabilities.

"I feel like there's a lot of them that, whatever they do, it's almost considered physical therapy," he explains. "And that's cool, you can take that up with your doctor. But as far as fitness—I'm certified to work with you to help you figure out what movements work for you, what exercises can strengthen you, help your mobility, help you walk your stairs better, help you reach up on your counter better, help you maybe get out of your wheelchair to get to your toilet or into your bathtub."

This kind of adaptive fitness programming is rare in small towns. According to a 2024 report from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, only 19% of fitness facilities nationwide offer programs specifically designed for people with disabilities, and that number drops significantly in rural areas.

The need is real. Pope County has a disability rate of approximately 18%, according to recent Census data—higher than the national average of 13%. Many of those individuals lack access to fitness options that work for their specific needs.

RJ sees it differently than most gym owners. "I don't think fitness is too late or old for anybody. Everybody can get involved in fitness. I think every single person should do something every day for at least 20 minutes."

The Leadership You Can See

What stands out most about RJ isn't his 4:30 AM wake-up time or his creative workouts or even his community partnerships. It's that he leads by example in a way you can actually witness.

He sometimes works out alongside his members during classes—when he knows everyone's got the movements down and doesn't need spotting. "I think they like that," he says. "Because they know I'm not gonna ask them to do nothing that I can't do."

He brings his kids to work. They were with him constantly until they started kindergarten—a transition that made him cry because he'd grown so used to having them around. Now they're in first grade, but they still show up at the gym. He's created a youth class for his son and his friends.

When his father was misdiagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer—later corrected, thank God—and told he could never smoke or drink again, his dad quit cold turkey. RJ tells that story to his members, especially those at ARVAC. "I always tell them to try to get a hold of it before it gets a hold of you," he says. "Sometimes something happens to you to the point where you have to stop the unhealthy habits. But you could have possibly maybe grabbed a hold of it beforehand."

He's not perfect. He admits he needs to do better about staying in touch with extended family—his grandmother, his parents. He's still figuring out the balance. But he's honest about it. And that honesty, that willingness to show up as a real person with real struggles, is exactly what makes people trust him.

What Showing Up Actually Looks Like

River Valley Fit Level offers unlimited classes for one monthly fee. You sign up through the website (RJ can text you the link) or come in and fill out paperwork. You get one free trial class—no walk-in fee, just show up and see if it's for you.

Classes run at 5:30 AM, noon, 5:00 PM, and 6:00 PM on weekdays. Saturdays at 8:30 AM. You can reserve your spot ahead of time through the team app, and RJ encourages people to plan their week on the weekend. "Schedule your appointment with me the way you would with anything else," he says. "Just let's stay consistent with it. If it's two days that you have to offer this week, then just do those two days. Do what you can do."

Several members have dropped medications or lowered dosages after months of consistent training. Others have improved their cholesterol and blood pressure enough to see it reflected in their annual health screenings at work. One member told the class that what fitness—what *these* classes specifically—have done for her mental health has been life-changing.

That's the point. Not transformation in 30 days. Not before-and-after photos. Just showing up, doing the work, and trusting that consistency compounds.

RJ's story—his 4:30 AM alarm, his year without alcohol, his work with people in recovery, his plans to serve people with disabilities—illustrates something bigger than one gym or one person. It shows what happens when someone decides to lead by actually doing the thing, not just talking about it.

Russellville has plenty of people with good intentions. What we need more of are people like RJ who wake up before dawn and do the unglamorous, repetitive work of showing up. Day after day. Class after class. Conversation after conversation.

**Want to hear more of RJ's story and his philosophy on fitness, recovery, and building consistency?** Listen to the full podcast episode here:

**River Valley Fit Level is located on Parham Lane, right behind Interstate Fireworks, off Darby Lane near Shallowford Park.** You can find them on Facebook and Google, or just drive by and look for the cars. Your first class is free. RJ and the team would love to meet you.