Q&A with LIT2LIFT: Meet Boston’s Black Fitness Duo
- Fit Scene Boston
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
If you’ve ever taken a class with LIT2LIFT, you know the vibe: music pumping, weights moving, and a contagious energy that makes you want to push harder (and laugh through it). We caught up with Boston-based founders Darren Stephens and Jonady St. Germain to hear how their fitness journey began, what makes their training dynamic so unique, and what's next for LIT2LIFT.
FSB: Tell us about your backgrounds — where did your fitness journeys begin, and how did you come together to create LIT2LIFT?
J: We went to the same high school together and then the same college together. Partying, dining halls, ordering out – we gained a lot of weight. We didn’t feel confident, so we started hitting the gym, mostly cardio at first, and eventually lost 50–60 pounds between us. That made us realize maybe we had something we could share to help other people.
D: LIT2LIFT started during winter break in 2017. We had this great workout, and afterwards, sitting in the car at 10pm at night, we started brainstorming different business ideas. We wanted others to feel those same endorphins we were feeling. We knew “LIT” had to be part of it, and LIT2LIFT was born.
FSB: How has your own fitness journey shaped your work and how you inspire others?
J: Since I wasn’t always fit, I can really empathize with clients who are just starting. My goal is to create a comfortable, motivating environment so people feel good where they’re at and want to keep going.
D: For me, it’s confidence. Losing weight gave me confidence I didn’t have before, and now I want to help other people become more confident in themselves.
FSB: How has your dynamic as a duo shaped your approach to fitness?
J: Because we’re such close friends (everybody thinks we’re brothers), we understand each other’s style. We joke, finish each other’s sentences. We have a close bond that translates well into our class.
D: We bring that party vibe to a workout. We’re high-energy,, we’ll push you to grab heavier weights, and we’ll motivate you the whole way through. Being a duo makes that energy even stronger.
FSB: What’s the “secret sauce” in your coaching style that keeps people coming back?
D: Obviously we’re a Black duo, but I think it’s our Caribbean roots. We’re always dancing, vibing—it’s the vibe of who we are and it comes through in class.
J: It shows up in our music and our programming. It’s outgoing, it's different, it's creative. When you walk into a Lit2Lift class, we’re trying to get you as lit as possible.
FSB: You’ve evolved into content creators—what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from building your brand online?
J: Social media is the freest way to market yourself. You can create long lasting relationships through social media. It’s a double-edged sword sometimes, but it’s the reason we get to do what we do. Almost all of our clients come through it.
FSB: How do you balance fun, engaging content with real fitness value?
D: It’s a fine line—we’ve definitely done both sides of it. Everyone does fitness content, so we had to find what separates us from other fitness content creators.
J: At first, we did crazy challenges, but people were like, “Yeah, we’re not trying that.” Once we leaned into the funny, more relatable side of fitness, it felt more like us. We’re funny, we’re always laughing, and it translates.
FSB: What’s been your most unexpected moment since starting LIT2LIFT?
J: Group fitness. We started out just wanting to be trainers. The pandemic switched that up for us, and we realized group classes let us lean more to our personalities.
D: Instagram. We started on YouTube, we gained 1000 subscribers and it started trickling into Instagram. That’s the biggest shock for me, just seeing how much we’ve grown.
💥 LIT2LIFT isn’t slowing down. Their goals (amidst both wedding planning)? “More content, more classes, more clients—just keep growing,” says Jonady. As for down the road, Darren adds to keep an eye out for a studio and space of their own.
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