Chin-Up Training: Gym for Women & LGBTQIA+ Community

Chin-Up Training is a women & LGBTQ+ gym located in Denver’s Sante Fe Arts District. If you’ve never heard of them, welcome—because this little fitness oasis is about to be your new favorite spot in town. (No, seriously—You should try a class for free.)

As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by the trainer and members who attend the classes. Whatever your schedule, they offer classes throughout the morning and night, with opportunities for open gyms during the day if you prefer to get your workout in on your own. The gym is clean and the vibes are immaculate thanks to the plants, snacks, couches, murals, music, and pristine workout equipment. They also have a fully equipped kitchen and shower, so you really do have everything you need in one place.

I found this gem of a gym when they shared they were looking for artists to hang their work on their wall. Their artist program offers a free month of membership and the artist gets to keep 100% of the sales they make, with no fees to hang their art. As an artist who also loves to move her body, this was a dream come true. 

During my first class the trainer kicked it off with group introductions, offering names, pronouns, and an ice breaker question that we took turns answering while we stretched. We then moved into a preview of the workout for the day, breaking down the movements and breaking out into pairs. As I looked around the room, I saw in those who were present that this place was truly for the women and LGBTQ+ community. Any nerves I had from not having worked out in a long time immediately went away as everyone was incredibly welcoming, supportive, and encouraging.

As an athlete my whole life, I was missing the community aspect of working out and connecting with people who shared similar interests as me. I didn’t enjoy the main chain gyms because of how unwelcome, intimidated, or pressured I felt. Chin-Up welcomed me with open arms, and I can say it has felt like a home to me. I’m thankful I found them. I hope that if you’re reading this, and you’ve been looking for a way to reconnect with your community and your body, you consider giving them a chance. Joining them has been the gift that just keeps on giving. 

Here is an OFM Q&A with Ren Brooks (they/them, owner and personal trainer) and Sara Bisenius (she/her, Manager of Operations).

Introduce us to Chin-Up Training!

Chin-Up Training is a gym for women and anyone who identifies under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, including allies! We are a gym for both beginners and experienced individuals—perfect if you’ve never been before, or haven’t been in a long time, or are in a regular routine and looking for a new space! We opened to the public back in 2023 and have grown ever since! We expanded into our second location in August 2024, so now we have two sides to Chin-Up Training. One side is primarily dedicated to our personal trainers and physical therapist to work with their clients at, and the other side is primarily dedicated to our members!

In your opinion, why is it important to you to have an LGBTQ+ safe space to train? 

Fitness, under the best of circumstances, requires a lot of mental fortitude to participate in. Then you add in all of the social and cultural challenges that women & LGBTQIA+ can face in traditional spaces, and that led to us wanting to create a space specifically for them.

How is Chin-Up Training different from others in the community?

A: At Chin-Up, we focus on providing a safer space for women & LGBTQIA+ community, and anyone who’s felt “othered” in traditional spaces (allies welcomed!). We are a space for beginners and up. We proudly have a variety of service discounts and sliding scale options for our members, as we understand costs can be a barrier to fitness, and we try to be as accessible as possible. We have classes seven days a week, taught by a variety of instructors. In addition to our strength classes, we have yoga, mobility, and beginner barbell classes, as well as our Build class, which is for anyone looking to develop a more masculine physique. Each of our instructors come with years of experience, and each have their own style of workouts. We love this, as this leads to a wide variety of experiences for our members to access.

We also have open gym hours five days a week, where members can workout at their own pace, and either follow the programming from the morning or follow their own workout.

We keep our class sizes capped at 10 people. This allows for instructors to give general direction, as well as individualized recommendations throughout the session, keeping everyone safe and supported! Smaller classes also build community, something we are very proud of doing! Our members have made lasting friendships with each other. If you are looking for community, come check us out! 

We’re a proud member of the Art District on Santa Fe! We host featured artists throughout the year on both sides of our gym. We love being able to provide a space for local artists to showcase their work.

We recognize we’re not the only queer gym in Denver, and we think that’s great! We love being able to support other queer gyms in the area, as we think it’s important to build each other up when our community has only so many options to choose from!

What is your ‘why’? (can be personal to you both or your gym’s why).

To create a safer space for anyone who’s ever felt “othered” in traditional spaces.

What is your biggest success so far? What has been your biggest challenge? 

We have a long list of members who have been on their fitness journey with us since the beginning!

How do you and your trainers promote body positivity and body neutrality during your classes? 

All of our instructors are highly experienced and educated personal trainers. Our instructors are knowledgeable on making all movements accessible, individualized, and safe. Our trainers are excellent at meeting people where they are at. All of our trainers bring their own expertise to the programming they teach, which allows for our members to access a wide range of experiences in a safe and supportive manner. Beyond that, our trainers are passionate about what they do—and with that passion brings curiosity, willingness to learn and adapt, and enthusiasm to support each of our members in the way they want to be supported. We are very proud of each of our instructors!

How/where can people find you/learn more about you?

We are most active on our Instagram, @chinuptrainingdenver! 

Photos by Becky Duffyhill. Follow her on Instagram @beckyduffyhill.creative. See more of her work here!