Read through my full Peloton app review with everything you need to know about it – even if you don’t have a bike!
Alright, friends. I know I mention the Peloton app alllll the time, but I didn’t realize how many of you had questions about it until recently! Not only will I do a better job of calling out when I take classes that don’t require a bike moving forward, but I thought I’d put together a blog post covering everything you need to know about the app.
To be completely honest, I thought Peloton was a super over-rated company for a while. Who would spend that much money on a bike? What is the big deal about them?! I don’t get it! But then the world shut down and we realized that having a cardio machine (like a bike!) in our home would be a great investment. Quick research showed me that you can still stream Peloton classes even if you don’t have their equipment, so I signed up for a trail of the app to help motivate me… and the rest is history!
Not only have their teachers helped me ENJOY cardio for maybe the first time in my life, but their variety of classes are exactly what I need to stay engaged. I don’t want to do cardio? I’ll take a strength class. Craving something low impact? I’ll take yoga, pilates or barre. If I want a mix, I’ll take a bike bootcamp class. While I think they excel the most in the cycling and strength categories, there are still SO many options for just $12.99 a month. It’s such a no brainer for me!
Peloton App Review
What is the Peloton App?
First of all, the Peloton company has actually been around for a while (since 2012). They have in-person studios in New York and London, similar to Soulcycle and Flywheel. They sell their famous bikes, as well as treadmills, additional workout equipment, and exclusive clothing. This sounds like their target market has only been people with a lot of disposable income, right? Nope! In addition to all of that, you can stream all of their workouts on their app for just $12.99 a month.
As a regular app member, you have access to all of the live and on-demand classes in whatever category you like. They now have strength (which includes barre and pilates), yoga, cardio (HIIT), meditation, running, outdoor walking/running (audio only), cycling, stretching, tread bootcamp, bike bootcamp, and walking classes. I told you! They have SO MANY CLASSES!
In addition to the variety, I also love that your class history is stored, so you can see how many times you worked out each week, tap on a class you want to take again, asses how many cycle vs. strength classes you’ve taken, etc. It’s really nice to have all of that all in one spot!
You can also follow people (my username is LAKESHORELADY) and join hashtags (#LSLcommunity) if you are in need of class suggestions or inspiration.
Price
If you have the Peloton bike or tread, it costs $39 a month. If you do not, then the app only costs $12.99 a month, plus tax (which comes to about $15 a month). I always say this is my easiest monthly expense to justify. Worth every penny.
While those with Peloton equipment get more analytics (hence the extra cost) than regular app members, I don’t really feel like I’m missing out. Sometimes I wish I got an output score or could show up on the leaderboard – but I’m also really pleased with my financial savings 😂 I can still take all of the classes and participate in challenges, plus there are plenty of ways to up your game with a Fitbit, heart rate monitor, and cadence sensor. That being said, if you’re super competitive and want those extras to help motivate you, everyone I know who has their equipment LOVES it. I’m sure I would love it, too!
Availability
Of course, you can stream classes from your phone, tablet, and/or computer – but you can also play it on your TV! If you have a smart TV (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku TV, etc.) or a Fire Stick (like we do!), you can simply download the app and stream all of the classes right there.
Class Selection
I know I’ve already mentioned the variety of classes, but it really is what makes this app so special. In addition to all of the different class types below, you can also choose from different lengths (usually 10 minutes to an hour), as well as difficulty level (beginner, intermediate, and advanced).
Cycling
When people think of Peloton, they automatically think of cycling, right? Even though I don’t have their bike, I still completely understand why they have become the leader in this space, and it is because of the teachers. Their lineup of teachers are all SO impressive, motivating, personable, and unique. Even within the cycling category, you can choose between a low impact class, a climb, intervals, and more. I also LOVE that you can filter by music. Their themed classes are my favorite!
Strength
This is definitely my second favorite category – and it also has a LOT of options. If you don’t have anything but a mat, choose a bodyweight or pilates class. If you want something low impact, go for barre or core. Or if you want to pick up weights and go for it, check out their full body, upper body, and lower body classes. Jess Sims is by far my favorite strength teacher. She is THE BEST.
Yoga
If we’re being honest, I don’t love yoga at home as much as I LOVE yoga in a studio. But since COVID hasn’t let me practice in person in a while, Peloton yoga does the trick for me. You can choose from beginner to advanced classes, from 5 minutes to 75 minutes.
Meditation
If meditating has been on your New Year’s Resolution list for the past 5 years… SAME. Luckily, this app has a TON of quick meditations to add to your routine.
Cardio
If you don’t have a bike or tread but still want to get your heart rate up, this category has HIIT and Dance Cardio classes!
Running
I obviously can’t really speak about these, but if you have a treadmill, definitely check them out!
Outdoor
If you prefer to get your cardio outside instead of inside, they have outdoor classes that are audio only. Put your headphones in and let them guide you through a run or walk… or a mix of both!
