Curves—a national chain with locations in Little Rock and Bryant—has long been a women-only gym. Pure Barre, another chain with a location in Little Rock, and locally owned ZenStudio also cater to female customers—men are more than welcome, but women are their predominate clientele. Arkansas’ 10 Fitness has established women-only rooms at some of its locations, and in August, a brand new ladies-only gym opened in central Arkansas. Custom Fit by Nicki, which is splashed in pink and run by females fueled by girl power, opened to more than 180 members and growing.

“I think a lot of the reason women like the ladies only is that there’s less intimidation,” says Nicki Lisenbey, owner of Custom Fit by Nicki. “Before I opened, I would hear [women] say how they would go into the gym and just get on the treadmill. They were intimated to go use the weights.”

Some women tend to avoid the machines and gravitate toward group classes (which these gyms tend to offer more of), feel uncomfortable around men and think they’re being judged, while other women turn to these gyms to simply enjoy the sense of community and networking opportunities.

Understanding the working woman’s daily grind has helped these gyms see success. Custom Fit offers 24/7 hours and virtual training, both of which are meant to accommodate whatever crazy schedule their female customers have. Just like ZenStudio, whose early morning and late-night classes provide clients the opportunity to sneak in a workout after putting the baby to bed with 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. classes.