The Plan
❏ ~6:45: Run virtual 5k put on by our hospital system. I really want to get a baseline idea of my (lack of) speed so this seemed like a good opportunity.
❏ ~8:30: Take G to soccer (starts at 9 am, so at least weather would be better!). Maybe. She has already hinted she might not want to play. So maybe we will just save ourselves the trouble this time! Ahh well. Sunk costs (literally!). C has tennis at the same time.
If no soccer, we will take a walk or do something else outside.
Summer is here and will be staying the next ~6 months at least.
❏ ~1:00: Take A to soccer. Not sure if this will be whole family affair or if we will split up.
❏ 3:00: Pure laziness for all. Screens for kids. Will read from my library stack and likely end up napping. All household chores being deferred until Sunday because otherwise they may expand to fill all available space . . .
❏ 5:30: Order takeout. At least one kid has requested rice & beans. Mexican? Cuban? We will see.
❏ Post-dinner: Big kids finish watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (unless they finished last night – I wouldn’t know since I put G to bed & stayed upstairs!).
Not terribly eventful but should be a fun day. Just need to survive this 5K.
Peloton Strength?
So I decided to try a free membership for a month (I have in my planner to cancel unless I unexpectedly become enamored) of the Peloton Digital app. I started browsing and am already confused. I was looking for an organized program of sorts but everything looks kind of . . .scattered and separate.
Do programs exist in Peloton and if so, which one is good? Are there specific instructors who are amazing in the strength workouts? I hate that Beachbody is an MLM but I love that all of the workouts come in series and ‘programs’. Warms my Upholder heart . . .
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I haven’t done a program, but I do think there is at least one strength option. I LOVE Peloton. I usually just filter by what body part I want to work, how much time I have, and the top rated classes. Jess Sims is my favorite instructor! I also love the yoga classes and running, both outside (audio only) and on the treadmill. I think it’s helped increase my running speed!
Check out #HardCORE On the Floor on Facebook or IG – they put out a monthly calendar with recommendations for upper/lower/full body days using the Peloton strength classes. The calendar is incredibly well put-together and I’ve seen pretty good results using it (fairly) consistently, particularly the 10 minute core classes. It’s nice because there are always 10 and 20 minute options for each body focus so you can pick what works best for you!
I second #hardCORE on the floor. I’ve been following the strength calendar for a month now and have seen incredible results and feel much stronger!
I third this! I love the calendar and usually pick from there. I also did the “Total Strength” program which was pretty good but I do prefer to switch it up with instructors and this is all one for a month long program
In peloton, at the top of the first screen, you can click programs. There is a 4 week strength program but most are cardio or mixed (boot camps, learn to ride, yoga). You can filter the individual types of classes fairly well (30 min, arms, Jess sims) to build your own. There are collections (at the top of the first page)-you could choose to do a Beyoncé set, too. But it is NOT laid out like Beachbody-more like attending classes at your gym. You can stack classes (layer a strength series or mix of strength and cardio) on your computer to play through the app but not directly through the app. Jess Sims 15 min strength are a great HITT/strength mix. I only have the app & a non peloton bike, or I do a guided run/walk.
Peloton does offer program aimed at particular goals (located on their main screen under featured programs I believe), but if you are just looking for an instructor, I LOVE Jess Sims and Rebecca Kennedy for strength. Good luck at soccer 😉
I recommend Emma Lovewell’s “Crush Your Core” four week series. I agree, tho, Peloton’s app is really confusing!
I wish Beachbody wasn’t a MLM, too. But I do love their programs and their website interface is pretty good, I think. So many rave about peloton, though!
Yay for a weekend day when you and Josh are both off! We have my parents here this weekend as they watched Will for my first 2 days back at work and we are having his baptism tomorrow. I am so tired even though I am just sitting at a desk during the work day!!
At the top of the peloton app is a section called programs and they give you a prescribed list of classes. I started using the app last summer and finally gave up my gym membership this winter because I use the app daily. There’s also some good audio only run options. I second the recommendation fir Rebecca Kennedy or Becs Gentry. There’s really good search features you can use to find a class and then you can bookmark it.
