I Tried The Peloton App For Two Weeks Without A Bike Or Treadmill — Here Are My Honest Thoughts
Hey! It's me, Fabiana, back again to chat about working out. I've written a lot about exercise and movement — including how working out didn't really click for me until college, and the approach I take now to keep exercise consistent and something that I genuinely look forward to.
For me, there's been a lot of trial and error along the way as I've worked to figure out what works best for my body and which exercises I actually enjoy doing.
I've tried just about every workout under the sun — Pilates, spin, yoga, strength training — and right now, my current workout routine consists of HIIT-style classes with strength-training workouts sprinkled in throughout the week.
But there's one workout I've never actually tried until now — and it's arguably the one that people seem to talk about most: Peloton.
(And that's for better or for worse.)
To be honest, I'm not a fan of stationary bikes or running on a treadmill. Because of that, I never had much interest in trying Peloton, despite knowing plenty of people who rave about it. Still, I'm always open to switching things up and stepping out of my gym comfort zone — so I decided to finally try it out.
Instead of testing out their bike or treadmill, I decided to try out everything else their app offers: strength training, meditation, yoga, walking, running, barre, and cardio. I figured this approach would at least increase the chances of me finding something I liked — and it was also way easier on my wallet.
Peloton
Peloton's bike and treadmill are expensive AF — literally hundreds or thousands of dollars — but their app only costs $12.99 a month and comes with a free trial.
Plus, from what I understand, part of the reason why people love Peloton so much is because of the experience, not necessarily the equipment. You can still join live classes and take your favorite instructors' workouts, despite not having a Peloton-branded bike or treadmill.
So I downloaded a free trial of the Peloton app and decided to try it out for two weeks.
Here's how I approached it:
? Choosing an instructor: This is probably the most daunting part for any new app user — because there are so many to choose from. But I started by choosing a workout category, like strength training or yoga. From there, I scrolled through filtered-down workouts that fit into my schedule (either pre-recorded or live), or I selected one that was led by an instructor I heard great things about.
? Streaming a workout: I mainly used my phone and occasionally my iPad to stream the workouts.
? Scheduling a workout: I worked out as often as I could with the Peloton app for two weeks. I skipped some days, especially during the second week, due to me feeling sore or because a day was hectic and I wasn't able to fit in a workout.
Here's how my experience trying the Peloton app went.
WEEK #1:
I wanted to start off strong for my very first workout of the week, so I went with a 30-minute upper-body strength workout with Rebecca Kennedy. I paired it with weights that I already had at home.
The workout started off with a short warmup and activation series to get the muscles loose and mobile, which I appreciated. The rest of the 30 minutes consisted of push and pull strength training moves such as rows, chest presses, bicep curls, and reverse flies.
This was definitely a standard strength-training workout — no fancy bells or whistles. Participants had rated the class a 7.1/10 for difficulty, and I found that rating to be spot on. The class moved a bit slow for my liking, but aside from that, I felt like I got a good upper-body workout in. I also appreciated the instructor's cues throughout the workout, and her playlist was right up my alley.
The next day my upper body felt more sore than I expected it to feel. But since it was still early in the week, I went for another strength workout, this time a 30-minute glutes and legs strength class with Jess Sims.
I opened the app and did a quick scroll through the strength section before selecting this lower-body workout with Jess, one of the instructors who I've heard great things about. I was eager to get going, so I skipped the intro, a nice little feature the app gives you. (The intro is really just the instructor introducing themselves and explaining the workout, but I guess you could say I'm a bit impatient.)
Although this wasn't a live class, I loved the energy of the workout. After the warmup, the workout began with bodyweight moves before the instructor told us to pick up our weights. Halfway through, my heart rate was up, and I was sweating from the many lunges, deadlifts, and glute bridges I just did.
At first I thought 30 minutes would be too short of a workout for me — since mine are usually 45 minutes to an hour long. But by the end of it, I was lying on my mat wondering what I just did to my legs because they felt like jelly. While lying in a puddle of my own sweat, I thought back to a quote Jess said during class, "Discipline is saying what you wanted to do before your feelings got into the way." If that isn't inspiring, I don't know what is!
By midweek, I was sore and tired. I figured this was perfect timing to take advantage of one of the slower-paced workouts Peloton offered.
Peloton
My lower body felt tight and sore from yesterday's lower body workout, so when I saw my option to take a 10-minute focus flow for the hips with Kristin McGee, I did a happy dance. The instructor explained how the flow was perfect for those who wanted to stretch before or after a workout, a run, or if they're feeling sore (such as I was), and want to get blood flowing to those tired muscles.
I've taken plenty of online yoga workouts, and they all have different vibes to them. Some have moody lighting, some have calming music playing in the background, some instructors leading the class speak in a soft voice, and the list goes on.
