Tension Opens as a Women’s-Only Strength Gym Amid Female Lifting Surge

Opening in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, Tension aims to make weightlifting more accessible, safe and community-driven for women

As strength training takes off as one of the top fitness trends among women, a new brand is capitalizing on its growth, opening a new studio in one of New York City’s trendiest neighborhoods during Women’s History Month.

Tension, a women’s-only strength training studio, is opening its doors in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, aiming to give women a space where they can feel safe to lift weights while building community and confidence. The brand held a soft opening this past weekend, with an official grand opening set for Friday, April 10.

Tension is also looking to close the gap of women currently not meeting strength training recommendations for overall health and longevity. Less than one-third (26.9%) of women currently meet the U.S. federal guidelines for muscle-strengthening activity despite the modality’s rise in popularity among women.

“Women’s fitness is obsessed with shrinking bodies. We’re focused on expanding lives,” said Tension founder and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Kristie Larson. “Strength training works when it’s taught with context and care. That’s our entire model.”

Tension’s boutique model is a combination of group fitness and personal training principles that works to cut through the intimidation barrier that women face when getting into weightlifting. 

It features classes led by certified trainers who guide participants through a progressive weight training model, where members learn proper lifting technique and form to build muscle mass through accessible dumbbell-based workouts.

“Beginners and experienced lifters train side-by-side,” explained Larson. “Everyone gets the same quality of coaching, scaled to their level. We’re not training for a season, we’re building sustainable skills that carry into real life.”

Larson pointed out the studio is also a reaction to diet culture and fitness trends that often push women to overtraining, burnout and injuries for the sake of shrinking their bodies and burning as many calories as possible.

“Women have wasted enough time and money on workouts that promise transformation but deliver burnout,” he said. “We built Tension so every rep and every class has a clear return.”

Tension is emerging during a time in which gyms are looking to make strength training, and fitness in general, more accessible, welcoming and safe for women, especially across the pond.

In the U.K, ukactive and Sport England partnered to create a playbook that helps facilities communicate harassment policies and establish more welcoming spaces for women and girls. Meanwhile, legacy brand Curves has been eyeing a comeback, as it invests in re-growing its once popular women-only fitness chain across the U.K. and Europe.