Hi Sarah, you should check out Sydney Cummings on You Tube. She has tons of free videos and subsets of programs that build on each other day to day. I’m currently doing Summertime Fine 2.0 and the planner in me loves knowing what I’m doing each day. Plus I really enjoy no repeats.
ooh. will check out. Yes, i really like to have someone basically lay out my workouts for me! I’ve also heard good things about Madeline Moves. Will check out Sydney Cummings!
Same! I want someone to plan it all out for me. She even makes Sundays just a 20 minute stretch (so like me, do your long run that day!) It’s so well thought out and cohesive.
Hi Sarah, in addition to the regular strength classes on peloton (which are great) you might also want to check out the strength for runners classes, a lot of them are short (10-15 minutes) and work on core and stabilizing and are great to add on before or after a run. I think they’ve helped me run with less pain. I like Matt Wilpers a bit more than Becs Gentry, but both get the job done.
Thank you!
I started out my Peloton experience with the same reaction you describe. I wanted them to have a program where I plugged in something like “okay today is Thursday in week 4” and my workout would be told to me. It doesn’t work that way but I found that within my free month, I discovered enough instructors and types of classes that I loved to more than fill each week.
I love Jess Sims, Adrian Williams, and Becs Gentry. I do strength classes (Jess Sims’ “flash 15” are my favorite—search strength for her and 15 mins length to find). I don’t remember if you have a treadmill? If so, her 60 and 30 min treadmill bootcamps are my very favorite workouts. Becs Gentry is my favorite running instructor. I’d recommend any of her runs! And I also love the HIIT workouts under cardio. You can’t go wrong but I do tend to take time to plan my next day’s workout by the night before so I can get up and go. For what it’s worth we just use the app—we have weights from target and a treadmill from Costco.
Now I wouldn’t go back to non-peloton, but it does require decision making! I hope you’ll stick with it at least for a month to see if you really like it or not.
We have a Peloton bike and I’ve tried some of the other classes offered on the app like strength and Pilates. I also did several Les Mills classes at the gym regularly before the pandemic. Over the past year I’ve been using their app, Les Mills on Demand, and loving it. They have a wide variety of classes and the instructors plus the music are fantastic. The app also has programs you can follow where workouts are laid out for you. The blog A Lady Goes West has very thorough reviews of both Les Mills programs and Peloton.
The Sweat app is so good. I’m currently week 7 of lifting at home! Well put together and so affordable. I’ve been doing different programs since Sept and it works.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of Peloton. I got the app early last summer and did mainly cardio and strength classes, and now have had their bike for a few months and absolutely love it. Was never a big fan of exercise bikes, but absolutely love their classes and get a good workout with someone telling me what to do. (Always preferred classes for that reason, but working out at home is sooo convenient!). For me the app fits perfectly – I very much want to do what I want to do – okay I have 20 minutes, I want hip hop, and I want to do arms – so I love that filtering. When I did BB I never followed the program exactly always did 2-3 of them on repeat for the same reason (I didn’t want to do legs so I didn’t!).
If you want virtual travel with your exercise- I’m enjoying Les Mills On Demand – I like that I can do a program or just whichever classes I feel like. There is a wide range and lots of variety in class length, Plus, I’m really missing New Zealand – so loving the accents and filming locations (I’ve been to the original gym in Auckland! love Yoga in mountains too) There is apparently a new release coming filmed in Fiordland National Park that looks stunning.
I love peloton. I don’t have the bike and use the app with my non-peloton treadmill. I love the tread bootcamps, outdoor and indoor runs and strength. My favorite for strength are selena samuela, jess simms, Rebecca Kennedy, adrian williams and chase tucker. for running I like olivia amato, jess simms, selena samuela. Barre with Ally Love is great when I want low impact. I pick the type and length of workout I want to do and the instructor I’m in the mood for.
I discovered Peloton a few months before COVID and this is the longest I’ve consistently been doing strength work. I love it.
thanks sophia!!
Sarah, check out some of the meditation classes on the app as well. I love Ross and Anna. Some are as short as 5 minutes. The sleep meditations are great too!