The Jock Jams tune starts playing in your ear, and she tells you it’s time for a listening game. Butt kicks. High knees. You’re starting to get that glazed donut look. Going on a run with Jess Sims’s voice in your ear is like jogging alongside your best friend, favorite coach and motivational speaker. For millions of people around the world, Sims is the friend they go to seeking advice, validation and the constant reminder that we can do hard things.
A self proclaimed “teacher at heart,” Sims has inspired everyone from Boomers to young kids to get more active while stuck at home during the pandemic. She wants you to try new things, get a little sweaty while building confidence, and most of all, she wants you to have fun.
Her positive presence and radiant energy isn’t just something she turns on to lead a workout. I had the pleasure of speaking to Sims from her new home (and for the initiated, yes, both her dogs made appearances during our interview) and can confirm that she is as down to earth, energetic and upbeat as she is when she comes through your screen during a bike bootcamp or ‘Flash 15.’ Sims draws from her experience as a kindergarten teacher and school administrator to excel as a Peloton instructor. She talks openly about her journey and shares how all of her prior roles were integral in shaping who she is today.
Jess Sims
Sara Haile
Amy Shoenthal: Can you share a bit about your journey from teacher to fitness instructor?
Jess Sims: I’m a teacher at heart. I was the captain of my college basketball team, not because I was the best player but because I loved working with people to help them become better versions of themselves. I was a three sport captain in high school too. Through sport I honed a lot of my leadership and teaching skills.
I started my teaching career by applying to Teach for America after college. That first job took me down to Houston, Texas where I taught fifth and third grade. Shortly after that, I was recruited to be a kindergarten teacher at a brand new school back in New York, which brought me closer to my family. I eventually became the operations director for two years at a school in Harlem. Then I found what I thought was my dream job, an assistant principal.
Everything I did had a common theme and it was usually health and wellness related. For example, I created a program where for 20 minutes a day, we would try one new thing from food to fitness. Each day had a different theme, so one day was green juice, avocado, plantain, meditation, yoga, zumba. It was incredible. I learned how to keep 4-5 year olds engaged. My heart is with kids and especially young girls and women. I love helping women tap into their strength.
I never thought I could leave teaching because I loved it so much. I had put so much time and energy into it. I even got my masters while down in Houston doing Teach for America. But after a lot of conversations, I realized being a fitness instructor still allowed me to be a teacher, just in a different setting. As I made the transition and looked back at my journey I realized I wasn’t throwing away any of the work I had done. I always say ‘you live life moving forward but it only makes sense looking backward.’
In June 2016 I made the leap to full time fitness instruction. I got my personal trainer certification and started to go to a lot of boutique studios in NYC so I could figure out what I loved. That ended up being boxing, weight training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training.) So I did that for two years. I started at Peloton in September 2018 and was announced and officially on the schedule in November 2018.
Shoenthal: Tell me how the skills you developed during all those years of teaching children translated into teaching adults fitness?
Sims: Amy! Adults are just taller children! And sometimes not even that much taller.
Everything translates over. Kids love music — that’s something that connects with people of all ages. You have to give explicit direction. You don’t just say to a kindergartener, pick up your pencil. You say ‘take your hand with your thumb and your pointer finger and put it on your pencil, then lift it.’ You have to be exact, precise. Same thing with adults — when I’m teaching a clean, that’s a really tough movement. So I have to break it down little by little. It’s the economy of language. Instead of talking in paragraphs you break it up into short chunks: feet under hips, push the hips back, slingshot forward. Actionable, bitable things that keep it fun and engaging.
From Jess Sims’ early teaching days
Peloton
Shoenthal: Why do you think Peloton has taken off the way it has — even prior to the pandemic?
Sims: We take the excuse and the accessibility out of the equation. You always hear that people don’t have time or resources. You can’t say that anymore. We have everything from a five minute bodyweight class to a 90 minute heart rate zone class and so much in between. So if you have five minutes or 90 minutes, if you want to take your heart rate up, stretch, do yoga, or if you’re just trying to sleep better and stress less, we have sleep meditations. There’s something for everyone.
And the sweet spot of Peloton — our secret sauce — is the community. Instructors are hired and told to be our truest selves. And because of that, you can find an instructor who you see yourself in. We’re very open. You know all about my dog Sienna Grace, you know about my new dog Shiloh. My favorite thing is when members connect with each other over a shared love of a class or instructor. There are so many groups you can connect in: Physicians, Peloton moms, Black Girl Magic. Community is formed outside of me. It’s bigger than me. People end up quitting because they don’t have that support, but if someone texts a group chat and says they’re hopping on the bike you’re more likely to join them.
Shoenthal: Can you talk about your transition to leading workouts from your home? Did you have to get a whole new home setup to accommodate?
Sims: Peloton sent me a huge treasure chest of everything I could possibly need from towels to batteries to tape so my headphones didn’t fall out of my ears. Every single person in every single role at Peloton takes their job so seriously because they understand the bigger picture of what we’re doing for this world.
I lived in a New York City studio apartment when we did the live from home workouts. Next to my bed was my mat, and that was my workout area. What you saw peeking into the frame was my nicely made bed but if I ever flipped the camera it was wires and a huge mess on the other side.
Every member I talked to loved it. It was another level of intimacy. We’re always in your homes and now you were in our homes.
Shoenthal: Speaking of community, I feel like a lot of us who stayed in the city through the thick of it have this very special bond. How do you feel about the vibe of New York City these days?
