I Hate Working Out at Home, So I Bought a Peloton

Totally makes sense right? Well, I’m a sucker for marketing. Even marketing the whole internet hated. Remember the Peloton bike commercial released right before Christmas? Even though I hate working out at home it piqued my interest. Since we are sharing all of our secrets, prior to my first Peloton ride in my home, I had never even taken a spin class before. So consider this a newbs review.

This was my take on the commercial that prompted my husband asking “does that mean you want one?”

Yes, it’s still new and shiny (and that photo was totally staged, it hasn’t become a clothing rack yet). I am quickly finding classes I love and classes I don’t. But I want to share what I love about it and why I think I can stick to this. Even though I have a garage full of equipment I never use.

Why I bought the Peloton Bike

Need a Mindless Workout

One of the reasons I show up at my CrossFit gym is because I can walk in and completely disconnect. It allows me to do zero thinking. Basically a nap for your mind. I have a qualified coach with intentional programming telling me what to do. Getting physical work done while resting my mind is my idea of a perfect workout.

I have attempted to do boot camp type classes at home with neighborhood friends before kids got up. We would wake up early, print off Pinterest plans and go out there in an attempt to do workouts. We were moving, but it still didn’t work as planned. I don’t want to write my own programming or even think about what I am doing next. Globo gyms are the same for me. You waste time trying to figure out what to do. Or doing workouts that don’t make sense.

Peloton offers mindless workouts with intention from the comfort of your home. They give you optimal ranges for resistance and cadence based on your level of class. Then tell you to get in the saddle or peddle uphill. Just tell me what to do to get a rock hard ass and I’m committed. It really is that easy and I feel mentally refreshed once finished even though my body is usually wrecked!

Community

As a work from home mom with a child still home you can imagine my need for adult interaction. The gym for me has always been a great place to be able to hang out with my friends, catch up on their lives, and get in a good sweat all in an hour or two. Much like my college sorority where I paid for my friends, my CrossFit gym is similar. It’s my friends that keep me coming back.

Community is the main thing that keeps people consistent and engaged at a gym. The $10 a month globo gyms don’t want you building a community. Imagine if their members were to take full advantage of their memberships, The building would burst at the seams. These business models are set up, so you don’t show up.

Peloton has a great community. Friends that have Pelotons share milestones and wins amongst each other. You can virtually ride with a friend across the country. And it’s this community that keeps them from turning into clothing racks, unlike most at-home equipment. Seriously, ask your friends that have them. People actually ride these.

Variety

I get bored easily. Thankfully CrossFit has always kept me guessing and coming back for more. There are so many options on the Peloton from strength to endurance and everything in between. There is something for everyone. You can even ride to church. Yep, Sundays with Love will ground you with sweat and spirit. And if music is your thing, you will find an amazing selection of all genres of music.

Not to mention the app has so many options for workouts outside of cycling. I haven’t looked into all of them yet, but there is no way you will get bored.

Convenience

Ever since we have been married, a full CrossFit gym has been parked in my parking spot in the garage. I’m talking more equipment than some actual affiliates. It’s been years since I have been out there, but I believe it is still there. Now, there was a time when I would workout at home every day. It was when I worked full-time in an office. I would get home from picking up my babe to find 3-5 friends waiting on me to begin. It was fun. It was like grabbing beers with your friends after work, but healthier. We even had a little corner set up for a playpen so my daughter could also hang.

But life happens, people’s schedules change and our little crew of workout friends dwindled. As did my motivation to show up in the garage gym. So because I don’t love working out solo, I joined a CrossFit gym. Keep in mind, the main reasons for me working out are free childcare and a community. Well, that’s easy to find at the right CrossFit gym.

But here goes life mixing everything up again. School schedules, a busy work schedule, and a husband with too many frequent flier miles made it hard for me to get to the gym 5-6 times a week. What happens when your workouts get cut in half? I’ll give you a hint, your BMI doesn’t go down. Once I got out of the habit of going to the gym as often, it seemed it was even easier to skip out on the days I had carved out time to go. What will two workouts this week do for me, I would say as I skipped the gym again. So having equipment that allows me to workout at home with a community without thinking makes getting on the bike in the morning before the kids get up super easy.

It’s In a Pretty Room

Now, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I told you I would never lie to you so I’m going to go ahead and admit why this is so different than working out at home in my garage gym. Have you ever seen a Peloton sitting in a dingy, dark, cold garage? Nope. In all the ads and commercials you see the Peloton front and center in the middle of a beautiful room staring out to a gorgeous view. So when my husband and I were discussing getting one, my only request was that it couldn’t go in the garage.

I’m the type of person that if I’m working out and I see a dust bunny or something that needs to be picked up, I’ll stop what I’m doing to complete that task. Being able to separate my workout from my responsibilities is hard. My husband clearly doesn’t have this problem.

While my windows don’t look out into a tropical beach or a snow-covered mountain scene, having the bike in front of a window in an aesthetically pleasing room makes me look forward to clipping in those shoes. We all find motivation in different areas. Finding what motivates you is the key to success.

Want $100 off accessories, like clip-in cycling shoes and weights, when you purchase your Peloton? Use code 8QQV63 at checkout

Once I get a few more milestones under my belt I’ll share more about my experience. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below so I can address them.