LiftHER is launching a women’s-only boutique lifting studio

Founders Row, the Atlanta-based brand incubator behind SculptHouse and SweatHouz, is launching LiftHER, a women’s-only strength studio backed by two people who’ve spent their careers building fitness formats.

SculptHouse founder Katherine Mason and Nike Global Trainer Betina Gozo Shimonek, who’s also taking on the role of Head of Programming, are behind the concept, with the first studio opening in Dallas this September.

A different setup

LiftHER’s most defining feature is the format the brand has built around. Most strength-based group classes are built around a shared circuit, where people rotate through stations on a timer. LiftHER flips that by giving each member her own dedicated lifting rack. Classes are tight and boutique-style, capped at 8 to 14 women, with OpenRack sessions also available for members who’d rather skip the class format and train solo on their own schedule.

The brand’s intent is to tackle the real reasons women hold back from the gym, general intimidation and performance anxiety, and the numbers make the case. Strava’s 2024 Year in Sport report found weight training is the fastest-growing activity among women, up 25% year over year, and yet, 73% of women still aren’t meeting basic federal strength guidelines.

This wide open gap between rising interest and actual participation is the barrier LiftHER is pointing directly at—women are already lifting, what’s been missing is a space built around that.

The extras

As part of the membership, LiftHER will also be folding in complimentary DEXA scans, something most big-name gyms charge extra for or don’t offer at all. A DEXA scan measures actual body composition- muscle, fat, bone density- not just the number on a scale, which means members can track changes on more than just scale weight. It’s a small inclusion, but it says the studio will be built around real, measurable progress, not just the feeling of a calorie burn.

Where to try it

LiftHER’s first studio opens in Dallas this September, with memberships intentionally capped to start. Follow @lifther.studio for more updates.