Leeza Davis is praised by the CycleBar community for her upbeat vibes, killer playlists, and challenging workouts, but even more so for the positivity she brings to her classes. Leeza was born and raised in Memphis, though she spent some of her childhood living in Mississippi, and grew up with core memories of playing basketball with her brother. She recognizes her grandmother, mother, and father for emphasizing the importance of staying physically active, playing sports, and doing workouts with her throughout her childhood. As she grew older, Leeza always maintained a weight-training regimen and enjoyed connecting with the fitness community through local gyms.

While traveling to California in 2017, Leeza came across a SoulCycle studio and decided to try it. The fast-paced stationary cycling classes inspired her, and how easily she could break a sweat and get lost in the music. After coming back from her vacation, Leeza realized that cycling classes were offered at her home gym, LA Fitness, and became a regular in their classes. Inspired by her charismatic instructor, Leeza decided to jump into teaching. She became certified to teach cycling in 2019 and ended up teaching at Spin Cult downtown. “Starting in a smaller studio was great for me to train and learn how to become the best teacher I could be,” Leeza remembers. After Spin Cult unfortunately closed its doors in 2020 due to the pandemic, Leeza found Cyclebar, and has been teaching packed classes at their midtown studio ever since.

“My favorite thing about taking and teaching classes at CycleBar is being able to lock in, have fun, and move your body to good music,” Leeza says. In her classes, Leeza encourages her students to find their own rhythm and get lost in the exercise without putting pressure on themselves to be perfect. Most of all, she wants her classes to be a place where both she and her students can take care of themselves, physically and mentally.

Another major source of joy and activity for Leeza is her passion for traveling the world. “I came from humble beginnings, but my grandmother always encouraged me to get out and experience new places and cultures,” Leeza says. Her favorite trips include Paris, Guatemala, and, most recently, Japan, where she spent nearly a month engulfing herself in Japanese culture. Soon, Leeza hopes to travel to New Zealand for a worldwide Jehovah’s Witness special convention. No matter where she travels, Leeza loves meeting new people, finding unity with other cultures, and pouring positivity back into her Memphis community.

Try a CycleBar class with Leeza! Book online at Cyclebar.com/location/midtown-memphis

By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens