Every person can be a strength athlete.
Bay Strength is a welcoming coaching space for people who want to be stronger in everyday life, sport, recreation, health, and longevity.
Our Mission
We believe that every person can be a strength athlete.
Seniors come to us to maintain their longevity. Women gain new empowerment and physical purpose through strength. Parents are more able to keep up with growing children. Queer and trans people find an environment that is affirming, safe, and welcoming. People of all sizes discover new confidence in their bodies without diet culture.
We are proud of how strong we ALL are.
Our Gym Environment
We believe that gyms should be affirming, safe, and welcoming places. Our lifters train to be stronger in everyday life, to change their health or abilities, improve their relationship to their bodies, or increase their capacity in sports and recreation.
We maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for beginners to lift alongside seasoned members, with a spirit of community fostered by expert coaches.
Learning to Lift With Us
The barbell squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press are the foundations of general strength training, no matter your age, ability, or experience. Every person can become stronger through barbell training.
Our Learn to Lift package is a great way to start training for the first time, refine your technique if you have never been coached before, or return to lifting after time away. We start every member with a Learn to Lift package so we can get to know you and your goals, needs, and challenges in a more personalized way.
Our Classes
Strength classes are appropriate for beginners, seniors, busy working parents, sport and recreation enthusiasts, people recovering from illness or injury, and experienced lifters who want more support and refinement.
You will receive personal coaching every session and a custom program delivered via an app. Because every member receives a custom program, classes are free flowing: you will have a dedicated rack for the day’s training and will warm up and train at your own pace.
Classes operate on an enrollment basis rather than as drop-ins. We reserve your place in class, with the same coach and group of lifters, so your training can be as successful and supported as possible.
Coaching Philosophy
Every coach at Bay Strength brings a unique background, coaching perspective, and communication style. What unifies us is a commitment to accessible barbell training, movement optimism for all abilities, and flexible programming that meets each lifter where they are comfortable and capable.
Our coaching is designed to build knowledge and independence over time. We want lifters to become confident, thoughtful, and adaptable enough to keep training through the ups and downs of life.
Expert Instructors
Meet Our Team
Alexis Aiello
Strength Coach • she/her
Alexis has been around the sport of rowing for over a decade. After graduating with her bachelors in kinesiology, she started coaching rowing. Weightlifting has always been a part of her training. During the pandemic, she used her time to dive deeper into strength training. Alexis enjoys working with people of all ages and helping them feel strong and confident in their body.
Alexis is available for online / remote coaching.
Kelly Bryant
Strength Coach • she/her
Kelly Bryant is a longtime personal trainer and strength coach who firmly believes that strength training leads to a healthier and happier life. Her mission is to support her clients to become their strongest selves! Kelly’s clients range from trained athletes looking to improve their performances, to older adults looking to improve their health. Prior to coaching, Kelly worked as a horse trainer and riding coach, and as a youth counselor.
Jeremy Tully
Strength Coach • he/him
Jeremy has been training and coaching others in the barbell lifts for several years, and a full time strength coach since 2015. A teacher by nature, Jeremy especially loves introducing people to the lifts for the first time.
Katherine Bickford
Strength Coach • she/her
Katherine Bickford is a competitive powerlifter and strength coach in Oakland, California. After years as a competitive swimmer, and several years of a total lapse in physical activity, Katherine discovered strength training. When learning to squat, Katherine couldn’t stand up with her bodyweight! Since starting from zero, Katherine has made barbell training a way of life. She loves helping people discover their strength potential.
Giacomo Pizzo
Strength Coach • he/him
Giacomo has a background in endurance sports, especially cycling and competitive swimming. He believes strength training is the foundation to any sports program or physical life task. He enjoys a good espresso, anything Frank Zappa and lots of Jazz.
Gwyn Brookes
Strength Coach • they/them
Gwyn has led a life written in movement. At an early age they fell in love with dance, and danced professionally until their 30’s when they discovered martial arts and the Feldenkrais method of somatic therapy which they both teach and train today. They have also recently rediscovered a love of the outdoors, backpacking and trail running. Gwyn discovered barbell training in 2008 and realized that getting stronger was the most effective way to continue to do all of the things they love. They especially love coaching older adults and helping them regain function in their daily lives.
Haley Shevener
Strength Coach • she/her
Haley started training and coaching in 2005. She believes that strength training should be accessible to all and that working with barbells can lead to powerful benefits in one’s physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Haley has a particular interest in working with people managing pelvic health concerns and people learning to lift for the first time.
Eli Vickery
Strength Coach • he/him
Eli is a long-time member of the Bay Strength family and a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology with an interest in using lifting as a somatic intervention for people with histories of trauma. He is passionate about making powerlifting more accessible to new lifters and folks in marginalized bodies, and supporting them in becoming more confident, embodied, and strong. Eli previously worked in the tech industry as a designer and engineer. He spends his free time backpacking, hiking, and exploring the outdoors, and adoring his cat Muffin Boy.
Ready to start? Begin with Learn to Lift.