In the world of fitness, there are individuals who go beyond the routine, injecting passion and dedication into their craft. Megan Knight, an instructor at Love Cycle in Austin, TX, has carved a niche in the fitness world by blending physical exercise, emotional connection, and electronic dance music.
Rated Austin Fit’s #1 Best Personal Trainer, #1 Best Influencer in Austin’s Health & Fitness Community of 2023, Megan Knight stands out as one such luminary in the fitness community. Recognized by artists including Wooli, NGHTMRE, Subtronics, Svdden Death, Kayzo, and Slander, Megan has become known outside of the studio walls. Her unique approach to her cycling classes has attracted a community of headbangers into her “headbangers only” class that involves dubstep classics & hits and heavy choreography, making it feel like a rave on a bike.
@svddendeathdubs Svdden Death spin class goes hard #spinclass #svddendeath #fyp #edm
Outside of her “Headbangers Only” classes, Megan also teaches EDM-themed high energy classes such as an “Illenium Throwback Set”, “HipHop with a Drop”, “Illenium vs GRiZ”, “REZZbangers”, “Lost Lands Pregame” and more creative classes to attract like-minded EDM enthusiast. She occasionally hosts special events featuring a live DJ in her spin class with post-class refreshments provided by a local vendor, which also promotes a sense of community.
Megan might be the only fitness instructor seen headbanging on her hands and knees during her class, and you may leave them with sweat and tears, but she’s elicited a fitness experience no one has ever established. We invited the queen herself for an interview to learn more about her one-of-a-kind “headbangers only” class and dive into how she’s revolutionizing the fitness scene.
What got you into the fitness industry and how did it lead to cycling?
College swimming led to the fitness industry. I swam D1 for Marist College and when my swimming career ended I was looking for a workout as challenging as swimming. I found spin at a local gym in Poughkeepsie. After graduating I moved to NYC and started spinning at SoulCycle in 2015. I met an awesome instructor named Karyn Nesbit who pushed me to audition, and the rest was history.
Can you tell us a little bit about your first show or festival experience?
My first EDM festival was EDC Las Vegas 2017 (really just drove right in!) I was going through a bad break up and my friend Di told me I should come with her to EDC and I went for it. On the second day we were running late from sitting in our Uber for 2 hours. We had plans to spilt up and meet other friends but it was so crowded at Cosmic Meadow we couldn’t get out so we just stayed at this amazing set from a DJ I had never heard of. It was Illenium, who is now my #1 favorite. That set changed the game for me.
What are some things you want people to take away from your classes?
That your best is good enough. So often I hear, “Your class is too hard, I can’t keep up.” “I’m not on beat, I’m not good enough.” ‘I can’t sit in the front row, I can’t do the moves.”
Babe, you are here. You showed up, and that alone means YOU ARE KILLING IT! I will never judge you, my other riders will never judge you (because that is the culture I have created in my class). Show up, do your best and that’s all I can ask for. There’s no ‘front row club’ in my class because screw that exclusively. All are welcome here. Yes, I’m going to push you. Yes, I’m going to get you out of your comfort zone but you don’t need to hit every beat and do all the moves to be the best. The best rider in my eyes in the one that tries the hardest.
Congratulations on hitting 8 years at Love! What have you noticed about the studio throughout the years and/or what would you like to implement as you continue to teach classes there?
Community. I have never worked at any other place like Love. I have met all my Austin friends through Love. Hell, I even got my cat from someone I met at Love. I want everyone to feel like they have a home at Love. The whole staff tries our hardest to make Love feel like home. If you talk to the person next to you in class, they will talk back. If a rider comes up to me crying after class I will start crying too. Making people feel seen is what creates community and that is what I want to keep doing.
What inspired you to teach “Headbangers Only” classes?
Another bad breakup. I was cheated on by a long term boyfriend. I was so angry and hurt. One really bad day I just needed to get it out. I couldn’t hide my pain that day. I couldn’t stop crying. So I just brought it all on stage with me, my struggles with my mental health and all. I talked about all of it, my anxiety, my pain, I was real that day. I told my class what I was feeling and played “Feel Something”, “Lockdown”, “Your Fault” and a bunch of other crybangers. I got a really positive reaction from my riders. It turns out I wasn’t the only one working through my feelings on a spin bikes, because struggling is human. It’s real. So I just kept doing it every Tuesday at 5:30. I didn’t even name the class. My clients started telling each other “Tuesday’s are for Headbangers Only.” That’s how the name was born.
What is one of your favorite Headbangers Only class you instructed and/or one that you’re looking forward to?
The best classes are when I have a rider come up to me afterwards and tell me that I moved them in some way, either with my words or with the music. I don’t think we always realize how much our emotions are stored in our bodies. There is some magic to feeling our feelings while we move our bodies. They’re an emotional release that happens. Getting to be the person that makes someone’s day brighter is the best thing I could ever ask for. It makes me feel that I am making a difference in the world in a small way.
I also taught a video ride and played Svdden Death and a clip of that class made it to him and he posted it on his TikTok. That was pretty damn cool.
Have you noticed any correlation between the fitness industry and EDM culture as you’ve been in the scene?
In my class, yes. I think fitness classes can be really intimidating for a lot of people. There is a lot of exclusivity that can seep into the fitness world and I have tried really hard to not let that happen at Love. Raving made a huge impact on my life so I tried to bring PLUR into my class. Let it be a judgment free zone. Let people do what they need to do for 45 minutes, cry, dance, scream, laugh, WHATEVER. If we just set a tone that all are welcome to be whatever we need to be then we have created a home for people.
Also, when you’re the only Austin spin instructor playing everything from Dom Dolla to Svdden Death the ravers will find you.
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