Coach Aydın
aydin (they/them) - Class Instructor and personal training
Hi! I’m Aydın - I started coaching at Hardshell in February, 2025.
I have always been an athlete, moving from soccer to rugby, and then into running, before I finally fell in love with long distance hiking and backpacking. All of these stages of my journey had me in and out of gyms, but it never felt comfortable or sustainable until I found Hardshell. Here, I found the permission I needed to tune into my body, go slow on days where I was tired, focus on good form over getting a heavy, risky lift in, all in the presence of my friends and neighbors. In early 2025, I started training in as a coach and have been so thrilled to be working in this community.
In addition to my athletic history, I have a lot of experience and training in community organizing, facilitation, crisis response, care work, and mutual aid work. I incorporate these skills and frameworks into my coaching.
In terms of personal training, I am interested in working with people in many different stages of their fitness journey. In particular, I offer:
Introduction to kettlebells - If you’re new to weight lifting in general and/or kettlebells in particular, join me at the gym for a one-on-one program to familiarize yourself with our tools, build skills and confidence in the space, and work your way up to our group classes and/or a regular weight-lifting routine that fits into your life.
Cross training - For athletes who are committed to their sport and want to find balance in their exercise regimen, we can tailor a program to your strength training needs and goals.
Form checks - If you’re someone who enjoys going to the gym on your own time or if you’re taking group classes, and you want to do a deep dive on your form for different exercises, I’m always happy to schedule time to check in and help you improve on your weightlifting skills.
Training for lifelong resilience - A lot of what we do at Hardshell is about treating your body as an interconnected system, so we focus on getting in a full-body workout every time. We like to focus on specific goals, and we program to target muscles and movements that are particular to the individual; we also understand that when we strengthen everything around a target or goal, we are much better equipped to build skills and strength in whatever area we’re working on. Work with me to stay strong and resilient for the long haul.
Trans and queer embodiment - I love to accompany trans and queer people in reclaiming their relationships with their bodies. I understand how hard it can be to feel present and motivated to care for a body that doesn’t feel like it’s entirely mine – I can offer grounded, caring companionship for the ways a gym space and a workout routine can be hard for queer and trans people. I have seen so many people fall in love with strength training and caring for their bodies at Hardshell, and I believe that’s possible for so many more people who feel unwelcome in gym spaces!
If you’re interested in working with me or chatting more about our work at the gym, you can reach me at aydin [dot] hardshell [at] gmail [dot] com.