Erin Barno, December Spotlight

Meet Erin Barno — a longtime athlete, dedicated lifter, and one of the many reasons our Graviton community feels so special.

Erin has been a Graviton member for just over a year, but her fitness journey started long before she ever stepped into the gym. She’s played field hockey, Gaelic football, and currently plays ultimate frisbee as her “side Graviton hobby.” With a background like that, Erin knows gyms, and she knows what makes one worth sticking with.

After living in Boston for 13 years and bouncing between many gyms, Graviton was the first place she stayed longer than six months. What made the difference? The people.

Erin immediately connected with the coaches and began building real relationships when she joined. When she got injured playing ultimate frisbee just two months into her membership, she assumed she’d have to quit. Instead, the Graviton team showed up in ways she didn’t expect: checking in, texting workout accommodations, and asking how physical therapy was going. That support changed everything.

Erin and her husband, Duncan, traveling in Ireland

Without that support, Erin may not have remained at Graviton, and she’s quick to say Graviton is “a really special place - you don’t get that in other places in Boston.”

Outside of the gym, Erin draws inspiration from her husband, who not only loves lifting but has helped her see strength training as a long-term investment. Building muscle for longevity has shifted her mindset from pure competition to sustainability — staying strong, healthy, and active for decades to come.

And then there’s the community.

If you’ve ever been to the 4:30pm class, you already know Erin. That crew shows up ready to work hard, have fun, and push each other, and they notice when someone’s missing. Erin admits that accountability is part of the magic, knowing she’ll probably be reached out to if she doesn’t show up.

One of Erin’s most memorable Graviton moments came under the barbell.

“A moment I’ll never forget was when I was able to do multiple reps of deadlifts over 200lbs. The last time I did that was 1 rep in my early 20s, and I really thought that was the peak of my physical strength.”

Now, a decade later, she’s lifting heavier than ever before — and feeling excited, not finished. “So knowing that my fitness journey isn’t ending it’s really beginning is really exciting,” she says.

That sense of progress has carried far beyond the gym. The biggest lesson Erin has taken from Graviton is consistency. “Showing up consistently 3 or 4 times a week, putting it on your schedule… those routines are starting to add up,” she reflects. She’s seen that same approach translate into her work, writing, and research — carving out small, intentional blocks of time and simply showing up. The result? More progress, less stress, and a lot more joy.

At its core, Erin says the greatest benefit of Graviton is having a space where you can fully be yourself, work hard for an hour, see progress, and feel supported every step of the way. It’s a community she keeps coming back to and one she’s actively recruiting her friends to join (she’s already brought in one!).

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, Erin is just a few classes away from earning her very first Committed Club t-shirt— a milestone we can’t wait to celebrate alongside her.