In this post I’m sharing with you all of my first impressions of my new Peleton bike and how I’m liking it as a workout so far.
Soooo, we got a Peleton! It was something we’d been thinking about (maybe joking about? Due to the price tag) getting for a long time. And then the “stay at home” order hit and there was no more going to the gym in our foreseeable future. So we decided to take the plunge and make the investment. We have a few family members that have it and LOVE it, and I also have a couple friends who had recently got one and had been raving, so it was time to check it out for ourselves. If you’d like to hear all of my first impressions of the Peleton bike, here we go!
WORKOUT BACKGROUND
We’ve had it for just over a week, and I’m pretty obsessed. I want to share all of my initial thoughts & impressions…but first let me give you a little background on my workout history so you can see where I’m coming from. I’ve pretty much always been active; played sports in high school, went to the gym pretty frequently through college, dabbled with a couple marathons once I was out of school – always kept up a loose workout routine whether that was cardio, strength training, yoga etc. Once Hayden was born, I kind of stopped working out all together. I would go for walks and do the occasional strength training workout at home or at the gym, but I never got back into a routine. Ever. And I will say, even though I maintained a pretty active lifestyle pre-baby, I was never good at pushing or motivating myself. I’ve never loved working out, but I do love feeling strong and in shape so that’s why I would do it. If I was given a plan (like a marathon training schedule) I would crush it and hold myself extremely accountable. Left to my own devices…not so much lol.
Also, let me also say…I was never a fan of cycling! In all fairness, I never gave it much of a chance. But I had taken a few classes (I think back in highschool?) at my local gym and woooo they were intense! I remember walking out each time with full on jello legs, feeling like this just wasn’t the workout for me. So I have to be honest I was a little apprehensive about getting the Peleton for this reason and was nervous I wouldn’t like it. (Thankfully I was proven wrong!)
// HESITATIONS
As I’ve said, I was not exactly a cycling addict in my past so I was a little nervous about diving full on into the Peleton world. (a quick note: they do offer strength training, yoga, meditation, and guided running as well! But the bike/cycling is of course their main gig) Second, the price. It’s a lotta cash to dole out for this bad boy. The packages start at just over $2,220, but there is an option to finance and pay it off over time without any interest. We got “the works” package, which comes with: the bike, shoes (we added a 2nd pair), weights, headphones, heart rate monitor, and mat for under the bike. So you purchase a package, and then you pay for the monthly subscription which gives you access to all of the classes. If you go the financing route, it comes out to around $100 a month (this includes the subscription), which actually considering what you may spend on a gym membership or yoga/barre/etc classes it’s not outrageous.
// HACK
A really cool hack I learned from a Peleton-loving friend is this: purchase a regular cycling bike, and then sign up for the Peleton app. The standard bike will cost much less, and you can use the app to stream all classes – same access as someone with the actual Peleton bike. The only downside to this is you won’t have the screen attached, and therefore won’t be able to see your exact metrics (like resistance) or the leaderboard, but you will still have an amazing workout nonetheless and this could be a great option if you’re not ready to invest OR want to test the waters first before investing.
MY IMPRESSIONS
Let’s just come right out and say it: I freaking love this thing. It has been THE BIGGEST game changer for me! Remember I said I was never able to get into a consistent routine? I’ve gotten on the bike 7 out of the 9 days we’ve had it. That is truly a lifetime record for me. Here is why it’s changed the game:
- It’s right at home, I don’t have to go anywhere. Now there are SO many workouts you can do at home, I totally get that. And I’ve tried so many of them. Workout classes on youtube, strength training workouts from online training plans, runs outside…they’re all possibilities. But I’ve never kept up with any of them. I’m not good at pushing myself, which leads to a mediocre workout, which leads to low satisfaction and not much drive to do it again. Also, I think I just get bored. Which brings me to my next point…
- There are SO many classes. All from excellent instructors, with totally different vibes. And new ones are being added all the time. Feeling like hip hop that day? Maybe a little country? Or maybe EDM. Whatever you’re feeling, they’ve got it…and all categorized by music genre, which I love. They also range anywhere from 20 min – 1 hour, so there is almost always a class you can fit into your schedule. There are tons of classes on the platform you can start at anytime, but they also have live ones daily that you can join and ride simultaneously with thousands over other riders. It’s really hard to get bored or over it!
- These instructors will PUSH you. I’ve had some of the hardest workouts in my life over this past week. They are NO JOKE. Sweat pouring, legs burning, mumbling “oh my god” breathlessly kind of workouts. In my experience, I have never had a workout like this at home. Because usually I was the one executing the workout…and like I said, I go very easy on myself lol. I need something outside of myself to push me.
- Leaderboard. There is a leaderboard on every ride, where you can see where you compare to everyone else riding that class at that time, but if it’s a pre-recorded class you can also see how you rank all-time. Now I will say, I am not a competitive person, so this doesn’t do much for me. But I do think it’s a really cool aspect and it can definitely be very motivating – just another thing that will push you to your limits!
- Social aspect. When you are part of the Peleton community, you can “follow” people and see their workouts, stats, etc. This is cool, but what is even cooler is you can actually ride together – meaning you join the same class at the same time. You can see how each of you is doing and that can be another motivating factor! I actually haven’t done this yet, but I can’t wait to.
- Rewards. You get little rewards as you go, for example your 10th ride, 100th ride, workout out with a friend, and they also alert you each time you have a PR. Normally I wouldn’t think this kind of thing would motivate me (I’ve never been big on keeping track of this stuff in the past) but it actually is really motivating.
- I actually, kinda, sorta, enjoy it? Haha but really, I do. It’s hard, don’t get me wrong. But the instructors are very inspiring and keep you smiling and dancing (especially Cody, he’s my fav!). Since I can try a new class each day, or repeat one of the rides I really liked, I look forward to it.
- I have been feeling SO GOOD ever since we got it. I think I honestly just forgot what it felt like to be working out consistently, and really busting my butt. It’s been a while! I have been so full of energy which has been the most beautiful change of pace and I honestly don’t know if I could have tapped back into this feeling/this level of commitment without this bike!
IN A NUTSHELL
I’m so happy we decided to take the plunge and make the investment. Being able to get a gritty, sweaty workout in, taught by amazing instructors, right next door to my bedroom, with workouts that aren’t repetitive? Such. a. game. changer. If you’re someone who doesn’t struggle with pushing yourself or getting bored, maybe this isn’t the right move for you. But it definitely was for me, and I’m so freaking glad we got it!
Those of you that are on the fence, I hope hearing all of my Peleton first impressions helps you guys. It’s been an awesome experience thus far but I obviously know it’s a biggg investment that takes some serious consideration. And to all my fellow Peleton people, hope to see you on my bike!