This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may be compensated if you click a link. There is absolutely no cost to you. Also, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This week I decided to try one of the newest Peloton programs. It’s called “Get Hooked: Peloton Boxing.”
This is Peloton’s first foray into boxing, something that members have been asking Peloton to do for some time now. Once I’ve gone through the boxing routine–it’s 14 classes over two weeks–I’ll write a review.
But starting this program made me realize something: I’ve never written a post about the Peloton programs. I mean I did nod to them in my post for Peloton beginners. However, I haven’t done a deep dive on them, and I think lots of Peloton users just don’t understand how these programs work. Thus, this blog post.
Table of Contents
What are Peloton programs
Peloton programs are organized sets of classes designed to introduce you to different elements of Peloton training. For example, there is a Peloton program called Beginner Strength and another called Beginner Yoga.
In addition, it is under programs where you’ll find the Build Your Power Zones program. This is a great introduction to Power Zone training on the Peloton bike.
Here is a link to my blog post about Power Zone training
Peloton programs and how to find them
Where do you find Programs? On the bike tablet, it will be either across the top or the bottom of the screen. (Peloton keeps changing their placement.) On the Peloton app, you’ll see it across the top of the screen.
And on the Peloton website, here’s where you’ll find programs and collections. After you log in and go in under “My Membership” and then “Take Classes,” you’ll see Programs listed across the top.
How many Peloton programs are there
Right now there are more than a dozen Peloton programs you can do. They go across all disciplines. However, Peloton is adding and tweaking these plans all the time. So this information is current based on when I’m writing this article.
I’ve broken them out, below, based on the category or hardware needed to do each one. You will notice some overlap in each. That’s on purpose to make sure I’ve covered all of the bases and basics.
Programs for Peloton bike
Here are the programming you’ll find specifically for use with a Peloton bike
Build Your Power Zones
Discover Your Power Zones
Mastering the Basics Cycling
You Can Ride
Peloton strength programs
Primarily, Tread instructors teach the strength classes you’ll find in this line up. But there are exceptions, such as Crush Your Core with cycling instructor Emma Lovewell.
Beginner Strength
Crush Your Core with Emma
Crush Your Core 2 with Emma
Strong Core, Strong Body with Irene*
Total Strength with Andy
Total Strength 2 with Andy
Arms with Tunde
*German instructor Irene Scholz left Peloton in 2021. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if this program goes away at some point.
Running programs
These running plans are done on the Tread as well as outdoors. This includes a Peloton marathon training plan. Right now, these are all of the Peloton running program options.
There are a number of plans to follow if you’re a beginner on the bike, Tread or the floor.
Beginner Strength
Beginner Yoga
Mastering the Basics Cycling
You Can Run
You Can Run Outdoors
Programs on the Peloton app or website
The truth is, with any of the programs I’ve outlined, above, you can do on the Peloton app or via the Peloton website. For example, if you don’t own a Peloton bike, you can still do the bike programs with the app and whatever spin bike you own.
In addition, I don’t have a Peloton Tread. Instead, I have a NordicTrack treadmill. I use my treadmill to do Peloton bootcamps with the app on my phone. Similarly, if I wanted to do any of the Peloton running plans, I could use my treadmill and the app, too.
How do Peloton programs work
These Peloton programs are usually a few weeks long. They are designed to be done in a specific order, over a certain amount of days or weeks.
Previously, when completing programs, like Discover Your Power Zones, you could go at your own pace and when it was convenient for you. This was how I did the Power of Sleep meditation program on the Peloton app. I took the classes I wanted in the order I wanted. Well, no more.
Now, you have to follow the set schedule for each Peloton program. This means doing each class on the specified day. So it takes some clever scheduling on your part to ensure you don’t miss a day.
Drawbacks of Peloton programs
One of the complaints I’ve heard–and I have, personally–is how restrictive the Peloton programs are. You have to do them based on the scheduled laid out for you. And if you don’t follow this schedule to a tee, you don’t get credit for having completed the program.
For example, at the height of the pandemic Peloton introduced a program called “The Power of Sleep.” It was an introduction to the many sleep meditations that Peloton yoga instructors had recorded.
