My Absolutely Honest Peloton Review
PELOTON was started with the goal of bringing the “community and excitement of boutique fitness into the home”. The idea of bringing a community of fitness oriented people together in their own homes to work out on their own time but still feel the energy of the group is brilliant. As so many of us struggle to find the time in our extremely busy lives to make it to the gym or to attend a fitness class that we once loved Peloton could be the opportunity that we have been looking for. This is my completely honest review of Peloton after having my bike and subscription for about three years.
For those of us wanting or needing to fit our workouts in at home our options are to work out by ourselves designing our own workout plan or following one we have purchased or found online. Fitness videos used to be DVDs (you know that old P90X set still hanging around) until we had access to Youtube and other apps and the infinite workouts available . These still all have us working out alone, on our own, with no one around to motivate us or cheer us on in a personal and meaningful way. Peloton is the solution for a guided workout by a professional instructor in a class setting that you do not have to leave your house for and can do at any time that works for you.
I used to spend a lot of time in the gym. In my twenties this was long workouts as many days a week as I possibly could. I would get my cardio in first, generally about 30-45 minutes on the old school stairmasters on as high a level as I could. Occasionally it would be the treadmill or the elliptical, but that stairmaster was where it was at for me. After that I would do a weight lifting workout, usually a different body part each day and work hard enough that I couldn’t dream of doing that body part again for days. Typically I would end with core work and stretch. Total time in the gym was around two hours a day several days a week.
Over the course of adult life with various jobs, a demanding graduate school schedule, and then having babies the workouts adapted as needed. I was still in the gym until I was about 9 months pregnant with my first son. Later both boys got dropped at the gym daycare room while I worked out. There were many times when there could be no workout at all or often when they were little when I would strap one on my body and the other in the stroller and take off walking or hiking. I wish I had my Peloton bike back then and could have just hopped on for a ride while they were napping.
My goal has always been to be fit. I understand how difficult it is to make the time for yourself. I have often struggled but working out at home obviously makes it easier to fit it in because at the very least the travel time to and from the gym is spared. I understand that many people think they require the gym atmosphere with others working out around them or a class of people doing the same thing which encourages and motivates them. I personally have typically preferred to work out on my own so switching from the gym to home workouts for me when life made that more doable wasn’t difficult. It definitely helps if you are a self motivated person when it comes to your personal fitness.
My motivation is the need to feel like I am fit and healthy. Mentally, I have to work my body hard for a release and to reset myself. When I go too long without a workout I definitely suffer, feeling more tired, less focused, and a little down or moody. The relief and positive mind and body experience post workout is all the motivation I need (and some good music in my ears to keep me going!). I know others struggle with this and benefit much more from having people around to push them through so a class setting is needed. Peloton is able to provide the class opportunity in a way that makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of the action.
After hearing praise of Peloton from others I began doing research and decided to go for it. I ordered my bike with the no interest monthly payment option and got the shoes and light weights with the bike. The biggest drawback for me at the time was trying to wrap my mind around having to watch a video on the screen rather than being able to listen to my own music or watch something else while I rode, as I had been doing with my previous bike. This also required the Peloton subscription, which for me was more than I paid for a gym membership and did give me pause for a minute.
Once I got started with the rides and found my groove I realized that the subscription was worth it. I didn’t have to take the time going to the gym and now had gained a community of people riding together alongside me. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t physically in the room with them. Peloton makes it feel like you are right there, a part of the energy all moving together that feeds you enough to keep you going. The instructors also seem like they are right there in front of you, providing one on one instruction, connected with you in that moment in a very real and motivating way. Add in the leaderboard, where you are essentially competing with others riding the same ride, and you have more motivation to work hard. I would find myself pushing to beat my own record on the last ride and to push myself harder than ever before if I wanted to beat someone else keeping pace with me on the leaderboard. This is funny for me because I have never been competitive and this aspect did not seem appealing to me at all before I started. Peloton encourages each of us to harness our inner athlete for sure.
The struggle was real in the beginning. The rides are tough and I pushed myself hard. There were some rides that I didn’t think I could finish…but did. There were a few in the beginning when I was watching the clock thinking it has to be almost over. On the other side of all that, there were rides that I wish I had chosen a longer one. I started adding the warm up and cool down rides before and after my rides when I realized how much that helped my performance in the ride. Now, after a few years of riding, as long as I stay consistent (no vacation or sickness basically) each ride feels good and I generally wish I had taken more time for a longer ride.
Eventually I began using the whole platform in addition to just the rides. I think this is where the huge benefit of the platform and subscription come in. No longer just a ride with me doing my own long lifting workout, I started using the strength workouts as well. Just as I always had in the gym, I did lower body one day, upper body one day, added core workouts at the end, and then stretching, yoga, even boxing! I could stack workouts and get a solid ride that flushed my whole body out, a strength workout for the body parts needed that day, and a core workout and still be finished in under an hour if needed.
