One of the reasons people LOVE Peloton is the ‘live at the bike’ spinning workouts. In addition to thousands of classes you can take on demand, you also have access to daily live classes. While I understand the appeal, I don’t personally feel they are all they’re cracked up to be. I prefer on demand, but in this article I am going to try and be unbiased. As far as cardio exercises at home go, both live and on-demand are basically the same, but there are some fundamental differences. I’ll share all the reasons they are so well loved. I’ll also share the reasons I prefer on-demand Peloton classes.
What Is The Live At The Bike Class Experience Like?
First off let me tell you a bit about what the experience is like. It is different than an on demand class because the instructor is there live, so they can call out milestones. They also have a fresh leaderboard that makes it possible to compete with other riders in the moment. You also tend to have a larger group of people riding live with you, so there can be a greater sense of camaraderie.
You can still see most of the numbers on the screen, however you can’t see the recommended range for intensity and output. If you miss the instructor calling out an intensity or output because you stopped listening for a second, it can be very easy to get lost.
The workout was the same as any other. I don’t find being live at the bike more easy or difficult than a regular on demand ride. Having said that, spinning workouts can feel more intense when you feel someone is ‘watching’ you. You may feel pressured to work harder than you normally would when you are taking a live at the bike Peloton class. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on you and your personal fitness habits.
Why Are Live Peloton Classes Better Than On Demand Rides?
There are a few things I think make a live at the bike spinning workout better than an on demand Peloton spin class:
- Milestone shoutouts can give a confidence boost, although take note that they only do shoutouts for very impressive milestones like 100 rides or 1000
- You get to experience a class for the first time
- A fresh leaderboard encouraging competition
- The accountability of riding live with the instructor might push you to work harder, making it one of the better cardio exercises at home available through Peloton
What Times Are Available?
There is a good variety of live at the bike Peloton classes available. I checked the schedule today (9/24) and there are between 12-14 live classes per day for the next week, including weekends. Some start as early as 2:30AM! So there is a great variety for almost any schedule. You can access the live at the bike class schedule here.
Spinning workouts are not the only cardio exercises at home that are offered live on Peloton. You can also find Running, Walking, Bootcamp and Cardio. There are a variety of non-cardio focused live classes as well, including Yoga, Meditation and Strength. There are significantly less offerings for these additional classes, with the most popular being Yoga, Running and Strength.
Best Peloton Instructors For Live At The Bike Spinning Workouts
Since all classes technically were live at one point, if you choose a favorite live instructor you are also choosing a favorite instructor in general. But I have chosen a few favorites anyway to share with you. I’d recommend checking out my Best Peloton Instructors For Spinning Workouts article, which has information about every single Peloton instructor. It can help guide you to an instructor that is a perfect fit for you.
My favorite live at the bike Peloton instructors are:
- Denis Morton
- Ally Love
- Emma Lovewell
- Matt Wilpers
Watch Out: Encore Classes
When taking a live at the bike class, one thing I would watch out for is the Encore classes. Encore classes are live streaming of old classes. You will have a lot of other students live, but the instructor won’t be. You don’t get quite the same experience as if the instructor is there, live, and making call outs to people in the audience. Plus, if you take an Encore, you may have already taken it before, so it won’t be fresh content like you would expect at a live class.
What About Live In The Studio?
Live in the studio is an option if you live in NYC. It is not something available to me, but something I would love to participate in one day. While I can’t speak to what a live in studio Peloton spin class is like personally, I can only imagine they are amazing! The amount of energy and inspiration that comes through the screen makes me think that these instructors are even better in person.
So are live at the bike Peloton spin classes really that great? To sum it all up, yes and no. Yes, because they are the same amazing instructors. They offer an amplified level of competition and camaraderie, compared to the on-demand Peloton classes. And no, because on demand has a very similar feel to a live class. If you are mostly just here for good cardio exercise at home (like me) than you may as well take an on demand class on your schedule.
Well hopefully this helped you determine whether live classes or on-demand are better for you. Let me know in the comments which you would prefer.
If you don’t have a Peloton yet, you may enjoy reading my full review of the Peloton bike, and the pros and cons of purchasing one! Check out my Ultimate Guide To Peloton here.
