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Thursday, December 9, 2021

Peloton: 5 Things I'm Liking (so far)



I never said never, but I did take my sweet time in checking out Peloton.

Let's just say it was well worth the wait.

While I am not a certified coach, trainer, or expert, I do know a thing or two about what works for me. I have just enough knowledge (and experience) to be dangerous, and I often times have difficulty with having someone else telling me what to do.  

Alas, the 2-month free trial promotion came along at a time when I was itching to try something different. There's nothing wrong with stepping outside one's bubble of comfort...am I right?

So, I have been "Peloton'ing" for almost three weeks. It's a given that I have barely scratched the surface on all that's available via the Peloton community, but it's been a fun little adventure thus far. 

Here are a few highlights: 

First off, there's the convenience.
Honestly, with the app, there's a huge myriad of sweat potential right at your fingertips. Most of us travel with our phones (or tablets, laptops, etc.), so the app can (and will) travel with you as well. While some may love the ritual and routine of going to a gym, I'm not of that caliber. I've been doing my own thing, in my own place, forever... so the app (and all its nuances) works well for me.



Can you say variety?
I've been utilizing the cycling workouts pretty heavily (umm...of the 29 workouts I've done in the past 19 days, 17 have been with my buddy Sebbe (he's my stationary bike). Recently, I've tapped into more of the strength workouts, and have sampled some yoga and stretching. I'm trying to get my courage up to try Barre...


The instructors are energizing!
Some of these peeps are a bit more chatty than others, and some definitely have a lot more enthusiasm and charisma. But, I have not yet met one that I haven't liked.



Having someone else writing the workouts is a nice change of pace.
I'm a pretty creative person, and I don't have many struggles in finding ways to mix things up with my workouts. But, it is a huge time-saver just tapping the app, and having the next morning's workout(s) selected (and scheduled) in less than 30 seconds. 


Finally, the community is so warm and fuzzy.
I'm fortunate to have numerous fitness friends who are already fully engaged with the Peloton World. There's a great camaraderie of support and encouragement, as well as recommendations of specific classes and/or instructors. I haven't yet dove into any "live" classes, but am hoping to do some on-demand classes with some of my friends...so we can all commiserate (or celebrate) as we sweat  together.

In all fairness, I do have a few issues to disclose:
--Being a self-proclaimed tech idiot (no exaggeration), there are numerous bells & whistles I have yet to figure out on the app. For the most part, the app is pretty user-friendly, but there is just.so.much.
--Since I don't have a Peloton bike (mine is a ProForm), I am not able to accurately match the resistance settings as they're called out during a class. This is not a huge problem, nor a deal breaker, but my bike's 10 levels of resistance leave much to be desired when the instructors are telling us to "dial it up a couple numbers."  
--With all of these classes within reach, it is really tempting to make every bike ride or stretch session part of an actual class. After all, we do get recognized for every class we finish, LOL. I hopped on the bike, Thursday after work, because I just wanted to ride for awhile without the "obligation" of listening to an instructor (though they do have some pretty kick-buttocks play lists). I pedaled for 10 easy miles, all while catching up on social media and texting/chatting with a few friends...and it was nice! I did it for myself, and Peloton was none the wiser.

Anyways, that's what I have for now. I really am enjoying the classes. Much of what I'm doing, via the app, I was kind of already doing on my own...but it is nice to have the Peloton community within reach. I've learned some new strength moves, have seen different ways to incorporate cross-training into my regimen, and have a new appreciation for speed, as well as climbing, intervals on the bike. It's all good!

Have you tried the Peleoton app?  Have you ever done on-demand classes, via a mobile device? If you're a Peloton user, what classes/instructors are your favorite(s)?

I'm linking this with MichelleReneeDarleneJenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.


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25 comments:

  1. This has probably been said on other blogs but the penny just dropped for me now -- so you don't actually need a peloton bike to use and benefit from the app? I guess as you're saying, gauging resistance levels on bike etc would be easier with the actual peloton, but one can make it work without... hhmm, that's food for thought! I may be jumping on this bandwagon too!

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    1. I have a free trial pass to share if you want it message me!

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    2. The Peloton bike would make things MUCH more convenient, since all the cycling workouts are "calibrated" to that bike's controls...but the Peloton bike is not required. For example, they may say to be anywhere between 40-65 for resistance. Well, that leaves me at either 4, 5, or 6 (or even 7, if I'm feeling really daring, LOL), but my bike doesn't have any "in between" options. Not ideal, but still doable.

