Heart Rate Management Unlocks 5 Custom Zones, No All-Access Needed

Unlike most new Peloton IQ features, this one works without an All-Access Membership, on the App and App+ tiers too.

Heart Rate Management lets Peloton members customize all five heart rate zones, and it works without an All-Access Membership. The feature arrives with the software release tied to Peloton’s new Tread lineup, announced, and it goes live October 1 on the App and App+ tiers as well as Peloton hardware.

Members can choose an age-based Max Heart Rate calculation or enter a custom value, then configure each of the five zones individually instead of relying on Peloton’s default breakpoints. The screen shows a member’s current heart rate against their optimal zone in real time, giving a visual reference during a workout rather than a single number to interpret.

Heart Rate Management Skips the All-Access Requirement

Most of the new Peloton IQ features tied to the launch require an All-Access Membership, including IQ Pace Targets, Run Analysis, and Sled Mode. Heart Rate Management is the exception. Peloton’s fact sheet lists it as available to App and App+ members too, which puts zone customization within reach of members who use Peloton’s app-based content without owning a Tread, Bike, or Row.

Members can adjust settings from the hardware screen or through the Peloton mobile app, so setup is not tied to a single device. That flexibility matters for anyone who splits workouts between a Tread at home and app-based classes while traveling.

Custom Zones Replace the Default Age-Based Formula

Default heart rate zones typically start from an age-based estimate. The American Heart Association puts maximum heart rate at roughly 220 minus a person’s age and describes the figures in its target heart rate chart as averages, best used as a general guide. Peloton has also suggested working with a professional in a testing setting to find a specific maximum heart rate, as covered in our breakdown of heart rate training with Peloton.

Heart Rate Management gives members a way to override the default with a number from a real fitness test or a value a doctor has recommended. For anyone who has found the stock zones inaccurate for their own body, that is a meaningful upgrade.

Where Heart Rate Management Fits in the Tread Launch

Heart Rate Management is one part of a broad software release that accompanies three new treadmills. Peloton introduced Tread Flex, its first folding treadmill, along with Tread Vision and Tread+ Vision on September 22. Tread Flex starts at $2,195 in the US, Tread Vision at $3,495, and Tread+ Vision at $6,695. All three go on sale in the US and Canada on October 1.

The same software release adds Heart Rate Zone Workouts, a new Just Guidance format for Zone 2 training that uses heart rate data from a smartwatch or band. Members who want a starting point for lower-intensity work can also browse Peloton’s Zone 2 heart rate training collection. Peloton also added a WHOOP integration on September 22, joining existing connections with Apple Health, Fitbit, and Garmin Connect.

Of the software features Peloton announced this week, Heart Rate Management has the widest reach. It applies across Peloton hardware and on the App and App+ tiers, so the October 1 rollout is not limited to members buying a new treadmill.

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