Peloton is offering free 90 days to use their app and while I’m already a user, I thought I would share my 2 cents including favorite instructors and how to use it to it’s capacity!
So first, you don’t need a bike or tread to access the app. Once your 90 days are over, you can subscribe for $12.99/month which to me is worth it. If you have an Alexa hooked up to your TV, you can also watch Peloton videos from there are as well. This is helpful for the strength, yoga, and cardio.
If you have a stationary bike, you can use the app to do spin workouts. I’ve done Peloton spin workouts using an actual Peloton as well as regular indoor spin bikes. As long as you are aware of your cadence and effort level, you still get a good workout.
My Favorite Spin Instructors (in order of how frequently I ride with them)
- Cody Rigsby
- Emma Lovewell
- Robin
- Alex
- Ally
Cody and Emma I find to be the closest to SoulCycle and FlyWheel instructors because they frequently ride to the beat of the music, making the fact that you might not know your cadence easier.
Peloton Bike Resistance Cheat Sheet
- 20-30 resistance FLAT ROAD, EASIEST
- 30-40 resistance some resistance, EASY where you wanna be for sprints 105+ cadence
- 40-50 resistance, MANAGEABLE CHALLENGE, minimum where you wanna be to ride out of the saddle
- 50-60 resistance, CHALLENGING, this is a HILL you can climb slowly
- 60+ resistance, HARD – this is your max effort
I find that anything rated that is less than an 8.1 on level of difficulty is easy to me using the Peloton bike. Since I’m blind to my resistance using a non branded bike, I’m able to actually push myself harder.
Strength Classes
I posted about my disappointment in their strength classes this weekend and got a lot of feedback that you guys feel the same way. They are always underwhelming, way too much demo’ing and talking in between moves. So, to get the best bang for your buck, here are the best tips:
- Jess Simms appears to be the favorite instructor here
- People also have positive strong feelings towards Chase, Andy and Rebecca with a few nods for Selena and Olivia (who is my favorite tread instructor).
- Stick with the shorter, like 10 minute, classes. They go hard for 10 minutes which cuts down on the banter/demo/explanations.
- Looks for classes rated 8 or harder! Anything else will feel too easy.
- Add in additional reps/sets while they talk/demo.
I personally found Andy and Rebecca to do too much demonstrations and too much rest but that’s just me. I haven’t tried every single class of course.
I haven’t tried too many of the Cardio/HIIT classes except for the dancing to just have fun with the kids. They also have kid friendly/family workouts. I tried to do them with Tommy but he’s a little young. I appreciate the effort during the pandemic to do this though!
The cardio/hiit classes however, I would guess are going to be challenging, I just haven’t given them a try. Rebecca Kennedy and Jess Sims to be favorite there. I sort things by HARDEST and choose from there 🙂
YOGA
I’m biased here but I love the Yoga. I love Kristin McGee and her classes never disappoint. I’ve know of Kristin for over 10 years and I just always do her classes. They are challenging, they feel amazing. I may never go back to a yoga studio. You can do a 10-60 minute yoga class which is enough for me although I usually select 30-45 minutes. I didn’t have blocks the other day so I used diaper packs!
RUNNING
So check out my review from December 2019 on my review of the treadmill running options. I still feel the exact same way. Olivia is my favorite, she’s the hardest and it’s like a Barry’s tread.
As for the outdoor runs, I’m enjoying trying new instructors. I still love Olivia, I tried Matty M and Andy and they were fine… Robin is ok too.
But I do love the audio workouts however, if this is the only thing you use the Peloton app for, I highly recommend you check out MoveWith as I like the audio workouts there better.
There are also meditations which I should probably use for helping my fall asleep, walking and stretching videos which I have yet to try!
In regards to the Bootcamp classes, see my review from December.
Conclusion
So I had the opportunity to try a bike today that is $400 (shipping included) with a Cody workout. Guys… it made me seriously question why I want a Peloton bike when we officially move. It was great. I saw my cadence, I was working hard and it got the job done. If you buy the $2200 bike, you pay $40 a month BUT if you use your own bike, it’s still just $12.99, you just won’t appear on a leaderboard or know your exact power.
I do like the app but as someone who does strength 3 days a week, I’m not giving up my FWTFL workouts over it. If I’m only going to use the bike 1-2 times a week, should I really be spending that much money!?
I am looking forward to sharing my review of this cheaper alternative bike.
