Girl Gains VCU builds muscle and community
Members of Girl Gains VCU attend group lifting session at Cary Street Gym. Photo courtesy of Maeve Hickey.
Braxton Hare, Spectrum Editor
The VCU chapter of Girl Gains Lifting Club is a part of a national organization fostering an inclusive community on every fitness level, according to their Instagram.
Whether you’re new to weightlifting or an experienced lifter, the Girl Gains community connects you with like-minded students on campus through workouts, events and meetups that build strength and confidence, according to their website.
During Women’s History Month, Girl Gains at VCU celebrates the incredible women who redefine what it means to be strong and uplifting toward each other inside and outside of the gym, according to a recent Instagram post.
Kaitelyn Nanz, membership chair of Girl Gains and fourth-year public policy student, said that Girl Gains started at San Diego State University in 2017 and has been branching out to other schools ever since.
“We have been trying to get Girl Gains here for two years, and they just allowed us to actually start last fall semester,” Nanz said.
The organization’s mission is to provide health and fitness information as well as a community of support for like-minded girls who are nervous about going to the gym, according to Nanz.
“We’ll do GBM’s which tend to just be big meetings where we’ll discuss stuff such as how to build a split, or supplements and protein or gym etiquette for girls who may have never been to the gym before,” Nanz said. “We really just want more people to hear about the organization and come to meetings.”
Nanz said they are not focused on membership as just a number.
“If girls just want to come to meetings and become members that is great, but honestly I’ll be happy if I see more girls showing up at the Cary Street Gym,” Nanz said.
The more women go to the gym, the more comfortable they will feel as individuals, according to Nanz.
Jinal Nana, treasurer of Girl Gains and third-year science and economics student, said that Girl Gains is a beginner-friendly girl’s fitness and health club.
“We want to welcome people of all different levels and interests into health and fitness,” Nana said. “I’d say the mission is just kind of to empower college students within their fitness and health goals.”
Nana said that if you already have anxiety, going to the gym can make you feel even more anxious.
“That’s something we’ve talked about a lot because it’s a very common topic. It can be intimidating, but we love to inspire all the girls who join and help them feel confident instead of scared,” Nana said.
The club emphasizes the importance of working out in groups and with friends, creating a supportive environment where members can learn together, according to Nana.
Exercising alongside others not only helps individuals navigate the gym more comfortably but also reduces anxiety, especially in spaces that can feel overwhelming — often dominated by experienced gym-goers, many of whom are men, according to Nana.
“We often collaborate with other schools who have Girl Gains chapters, like the University of Richmond and JMU. I know in the past we’ve done a hike collaborating with them, so that was also a cool experience,” Nana said.
Girl Gains also offers a “Bigs and Littles” program, where members are paired with a mentor, “Big,” or mentee, “Little,” to foster support and community. The program encourages participants to work out together, with Bigs providing guidance, advice and motivation — especially for beginners navigating their fitness journey, according to Nana.
Maeve Hickey, vice-president of Girl Gains and fourth-year public relations student, said she has been into fitness for the past four years and wanted to find a community and friends who shared the same goals in fitness as her.
“There are a lot of girls in our group who’ve never been to the gym. And so that’s why we try and be really inclusive of anybody,” Hickey said. “To be honest, you don’t even have to be a girl. You can be any person with an interest in the community and who wants to get into fitness.”
A lot of girls face gym anxiety and gym intimidation because they don’t know how to get started or they don’t have anyone to go with, according to Hickey.
“We strive to create groups, social groups in which we all go to the gym together and make it a safe space and show people that it doesn’t have to be so scary,” Hickey said.
You don’t have to be a big lifter to join the club because other members are going to help you break down everything, get comfortable and create friends while you’re at it, according to Hickey.
For more information about Girl Gains at VCU be sure to check out the Girl Gains Rams Connect and @girlgainsvcu on Instagram.
