Peloton Review
I have been using Peloton spin bike for over two years now and wanted to share my experience with it! So here is my peloton review!
I used to think that spinning was the most boring form of exercise. I could not understand the fact that how one can sit on a bike for so long and just paddle through it. It just sounded so boring to me. Until one day at my gym I missed my regular class and decided to go to a spin class to kill time until my next “likable” class. OMG, was it a life changing experience?!?! I saw all these enthusiastic people ready to start paddling. Guess what I asked the instructor?!?!
I asked if spinning was hard, if that class was going to be hard and everyone in that class including the instructor just looked at each other and smiled. I knew something was up, I could feel the intensity of this form of workout by the vibes they all gave me! And me being me, I was ready for a challenge. I so wanted to hop on the bike and just go for it. Although there were so many technicalities on how to set up a bike, what all the numbers on the bike meant. The first class was overwhelming, intense, drilling down! But after all that, I so wanted to go again. And since then I haven’t stopped spinning!
I was taking spin classes 2-3 times a week at the gym I used to go to. All the instructors were amazing! Then baby #2 happened. Life got busier with two kids, full time job and other family responsibilities. I was trying SO HARD to make a class at the gym around certain time. I was always rushing. I was working out mindlessly. The guilt of leaving my kids home while I was spending time for myself was killing me. I got to the point where I was just memorizing a spin routine from my favorite instructors and was spinning in the studio all by myself because I was not able to make the class schedule.
One day while I was spinning in this huge cycling studio all by myself, I asked myself why I was going to the gym if I was going to do things on my own. I could do the same at home, at my own time. And that is when Peloton came to my mind! I had heard great things about it. I did my research and finally pulled a trigger. I bought it in May 2018 and have been using it consistently ever since then. Now you’d ask, what made me decide on getting one? And so many other questions along that line. I am answering FAQ below!
What is Peloton?
It is a stationary spinning bike, a very well done piece of workout equipments I have seen so far! The bike is compact. It does not take up a whole lot of room. I had it in my bedroom for first two years and my husband slept through my rides. Besides my huffing and puffing, there is not much noise. It comes with a touch screen. The screen that streams videos while you spin.
What type of classes does it have?
Assuming you have a monthly subscription with Peloton, this bike has frequent live classes everyday. It has thousands of on demand classes that you can take any time. Peloton has spinning, running, walking, bootcamp, strength, yoga, meditation all different type of classes.
Do you need special shoes/mat for the bike?
You can use either special spin shoes that clips in or you can use your regular shoes with a special cleats. Peloton sells both! It is preferred to have a hard base with a mat for bike’s placement. I have a mat from Peloton itself which I laid that on my carpeted floor and placed my bike on top of that. Although I do wish to put my bike on a wooden plank and place a mat on top of the plank. That way the bike would feel more sturdy.
Does it help lose weight? Does it hurt your lower back/butt?
Any form of exercise helps you lose weight if you do it right! Spinning is one of the best cardio for burning calories in big chunk. That being said, it includes how long and how hard you do it. Now if you say I burn such amount of calories but I still do not seem to lose weight. Well, loosing weight is just a simple Math of consuming and burning calories. If you burn tremendous amount of calories by working out but then load it back up with food, then it is not going to help lose weight! Spinning is definitely my favorite form of cardio. I seem to burn 10 calories/minute. I wear a chest band (heart rate monitor) to get an accurate calorie count which seem to differ a lot from what I see on the bike.
It is recommended to warm up before a workout and stretch after any form of exercise. If you do so, and if you make sure your bike settings are done right based on your body type, there won’t be any back issues. I have heard many people saying that their butt hurts after spinning. Well, it might happen initially if you are not used to this type of workout. But it does get better as you do it more and more!
How often do I ride? My favorite Instructors. How do I stay motivated?
