It’s designed to allow users to take part in effective workouts without having to go to the gym.
Although the Peloton can be a very useful tool for weight loss, it doesn’t come with or promote any official workout plans. This can make it difficult to know whether you’re training in the right way to achieve your desired results.
Luckily, we have put a lot of thought into creating the ideal Peloton workout plan, and we’re going to be walking you through it in today’s article by introducing you to the 7 key principles of getting great results from Peloton in the long-term.
The Principles Of A Peloton Workout Plan
Identify And Work On Weaknesses
When you start working out, no matter what workout equipment you’re using, it can be tempting to focus on areas of your body that you know are stronger or that you feel look good already.
The reason this is easily done is because working on the stronger parts of you generally doesn’t feel as taxing and you’ll see noticeable results in these areas faster.
Unfortunately, targeting the areas of your body that need the least work may also make you feel discouraged in the long term because those parts of you that you feel less confident about will be less likely to change.
While it might feel daunting to work a muscle group that you don’t use often or draw your own attention to a part of your body that doesn’t feel as strong, you will feel much better for it.
Peloton offers a variety of classes that target individual muscle groups.
For example, the Chest and Back Strength class is great for building upper body strength, while the Glutes and Legs class will target your lower body – particularly, the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
If you’d like to work on your abdominals, Peloton has a Core class dedicated entirely to working these muscles.
Before you put together a workout plan with Peloton, it’s a good idea to identify which areas of your body are the weakest and prioritize those.
This is the best way to see significant results over time and feel holistically strong in your body.
For example, if you know that your weakest muscle group is your core, your Peloton workout plan might look something like this:
Monday: Core (20 mins) + Recovery Ride (20 mins)
Tuesday: Low-Impact Bike Ride (45 mins)
Wednesday: Full Body Strength (20 mins) + Recovery Ride (20 mins)
Thursday: Power Zone Endurance Rise (45 mins)
Friday: Outdoor Power Walk (20 mins)
Saturday: Core (20 mins)
Sunday: Restorative Yoga (20 mins)
This workout plan includes two Core classes (listed in bold), but you can swap this for whatever strength class will target your personal weak areas.
You could take the Glutes and Legs class instead if you feel that your glutes are the weakest part, for example.
You might not enjoy your two weekly weakness-strengthening classes at first, but as you start to see results, you’ll probably find yourself getting more motivated.
Stick To Lower Intensity
This one might seem counterproductive because there is a misconception in the fitness world that to see results, you need to be pushing yourself to your absolute limits every single time you work out.
However, research has shown that low-intensity cardio is the most effective for fat loss because you’re more likely to maintain a high frequency of training without burning out.
Dr. Peter Attia is a well-known American-Canadian doctor who specializes in exercise longevity.
He says that keeping your cardio workouts in the region of zone 2 (slightly beneath the lactate threshold) is the best way to derive long-term benefits.
With that being said, you should still incorporate one HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session once per week.
This is the time in your workout plan when you will be pushing yourself to full capacity in terms of your anaerobic threshold. This is because it elevates your EPOC.
If you’re not familiar with the term EPOC, it’s an abbreviation of the phrase ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’.
This is where your calorie expenditure and metabolism increases after a really intense workout because your body is in an oxygen debt.
If you do an 80-minute HIIT session that gets your heart rate up to 80% of its maximum (this is easy to remember because the number of minutes and the percentage are the same), your body will go into elevated EPOC for the next 7-hour period.
Please bear in mind, however, that during this 7-hour EPOC period, you will only burn an additional 140 calories on top of what you burn during the HIIT session.
This is a relatively small amount, comparatively speaking, so it’s really not worth exhausting yourself by trying to achieve this metabolic state more than once per week as long as you stick to the rest of your Peloton weight loss plan.
Your body needs to be given enough time to recover, or you will burn out and find yourself unable to stick to a consistent plan.
More than that, you might sustain an injury or put too much stress on your heart if you go overboard with the HIIT, particularly if you’re a beginner.
Doing low-intensity Peloton training between 5 and 6 days per week, with the addition of a single HIIT session, is considered optimal for weight loss.
Focus Your Efforts
We’ve just discussed the importance of focusing on your weaker muscle groups when you make a Peloton workout plan, but in addition to this, it’s best to focus on one weak area or specific fitness goal at a time.
