Outwork Sports Performance: Movement is Medicine
As Outwork Sports Performance approaches its one-year anniversary this January, the gym stands as a reflection of dedication, discipline, and community impact rooted deeply in its owner’s story.
Camp Outwork officially opened on January 12, 2025, marking a major milestone for owner Keylan Spears. While the franchise itself has been around for about six years, this location carries special significance. Before becoming Camp Outwork, the building was home to Downtown Fitness, where Keylan worked for several years as a personal trainer. When the opportunity arose to take over the gym he already called home, Keylan says it felt like it “fell in his lap.” Grateful for the chance, he stepped into ownership with a clear mission: to reach as many people as possible and help them build healthier lives.
Keylan’s journey into fitness began long before certifications and business ownership. A basketball player throughout high school, he grew up surrounded by athletics. One summer during middle school became especially formative. While spending time with his uncle, a former member of the military, Keylan and his brothers and cousins participated in a daily bootcamp that included hundreds of push-ups, sit-ups, and wall sits.
Rather than remembering that summer as difficult, Keylan views it as a pivotal time in his life. It was when his discipline was shaped, his values were formed, and his sense of self-love took root. Those experiences later became the foundation of how he approaches fitness and coaching today.
Keylan is known for meeting people exactly where they are, without judgment or assumptions about their journey. His goal is to help individuals feel proud of themselves and recognize their own potential.
He encourages a healthy mindset around fitness, one that does not frame it as punishment or something to fear. The focus is on doing what you can, trying your best, and building habits that grow over time. He believes consistency matters far more than perfection.
Camp Outwork operates primarily as a personal training-style gym while also offering membership options for solo gym-goers. Anyone who signs up for personal training begins with a free fitness consultation. This assessment looks for muscle imbalances, physical limitations, and areas of pain so trainers can create a plan that works with the body rather than against it.
The gym also offers group training sessions, allowing clients to experience fitness in a supportive and motivating environment.
Much of Keylan’s knowledge comes from a lifetime of sports experience, but his professional career officially began in 2017 when he became a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. At the time, he was working at Streetside Market when the owner of Downtown Fitness offered him a training position. That opportunity set the course for where he is today.
Keylan is currently finishing his final year at Southeastern Louisiana University, studying Sports Management. After taking a semester off, he is returning this spring with a clear purpose. He wants his young daughter to see that when you start something, you see it through to the end.
Owning a business has reinforced the importance of consistency for Keylan. It has changed how he thinks about his time, his energy, and what he chooses to invest in each day.
For anyone who feels intimidated by starting a fitness journey, Keylan’s advice is simple: just start moving. It does not have to happen inside a gym. Go for a walk, dance to music, or do anything that gets your body moving. If someone reaches a point where they want to elevate their routine, he encourages them to seek guidance.
His philosophy can be summed up in one belief—movement is medicine.
Keylan also emphasizes the role nutrition plays in overall health, especially as people age. Proper nutrients are essential for brain function, physical performance, and long-term well-being.
As Camp Outwork approaches its first anniversary, Keylan hopes it will continue to grow as more than just a gym. His goal is for it to be a pillar of the Hammond community and a welcoming space for anyone who has ever felt intimidated by fitness.
His commitment to people extends beyond training sessions. At the Grow & Glow 5K held at Cate Square Park in November, an event honoring survivors of domestic violence, Keylan hosted a tent providing free meals to individuals experiencing homelessness and those impacted by the loss of SNAP benefits. With help from Off the Hook and Johnson’s Kitchen, he was able to feed around 100 people that day.
For Keylan Spears, fitness is about far more than physical strength. It is about respect, dignity, and community. His belief is simple and unwavering: health is wealth, and it is meant to be shared.
