Women’s Bodybuilding Club builds strength and community

By Matthew Horn 
The Ramspondents 

A new women’s lifting club in Fort Collins is redefining strength training for women. They build not only muscle but a strong sense of community. Founded at Prodigy Gym, the group quickly grew from just a few members to over 50 in a matter of months.

“I’ve been going to Prodigy for about two years, and I’ve been lifting for about four,” said Beth Nabity, one of the club’s founders, who also holds a personal training certification. “Bodybuilding and lifting as a sport is not very female-centered, and even though the community here is really friendly, I noticed that for over a year I came here and didn’t talk to any girls.”

That lack of connection inspired her to reach out to Alana Bullock, another trainer and competitive bodybuilder at the gym. Together, they launched a women’s lifting club designed to provide a safe, supportive space for women athletes of all levels.

“We started by just talking to girls at the gym and asking if they’d be interested,” Nabity said. “The first week, only two people showed up but now we have about 50 in our WhatsApp group chat. We’ve gone from nobody showing up to having to cap attendance because it’s gotten so big.”

The club meets weekly at Prodigy Gym for group workouts, where members train together and support one another. Outside the gym, the group organizes social events such as barbecues, themed lift nights, and social activities like clothing swaps and networking opportunities.

“We want to make it more than just lifting,” Bullock said. “We’ve talked about trying things like pole dancing classes or climbing. Our goal is to make it inclusive and fun for everyone, even if they’re not super into hardcore lifting.”

Prodigy Gym’s ownership has been fully supportive of the women’s initiative. “Her (Beth’s) boyfriend works here and asked the owner, and he was like, yeah, do it,” Bullock said. “He’s really open to new ideas that bring in more members and engagement.”

Although the club operates independently, its connection to the gym provides an important foundation. “We essentially run and manage everything separately from the gym,” Nabity said. “But we’ll run ideas by the owner and manager, and they approve the day and time. It’s kind of a mutual collaboration.”

The group’s leaders see plenty of room for growth. They’ve discussed ideas that include retreats and national expansion. 

“There’s no reason why we couldn’t have chapters in other places,” Nabity said. “Right now, our focus is on women in Northern Colorado because that’s close to our hearts, but we’d love to see this expand.”

Social media has been instrumental in growing the club’s membership and message. “Most of our numbers have come from Facebook and Instagram,” Bullock said. “We’re planning to start a TikTok soon, and we just made an email and are thinking about starting a Facebook group.”

They credit the growing visibility of women in strength sports for helping to change perceptions around women’s physique and size. “Beauty standards used to be all about being skinny, but women are starting to lean into a more muscular look,” Nabity said. “That’s where we come in. We promote it and teach them how to get there.”

For the founders, the club is about more than fitness, it’s about empowerment. “We both started out small and intimidated by the gym,” Bullock explained. “Someone once helped me get started, and that’s why I’m passionate about helping other women do the same.”

Whether they are beginners or experienced lifters, to both club founders, all women are welcome. “We’ve had people reach out who have never touched a weight in their lives,” Nabity said. “That’s exactly who we want to reach. We train as a group once a week, have fun, and teach everyone how to do things safely and confidently.”

As the group continues to grow, its mission remains the same; to create a space where women can lift each other up, both inside and outside the gym.

CSU junior Matthew Horn is working toward his major with focus on journalism, sports broadcasting and a hint of music. 

Compiled by Kaileen Gruber 
The Ramspondents

Film screening: Red Fever, a documentary exploring Indigenous influence in western culture, will be presented by Colorado State University’s Human Acts Rights Film Festival, CSU’s Native American Cultural Center and The Symposium. 

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: The Lyric, 1209 N. College Ave.

Two Times Tuesday: Old Town Putt Mini Golf Bar offers double putt points, half price arcade games and two-for-one mini golf. 

Time: Noon–10 p.m.

Location: Old Town Putt, 244 N. College Ave. Suite 112

Jazz Combos Concert: Part II: An evening of small group Jazz by UCA faculty and graduate students. 

Time: 7:30–9:30 p.m. 

Location: University Center for the Arts CSU, 1400 Remington St.

Afrobeats x Reggaeton: Enjoy a night of Reggaeton and Afrobeats music from three black DJ’s at the Aggie Theater 

Time: 9 p.m. 

Location: Aggie Theater, 204 S. College Ave.
Tickets available here 

Battle for the Fort: Northern Colorado bouldering competition 

Time: 5 p.m. 

Location: Ascent Climbing Studio, 2150 Joseph Allen Drive

Price: $10 at the door 

CSU Snow Days: CSU Snowriders and ASCSU come together for the annual rail jam. Enjoy a day of live music, local vendors, tailgating, and football 

Time: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. 

Location: Lory Student Center, 1101 Center Ave. Mall

Fall Floral Wall Hanger Class: Visit the Bath Garden center for a class on how to create the perfect fall wall decor. 

Time: Noon–1p.m. 

Location: Bath Garden Center and Nursery, 2000 E. Prospect Road

Price: $25 

Kaileen Gruber is majoring in Journalism and Media Communication as well as minoring in Music Business at CSU. She is the vice president of the Music Business Collective.

By Cole Walters
The Ramspondents

There are currently no active weather warnings associated with the upcoming week. However, that is subject to change. For pressing updates on the weather in Fort Collins, stay updated through the National Weather Service in Boulder.

Monday 11/3

Mostly cloudy with a high in the low 60s and a low in the mid 30s. Little to no chance for precipitation.

Tuesday 11/4

Warmer and mostly sunny with a high in the 60s and a low in the 30s. Little to no chance for precipitation.

Wednesday 11/5

Warmer and mostly sunny with a high in the 60s and a low in the 40s. Little to no chance for precipitation.

Thursday 11/6

Cloudy with a high in the low 60s and a low in the 30s. 50% chance for rain and 10% chance for snow in the evening into the night.

Friday 11/7

Sunny with a high in the high 60s and a low in the 30s. Little to no chance for precipitation. 

Saturday 11/8

Mostly sunny with a high in the low 60s and a low in the 30s. Little to no chance for precipitation.

Sunday 11/9

Mostly sunny with a high in the low 60s and a low in the 30s. Little to no chance for precipitation.

Temperature and weather predictions are sourced from NWS Boulder and Accuweather.

Cole Walters is a junior at Colorado State University majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Science Communication. He has a diverse background in journalism and communication, including social media, written journalism and photojournalism.