Most importantly, the feeling I experience after a ride is amazing. Yes, it is hard work! We each work out on our own level, at our own pace, pushing when we can. This platform pushes me to go harder with my cardio, no matter how hard it is in the moment, and in the end the release of everything pent up in mind and body can’t be matched by doing anything else. These workouts are truly cleansing.
After riding and working out with many of the instructors I have found my favorites that I tend to go back to. There are a couple that I prefer to ride with, others for strength workouts for specific body parts, some for their music playlists or for certain moods or needs I have on any given day.
My all time favorite instructor is ROBIN ARZON (@ROBINNYC on Instagram). She is amazing. I find myself always motivated with her as she provides excellent encouragement in an honest and straightforward way. She shares her own fitness journey and provides context, background, and thorough instruction in all of her classes. Robin takes the time to explain how to do a movement and why the form is important for that particular movement so that it makes sense. My problem with some videos I have used in the past is that I haven’t been sure I’m doing it correctly, or what muscle I am supposed to be working or how it should be feeling. She is very clear about everything. Her rides are great because she not only motivates and pushes for hard work, her playlists keep me moving and she often distracts with anecdotes on things I can personally relate to. She also grew up in the 80s and talks about that 80s nostalgia. She likes 90s hip hop (which I was definitely shaking it to in my day) and as a former attorney turned fitness professional, ultra marathon runner, and now mother of two she is the whole picture of someone who strives for greatness in a way that makes you want to be great alongside her. She makes you feel like she is literally right there with you, pushes you to kill your excuses and encourages you lift yourself up in all ways. Robin is a genuine bad ass.
l also love ALLY LOVE (@allymisslove on Instagram). I have done so many rides with her and got off the bike feeling a type of way. She is young and fresh and always positive in a way that makes you feel good no matter how you got on the bike feeling. Early in my Peloton experience I discovered her series Sundays with Love. On these days these rides were my church. I have cried with her, laughed with her, rocked out with her. She always plays great music also. Ally also instructs excellent Barre classes. I had never done a barre class (well, since ballet as a kid) until doing one on Peloton with Ally. These small movements may look easy and may make one question how good of a workout this can possibly be for someone who lifts heavier weights etc, but let me tell you…the thigh and glute burn is real. There is nothing else that burns quite like this. My husband and sons see me doing these workouts and think I’m suffering. They sometimes laugh at me. I tell them to try it. There is no way they would make it through one. On and off the bike Ally is fun, encouraging, inspiring and pushes a hard workout. Ally is a boss.
My favorite male instructor is Adrian Williams (@adrianwilliamsnyc on Instagram). He is my go to lower body instructor. His workouts are tough but solid. He works hard with little breaks and just when I think man, he wants me to do what?!, I push harder and get it done because… how can you not when he’s standing there in front of you telling you to do it! He keeps it real and I appreciate that. Sometimes he even gets a laugh out of me! Also plays great music and shares short personal anecdotes so you feel like you know him just a little bit or at least that you definitely want to. I like all of his strength workouts and he has an excellent split workout series.
I also love Leanne Hainsby, my “done and dusted” British instructor. She is amazingly positive at all times, a beautiful spirit and someone who truly enjoy what she does. Her British counterpart, Ben Alldis, is similar. He is very positive, easy going demeanor, plays great electronica and dance music and does a variety of rides and strength workouts that I mix in. I ride with both of them and do some strength workouts with Ben.
Olivia Amato is my ‘when I want my abs to burn like hell’ instructor. I like her core workouts because she gets a lot of work done in ten minutes and usually does a no repeat core workout so you can stay moving and working the entire time without doing the same movement over a lot. She also instructs great rides.
I have done rides, workouts and programs with several other instructors and had good experiences with all of them, but these are who I have found to be the best for me with my needs and goals.
So….Yes! I love my Peloton and am very glad that I found the platform, took the chance and ordered my bike and wrapped my mind around the subscription and following along with class style workouts which had not typically been my style of workout. I am a huge fan. This platform saved me at a time in my life when getting to the gym was impossible with my crazy family schedule (and especially during covid!) but my fitness had to be a priority as well for my own mental and physical health.
Do I feel like it is the absolute best option for everyone out there? Maybe not. Nothing can be a perfect fit for everyone. We all have different needs, goals, abilities, and many other factors that make some of us successful with something that absolutely won’t work for others. Some people may perceive that this is “not enough” for them. This may be the issue for those who are doing heavy lifting workouts in the gym with more equipment required and tend to work out with very set gain goals, pushing to max out and needing heavier weight. However, I will say that I continue to increase my weight with Peloton workouts and am now working out at home with heavier weights than I was in the gym. For those people I would say the Peloton is great for daily cardio and some workouts to supplement the heavy load days when bar, rack and bench are needed. The only other issue would be for those who lack self motivation to get started, but that will still be an issue if you are going to the gym or to a class, and in my opinion, having the access to everything on the platform right at home requires less motivation. You can literally just put down your coffee cup and hop on the bike or start a class with zero effort or steps to get started.
