Check Out Liz Stoyan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Stoyan.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a medical device engineer by day and a fitness instructor by morning/night/weekend! I grew up in Upstate NY and also attended college at RIT in Rochester, NY where I studied Biomedical Engineering. In 2016 I graduated and moved to Raleigh, NC for my first fulltime job.

I had always played team sports (volleyball and lacrosse) growing up and continued volleyball in college. so after school ended I found myself craving movement and an athletic outlet. Also moving to a new area, I felt like I needed a way to meet people with similar interested outside of work. One day while I was out running errands, I found a Cyclebar studio across the street from my apartment and tried it out. I was instantly hooked. I truly fell in love with this form of movement – the beat-based aspect allowed me to get lost in it instead of counting down the minutes, the statistics displayed on the screen on my bike fed my competitive streak, and the instructor’s contagious energy kept me focused and entertained. Because monthly memberships can be pricey, I started working 2 nights a week as a front desk person to be able to ride for free. I rode as much as I could and continued to love indoor cycling more with each day. I looked up to all of the instructors so much and a small voice in the back of my head told me I could teach one day if I tried.

Eventually, I found a new job and moved to Denver, CO in 2018. I found a Cyclebar here and started the front desk, but I decided it was time to bite the bullet and audition. I instructed there for about 6 months and loved developing my own personal style and finding confidence on the podium. I was happy but I felt like I was missing the community aspect I had back in Raleigh.

Through ClassPass, I stumbled upon High Ride and was immediately hooked. I could write a novel on what sets High Ride apart from other indoor cycling experiences, but I can summarize my top three: the community aspect is truly unmatched, the instructors and the quality of ride is top notch, and the inclusivity and overall “vibe” of the classes and studio itself are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I auditioned and made the switch over to High Ride in summer 2019, and have been there ever since!

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, we were forced to pause in-person classes for about 3 months. Luckily, High Ride was already in the process of partnering with Stryde, an at-home Peleton-eqsue bike that utilizes the nation’s top cycling studios and instructors to produce virtual classes and content. This partnership carried us through the extremely difficult and uncertain early months and helped our riders stay connected to High Ride and find movement safely at home. I eventually began teaching for Stryde and moved into a Lead Instructor role within High Ride. Between the two, I teach about 6-10 classes on any given week and I could not love what I do more!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think an overarching struggle throughout my life is body image and their relationship to food and exercise. I didn’t struggle much with this in high school, but mid way through college, I noticed that my eating patterns took a turn. I would try to start a diet, a “cleanse”, or deem certain foods off limits. I’d eat 100% according to the plan until I’d “slip up”, and completely fall off the wagon – bingeing on anything I could find. This caused feelings of guilt and shame, and the mental talk I had with myself was not healthy. I’d hit the gym on campus religiously, or do at-home HIIT workouts to try to offset the “damage” I’d done and vow to do better next time – and the cycle started over.

This up and down behavior continued through college and into the next few years and across many failed attempts at different forms of diets – veganism, paleo, Whole30, “clean eating”, intermittent fasting – the list goes on. There was never a specific time where I just “stopped” or “fixed it”. I think the mental energy of it all just felt all-consuming and I realized I was wasting so much of my life checking my body in windows I passed or in “progress pictures” I took, but in the end I was missing out on so many other more important ways to spend my time.

I also think changing my surroundings helped me the most – the people I interacted with, the media I consumed, the ways I chose to spend my time. We are so affected by the things we see and hear. High Ride is a place where we celebrate our bodies for all that they do for us – killer sprints, the heaviest hills, fun choreography – no matter what they look like. We honor days where we don’t feel our best by speaking to ourselves kindly. We don’t talk about earning food, burning calories, or working off brunch or a night out. I’ve connected with riders and peer instructors who have all struggled the same ways I have, and I realized I wasn’t alone.

I think some aspects of this will always be a struggle for me. There are days I feel confident and badass when I look in the mirror or step onto the bike. There will also be off days. Fitness professionals can sometimes be the hardest on themselves. We can preach loving yourself all day long, but turn around and criticize ourselves in ways we would never do to others. At the end of the day, people don’t sign up for an instructor’s classes because they have rock solid abs, visible muscles, or are the epitome of fitness. They sign up for their energy, expertise, motivation, and ability to make them feel something powerful – and these things are not tied to appearance.

I’ve found what works for me is prioritizing the way I feel over the way I look. That means continuing to work on choosing foods, exercise, and behaviors that make my body and mind happy, and this looks different day-to-day. I will always be an advocate for body neutrality + acceptance and anti-diet culture everything. We do not exist to simply lose weight and look pretty!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Taking an indoor cycling class with me in particular will leave you feeling pushed to your limit but in a good way! I like to show people that they’re capable of more than they think by setting the bar high, and encouraging you to chase it. That being said, there are always modifications provided and encouraged throughout class. I like to always emphasize that showing up at all was a win, that everyday isn’t going to feel like your strongest class, and effort will always bear perfection. I also am very motivated by music, so you can expect a wide range of genres and remixes, mostly hip hop and EDM with some pop and throwbacks mixed in. Anything with a heavy beat to elevate the energy and make you want to hit the beat!

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think there has already been a lot of progress on grout fitness being accessible and welcoming instead of exclusive. New riders often come into class super intimidated and apprehensive because they have a pre-conceived notion of “spin class” or have had a bad experience in group fitness. There are chains or studios that have a reputation for cliques or making new people feel out of place, or instructors who motivate or correct participants by being negative or calling people out directly. This unfortunately and understandably leaves a bad taste in participants’ mouths. When people are trying to better themselves and move outside their comfort zones, the last thing they need is to be treated in these ways. Luckily, I have seen a huge decrease in instances of this and I can only hope this becomes more and more rare with time.

In general, I think the industry will continue moving toward a flexible approach to health overall. This means no strict rules and working for consistency over perfection. I also think the pandemic has shown people that you can get a great workout in at home or wherever you are, not just in a gym or a studio. Virtual fitness is definitely here to stay, though I do think it’s very hard to recreate the energy of an in-person class at home. I always work way harder when I’m with others!

Contact Info:

• Email: lizlovesspin@gmail.com
• Website: www.highridecycle.com
• Instagram: @lizlovesspin
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/liz-stoyan
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/124003884?si=31b66f3a37c54e30

Image Credits
Tim Gillies Photography, AJ Canaria Photography