Realistically, many of us have a few parts of our bodies that aren’t as strong as we’d like them to be, and plenty of us have a few different goals we’d like to accomplish.
That’s absolutely fine, and the longer you stick to your Peloton plan, the longer you’ll have to accomplish everything you want. However, we highly recommend focusing on one thing at a time.
If you’re wondering why focusing on a single goal at any one time is recommended, it’s because this is actually (contrary to what you might think now) the best way to see results quickly.
Here is an example: you want to lose weight, but you’re also training for a marathon.
During marathon training, you’ll want to avoid eating specifically for fat loss because the long-distance endurance you’re training for will require a high calorie intake, whereas a caloric deficit is required for weight loss.
Clearly, these two things are incompatible, so in this case, we would recommend focusing on your marathon training first (since training for a marathon has a set end date) and moving onto your fat loss goals afterward.
Gradually Increase Volume
When you first start working out with Peloton, you will want to avoid pushing yourself too hard.
While it’s natural to feel spurred on to give it your all when you’re experiencing the initial motivation at the beginning of a fitness journey, you won’t be able
However, as you get stronger and your cardio endurance improves, you’ll reach a point where you’re ready to increase the volume of your training sessions.
This is called progressive overload, also known as periodization.
Now, don’t interpret this as a go-ahead to overdo it and push yourself as hard as you possibly can every session. However, as your fitness level increases, so should the volume of your training.
There are many ways you could employ progressive overload when it comes to your Peloton workout plan.
You could try adding an extra class to your weekly plan (this could mean taking one less rest day if you’re taking several at the moment, or doing two classes in one day).
Alternatively, you could simply increase the length or up the intensity of your existing sessions. If you’re doing strength classes, you could use heavier weights to push yourself further.
Each week that you complete your Peloton workout plan, you should be trying to improve on the week before.
However, that doesn’t mean you need to make drastic changes to your plan. You could start by aiming to simply improve your form week by week, or add 5 minutes to a class on a weekly basis.
If you’re going to change the length or intensity of one class, make sure to leave the others as they are.
Again, the aim is not to overwork your body but to make small, gradual changes that will improve your strength and endurance over time.
Incorporate Recovery Weeks
We’re all familiar with the concept of rest days, right? We’ve factored a rest day (20 minutes of gentle, restorative yoga) into the plan outlined above.
But when you’re working with a Peloton workout plan, you should also make sure you have recovery weeks.
Not sure what a recovery week is? It’s a week during which you reduce the intensity or the volume of your training sessions by roughly 50% (anywhere between 40% and 60% is ideal).
You should have a recovery week once for every 4 or 5 weeks of training.
But why should you take recovery weeks? In short, data from recent studies have found that doing so reduces stress on your body, which actually helps muscle strength.
Also, taking a step back on your workout intensity frees up more energy for you to focus on other aspects of health and fitness, such as making sure you’re adequately hydrating and nourishing your body.
During your recovery week, you should try to keep your classes at 20 minutes or less without increasing the intensity to compensate for shorter sessions.
Alternatively, your recovery week could consist of switching to lower-intensity forms of exercise.
For example, if your Peloton workout plan for the week typically consists of long strength-training sessions and HIIT, you could try incorporating some yoga or light pilates sessions instead.
Train For Mobility
We’ve just discussed how yoga and other (typically) less intense forms of exercise can be useful for recovery week or rest days, but you should make sure to work out in ways that improve your mobility, quality of movement, and posture on a regular basis anyway.
Forms of exercise like yoga can help to correct poor posture (which may have benefits for your form during strength training) while relieving muscle tension.
Moving your body in gentle, controlled ways also promotes fast muscle recovery, so we recommend having at least one mobility-focused class per week.
If you’re not into yoga, that’s totally okay! There are plenty of alternatives you could try. For example, if you find traditional yoga too slow-paced, you could switch it up for power yoga.
There are also foam rolling and full body stretch classes available with Peloton. You can even stick to breathwork or meditation on your mobility training days.
Don’t Feel Discouraged
We get it – it’s easy to feel discouraged if you don’t see the results you’re looking for right away, especially if you’re putting the time and effort into sticking to a Peloton workout plan.
However, it’s important to start this process with an open mind and realistic expectations.
Generally speaking, if you’re losing weight at a healthy and sustainable rate through exercise and healthy nutrition, it will probably take between 12 and 16 weeks for you to see results.
