If you´re a beginner, some of the best lessons that you´ll enjoy are 5, 10, or 15 minute scenic rides and low impact rides. These rides, require low physical effort, are easy to follow, and will allow you to feel comfortable using the bike.
As someone who´s been riding Peloton for years now, I admit that there were classes that were too tough for me as a beginner. However, this was because I took classes that were beyond my physical capacity. As time passed, I discovered some friendly and light Peloton classes that helped me develop and improve as a rider.
In this article, we´ll be reviewing some of the best classes that can help you get the hang of your bike and will bring you up to speed in your training.
Table of Contents
Let´s take a look now at some of the best classes in and of themselves, meaning you can enjoy them as a beginner.
Let´s start by saying that Peloton doesn't only offer cycling and running lessons, but in fact, there are plenty of options available for your choice. These classes will vary in intensity and time duration.
These classes will give you a quick introduction to the topic. They´re easy to take. Personally, I believe they are an ideal place for beginners to start, as the class will help you develop your physical condition and might also help you get the hang of your bike.
The cycling class is probably the most recognized, classic, and beloved of all lessons on the Peloton app. A large chunk of their available content is made for bicycles and all its training variations. Let´s take a look at some classes you can take as a beginner.
Low-impact workouts or rides are your ideal first Peloton ride. They are light Peloton classes, which are normally taken by those looking to get some exercise done but want to avoid muscular pain. Generally, these rides are quite effective against weight loss and you´ll barely break a sweat.
Typically, these beginner rides can vary between a duration of 20-30 minutes and are very enjoyable. They are an ideal introductory class to your bike and they´ll certainly help you find your groove.
Here are our recommended Low Impact rides
Another great candidate for your first Peloton ride is scenic rides. Their rides are designed to cover a certain distance or a certain period of time. You can always go at your own pace, which is perfect at the beginning. This will help you get settled and accustomed to your bike.
What is really cool about these rides is that you can travel all across the world and have an immersive experience. You can go anywhere, from Iceland to New Zealand to Big Sur by taking one of these Peloton rides. Overall, these rides are quite light, very fun and a great introduction to your Peloton bike
Here are our recommendations:
The next beginner Peloton cycling classes we´ll be taking a look at are Power Zone rides. These are the most challenging of the three rides in this section, but they do vary in difficulty. You can find really intense power zone rides which are made for advanced rides or you can also find many light rides.
These rides typically range from 30 to 60 minutes. In this ride, you´ll either switch between different power zones, which are Peloton intensity levels or you can try to maintain your rhythm in one specific power zone. For a beginner, you´ll always start of with your lower power zones which you can easily reach without any kind of exertion.
Finally, to take these classes you´ll first have to do an FTP test, which will help you identify your energy output and production. You can take this test as soon as you get your bike. It lasts around 20 minutes and only requires you to do the best you can.
Here are some recommendations for Power Zone Rides:
After a workout or early morning, you should take a yoga session. When talking about the best Peloton classes for beginners you might not think yoga classes are worth a mention, but they do provide a space for relaxation and stretching your muscles.
Yoga Peloton classes typically last between 15 minutes and an hour depending on the content, but they´re ideal when looking for a class to relax and loosen before or after an intense workout.
Here are some recommendations:
You might also discover that some of the best Peloton classes for beginners are running classes. Running classes focus on developing your breathing, aerobic capacity, resistance, and agility. To take these classes, it is recommended you use the treadmill.
Overall, these classes can last up to 60 minutes and they´re complete workouts. On average, a runner going at a 5mph speed can burn up to 500 calories in an hour (this can largely vary). This makes for a complete workout to take. Finally, you can always determine the pace you´ll be going at, but there are plenty of workouts for both advanced and beginners.
Power Zone Peloton classes are great workouts. Much like with the bike, the goal is to either shift between your power zones or keep your output stable in one specific zone. In the end, this sums up to be a productive and energetic workout.
Just like with other running classes, you´ll get a chance to develop and improve your conditioning skills, but you´ll also have fun, as the instructors will keep it light and entertaining.
These classes are similar to beginner classes. The main difference is the physical fitness level required to properly take them.
Bootcamp classes are made for those looking to do a 2-for-1 in an hour long class. This Peloton creation features a mix of cardio exercises (done on the Peloton machine) and strength workouts (this is done off-bike). You can take this type of class regardless of whether you have a bike or a treadmill, however, the effort and type of exercise will certainly be different.