Sims: I would never give any time of day to anyone who says New York City is dead. They weren’t there every night while everyone was cheering for first responders. I was on the 40th floor of a building at that time and you could hear it from there. We knew we were going to get hit hard, but once we got over that initial hump, we had the sense of camaraderie because we were all getting through it together.
Shoenthal: How does it feel to have millions of people all over the country, maybe the world, who have you in their homes everyday, who consider you someone akin to their best friend?
Sims: It is so weird and so powerful and really a privilege. I truly feel honored to have that role in so many people’s lives, specifically in the last year for obvious reasons. It’s humbling that I can be there for people when they need it the most to provide a good sweat, to provide comic relief and to provide community.
But yes, there is a level of anonymity that I don’t have anymore. Meanwhile people recognize Sienna Grace when I’m out walking her and no lie, I’ve had men come up to me and I’m like, oh here we go, and then they ask ‘Is that Sienna? I think I follow her on Instagram’ and I’m like no you follow me, but sure.
Shoenthal: What’s your planning process like when coming up with a new workout? How do you keep it different and interesting?
Sims: You could do squats, lunges and planks every day for the rest of your life and be in fantastic shape. So you don’t want to stray too far from the basics. The way I try to spice things up is with music or in a more advanced class I’ll try to teach a new move. That way people can feel like they’re working towards something. So when they first try something like a windmill or a devil’s press, maybe they’re terrible at it but then they have the space to improve. This is why I love EMAMS (every minute on the minute) so much. Working towards your rest keeps you present and excited for the next time you’re going to do it. I don’t want you holding a weight and wondering what you’re eating later. I want you in the zone. That’s how I keep things fresh. So when I’m planning I’m asking myself, how do I get their minds, bodies and hearts involved?
Shoenthal: From glazed donuts to sexy transitions, and reminding us that we’re not allowed to go to the butt museum, how did you come up with some of your most iconic catchphrases?
Sims: I cannot be held responsible for the words that come out of my mouth while I’m running on a treadmill while talking. Glazed donuts, well, I just love food. I love donuts, and I’m serious, when I get sweaty I look like a glazed donut, you could take a bite out of me.
The sexy transition phrase actually comes from a college professor who said to us, ‘a cochlear implant is sexual.’ And everyone in the class looked at each other. It was her way of saying a cochlear implant is cool and awesome, but I loved the reaction it elicited. It was her way of getting us to remember it.
The memes that have come out of it are amazing, like when people compare their sexy transitions to a whale flopping on the ground.
Shoenthal: What gets you motivated to work out even on off days? How do you keep us pumped up if you’re not feeling it?
Sims: Two things on that. First, I am obsessed with our instructor team. When you walk in the instructor room, that is our chance to let all of it out before heading in to do your job. Because no one understands what we go through as instructors except for other instructors. So it’s great to be able to have that safe space with each other.
The second thing is, I don’t take my job lightly. I understand I might be the only person saying something positive to someone all day. My basketball coaches used to say, you step onto the court, check your baggage at the door and everything else disappears. I use Peloton as my escape, my enjoyment. So even if I don’t feel the energy, it always comes once I step on that tread or that mat.
Shoenthal: How did you mimic that instructor room when you had to do the live from home workouts?
Sims: There’s different sub groups and group texts with different people. So I have instructors who I’m super close with, for me it’s mostly Chelsea and Tunde. Just like you’ll go to a different instructor for different moods, like you go to Cody if you’re feeling sassy, or you’ll take a Robin class because you want to feel like a badass, I go to different people for different things. For me they’re only a text away.
Shoenthal: You and I first bonded over our shared love of Jock Jams. Where does your love for this music come from?
Sims: I’m a 90’s girl. 90’s Hip Hop, R&B and Jock Jams are my life. It makes me immediately happy. I think it’s because of all the sports I played growing up. We had a DJ at all our high school games. We would be playing Pump Up The Jam, Everybody Everybody, Space Jam, Be My Lover, Hip Hop Hooray. Hearing the songs I heard playing sports growing up gives me a sense of pride and energy.
Shoenthal: What’s your favorite type of class to teach? To take?
Sims: The Saturday 60 is my favorite all around class. 60 minutes is a great amount of time to get everything in. You just feel so accomplished at the end. It’s hard but you can be like, damn I just did that.
I love the Flash 15 because it’s so efficient and it literally flies by. The bike bootcamp is so great. I love working hard for a short amount of time and then recovering because it keeps my mind and my body busy.
I love taking interval classes. I love chipping away at a big goal like that, and being able to look back at the end of a class and say wow I just did 15 intervals.
Shoenthal: You are so passionate about what you do. What advice would you give to someone looking to make their passion project their full time job?
Sims: Really clarify, is this your passion? To ask this question you need to get rid of the ‘shoulds.’ We’ve been told you should do this, you should go to college, you should get a job after. If money was not a thing and you didn’t have to worry about failing, what is something you’d wake up at 5am to do for free? That is something that lights you up.
From there, you need a plan. Without any sort of blueprint you’ll get lost and discouraged. And on the days you feel really lost, remember that it’s not about how much experience you have, but your ability to learn quickly, contribute quickly and adapt quickly. If you can do those three things, that is going to bring you success. Those are transferable skills, whether you’re a teacher in a classroom or a teacher in front of millions of people for Peloton.
