If you’re a member of the Turlock Planet Fitness or have gone out to eat at Elvia’s Tacos or David’z Tacos recently, you may have seen a group of people flexing their muscles while posing for photos and videos. If it looked like a new social media trend to you, you’re on the right track.

The folks behind this trend are Daniel Galvan Zuniga and Cess Navarro. And not only are they posing in front of cameras and posting on Instagram, but they’re also promoting their own clothing brand.

The name of the trend and the brand is Biggainzz, pronounced big gains. The purpose behind the movement is to spread positivity and motivate people to reach their goals, no matter what they may be.

“When people are working out, that’s just something that comes naturally, to talk about your gains in the gym, but it’s more than just the gym,” said Navarro.

Zuniga explained that around a year ago, he started saying “Biggainzz” to describe almost anything and everything that related to hard work and success, something that he has seen within his own family. His mother opened Elvia’s Tacos in 1989, one of the first taco trucks to operate in Turlock, and his brother owns and operates neighboring David’z Tacos.

“I've got a big family and we have taco trucks in Turlock, and we've always been getting money through being hard workers. I consider that Biggainzz,” Zuniga said. “If somebody is grinding hard and hustling, that’s Biggainzz. If you accomplish something, that’s Biggainzz. It’s just a fun saying. Even when you don’t feel like getting up and going to work or are tired from whatever it is you do, I want to push people to get up and out there and get those Biggainzz.”

It wasn’t long before the couple obtained their business license from the City of Turlock and trademarked the saying, throwing it on shirts and hoodies. And with new clothing to sell, they thought there’s no better way to promote the brand than through social media. In the past year, the couple has worn the clothing doing the BIGGAINZZ move in videos, which Navarro best describes as the motion used when asking a big rig to honk.

“It’s like a natural thing to do when you talk about gains, you flex your muscles,” she said. “Since we started doing this and posting online, a lot of people do that with us and do it when they see us randomly in public, and it’s so funny because people do it so differently. That's the best part, though. There's no wrong way to do it.”

Not only are they making videos doing the move, but they have brought the brand’s logo to life. In another way to promote the brand, the couple has worked with FinniganWorks to create an Instagram filter that compliments the logo on the clothes with augmented reality. In other words, when you download the filter on Instagram and are posing with any of the merchandise, the logo pops out and moves. The couple has sold their clothing at local vendor popups around the region, and the augmented reality feature and the social media move have quickly caught the interest and spiked the curiosity of most walking by.

“Everybody asks about the dance and the saying stands out and people ask about it. When we do it in front of the phones with the filter, people have no idea what augmented reality is or how it works. But we show them and their minds are blown,” Navarro said.

It’s an aspect that Zuniga believes has accomplished their goal of standing out from other startup clothing brands.

“I don’t think there’s a single clothing brand out there that uses augmented reality. I’m confident we’re the first, and that is what’s unique about us,” said Zuniga.

And he may be right. Though camera filters and augmented reality is used by companies to virtually try on clothing and accessories, there doesn’t seem to be one that allows images on clothing to virtually pop out and move. In 2020, Nike announced that they would have clothing complimented with augmented reality. Last year, they released the Nike x Rtfkt Ar Hoodie, but Zuniga claims it was after the introduction of the BIGGAINZZ filter.

In the past year, not only has the couple sold Biggainzz clothing at small vendor popups, but they have set up booths at local gyms, including the Planet Fitness on West Main Street in Turlock. They sold t-shirts, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies for men, women and children, recently selling out of their latest collection.

“We hit up pop ups every Saturday and we just sold out, but even if we don’t sell a shirt, we just want to spread good vibes. Whether you have a shirt or not, it’s good vibes to get in front of the camera and do the Biggainzz. It’s so simple but it’s so fun. It’s all about spreading positivity,” Zuniga said.

According to Zuniga, people have purchased shirts from across the state and country.

“We’ve obviously sold to people here in the 209, in Turlock and the surrounding cities. I know people from the Bay that know about Biggainzz. There are people in Sacramento that support Biggainzz. We’ve reached Los Angeles, Oklahoma, we've reached New York, I think Miami, my cousins in Texas, so many places. I want to be worldwide. I really believe in this brand so much that I know that I can put it in a store someday,” he said.

Zuniga also hopes that people can be inspired by the fact that a small idea in his head has grown into a small business and nationwide movement on social media.

“I never thought I would have my own trademarked clothing brand,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just want to inspire other people that are probably scared to start their own business. It’s not that hard to own your own business. Growing up in the taco truck industry, there are so many Hispanic people like me that go and they hide their money under the bed. But no, we need to get out of that rhythm and that way of life. There are better ways to make a living and to keep growing, and whether you’re an entrepreneur or not or hit the gym or not, I just want to help other people and inspire them to reach their goals. I want them to get Biggainzz, and that right there is Biggainzz in itself.”

For more information on the latest clothing drops and to download the Biggainzz filter, follow the brand at @_biggainzz_.