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  2. I enjoy Peloton for my treadmill runs. I haven't been on my stationary bike in a long time, and most likely won't be for a long time, but I'll get back to it.

    The convenience & the motivation from the instructors is the two biggies for me.

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    1. I've been tempted to try a few of their walk workouts, now that Milly is supposedly operable again.

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  3. Peloton really needs a concierge program to explain all.the.features. That’s how our side chat got started! You’ve probably figured out that most rides really only have a few resistance options — easy, moderate, hard, really hard — so just figuure out what those are on your bike and you’ll be good.

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    1. Yeah, I've been kind of winging it and not really that worried I'm too far off. They say to modify everything to your own level, so I think I'm staying within the correct range.

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  4. I have never tried Peloton but I think it would appeal to me.
    I am currently doing a 10k training cycle with one of the virtual Garmin coaches and I use the free videos of Pamela Reif for strength classes.
    You are right, it's so comfortable to have someone else put the workouts together.
    I'm glad you're enjoying it!

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    1. So many of my HIIT workouts, for example, had all the same components (squats, stairs, burpees, etc.), but incorporated some variations to keep them challenging. So, yeah, it IS nice to not have to plan those out (for now, anyways).

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  5. I am so glad you decided to hop on board!b You know I love it for all of these reasons and more. See you on the leaderboard

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    1. Well, I still have not even glanced at the leaderboard, LOL. Not sure I'm in that caliber yet, ha ha!

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  6. I have never tried Peloton because it's not available in Italy. However it sounds interesting.
    I am glad you are enjoying it.

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    1. So far, so good! The variety of workouts is quite impressive!

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  7. Yes, I also took a long time to jump on the Peloton bandwagon! I haven't done any of the cycling or running classes, but like the strength training and love the yoga! Barre... ha ha, I'm also afraid of it. The Peloton app would be the perfect place to try it (in the privacy of my own home!)

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    1. Ha ha...yes! In the privacy of my home is exactly what I was thinking, too!

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  8. I did like it for all the reasons you mentioned. But I mostly used it for my stationary bike when has been ignored. So I cancelled. I may join again. But these days I run outside and it's not that great for that based on the length of the sessions.

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    1. I'm not sure I'll even tap into the running classes unless I'm trapped inside and only have the treadmill for an option. Even then, I'd be more inclined to skip the run and hop on the bike instead.

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  9. I'm so glad you decided to give Peloton a try and are enjoying it! I would agree with Coco's comment that it would really be helpful if Peloton offered more guidance on how to get the most out of the app. Thank goodness for fitness friends to fill in the gaps :)

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    1. Yes, my fitness Peloton gal pals have been a wealth of info and guidance!

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  10. I have such a hard time getting motivated to do set workouts (I loved in-person classes years ago, but fell out of practice and then COVID hit). At this point I run and walk. That's it. But I do feel like I might love it if I got in the groove of all these options...but it also feels VERY overwhelming. So many options!?

    I'll be interested in what you decide at the end of your trial and if it seems worth keeping the subscription long-term!

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    1. You're absolutely correct...there are almost too many options, which is both a good thing and an overwhelming one as well. The subscription is very reasonable, I think it's $12.00/month, and there are constantly new workouts being added, so the selection is ever-changing.

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  11. I didn't stay with Peloton very long but I got a ton of ideas while I was there. What I like the most is that you can either go all in with Peloton equipment or no equipment at all - there's a full range of workouts for any budget. Like you say, we all need to do something new from time to time.

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    1. I love the no-equipment aspect, so there really are no valid excuses. Like Jenny said, you can do these workouts in the privacy of your home, so no one has to see you (code:ME) stumbling through the awkward motions of difficult classes, LOL

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  12. Similar to you, I was a late adapter, but I am loving the convenience and the price. I was pretty diligent with virtual strength with Discover Strength over the pandemic, but it was expensive. Now I can just do strength when I want and I'm saving a lot of money (and time!) Will I do it forever? Not sure, but I'm in the same place as you where I am enjoying it for the time being (and I only do it for strength/stretch/yoga, not biking.)

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  13. I love that you are loving it! I can count on one hand the people who have said they aren't happy with the products or program!

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