She’s a rockstar instructor with a cult like following including Hollywood heavyweights like David and Victoria Beckham… fashion designer Jeremy Scott… and even Oprah.
But Angela Davis is not only sought after by stars… she also has a roster of hundreds of loyal and hardcore spinners who fill her classes on a daily basis. In fact, when the clock strikes noon on Monday, within 20 seconds, Angela’s 12 classes for the week at SoulCycle in Los Angeles are sold out online. I’ve been lucky enough to get one of her coveted bikes on a weekly basis (I have an alarm set on my phone for 11:59 am on Mondays) and I’ve been benefitting from motivational words on and off the bike for years.
By the end of class, I’m usually so inspired that I feel compelled to share her quotes and words of wisdom with my friends and followers on social media (yes, if you’ve ever been on my Instagram or Twitter you’ve seen her quotes).
Angela has a certain way of teaching that encourages you to push yourself to your physical limit while inspiring you to push past the mental limitations that hold so many of us hostage, stopping us from achieving our dreams and goals. I’m forever grateful to this woman who has made me a better and stronger person both physically and mentally.
So what inspires this woman of style and substance who helped spin my life around? Take a look:
Q: Whenever I take your class, I know I’m going to get a great physical workout, but I also know I’m going to get a mental tune-up of sorts. Your words of encouragement push me to my physical edge, but so much of what you say pushes me toward a mental/emotional breakthrough. Where does that positive spirit and inspiration come from?
A: I was raised in a faith based home. Faith for me is the key to my sanity and it is extremely important for me to stay fed, spiritually and emotionally, in order to give to the room in the way that I do. So I feel a sense of responsibility to be well read, studied, and inspired, before I can even show up for you.
Q: You teach 12 classes per week and every one is different. From the playlist to the choreography to your motivational words… does this require a lot of prep work?
A: Yes. My prep varies from day to day and from class to class. Sometimes the music comes first, and then I create a workout and message around the playlist. Or the message comes first, and I create a workout and playlist around the message, but the workout is never first. I am always moved by a message or the music.
Q: I’ve often heard you say your motto is, “change your mind, change your body, change your life.” Can you explain what you mean by that?
Q: Last year you were a motivational speaker on Oprah’s Life You Want tour… you are clearly making a difference on a grand scale… what’s in the pipeline in 2016?
A: This year you can definitely look for me to do some features on Oprah.com. And beginning in the summer, I am going on another stadium tour similar to the Life You Want Tour.