Stretching
I don’t take their stretching classes nearly enough, but I always feel better when I do! These range from 5-20 minutes.
Bike Bootcamp
I LOVE THESE CLASSES SO MUCH. Sometimes the thought of sitting on the bike for 30-45 minutes feels like eternity to me, but breaking it up with floor segments makes it so much more exciting! Each class usually starts on the bike, and then you get off to do strength on the floor 1-3 times, depending on how long the class is. I love the combination of cardio and weights (or bodyweight!), and I always feel SO great afterwards.
Tread Bootcamp
To my knowledge, this is the exact same as Bike Bootcamp – just with a treadmill instead of a bike!
Walking
Have a treadmill but don’t want to run? Take a walking class!
Pros of the Peloton App
Stream it from anywhere
You can stream these classes whether you have a computer, a TV, or even just your phone!
The variety of classes
Whether you are a cycling junkie or you just want to take a yoga and/or HIIT class here and there – there’s something for everyone.
You don’t need equipment
This app is worth it even if you don’t have a bike or tread… and honestly even if you don’t have weights! Because of the variety of classes, you can find something for any space/setup.
The instructors are amazing
Within weeks, you will have fallen in love with at LEAST one instructor’s teaching style. Or just them as a person – I’m not judging 😉
Tracking all in one spot
Want to find that class you took last week again? The app keeps track of every class you take.
Community
This is definitely more of a perk for those who have the bike or tread, but I still feel a part of the community as an app user, too! I just can’t high five my friends taking the class or try to beat them on the leaderboard. Regardless, the way the teachers welcome you to each class and shoutout to the live attendees makes you feel like you’re not alone even when you’re all by yourself.
Themed classes and music variety
I personally love a class with throwback pop songs and musical theatre… but I am well aware that plenty of people would NEVER want to cycle to Hamilton 😂 Luckily, I’ve seen everything from club bangers to classic rock to country and more. There really is something for everyone.
On demand classes
If I’m working out from home, I don’t like the pressure of needing to make it to class at a specific time. For some people, that is super motivating (hence their live classes!) – but I much prefer that there is a HUGE archive of on-demand classes for me to choose from, no matter when I’m ready to work out.
The price!
I honestly still can’t believe that this app only costs $12.99. Like I said, it’s my easiest monthly expense to justify. So so so worth it.
Cons of the Peloton App
You can’t search for a specific class
Not going to lie, this is a big pain. You can utilize the filters, but sometimes it’s still hard to find the exact class you’re looking for. That being said, I found a little work-around that I explain in this post!
Fast warm ups/cool downs
The warm ups and cool downs are extremely fast in pretty much all of the classes. I completely understand though – they want each class to be filled to the brim! It just means that you really need to take responsibility for warming up and cooling down on your own.
Basic class descriptions
I’m pretty sure this is mostly due to the sheer amount of new classes coming out each day, but most classes just have a basic description along with a rating and equipment needed, and I often wish it told me a little bit more! Again I know this is picky, but wouldn’t it be nice to know if you were going to be forced to do burpees or not?!
Not a ton of barre and pilates classes
There are a crazy amount of new cycling and strength classes every day, but they do not produce new barre and pilates videos often. I still like the classes I’ve taken in these categories, but I wish there were more options. If they don’t add more, I might look into pairing this app and my training sessions with something like Obe or Melissa Wood Health. We’ll see!
The cycling cues aren’t for off brand bikes
I mean, duh. This is kind of a silly con because of COURSE they aren’t going to cater their cues to bikes that aren’t theirs. But because I don’t have a lot of cons, I’m including this here 😂 Also, to help with this, I just bought this cadence sensor that I’m excited to try out!
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My Favorite Peloton Instructors
I still want to put together a whole big post about this… but in the meantime, here are a few of my favorites!
Cycling
I tend to stick to Ally Love, Cody Rigsby, Alex Toussaint, Robin Arzon, and Tunde Oyeneyin – but there are so many other good ones!
Strength
JESS SIMS FOR LIFE!
Barre/Pilates
I like Ally Love for barre and Emma Lovewell for pilates!
Yoga
Anna Greenberg, Ross Rayburn, Aditi Shah, and Chelsea Jackson Roberts are all good.
Bike Bootcamp
There are only 4 bike bootcamp teachers and every one of them is amazing. I happen to be a Jess Sims superfan, but Cody, Robin, and Tunde’s classes are always great, too!
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Overall Peloton App Review
I think it’s pretty clear that I would highly recommend this app. It was such a huge saving grace of 2020, and even after 10+ months, I’m still not sick of it! If you’re having trouble getting motivated to work out, or you’re just not sure what kind of workout makes you feel the best, stop debating it and just sign up for the trial. They are currently offering 2 months FREE, so you literally have nothing to lose.
Hope that was helpful! Let me know if you have any additional questions in the comments!
PS. You might also like Our Peloton Bike Alternative, The Best At Home Workouts, and The Best Peloton Themed Rides!
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