Is the Peloton Guide – the company’s new strength-training device – a worthy gym replacement?

When the world went into lockdown in March 2020, my family made popular pandemic investments to cheer us up, including a puppy and a Peloton bike (no fryer yet). On cold winter days, I’d wake up with big plans to travel between Zoom meetings, endorphins pumping for the school pickup. But I never made it to that dreary windowless basement.

As the lockdown dragged on, I opted for long walks or virtual strength-training classes. I even started rucking, walking, or hiking with a weighted backpack. And so a Peloton Bike has joined the quiet ranks of the Xbox console and IKEA sofa bed in our house.

More than two years since COVID-19 upended the way we work, live, socialize, and prioritize our to-do lists, I’m back in the gym. The coaches are giving a high five again. The regular crew catches up and discreetly vents about the spouses between reruns. And we are also motivating each other: Data from the sports participation platform Strava show that when we exercise in a group, we tend to run and bike 21% farther and exercise 10% more.

But with this new freedom comes pre-pandemic responsibilities: tighter work deadlines, non-stop social events, taking the kids to activities and back. Time is once again a precious commodity.

So when Peloton invited me to try out their new AI-enabled strength training device, I was reluctant, sure, but also curious. Peloton Guide is the brand’s first foray into strength-training hardware, a departure from its usual cardio-based offerings. Strength training, reduced body fat, increased muscle mass, and stronger bones are some of the Guide’s touted benefits.

During my Peloton Guide demo, the first thing I noticed was the elegance of the device. It’s a cloth-covered camera that resembles a small speaker that plugs into your TV so you can see yourself while you work out in a split-screen view alongside a Peloton-approved instructor. The idea is to mimic their movements, using weights at home, while checking your own form.

(Warning: I was initially surprised and uncomfortable to see me on TV, which is huge compared to a smaller, fuzzier laptop screen).

To keep you motivated, Peloton has built in motion tracking. When you open the app, a series of strength classes appears at the top of the TV screen. During each class, exclusive to Guide users for seven weeks before it becomes available to all subscribers, the Movement Tracker logo is also seen in the form of a sweat drop. As you perform your reps, say bicep curls or overhead presses, the tracker counts them down and the outline of the logo fills in a brighter shade of aqua to indicate it’s tracking you. He then gets credit for that move. It’s a way to discourage would-be cheaters from taking a long break or skipping a move altogether.

Being super competitive, I was immediately drawn to this feature and give it my all during a five-minute starter arm workout with celebrity instructor Jess Sims. Ryan Rhodes, a professor of health psychology at the University of Victoria’s School of Exercise Science, says exergames (exercises that involve some sort of gamification) can motivate people to work harder, at least in the short term. .

“Research shows that when people are having fun and there is a game involved, they will exert more energy with less perceived effort,” he explains. Whether the Guide’s credit system has the same effect remains to be seen, though it’s sure to wow some users (myself included).

Another component of the Guide is its body activity feature. By analyzing your movements, the camera captures your progress and allows the Peloton software to suggest future classes. It’s like Netflix for the fitness set. In addition to displaying metrics like heart rate and calories burned, the feature displays the body parts you just worked out, making it easy to choose which muscle groups to rest or prioritize during your next session.

Will this new technology finally encourage people like me to embrace home workouts? While it’s not reinventing strength training, Peloton Guide is certainly making it more accessible. Since there is no bulky equipment, I can work out in my light-filled living room, a huge plus. There are also convenience and flexibility factors: It’s easy to complete small workouts on a whim, especially when you don’t have the time or inclination to hit the gym (gas prices alone are reason enough to stay indoors).

“We see Guide fitting into a complete fitness routine for members who want options for where, when and how they can exercise into their lifestyles,” says Robin Arzon, Peloton’s vice president of fitness programming.

Just as we are seeing in office life, the future of the gym is hybrid; Gyms around the world offer a mix of in-person and virtual workouts. According to a recent report by management software provider ABC Fitness Solutions and the IHRSA Foundation, a charity that promotes health through exercise, training frequency has increased since gyms were allowed to reopen and consumers expect hybrid training models.

“Success drives motivation. If a workout at home can make you feel like you have momentum, that has a massive effect on keeping you consistent. It’s about access,” Sean Blinch, co-owner of RedLeaf Fitness, a Toronto-based gym that focuses on personal training and group fitness classes. Blinch has even encouraged clients to supplement intense strength-based personal training sessions at the gym with resistance exercises at home, such as riding a stationary bike in heart rate Zone 2 (an intensity level just above of “easy”).

Virtual classes will never replace the energy that comes from working out in a real gym, a place for people to connect and stay motivated. That human interaction is something I’ve really missed during lockdown, and I’m not alone. According to February 2021 investigate From management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, 70 percent of fitness consumers reported missing their gym as much as they miss family and friends.

That said, the Peloton Guide is a solid option for breaking a sweat during those busy days when I can’t make it to the gym or when bad weather or a general bad mood prevents me from even wanting to leave the house. Not surprisingly, McKinsey research also found that 40% of people surveyed now see wellness as a top priority in their daily lives, and when it comes to reaching these goals, there’s no better motivator than choice. As Blinch says, “The best form of fitness is the one you will do.”

The device retails for $395, plus a $30 monthly subscription to access Peloton’s live and on-demand library (weights and heart rate strap are extra).

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