This flow was straight to the point and got the job done of stretching my muscles. With that being said, the soft acoustic music was barely loud enough for me to hear it, and the instructor simply gave instruction without saying any inspirational words, which is not necessary, but it's honestly a nice touch for these types of workouts. I enjoyed this workout, but it wasn't my favorite.
Later that day I was feeling a bit overwhelmed from a busy day, so I sat on my yoga mat and chose to do a 10-minute meditation led by Chelsea Jackson Roberts.
Peloton
I'm someone who has been wanting to incorporate more calming, meditative moments into my life, but honestly, I keep finding excuses for why I don't set time aside for it in my day to day. I tried a few meditating apps before, and none of them did it for me, so I was excited to try this courage mediation session. It's all about being open-minded, right?
Is it dramatic to say this 10-minute meditation might have been life changing??? That's a bit of an extreme opinion, but for someone who struggles with turning off her brain, I finally felt like I was able to shut out my thoughts — even if it was for only a few minutes — and listen to Chelsea's soothing voice. By the end of it, I was left feeling more grounded, encouraged, and any overwhelmed feeling I had prior to the session was gone from my body.
I closed out the first week with a 20-minute HIIT cardio workout led by Callie Gullickson.
I actually knew of Callie from when she was a trainer at a popular gym in NYC, and I loved her classes there — so I was excited to see a familiar face on the app. This workout was everything I expected it to be: challenging, sweaty, and fun. The Peloton app tells the user what equipment is needed in each workout before you click start so that you know exactly what to expect, so I was more than happy (weird, I know) to see that Callie was using light weights in this workout. After 20 minutes of thrusters, bicep curls, lateral crawls, and squat jumps, I was shockingly smiling and beyond energized for the rest of my day.
WEEK #2:
Since my first week of trying the Peloton app mainly consisted of pre-recorded workouts from the app's library, I decided to try a live workout to kick off week #2. I chose a 20-minute glutes and legs strength class led by Ben Alldis.
Peloton
I woke up early that morning and opened my Peloton app. Under the "Classes" tab, I clicked on 'Schedule' — which showed me all of the week's live classes — and from there, I signed up for that morning's strength workout. As I was sweating through squats and watching users pass each other on the leaderboard, I was able to see what the Peloton hype was all about when it came to the community.
It was comforting to know that all these other strangers were taking class with me and we were all in it together. I even got a shoutout from the instructor! I enjoyed Ben's energy, and his cues on form were so helpful and easy to understand; I found myself making a few adjustments as he spoke.
The next day, I used my midday break as an opportunity to try out a 30-minute R&B walk, again with Rebecca Kennedy.
Ariana Grance / Via giphy.com
I had no idea what to expect from a "guided walk" — since I've never done one before. But all I can say is that I really loved it! Typically when I go for a walk around my neighborhood, I prefer to listen to music or a podcast depending on my mood, so this walk led by Rebecca was kind of like the best of both worlds.
For starters, the playlist was really great. It was definitely a different vibe from what I typically listen to, but I was all about it. I also loved Rebecca's energy in this workout compared to her strength class I took last week. Her walking cues were helpful, and I learned a few things such as how to lean my body when walking, proper foot placement, and when to engage my core. Guided walks = game changer.
Since yesterday was more of an active recovery day, I was ready to pick up my weights again for a 45-minute advanced full-body strength workout with Andy Speer.
Peloton
This was my longest Peloton workout yet, and wow, my muscles were definitely feeling it. This was another traditional strength workout with exercises that I've done before. I appreciated Andy's warmup because I'm a big advocate of mobility work, which he included in the first few minutes of class. I will admit, Andy talked a little too much throughout the workout for my liking. At some points I just wanted to zone out and listen to the music, but that was tricky to do because every few seconds Andy popped back in to talk our ears off.
Despite my thoughts on the constant chatter, this workout caused me to break a serious sweat, it made my muscles burn, and I felt strong afterward, which are all wins in my fitness book.
The next day, I doubled up: I combined Olivia Amato's 10-minute HIIT cardio with a 30-minute pop yoga flow led by Anna Greenberg — and it was probably one of the best workout combos ever.
Lizzo / Via giphy.com
I started with a HIIT cardio workout led by Olivia, and she was another one of those trainers who I'd heard really great things about, so I was excited to take her class. Being someone who is not a big fan of cardio-only workouts, I can't rave enough about how much Olivia motivated me during those sweaty 10 minutes. Her playlist was upbeat and fun, her commentary was relatable yet encouraging, and her little side remarks made me smile as I huffed and puffed through rounds of jumping jacks.