My workout routine includes 3-4 times strength training and 3-4 rides a week. I try to do two 45 minute rides per week and two 20-30 minute rides a week. The day I do strength training, I end my workout with 20 or 30 minute ride including HIIT or just low impact depending on how tired I feel after strength training. The day I do not do strength training, I do 45 minutes very hard ride. My favorite type of rides are Sweat Steady, Tabata, HIIT and HILLS, HIIT, low impact rides. My favorite spin instructors are JESS KING, ROBIN ARZON, OLIVIA AMATO, ALLY LOVE, TUNDE OYENEYIN.
Other than spinning, I have been very much into Tread Bootcamps lately. I am not a runner, so it is definitely a big change and lot harder than what I am used to. That being said, I am enjoying it and hoping to continue doing it! I do not have Peloton Tread, I have an old Pro Form tread. I play the class on my TV and use Pro Form tread along with free weights for Tread Workouts. I am also adding lot more sleep meditation and stretch classes which I love as much as cardio and strength. I absolutely love KRISTIN MCGEE, ADITI SHAH for those type of classes!
My motivation comes from all these amazing and powerful ladies! It is amazing to see what our bodies are capable of doing and these ladies have shown me that. These instructors are not just any instructors, they are all elite for a reason! They are extremely motivating! Getting on a bike and spinning my stress off while listening to these amazing souls is a hell of an experience. And I am so grateful to be able to do it over and over and over! We all seem to relieve our stress certain way and my way is definitely by moving my body, sweating it out!! Peloton also shows you your progress. It gives you ability to compete against yourself! Seeing me get stronger is another motivating factor!
Why only Peloton and not any other bike?
As I mentioned above, this is one of the best piece of hardware/workout equipment I have seen so far. The quality is TOP NOTCH! The bike is so smooth and quiet. Having a screen in front of you while you are spinning feels like the instructor is directly talking to you! Yes, you can definitely do an DIY peloton. You will find many tutorial on the internet to do it. But for me, I wanted to have the whole experience. I actually did lot of research, read lot of reviews. I also went to a Peloton showroom to see it in person and took a ride before I bought it. That is what sold me! I had been spinning at my gym prior to getting Peloton and I could feel the difference between any other bike and Peloton. It was a selling point for me.
How much does it cost?
The bike itself is around $1495 for basic bike and $2595 for bike+. And there is a monthly subscription fee of $39/month. You also need to consider more $$ for extra accessories like shoes, mat, weights etc. Yes, it does look like a big amount. I did a math and split the numbers per month. I compared monthly $$$ between Peloton and my gym membership. It came out to be same for first 3 years and after that it is going to be cheaper than what I was paying for my gym membership. If you are going to a spin studio, just do the math per class and you will see that investing in Peloton seem to make sense.
Is it worth it? I have never spin before, How do I start as a beginner?
Absolutely! For me it has been life changing! As I mentioned above, I was wasting lot of time and energy on making it to the gym everyday (if I was lucky!). I was barely making it to specific classes at specific time of the day. It got very restrictive. Being a mother of two very young kid, having a full time job, a side hustle and so many other family responsibilities required me to have some flexibility with self care! I did not want to compromise on taking care of myself. Which started happening while I was going to the gym. Having this bike gives me flexibility and no excuses. I can workout at comfort of my home and at any time of a day. Even on super busy day, I can definitely carve out 20 minutes for a quick ride! I make sure that I use the bike regularly, of course not by hanging cloths on it, but by spinning! This bike has made me a stronger and more confident woman, not just physically but also mentally! This bike plays a HUGE role in my mental health!
First thing before you even think about buying the bike, I would say try in studio spinning classes. See if this is something you really like/enjoy. Peloton also has only app option which I believe costs $20 bucks a month, or may be cheaper. I would try that for sometime first and get myself used with it. Be sure of making a best use of it and not just let it sit in your home after few rides. Go check the bike out at their showrooms first. You can ride peloton bike at their showroom more than once to see how you really like the bike. All I am trying to say is, do not just buy it because the idea of it seems very cool. Buy it only if it suits your lifestyle, your needs. Buy it only if you are sure to be making the best use of it! I hope this helps!
I hope this helps! If you happen to buy it and would like to use a discount code on accessories, here is mine that you could use, PCC96U or DHEY34. This will help you get some $$ off of accessories and will give me some credit towards peloton apparel!