Meet Coach Lia Marley of the Shimano Indoor Cycling Series!
Shimano Indoor Cycling and Struct Club are teaming up with indoor cycling pro Lia Marley to bring these high-intensity, efficient, and music-inspired rides to you!
The Shimano Indoor Cycling Series features two 30-minute cycling workouts to heart-pumping music. Each ride has a curated playlist and is choreographed to the beat of the music. Get the free rides by following this link on your mobile device or scanning the QR code below.
Lia lives in Seattle, WA and has been teaching for 16 years! It all started with teaching cheerleading camps, and her passion morphed into fitness more broadly. Her day job hustle is as a Consultant and she is a foster dog volunteer for Seattle Humane. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and loves to Olympic Weightlift when she's not cycling. We sat down to get to know Lia and welcome her to the Struct Club wolfpack! Check it out.
“ … fitness is about a lifetime of moving my body, enjoying the process and enhancing my life outside the gym - not just about crushing myself in today's session.”
- Lia Marley
Lia! Let’s get to know you! Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a fitness instructor?
I was a cheerleader through college, and even taught cheerleading camps, so the teaching muscle had been developing for a long time! When I was 23-24 years old, I gained and lost ~50 pounds, and fitness was a major factor in that transformation. One day my trainer asked me, "When are you going to get certified?" and that was just enough of a push to get me started! Now I'm a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Olympic Weightlifting Coach and Indoor Cycling Instructor.
Tell us about your classes for the Shimano Indoor Cycling Series! What can riders expect from them?
You are getting some of my all-time favorite tunes on the bike! The Rhythm & Strength Ride will leave you feeling stronger, accomplished, and sweaty! Be ready for a balance of climbs, jogs, and sprints that will make you feel like a rockstar. Party On A Bike! is just that - a total party! Extra bonus is you’ll get a workout in and have a ton of fun doing it.
As a coach, what are your top sources of inspiration and motivation?
OK so this might sound a little weird... my motto is that I workout to be the most independent 90+ year old woman I can be! Who knows, maybe I'll still be on the bike! Put another way, fitness is about a lifetime of moving my body, enjoying the process and enhancing my life outside the gym - not just about crushing myself in today's session.
What have been some learnings you’ve had being a fitness instructor that you wish you knew when you first began? Any advice you’d give to brand new instructors?
Teaching since 2009 has definitely lended some lessons! I wish I knew how real Imposter Syndrome can be (and read Brené Brown sooner so I had the tools to tackle it), keep your material organized, and that I don't have to be the example of perfection in order to teach. My advice: a lot of people are going to love your classes, and some inevitably won't. Keep showing up for your people!
Lightning round! Give us your top pick for each of these:
Motivation Mantra: I'll give you 2! "Why not" and "Screw 'Should'"
Fav Move on the Bike: Heavy seated climb 🍑
If you were any animal, what would you be?: A corgi! Because I'm active and like to shake my booty.
Walk-on Song: Firebreather by Macklemore
Fav Musical Artist: MAX (OMG, I'm a total fangirl. In his .05% top listeners last year!)
If there’s anything about using Struct Club that has aided you and you feel inclined to share, we would love to know!
Struct Club is incredible for 3 things: organizing my material, helping me form tighter cues, and seeing when I have gaps in my class. I can create classes faster, keep my cues short and easy-to-understand, and know where I can pop in a pep talk during my ride!
