Cody Rigsby is more than the sassy Peloton personality you know and love – he’s a gay Trojan horse and a queer advocate…
By Karen Kwan
It can be difficult to think of good things having come out of the pandemic, but the explosion in the popularity of Peloton – with one of its top instructors, Cody Rigsby, becoming a household name – is perhaps one bright note that emerged during those difficult years. Thousands of members worldwide take his classes on the digital platform, and Rigsby quickly, and perhaps unexpectedly, became everyone’s virtual gay best friend.
Even Rigsby has referred to himself as a bit of a Trojan horse. “When people come to the studio and share their stories, or I randomly meet someone on the street and they talk about how Peloton and my queerness has affected them in a positive way, it’s something I’m proud of,” he says. He’s had many people attend his classes who have admitted that taking his classes and being exposed to the LGBTQ+ lifestyle through him has changed how they feel about gay people. Rigsby recalls one mom attending one of his Pride rides, who shared with him after class that her child is trans, and that taking Rigsby’s classes had helped to both open up her mind about her child’s identity and to develop a deeper relationship with them.
Showing the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in a different light (one that some Peloton members have perhaps never seen before) is something Rigsby takes to heart. A long-time advocate for queer rights, he doesn’t allow himself to forget that the gay rights movement started not long before he was born. “There are so many rights we have now – and even just queer presence in society being accepted – that is the norm because so many people fought hard for these rights,” he says. He maintains a deep respect for continuing the legacy of the great queer people before him and is curious as to how things will play out, but is hopeful thanks to the community of allies who are tapping into their own strength and resilience. “We have made it through a lot, and we will make it through this,” he says.
Rigsby is, of course, more than just everyone’s virtual GBF that they listen to (he has a weekly podcast, Tactful Pettiness with Cody Rigsby and Andrew Chappelle) or take Peloton rides with…as we learned when we first interviewed him for IN Magazine’s January/February 2021 issue as he was about to capture the world’s attention (Meet Peloton Instructor Extraordinaire Cody Rigsby) So, what does the 37-year-old self-proclaimed “big bitch” do during his downtime, how does he maintain his muscular build, and is he as savagely sassy in real life as he is in his classes? We sat down with the North Carolina native to find out.
We have to ask: outside of teaching, how do you personally stay so fit?
I teach probably three to five classes a week over a span of four days. [For my workouts], I try to do an hour of strength training three to five days a week. And I try to give myself at least one day off a week where I’m doing nothing. In the summer, I’ll ride a bike outside, weather permitting and if I’m not exhausted. I think it’s good for us to find movement that doesn’t feel so prescriptive, but also feels a little bit more playful: riding a bike outside or hiking is that for me.
And what would you say you do for self-care?
I feel like as a society, we’ve kind of conflated self-care with mental health. I think that self-care can be something that helps your mental health, but I don’t think it is the solution to a whole strong, fundamental mental space. And for me, this has been a big shift: I’ve been waking up earlier every morning, around like 5:30 or 6, which is unlike me. I made this shift in September, and I’ve stuck with it because I felt like when I was turning my day later, I was just rushing into things and didn’t have time to make my coffee or always eat a great breakfast or journal – to have mornings for myself to be more internal.
I also love a very long shower at night. You wash from head to toe, get out, put lotion on your body and all the serums on your face and have a good time with that. And when I’m done with a shower, instead of turning on the TV I’ll kind of just lie in bed with my thoughts. I know that sounds weird, but I don’t think we allow ourselves to just think and just be with everything that’s coming up. Not even like meditation. But just like letting it all come up and exploring it a little bit.
Now that you’re in your late 30s, has your routine changed at all?
Absolutely. I think one of the beautiful things about getting older is you’re way more disciplined. You also don’t have a capacity or tolerance for not getting sleep or not eating – they just become so much of a priority – so I’ve definitely felt that shift. As much as I am a rambunctious party girl, I’m not as big of a party girl as I was. So, I try to only go out once a month.
And how do you feel about aging?
Sorry to everybody that peaked in high school, but I have yet to peak even at 37. Apologies to everybody else, but I have yet to peak. I just keep getting better. You know, you’ve got more money, more stability, you know more about yourself, and habits and routines become more important. Your circle of friends has gotten smaller, which I don’t think is bad – you’re prioritizing intimate deep connection with the people you love. And I’m excited; I think wisdom is so powerful, and I think you just get more of it as you age, especially when it comes to giving time to yourself, knowing where your boundaries are, holding those boundaries and loving yourself. These things just get deeper and richer as you have the privilege to live on earth longer and longer.
When it comes to your public versus private persona, is there anything people would be surprised by?
I think that anybody who’s on camera, whether that be on TikTok or the Peloton platform, your public persona is kind of this hyperbolic version of yourself: you take these really authentic things about yourself or versions of yourself, and you kind of amplify them for the entertainment factor, and I think that’s across the board. I know, some might call it fake, but I just think it is you performing these real parts of yourself. For me, with so much outward energy, it can be in a way depleting, and so I think people would be really surprised how much I value quiet time – not always talking, and having spaces where I can just disconnect.
How do you feel about being a role model?
Whoever I’m a role model for needs to aim higher! But I appreciate it. I think it just comes back to thinking of my inner child and living in a time when there wasn’t a lot of queer representation. It’s important for me that maybe there’s a child of a member who’s seeing their parent do amazing things or creating a positive relationship with someone who’s queer, and through that has the strength to be themselves. So that’s the thing I value most when it comes to being a ‘role model.’
Who would you say is one of your role models?
My mind always goes to RuPaul creating this incredible empire from an art form that has also given a lot of opportunity to a lot of other people, and I think that’s inspiring. And it’s not a person, but being in New York, I’m always inspired by the energy of the city like this – the strangers in the street, their fashion, their sense of drive and work ethic. I just really thrive in spaces like that.
You have this sense of resilience – where does that come from?
Sometimes you just don’t have a choice. I think even from a young age, going through a lot of stuff, the choice was I could sit there and let it have a really negative impact on me, or I could use it as fuel and inspiration to find and create a different path for myself that my mom wasn’t able to give me. And I’m grateful for those trials because they allowed me to be a fierce adult. I’m always looking at my life and I’m so grateful because I never thought that this is where I would be: being successful, having an impact on people, having purpose in life – great things that not everybody has the privilege to have.
KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter @healthswellness and on Instagram @healthandswellness.
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