If you’re not seeing the results of your workout in the mirror, we recommend tracking your Peloton workout performance instead.
This will give you a sense of achievement and accomplishment, allowing you to see your fitness level and dedication improving until you start seeing changes in your physique.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Optimal Weekly Workout Schedule?
The perfect workout schedule will look different for everyone because we all have different goals, areas to work on, and preferences when it comes to how we like to work out.
However, building a great weekly workout program with Peloton should involve incorporating several different kinds of classes to get a balanced range of movement styles and various benefits for your mind and body.
This is why we recommend mostly low-impact, varied workouts with a weekly HIIT session and a session focused on mobility and restoration.
Your workout schedule should also include one rest day (which can include yoga, meditation, or foam rolling) and one week in every 5 should be a recovery week.
Is Getting A Peloton Worth It?
If you’ve read this far into this article and you haven’t yet purchased a Peloton, you should go ahead and do so as soon as possible!
Getting a Peloton and the membership that comes with it is definitely worth it if you need some motivation to exercise.
It’s easy to find excuses not to go to the gym, but if you have a Peloton bike in your home and quick, 15-minute classes that you can fit around your schedule, you’ll be much more likely to stick to your plan.
You can get amazing workouts that yield real results with Peloton, and the variety of classes accessible with a membership means you’ll always be able to give your body the form of movement it needs to build strength, burn fat, or recuperate.
Why Is Peloton So Popular?
Peloton is a popular choice for people seeking to build a regular workout routine because it means you can get a full workout from the comfort of your own home.
This is something that many of us would much prefer over having to make our way to the gym 5 or 6 times per week.
Additionally, Peloton’s instructors are highly inspirational and influential. They are an integral part of the brand and part of the reason why Peloton users are eager to complete their weekly classes.
How Much Does Peloton Cost A Year?
To purchase the Peloton bike itself, you can either pay $2,245 up front or pay monthly in $58 installments. After that, there’s the cost of the membership to consider.
A Peloton membership is $39. Depending on the classes you choose to take, you may also need additional equipment.
On average, in the first year of working out with Peloton, you can expect to spend about $3000.
Admittedly, this is much more expensive than the cost of the average gym membership for a year, but with Peloton, you pay for professional instruction, flexibility, and convenience, which is worth it for many people.
Is Peloton Good For Weight Loss?
Peloton is great for weight loss. When you take a cycling class with Peloton, you can expect to burn anywhere between 400 calories (the amount recommended for your average gym session) and 1000 calories per hour.
This means that as long as you also focus on the nutritional aspect of weight loss, you should have absolutely no problem using Peloton to achieve a caloric deficit and lose weight.
Will Peloton Get Rid Of Belly Fat?
While it’s important not to get caught up in the idea of isolating fat loss to certain specific areas of your body, you are likely to find that Peloton is a great way to work out your waistline.
This is thanks to the combination of the fat burning potential of cycling as well as the core strength that cycling requires.
If you take cycling classes with Peloton regularly, you will find that your midsection tones up over time, which will become more noticeable as you continue to burn fat.
Is Peloton Good For Older Adults?
eloton is suitable for adults of all ages, including seniors.
The low-impact, low-intensity classes available with Peloton are perfect for older adults who want to embrace a fit and healthy lifestyle without risking injury or overstraining themselves.
Low-intensity heart rate training can be extremely beneficial for seniors, especially when combined with mobility training.
However, anyone of any age should always consult their doctor before starting a new workout routine, with or without Peloton.
Final Thoughts
Using the many classes available with a Peloton membership, you can create a highly effective weight loss workout plan.
To get the most out of your Peloton workout plan for weight loss, you should do one HIIT-based session per week to promote EPOC and two sessions where you focus on your weakest muscle groups.
The rest of your sessions should be low intensity to ensure that your body doesn’t get overly fatigued. You should have a rest day on a weekly basis, although it’s fine to do gentle, restorative exercise on this day that focuses on Mobily.
In addition to this, you’ll need to remember to schedule a recovery week every 4 to 5 weeks to give your body a real chance to recover and encourage muscle growth.
Remember, as you follow your weight loss plan, you will gain strength and your fitness level will improve.
As this happens, you should be adjusting your workout schedule in small, gradual increments so that you can keep making improvements in the long term.
Doing the same workout routine for months at a time will cause you to plateau and may hinder your enjoyment of your fitness journey, so make sure to change it up now and then.
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