Next, I cooled down with a pop yoga flow with Anna. I was a bit nervous to take such a long yoga class, but it ended up being much better than I expected. Of course, the pop hits helped, but in addition to that, the pacing of the class was perfect compared to other yoga workouts I've done in the past that were too slow and drawn out. By the end of this 40-minute combined workout, I low-key felt like a new person.
My last workout of the week was a 20-minute hip-hop barre class with Hannah Corbin — and by this point, I was pretty convinced that Peloton really has a workout for everyone.
I didn't realize Peloton offered barre classes until I did some more digging on the app. I was a bit confused on why these workouts were hidden under the "Collections" tab in the app, but either way I was happy I stumbled upon them. For me, it was hard not to love this class because I'm a fan of barre workouts. Throw music by Nicki Minaj and Drake into the mix, and it's a perfect marriage.
Hannah had a really fun way about her teaching and her instruction. Whether you're familiar with barre workouts or not, she made it easy to understand the moves she was doing and what muscle was supposed to be activated at what times. This was a perfect low-impact workout to close out the week with.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Price point: 9/10
Peloton offers a free trial period for new users — and as of this writing, the promotion they have is two months free. After the trial, it'll cost you $12.99 a month plus tax. Keep in mind that that price will grant you a membership to take the live and on-demand classes streamed onto your phone, laptop, or TV.
If you want an all-access membership for your bike or treadmill experience, it begins at $39.99 plus tax. From my understanding, the only difference between the two memberships is the equipment. If you're just interested in the regular membership, I think that price is affordable, although it is a bit higher compared to virtual fitness competitors such as one of my personal favorites, Apple Fitness (which costs $9.99 a month).
Workout variety: 9/10
Regardless of what type of workouts you enjoy, Peloton truly has something for everyone. I appreciated not only the different types of workouts — but the various levels of difficulty in the workouts, so someone who is a beginner can find a workout that they can keep up with, while someone who is a regular gym-goer can follow a more advanced or challenging option. Bottom line: You won't get bored.
How the Peloton app compares to other fitness apps: 8/10
Although I really enjoyed all that Peloton offered, there are a lot of other fitness apps (such as Apple Fitness) that are just as good and cost less, in my opinion. I think there is something to say about Peloton's fun virtual community and its charismatic instructors who make each class their own, but my advice is to try different fitness apps (through free trials) to find what best suits your fitness goals.
Was the app easy to use? 7/10
Overall, the app was very easy to use. I did wonder why some classes and programs — such as the barre workouts — were hidden. It took me some time to discover all the app had to offer, but aside from that, it was a pretty user-friendly experience. I loved how I was able to see a brief summary of each class, its level of difficulty, and the equipment needed. I also appreciated how the types of workouts were categorized and how each instructor had a brief bio so you could learn about each person before taking their class.
Would I recommend the app? 8/10
I recommend the Peloton app to anyone who enjoys both virtual workouts and group fitness. Although I was working out alone when using the app, I loved the energy of the live classes and how the instructor would give shoutouts to members, just like an instructor would in an in-person class. The app has a workout for every fitness level, and each trainer is great at explaining the workout and giving cues so you can correct your own form. I think Peloton's free trial is definitely worth a try, whether you're just embarking on your fitness journey or wanting to try something new in your routine.
Was there anything I didn't like?
Even though my experience with trying the Peloton app was an overall positive one, there were some things I didn't really care for. One was — and this might be a hot take — the leaderboard. I also didn't love the calendar that kept track of how often I did a workout. You can sync up your Apple Watch (which I didn't do) to your Peloton app so you can monitor your heart rate on the screen during your workout. During workouts, the leaderboard is based on your output, but on the right of the leaderboard there is also a color line that shows up next to anyone who is using a heart rate monitor. I'm a competitive person, and I don't mind wanting to keep up with other people during a workout, but in the digital world, it was all a little too weird for me. And I can already be hard on myself if I've skipped a workout more than one day in a row, so I didn't really care to see Peloton also keeping track of how often I worked out in a given week.
Which instructors are worth trying?
To be honest, the amount of instructors Peloton has is a little overwhelming. I worked out with a variety of instructors during my two weeks, but there were still some whose classes I didn't get a chance to take. I'm a little picky when it comes to instructors and trainers I like, but I personally enjoyed Callie Gullickson, Chelsea Jackson Roberts, Rebecca Kennedy, Ben Alldis, and Jess Sims. I loved the teaching styles of each of these instructors, which made the workouts they led really enjoyable for me. And the instructors who didn't really resonate with me were Andy Speer, Kristin McGee, and Anna Greenberg. I wasn't crazy about either how often they talked during class or the lack of enthusiasm they had for the workout. Like I said, I'm picky! However, I know there are a lot of amazing trainers on the app, and I hope to eventually take classes from them all.