Complete programs too quickly
Like so many people stuck at home, I was having trouble sleeping. So I was excited to try “The Power of Sleep,” which is 15 classes over two weeks. In fact, I was so excited that I blasted through the program in about a week’s worth of nights. Yes, I was doing, on average, two sleep meditations a night.
However, when I got to the end of the program, I didn’t get “credit” for completeing the sleep program. In fact, when you go into programs, you’ll see two tabs across the top–Browse and Completed. When I click on Completed, it doesn’t show that I’d completed “The Power of Sleep” in 2020.
Skipping a day of Peloton programs
Another drawback is if you skip a day of the Peloton program schedule. You can’t go back and make up a class. Instead, you have to start the whole program over again.
In addition, you can’t just skip ahead to the next class. In fact, you can’t even access the next class in the program without completing the class before it. Everything is locked. Literally, there is a locked icon on the classes you haven’t gotten to yet.
This is super frustrating because sometimes life gets in the way of your Peloton streak, and you can’t get a class in. But if you want “credit” for completing a class, you have to do it on Peloton’s predetermined “schedule.”
I wish Peloton would add a bit more flexibility into these programs. Sure, I understand the value of following a prescriptive program as designed. But perhaps a better way to design these isn’t Day 1, Day 2, etc but rather having a 48 hour window that allows you extra time to get from Day 1 to Day 2 and so on.
Inability to stack program classes for credit
Another drawback to the Peloton programs is the inability to stack the classes in the program. I mean, when you click on “Start” to start the next class in the program, the option for stacking it shows up. However, if you stack them, you won’t get credit for them.
The program architecture is so restrictive that if you don’t access the next class in the program from the program page, it doesn’t count. So, again, you’re left to either start the program over or having to take the class again to get credit.
You cannot access Peloton programs on Roku TV
I love that I can access my Peloton classes via my Roku TV. All I had to do was download the Peloton channel.
However, there are two things you cannot do on the Roku TV. One, you can’t access your stacked classes, as I explained in this blog post about how to stack classes. And, two, you cannot get to programs through your Roku. I wish Peloton would change this functionality.
So, if you’re wondering how to find the Peloton programs on the TV app, you can’t. And that sucks.
Nearly all classes are in English
You probably already know that most Peloton classes are taught in English. However, there are German-speaking instructors doing cycling and some strength and stretching classes. And there are Spanish-speaking instructors leading yoga and cycling classes, too.
Unfortunately, the only Peloton program taught in another language is the Strong Core, Strong Body with Irene. It is in German.
However, as I mentioned above, instructor Irene Scholz left Peloton in 2021. So, I don’t know if Peloton will keep this German-language program going for the long run. Either way, Peloton really should add more programs for non-native English speakers who may already be enjoying the other classes in German and Spanish.
More about finding Peloton classes in German and Spanish.
Final thoughts on Peloton programs
Hopefully, I’ve done a good job of explaining how these Peloton programs work. They are well-organized plans for learning a specific skill, such as power zone training, yoga or, in my case, boxing.
Here is my promised review of the Peloton boxing program.
That being said, unfortunately, there are a lot of drawback to how Peloton has organized things, which I’ve laid out, above. I hope that with the change in leadership, they’ll address these drawbacks and fix them.
Finally, you may have heard about Peloton Lanebreak. It sounds like it’s a new Peloton program. It’s not. Lanebreak is a video game that you can access on the Peloton bike or Bike Plus only. It’s in the same area on the tablet where you would access Just Ride and Peloton scenic rides.
2 thoughts on “Peloton Programs: Where to Find and How They Work”
Great article! I skipped the warme ups for Arms with Tunde. I am redoing the program with the warm ups and still not getting credit for those classes. Super frustrating for me!
I’ve found that if you stack those classes vs accessing them directly from programs you won’t get credit. It’s a bug I wish Peloton would fix. Conversely, I’ve skipped classes in a program and STILL got credit for doing them. So clearly something is wrong here and I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it.
Great article! I skipped the warme ups for Arms with Tunde. I am redoing the program with the warm ups and still not getting credit for those classes. Super frustrating for me!
I’ve found that if you stack those classes vs accessing them directly from programs you won’t get credit. It’s a bug I wish Peloton would fix. Conversely, I’ve skipped classes in a program and STILL got credit for doing them. So clearly something is wrong here and I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it.