Personally, I do think bootcamp Peloton classes are a challenge for beginners, so I´d place them in the "advanced beginner rides" category.
Bike bootcamp seeks to mix riding your Peloton bike (legs) with some strength exercises (upper body). These training sessions can be particularly intense, with the average participant burning close to 800 calories in one hour. However, these classes also vary in intensity, duration and theme.
Bootcamp classes in general are ingenious and so much fun to take. You won´t be finding classes like these anywhere else. You might need some additional material, such as a bike mat or weights if you wish to take these classes.
Here are some recommendations:
You´ll be needing a Peloton Tread to take this class. Treadmill bootcamp classes are exactly the same concept as the Peloton Bike. They also have a cardio and strength portion. However, what differentiates this particular workout form its counterpart, is the type of exercises you´ll be doing.
With the treadmill, you´ll be working your lower body, resistance and agility. This will be coupled with training your upper body on the off-bike portion. Overall, as a beginner this workout might be really intense, but you´ll work on many parts of your body and burn a lot of calories.
One of the best Peloton classes for beginners are strength lessons. These classes are all about testing and improving your physical strength. As a beginner, you might find them a bit challenging as they are quite intense, but you´ll also love the results.
These classes work the whole body; however, you can target specific areas in certain classes. Since the classes are about strength training, you´ll most likely gather some lactic acid in your muscles, so it´s normal to expect so light pain the day after the workout.
Strength training beginner classes are a light workout. You can always choose the intensity at which you´ll be doing your exercise but do so always at a pace where you´ll comfortable. Finally, The workout lasts around 30-45 minutes.
Here are some recommendations:
Also known as High-intensity interval training, these classes aren´t particularly meant for beginners, but if you like a challenge, there´s no better class than this one.
HIIT or Tabata exercises are designed to be high bursts of energy use, typically lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, followed by a smaller rest period, which may last up to 30 seconds. Throughout the workout, you´ll be doing plenty of different exercises, which should keep you busy, and train your body.
From a calorie point of view, HIIT classes are some of the most tiring yet effective workouts you could do. If these workouts are something you´ve done before, you won´t have much trouble getting used to it. However, if you´re new to them, you might need to take a couple of other classes in order to physically prepare. On average, you´ll burn around 800 calories from 1 hour of HIIT exercises
The HIIT ride isn´t exactly a Peloton class for beginners. Nevertheless, you can take it at your own pace and see how you do. These classes focus on doing HIIT exercises on your bike, meaning you´ll be riding into periods of tremendous resistance, and then taking a small break at a lighter resistance.
This ride might not be easy. However, it is really thrilling and it will certainly keep you pushing yourself to always give your best, even as a beginner. If properly done, this class also has high calorie burning potential.
Here are some recommendations:
Getting comfortable on your Peloton bike is really important. Feeling relaxed will not only help you feel better, but will also encourage you to be more productive and avoid injuries.
Finding a good position is not always easy and it's something that often takes time. You might need to take plenty of beginner Peloton rides, so you can discover and feel good on your bike.
Here´s a list of some tips to help you get used to your bike:
Class difficulty depends almost entirely on who is giving it. With Peloton beginners it is no different. Here´s a list of some of the most beginner friendly Peloton instructors.
Hannah Corbin is one of the best Peloton cycling instructors on the Peloton App. She is known for offering both light and more intense workouts. She focuses on offering short duration Low impact rides and Classic Interval rides, which really benefits those looking for an easy workout.
Keep doing simple and light rides until you have developed enough physical capacity to do some tougher rides. If you think you have it from day one, go ahead and try any class you like.
Although Peloton has more than 10,000 videos regarding many different topics and classes, a surprisingly low percentage of this number (3%) is meant for beginners. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of classes which will help you learn and improve.
One could say that when it comes to quality, Peloton always goes for the best. So, any class will have great resources for you to become a better athlete.
If you´re looking for a beginner class on the Peloton app, finding one may not be as difficult as you may think. You'll soon discover that once you find a class like Low impact rides, Scenic Rides, HIIT´s or Strength Classes you can find many others. Especially with recommendations from your friends.
In the end, taking beginner rides will be a positive experience, as it´ll help you get comfortable on your bike and develop some conditioning. Finally, don´t forget to train hard as you´ll be able to slowly take more and more challenging classes.