NO EXCUSES.
No matter what your individual issues may be, I feel like this platform can benefit anyone. It is an “easy” way to get in solid workouts in your own private home. A great option if you need to be in your home but enjoy working with an instructor and/or in a class setting, especially if you can benefit from this but still like the privacy of no one watching while you work. This platform brings the class to you and the instructor is right there in front of you in a way that I haven’t experienced with any other video workouts. It also works perfectly for those of you who enjoy being in the gym working out around the collective energy of others but work out on your own.
Now, I primarily only use the Peloton platform. I start with a ride, switching it up between HIIT (high intensity interval training) rides, tabata (more intense generally two to one work/rest ratio) and longer endurance or power zone rides at a more consistent work level. I stack on either a total body strength workout, glutes and legs, upper body shoulder/arms, or chest and back workout depending on the day and add on a ten to twenty minute core workout to finish it off most days. I also like to mix in barre workouts some days, or if I am burnt out on the bike or resting from my more intense cardio I will do barre. The stretching sessions are great to add after workouts and on rest days also. I like the split workouts and the various programs offered to mix it up sometimes. There is much more offered than I what I have mentioned.
Sometimes I do miss the gym and think I should add in at least a day a week for my legs because I don’t have a bar or squat rack at home. I use only dumbbells and the weight I need for lower body with dumbbells is difficult on my upper body. The beauty of the platform is dumbbells are all you need for the strength workouts. I am used to having cables and bars at the gym and do miss those at times. One my perceive that they are not working as hard as they are used to in the gym because it takes much less time for a complete workout than typically spent in a gym session. The plus side here is: It takes less time! In reality, I know that I am still getting very good workouts in. The instructors keep the pace going with little rest time versus waiting around for a bench or machine in the gym and getting distracted which all adds on time to the workout but doesn’t add quality to the workout. It is just a time perception issue here.
The platform allows for as much work to be put in as each individual wants on any given day. Need more rest? Pause the video between sets and catch your breath. Finish the workout and feel like you aren’t fatigued or didn’t get in as much as you want? Stack another workout on or choose a thirty minute leg workout next time instead of twenty. Have a day you want to totally kick ass? Do an hour long bootcamp. Day you really aren’t feeling it but want to get something in? Do a low impact ride or a total body strength to hit everything and be done quickly or just modify the ride or workout as you need to for whatever you have going on.
The bottom line is that anyone can benefit from this. We have a community of people who all have similar goals: wanting to be more fit and feel good. It is hard to explain, but the platform does indeed make you feel like you are part of that community and always surrounded by people sweating it out, going through their own issues, working hard and enjoying the benefits of these amazing workouts alongside you. It is a great way to push yourself to break barriers you may or may not have even known you had. Peloton provides the opportunity for each of us to harness our inner athlete and at the end of the day actually feel like one as we not only see changes happening with our bodies, but most importantly FEEL amazing. My day is ALWAYS improved by taking the time for myself to accomplish my workout. My days that I work out are ALWAYS my better days and finally, rather than dreading lacing up and heading to the gym, I look forward to my workout without having to leave my house and continue on with my day with a glow that does not come from anything else but working hard.
While there are many was to accomplish this hard work, Peloton provides the opportunity to get it in a variety of ways, takes any guesswork out of working out and allows you to do it all in the comfort of your own home. As with any workout plan, gym or instructor, you will only ever get out of it what you put in. Open your mind to pushing your body and you will put the work in. Push through the beginning phase of difficulty until you begin to actually feel the results and the work becomes a little less hard. That’s when you know you can push harder and feel even better. Then keep going and never look back. Having the Peloton platform, a bike or tread in your home, an app on your ipad, tv, phone in your hand even on vacation or in your hotel room while working means no excuses. It can ALWAYS be done. That, for me, is what makes the biggest difference with Peloton. The most consistent workouts in a very busy mom/work/family life because it is all right here all the time and just like the rest of life- you can choose your own adventure each and every workout to fit the time you have and the intensity level you can give. Your reward, like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, is that feeling you have as the sweat is dripping and you are glowing like you are on fire.
PS
This is simply me talking to you. I have paid for all of my own Peloton equipment and monthly subscription. I do not earn any money from this post.
PSS
I just looked at my Peloton app and my homepage tells me it is time to start my 600th strength workout! It keeps track of everything for you and at any time you can see how many of each workout type or ride you have done etc. You can do recorded workouts on demand as needed or live workouts if you can look at the schedule and catch one. I’m going to do my ride and my 600th strength workout today will be a glutes and legs with Adrian!
About Daydreams & Ponderings
A lifestyle blog that goes deeper. A space for us to come together to share life experiences, thoughts, dreams, and maybe some ramblings.
Posts on family & relationships, personal health & wellness, travel, beauty, food & cocktails and all of our daydreams and ponderings.