The Truth About Peloton Instructor Adrian Williams

The Peloton phenomenon truly took on new heights when COVID-19 shut down the world in 2020 and fitness fans needed to find a new way to work out safely, which for many meant working out at home. With people stuck in their houses, Peloton bikes and treadmills began flying out of warehouses, and Peloton instructors became the interactive friends we searched for as social interaction was shut off across the globe. Adrian Williams is one such instructor, whose friendly, no-nonsense personality and penchant for making people work harder than they ever expected have endeared him to at-home exercisers across the globe.

Who is Adrian Williams and what parts of his life led him to become a fitness buff, as well as a pop culture phenomenon? According to Peloton's instructor bio page, Williams is a native New Yorker who has taken his two passions in life — fitness and art — and created a winning combination of enthusiasm, creativity, and humor to get people coming back for more no matter how tired he left them the last time. What led Williams on this journey to this unusual career where fitness instructors arrive live into your living room via the magic of the Internet?

Adrian Williams was born in the New York City borough of the Bronx and has spent his life wanting to help people. He had dreams of becoming a pediatric nurse when his father was diagnosed with cancer. He took time to take care of his family as his dad lived out his last days with Hospice care, according to Shondaland.com.

He said, "I had gone through this journey of taking care of my family, doing odd jobs. When he finally passed away, it was a chance for me to say: What do I want to do with myself? What do I want to do with my life? Because I could start focusing on myself. One of my friends said, 'I think you should go into fitness. It's something that aligns with what you wanted to do originally, which was the work in pediatrics as a nurse, and help people, and you're an amazing athlete. I think this is going to be the thing for you.'"

And it was. Williams soon packed up his bags and made the move to the West Coast where he began amassing personal training clients.

Adrian Williams found success and satisfaction on the West Coast, but in 2018, Peloton came calling. Surprisingly, he turned down the chance to audition for the company because he loved his life the way it was. However, when his grandmother died, Williams knew he had to make a change once again — and Peloton was the answer.

He returned home to be with his family and was spending time at the Peloton Studio in Manhattan, where Peloton's Director of Strength, Rebecca Kennedy, saw him and gave him another shot at auditioning to become an instructor. Williams found his current place in life right in New York City, where he was born.

As a Peloton instructor with hundreds of thousands of social media followers, Williams has the life he's always wanted. He helps people become their best selves, while also staying true to himself and his other loves, including passions photography and cooking, according to Holrmagazine.com. While he always has advice on stretching and avoiding injury in every tread and strength class he teaches, Williams does have one requirement for anyone who joins his virtual classes, as he tells Holrmagazine. "The only things that are always non-negotiable are you have to smile, you have to work hard, and you have to have a good time."