Raising the Standard: How Zac Newbell Is Redefining Athletic Performance Training in Longview, Texas

Jessica Boggio
1 day ago
4 min read

In East Texas, high school football is big.

But true athletic development — the kind built around speed, movement quality, durability, and long-term progression — has often required athletes to leave town.

Zac Newbell decided that needed to change.

As the founder of HUSTL CULTR — and the original force behind Zone 10 Performance — Newbell is preparing to open a 9,800-square-foot performance facility designed to elevate athletic performance training in Longview, Texas, giving youth, collegiate, professional athletes, and adults access to the kind of infrastructure typically found in larger cities.

This isn’t a hobby.

It isn’t a side project.

It’s the evolution of a system he’s been building for years.

Built for Athletes — Not Just Workouts

HUSTL CULTR isn’t limited to one sport or one age group.

Newbell currently works with athletes ranging from 12 years old all the way through the professional level. He is actively training three professional athletes and has trained seven at that level over the past several years.

And while many associate performance training with football, his roster tells a broader story.

“We train almost anything athletic you can think of.”

Football. Basketball. Baseball. Softball. Track and field. Gymnastics. Cheer. Dance. Tennis. Soccer. Volleyball. Lacrosse. Powerlifting. Golf. Cross country.

Anything athletic — they train it.

The focus isn’t random workouts. It’s athletic development.

“Building the qualities needed for the athlete’s body and ability to meet the demands of their sport of choice.”

For younger athletes, that means coordination, strength foundations, and movement literacy.

For high school and collegiate athletes, it’s speed, force production, and change of direction.

At the professional level, it’s precision and durability.

Zone 10 Performance laid that foundation. HUSTL CULTR expands it — creating an ecosystem where that development model can scale.

“I still believe Zone 10 will exist somewhere in the HSTL CLTR ecosystem,” he says.

Choosing East Texas on Purpose

Newbell grew up in Houston, where advanced performance facilities were normal. Turf lanes, specialized equipment, speed technology — access wasn’t the issue.

When he relocated to East Texas, he saw the difference immediately.

“Houston will always have opportunity. But I noticed the lack of opportunity out here.”

Athletes were driving to Tyler, Shreveport, and Dallas for specialized training. There were gyms locally — but not a centralized athletic performance environment built specifically for high-level development.

So instead of leaving, he chose to build.

Not just for elite athletes — but for anyone serious about growth.

“We’re interested in all humans moving better.”

Built on Demand, Not Ego

Today, Newbell works with close to 40 athletes weekly. In the summer, that number climbs to 60 or more.

He has a waitlist.

“There’s the problem,” he says. “Not that I have too many people — but that I can’t get more.”

The expansion of HUSTL CULTR is a response to demand.

The new facility will include:

9,800 square feet
35 yards of turf, 8 yards wide
Dedicated speed and agility space
Multiples of equipment to allow true group flow
Structured performance programming at scale
A premium open gym experience with unique, high-level equipment
A Hyrox-affiliated training model
An intentional recovery space

The premium open gym component isn’t an afterthought. It’s intentional — designed for adults and athletes who want a serious training environment without the chaos of crowded commercial gyms.

And with the rising demand for Hyrox competition, HUSTL CULTR will offer structured programming for those planning to compete — bringing that opportunity local instead of requiring travel.

But Newbell’s vision for adults goes beyond competition.

“I’m big on helping adults continue to enhance their abilities as they age.”

“We either grow or we rot. We need to be exposed to more movement.”

And perhaps most powerfully:

“Your age isn’t limiting you —

your mindset about it is.”

Helping adults build strength, mobility, and resilience long-term is as important to him as developing youth athletes.

That’s why recovery is being built into the system — not added later.

An intentional recovery space will be integrated into the facility, recognizing that restoration is essential to maximize growth.

Resetting the Standard for Athletic Performance Training

Newbell’s vision extends beyond results.

“It’s never been easier to be successful — but it’s also never been easier to be distracted.”

He believes East Texas athletes — and adults — are capable of more.

“The bar out here is set kind of low. I want to reset the standard.”

For him, that standard includes:

Technical precision
Intentional programming
Consistency
Hospitality
Community

“People love to hear their name,” he says. “They want to feel like they’re part of something.”

He wants HUSTL CULTR to feel intentional from the moment someone walks in.

“I don’t want the gym to be another crutch they have to get over. I want it to be the place that puts them at ease.”

A space where athletes are known.

Where adults feel empowered.

Where discipline is supported.

Where growth is structured.

A Performance Culture — Not Just a Facility

The goal isn’t to compete with big-box gyms.

It’s to create an environment where athletes can develop properly — and where adults can continue evolving — without leaving East Texas.

Late spring or early summer is the target opening.

For Newbell, this isn’t about hype. It’s about infrastructure.

It’s about building something Houston-level in Longview.

And in a region where high-level performance training has been limited,

HUSTL CULTR represents something new:

A raised standard.

A built ecosystem.

A culture of intentional growth.

Why I Interviewed Zac

When someone says they’re building something East Texas doesn’t currently have, I pay attention.

Zac isn’t just opening another gym. He’s creating an athletic performance environment that many local athletes have had to leave town to find. That kind of gap-filling matters.

ETX Uncovered exists to highlight those moments — when someone decides the bar can be higher.

Know a business owner raising the bar in East Texas?

I’d love to hear about them.