Peloton Programs: Where to Find and How They Work
During Summer 2022, when there was one of the newest Peloton programs called โGet Hooked: Peloton Boxing,โ I gave it a whirl. Then last year, when we received our Peloton Row, I went through two Peloton programs about learning to Row.
Since getting our Peloton bike in 2016, Iโve always followed the programs when learning something new to do, such as Power Zone Training. At that time, though, programs were very different than they are today.
Anyway, all of this made me realize that Iโd never written a post about the Peloton programs. I mean I did nod to them in my post for Peloton beginners.
However, I havenโt done a deep dive on them, and I think lots of Peloton users just donโt understand how these programs work. Thus, this blog post.
What are Peloton programs
This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may be compensated if you click a link. However, there is no cost to you. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, please see my Privacy and Disclosure page.
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, which is all about strength training, and another called Beginner Yoga.
In addition, it is under programs where youโll 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.
Since launching programs, Peloton continues to update them. For example, the aforementioned Beginner Strength training program. Itโs still there, with Olivia Amato on the cover. However, now there are three strength programs with Andy Speer, called Total Strength, as well as a Total Strength with Erik Jager in German.
In addition, there are a bunch of split programs. These are also strength training. Originally designed for The Peloton Guide, these are designed to target certain muscle groups, use heavier weights and repeat moves for better results.
Currently, there are 17 split strength training programs. These are the Peloton instructors that lead them.
Note: many have multiple programs because they are for different levels, such as beginner, intermediate and advanced. This describes the intensity you can expect as well.
- Matty Maggiacomo
- Assal Arian (German)
- Cliff Dwenger (German)
- Andy Speer
- Rebecca Kennedy
- Ben Alldis
- Jermaine Johnson
- Erik Jager (German)
- Marcel Mauer (German)
- Robin Arzon
- Adrian Williams
- Callie Gullickson
So, though there are 17 programs, there are fewer than 17 instructors listed as leading them. These are programs that target the upper body as well as the lower body. Some are full-body workouts.
Finally, as far as the duration of these split programs, hereโs what you can expect:
- 3-day split
- 5 day split
That doesnโt leave a lot of time for a rest day when youโre doing these timed strength workouts.
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, youโll see it across the top of the screen.
And on the Peloton website, honestly, Peloton keeps changing where you find programs. It used to be that, after youโd logged in, then looked under โMy Membershipโ and then โTake Classes,โ you would see Programs listed across the top.
Now, itโs a bit different. Youโll still log in, go to My Membership and then Take Classes. However, on the next screen there is no mention of Programs. However, when you spot the word Workouts, click the down arrow to open it up and thatโs where youโll find Programs and Peloton Collections.

How many Peloton programs are there
Right now there are dozens of Peloton programs you can do. As I mentioned earlier, just in strength training split programs, there are 17.
They go across all disciplines. However, Peloton is adding and tweaking these plans all the time. So this information is current based on when Iโm writing this article. Iโve broken them out, below, based on the category or hardware needed to do each one. You will notice some overlap in each. Thatโs on purpose to make sure Iโve covered all of the bases and basics.
With all of these programs, you earn achievement badges as you go through. Depending on the length of the program, you may earn a bronze achievement badge for the first few classes, then silver and finally gold. Itโs kind of like how you earn medals for the monthly challenges.
Programs for Peloton bike
Here are the programming youโll find specifically for use with a Peloton bike
- Build Your Power Zones
- Discover Your Power Zones
- Mastering the Basics Cycling
- You Can Ride
The Power Zone programs not only introduce you to the concept of power zone training. Also, they help you get stronger and your endurance better so you can handle longer and tougher rides.
Peloton strength programs
Primarily, Tread instructors teach the strength classes youโll 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 wouldnโt be surprised if this program goes away at some point. However, she came back in 2024 with a new name so will be interesting to see how that changes things.
Now there are a number of core program offerings. Ireneโs is still there, the two from Emma are still there and now there is a program of core workouts with Rebecca Kennedy, too.
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.
- You Can Run
- You Can Run Outdoors
- Road to Your 5K
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 1
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 2
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 3
More about Peloton outdoor programs and classes.
Peloton yoga programs
Right now this is the slate of yoga classes under this umbrella.
- Beginner Yoga
- Power Restorative Yoga with Ross
Peloton meditation programs
- The Power of Sleep
Here is my review of Peloton meditation classes.
Peloton workout and training programs
This lineup is self explanatory.
- Get Hooked: Peloton Boxing
- Road to Your 5K
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 1
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 2
- Road to Your 26.2 Part 3
- Train Like Allyson Felix
- Train Like Usain Bolt
Also, now there is a full suite of Peloton Rowing programs. Here is my review of the rowing program called You Can Row.
Peloton programs for beginners
There are a number of plans to follow if youโre a beginner on the bike, Tread, rower 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 Iโve outlined above, you can do them on the Peloton app or via the Peloton website. For example, if you donโt own a Peloton bike, you can still do the bike programs with the app and whatever spin bike you own. In addition, I donโt 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 donโt miss a day.
Drawbacks of Peloton programs
One of the complaints Iโve heardโand I have, personallyโis how restrictive the Peloton programs are. You have to do them based on the schedule laid out for you. And if you donโt follow this schedule to a tee, you donโt get credit for having completed the program. For example, at the height of the pandemic Peloton introduced a program called โThe Power of Sleep.โ 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 โThe Power of Sleep,โ which is 15 classes over two weeks. In fact, I was so excited that I blasted through the program in about a weekโs 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 didnโt get โcreditโ for completing the sleep program. In fact, when you go into programs, youโll see two tabs across the topโBrowse and Completed. When I click on Completed, it doesnโt show that Iโd completed โThe Power of Sleepโ in 2020. And, of course, I never got those coveted achievement badges either.
Skipping a day of Peloton programs
Another drawback is if you skip a day of the Peloton program schedule. You canโt go back and make up a class. Instead, you have to start the whole program over again. In addition, you canโt just skip ahead to the next class. In fact, you canโt evenย 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 havenโt gotten to yet. This is super frustrating because sometimes life gets in the way of your Peloton streak, and you canโt get a class in. But if you want โcreditโ for completing a class, you have to do it on Pelotonโs predetermined โschedule.โ 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 isnโt 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 โStartโ to start the next class in the program, the option for stacking it shows up. However, if you stack them, you wonโt get credit for them. The program architecture is so restrictive that if you donโt access the next class in the program from the program page, it doesnโt count.ย So, again, youโre 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 canโt 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 youโre wondering how to find the Peloton programs on the TV app, you canโt. 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 are the ones Iโve mentioned above in German. Mariana Fernandez, one of the Spanish-speaking yoga instructors, leads a yoga program. However, it is in English.
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, Iโve 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 drawbacks to how Peloton has organized things, which Iโve laid out above. When I first wrote this review in 2022 and there was a change in Peloton leadership, Iโd hoped they would adjust the Peloton programs back to the way they used to be โ that you could take them at your own pace. Nope, nothing has changed.
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.