Meet Brandon (he/him)
Hi I’m Brandon Chien, and I’m an Intersectional Personal Trainer and Strength Coach. For over 14 years, I have been providing a safe and therapeutic space for people to take “body journeys”, so they can build strong, confident, and trusting relationships with their bodies.
How I am different from traditional trainers—
I believe in paying attention to our feelings just as much as our muscles. I help my clients pick what feels right to them, rather than just “following the rules.” I believe in working together as a team, focusing on pleasure rather than punishment to support trauma-recovery through building physical confidence.
Outside of coaching, I’m a huge fan of Asian-American internet cooking culture - I'm never far from my wok! I’m currently enjoying learning dance styles like House and Shuffling, and attending local Bay Area EDM events. I’m also growing as a social justice activist.
What I Do
My mission is to help folks outside the norm get stronger so they can take up space in the gym and in their communities.
My clients, like me, don’t fit in the "Normie" box. Queer, trans, BIPOC, disabled, and marginalized folks are CENTERED in my practice, located in Oakland, CA. My practice is set up to mostly serve BIPOC or PGM (People of the Global Majority); it also welcomes Queer and Trans folx too. I help you learn what truly works for your body rather than the one-size-fits-all programs that Big Fitness wants to sell you.
Consequently, I do not teach or endorse weight loss as the primary goal of a body journey (miss me with those fad diets). You deserve to take up all the space you want with the body you actually have.
If you’re looking for a drill sergeant or a fitness dom, that’s not me. I don’t see myself as above you as your coach. We meet as people, and I want to get to know you first to decide if I’m the right person to help you. Only after negotiation and consent, do I accept the role of holding the space for you to rebuild your relationship with your body.
My Story
Coming soon!
Here's what other people have said about me...
I worked with Art of Self-Alignment throughout 2014 and plan to continue for a long time to come. Brandon has helped me become stronger physically and taught me how to help myself when aches and pains creep in at the most inopportune time. His expertise has helped me overcome nagging backaches, deal with weekend warrior injuries and be more self-assured about living without pain.
Brandon's advice and guidance regarding my lifting form improved my life ten fold! I am an avid lifter but found myself sidelined a few months ago due to serious back pain. During my session with Brandon, he laid out a foundational philosophy of lifting, explaining how the body works as a holistic unit to lift heavy weight (for instance, who knew that how you engage your shoulder blades or inner thighs also affects how you are able to engage your trunk during squats?? When he explained it, it made perfect sense, but I'd never have realized it on my own). He then watched me as I lifted, scrutinized my form, and gave me both detailed feedback and an easy-to-follow action plan to address the problems with my form. Just 45 minutes with him dramatically changed how I felt after every lifting session, and I was able to progress in weight steadily by implementing his advice. Also, Brandon's warm and open demeanor makes it an absolute pleasure to work with him. My session with him was simply invaluable--definitely time well spent!
Brandon is my trainer at the Equinox San Mateo, and he is a key factor in my journey to transform my body into a healthy one (so far I've lost 85 pounds, only 4 to go). I told Brandon I want to make this transformation last, and so that I need a super simple plan that I can do on my own when the time is right and yet to have the maximum impact possible. He did just that: we've worked together to perfect 3 key exercises that cover every muscle in your body, and started pushing upwards with how much weight was on the barbell. We've added a few "small" exercises to strengthen some problematic areas, and it is helping a lot. Brandon pushed me hard without me feeling pushed, he has just the exact personality that I needed (he is not one of those full-of-ego trainers or those loud ones that make both their customers and me uncomfortable with their unfunny comments), he is very knowledgeable about weight lifting, super cautious about just the perfect posture that you need to maintain to avoid injury and achieve results, and overall just an awesome trainer to work with. I highly recommend Brandon if you really are in it for the long hall.
Incredible! Brandon is friendly, knowledgeable, and is a great listener. I wanted a workout that strengthened my body while taking in consideration an injured knee, separated abdomen from twins, and that I'll remember without looking at a piece of paper. He inspires me to the next level each time with kind motivation. I defiantly recommend him!!
