App: Peloton Digital. Available on iPhone and Android
Price: $19.94 / month
What’s included: Classes for cycling, indoor running, outdoor running, strength, yoga, meditation, bootcamp, walking, stretching, cardio (HIIT)
I’m been following Peloton and its business model since I discovered them back in 2015.
When Peloton announced the launch of the Peloton treadmill in the fall of last year, my interest became
Since not everyone lives in New York or has space or money for one of their $3,995 treadmills or $1,995 spin bikes, Peloton also sells subscriptions to Peloton Digital, available via app or web, which you can try free for two weeks. After the
Peloton Digital has over 1,000 classes you can access from your home or gym, including 20 live classes each day. The app lists other users following the workout at the same time to give it more of a group class feel.
This is my review after trying Peloton Digital for about two weeks, doing a range of classes.
The Class Types
The app offers a wide variety of class categories. Peloton’s bread and butter is cycling – and now running – but it also offers yoga classes, strength workouts, and even meditation.
The class durations range from 5 to 60 minutes long. The app also has instructional videos on how to do certain poses and exercises. Each class comes with curated music. (I have more to say about their playlists down below.)
Review: Peloton Bootcamp Class
During my trial, I tried many different class types and lengths. Since I love Bootcamp classes, that was the first class I tried. When I think Bootcamp, I think shorter, frequently changing segments between cardio and strength. However, the class I did had us spend 24 consecutive minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the floor.
I got a little bored during the treadmill portion because we did the same interval variation the entire time. The floor portion involved exercises like lunges, plank rows, half-burpees, mountain climbers, all with
Review: Peloton Yoga Class
I tried several yoga classes on the app. For me, a yoga instructor makes or breaks a class. Peloton has three yoga instructors and I found them all to give good cues and helpful commentary. The app has great classes for beginners, but if you’re a regular yoga practitioner, you’ll still be challenged taking the 45- or 60-minute intermediate or advanced classes offered.
Review: Peloton Running Class
The running classes reminded me of Mile High Run Club classes – solely focused on running with a little bit of mobility or strength work at the end. I enjoyed the ones I took. My one complaint was the music. Rarely did the beat of the songs being played match my required energy levels.
On a particularly rough 19-minute tempo run, I couldn’t find my grove and took a 90-second break. Running is mentally challenging, yo.
On a positive note, I LOVE that the app has meditation classes. Meditation rules. It’s the perfect post-workout cooldown for your mind.
App Interface
I’ve used a lot of fitness apps that are buggy or have a non-intuitive interface. Peloton has invested major dollars into their technology and the app certainly demonstrates this.
On my iPhone it ran smoothly; there were no errors or weird playback issues, and I could find everything easily.
You can sort by class duration, class type, instructor, music genre, or date added. They even have programs you can follow ranging from 2 to 6 weeks long.
However, most of these programs look like they are for beginners. For example, the 4-week long strength program only has you working out 10 minutes a day.
The Bottom Line
While I liked the classes offered on the app, I didn’t come away from any class feeling like I had experienced anything special. Maybe it’s the fact that I did all the classes on my phone, rather than a big screen, but I just felt very…unenergized from the experience.
I also think the class music contributed to my lack of enthusiasm. While all the instructors I had were very good, no class had a music playlist I really vibed with. It’s totally a personal critique, but it did affect my experience.
A lot of the app’s classes can be used without a gym. However, if you want to take full advantage of the app, you’ll also need a treadmill and a spin bike. The $19 per month subscription price is very competitive – I’d daresay even cheap – compared to other fitness subscription apps. Major bonus points for that.
Review Summary
Pros
- Competitively priced at $19 per month
Wide range of offerings: spin, treadmill and outdoor running, strength-training, yoga, stretching, meditation- Good user interface
- Many classes can be done without a gym
Cons
- Music is hit or miss
- Need a high-quality spin bike for bike classes
If you like cardio and aren’t a person who wants to follow a specific fitness program but likes to dabble with different workout styles, Peloton Digital could be a good option.
As for me? I’ll stick to doing my own workouts, going to the studio IRL or streaming free classes on YouTube.
