My favorite time of day to teach is in the evenings. A perfect day for me is being filled with many hard miles on my road bike, tons of sun, great coffee, and hanging with my amazing wife on the beach. A song that never gets old is “Master Of Puppets” by Metallica. I love the heavy hitting stuff! When I’m not teaching, you can find me on my road bike training or working on my rides for Mad Dogg Athletics. The number one thing on my bucket list is to get a ride in a modern day fighter jet! That would be nuts!The mantra I live by is do it right or not at all. Everything is always better with music! The word people use to describe me most is intense or passionate. Favorite type of workout other than Spinning is riding a real road bike! If I could live one place, it would be Santa Barbara, California. Love it there! My hero/role model is Davis Phinney, a true champion in so many ways!My favorite thing about being a Spinning Master Instructor is being connected to something much greater than I expected when I first got into it. I have been given the chance to help people use an amazing training program to better themselves in so many ways. It has put me on an amazing path and has brought so many special people into my life including my amazing wife and best friends! It's really more than just a workout!I take the most photos/videos of my family, which includes my crazy cats!My favorite go-to recovery routine after an intense ride is coffee, shower, protein shake and a good night’s rest.

What is your favorite Spinning ride/class that you’ve taught?

I have to say my favorite ride of all time is The Warrior Ride. Why? It's a great story and it's raw. That ride combines the best of everything – music, visuals, emotion, and a bangin’ workout on the bike!

How did you get involved with the Spinning program?

I first experienced Spinning® at a small health club in Pennsylvania over 19 years ago. It was so different from any other fitness program, and I fell in love with it immediately because of its roots in real cycling! Shortly after that first experience, I became a Spinning instructor and a year later, I was on my way to California to become a master instructor. What a journey it has been!

What first brought you to Spinning®?

I first got into Spinning because it’s all about riding a bike. What I love about Spinning is that it has its roots in real sport—that performance aspect totally attracted me to the program. I love that it provides an opportunity to be able to push your limits in a safe environment. When you’re riding outdoors, you have to pay attention to so many things—the road, your surroundings, potential dangers—whereas in Spinning, you can just close your eyes, go full gas and really focus on how you mentally operate under a lot of challenge. It lets you focus on the stuff that really matters. Anybody can relate to that, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or someone who doesn’t ride an outdoor bike at all.

What’s your favorite thing about being a master instructor?

I love the ability to help anyone safely reach their fitness goals, whether that’s losing a couple of pounds or getting to the finish line first. It’s a huge opportunity to be able to take Spinning to the highest levels and really push the limits of what an instructor can do in a class. That’s the thing about Spinning—there really are no limits. Spinning is really an art, it’s the art of fitness. Personally, I’ve met some of the most special people in my life through Spinning, from my best friends to my wife.

How has your experience as a professional cyclist influenced your role at Spinning?

As a professional cyclist, I used Spinning day in and day out. It was so motivational—there were many times when I was in the middle of a bike race, and I would use my Spinning experiences to get myself through a challenge. I’ve since been able to use all of that experience to really influence the development of the Spinning® program over the years. We’ve used my experience to really dial in the comfort and performance of the bikes. And now we have power, an accurate measurement of work performed, and a program to go with that. It’s just awesome. Spinning continues to progress and grow. We’re not trendy—we’re based in true science and we continue to evolve with the outdoor cycling world. That connection to our roots makes us so much stronger. Spinning is able to progress through the evolution of our bikes, the evolution of our education and the evolution of our MI team, keeping things fresh while always staying true to our roots.

What makes Spinning® different from other indoor cycling programs and other fitness programs in general?

What’s so cool about Spinning is that it goes beyond the four walls of the studio. It’s so much more than just a fitness program and has so much more depth. It’s performance-based, but it’s the mind/body element that makes it so special. Spinning isn’t just about the movements. It’s about the emotions you experience when doing movements. In no other program can you be a fighter pilot in one class, ride in the Tour de France in the next, then go for a cruise along the beach. The Spinning program allows you to go anywhere your mind can take you. It allows you to go places and do things that other fitness programs and even riding outdoors can’t allow you to do. Spinning almost allows you to be a kid again, it gives you the chance to be Superman/woman, to come out of your shell. That’s what draws people to it. People don’t remember an interval or a movement, but they remember the experience and how it made them feel. Spinning allows everyone to find their champion within, and that’s what makes it so rewarding.For more about Josh Taylor, Spinning Master Instructor, Senior Advisor and Brand Ambassador and our Master Instructor team, subscribe to our newsletter!