Whether you are new to Peloton, a pandemic-era purchaser, or an OG (aka an “original” Peloton user), we can all agree that the platform really offers something for everyone. Since its founding, Peloton’s classes continue to evolve from cycling, strength and yoga in the earlier days to running, rowing, meditating, mobility-izing, “Lane Break”-ing, adapting, race training, outdoor-ifying and gym-ing up your workouts. Not only has the scope of the content increased, so has the roster of instructors. With all of these options now, you may be wondering, where do I begin? Or, who should I try to help me to shake up my routine? Or even, where can I look to stay accountable to myself amidst changing health goals? If analysis paralysis has you in its grips, we’re here to help!

Peloton is Powered by People Just Like You

If you are brand new to Pelo-verse (welcome!) you may be staring at your equipment thinking, ok, I can do a ride/run/row on this thing, but then what? Or if you’re an app user you may have made your stacks and brought your iPad to the basement or your phone to the gym, but then what? Yes, the workouts you can do are fantastic, but sometimes, riding the bike that goes nowhere or grinding it out in your pain cave can be a bit, well, lonely. Luckily, many Peloton members who have come before you have felt this way too, and they have formed all sorts of amazing Peloton-adjacent groups on social media where they connect online for daily or weekly accountability, and even get together in person sometimes for IRL high fives and fun. Even if you are not new here, you may not have dipped your toe into groups yet, so why not test the waters and see how your overall wellness improves when you make new social connections?

See What the Internet Was Intended To Be

OK, so you’re ready to find a challenge and a group to join. But let’s drill down what that might mean… Would you lean in with instructors you know motivate you? (Guilty… see my workout history with Andy Speer!) Or would you flip the script and play “instructor bingo” to see how some of the newer folks are? (This is actually how I started with Peloton!) Are you training for a new kind of competition or otherwise changing your fitness focus during the year, as Matt Wilpers advises (I have yet to really do that but don’t tell him!)? Or are you the happy owner of a new piece of equipment and you don’t know how to find your groove with it? (Algorithm, please send my husband an ad for the Row!) For better or worse (and I think, for better), it’s to social media you’ll go.

Facebook and Instagram can be useful places to connect with other Peloton members in the ways that the Internet was intended. This is often more common in private Facebook Groups as opposed to public Instagram pages, but if you can find a place to land that suits your needs and matches your mission, and if you put yourself a little “out there,” you will likely find the spark you may be missing in your routine right now.

How to Start (TL;DR? Skip to the List at the End for Ideas!)

On Facebook, you can search for the name of some instructors you like and join their fan-moderated groups. Now, not all groups do challenges, but you may enjoy being in the groups regardless, as they are generally very positive places where members can support each other and have fun (posting is optional, you can also just be a member and observe). Similarly with Instagram, you can search instructors and groups and follow along, getting a glimpse into some of their lives or at least their upcoming classes. You may find some “printables” or “screenshot-ables” with challenges designed in a nifty graphic to make it easy and fun for you to participate. But, it’s more fun with friends (even online ones) so you may find that heading over to Facebook as well will enhance your Peloton experience bonding over your favorite coaches.

Finding a group where you like the vibe is the first hurdle to clear. Then, see if they offer challenges. This would be a program, activity, or calendar created by Peloton members or instructors – for members – and moderated on social media or on a third party website. (See our list at the end for ideas.) Let’s say you are the new owner of a Peloton Row, you’ve done the You Can Row classes that are available from Peloton Programs, but you’re finding it hard to stay motivated. Perhaps the challenges offered by the group “Alex’s Katch Krew” are for you! They offer bingo and other challenges, group row times, and adorable accountability awards online. They are just one of many groups whose dedicated team of Admins and Moderators devote their free time to cultivating a positive teamlike dynamic to encourage fellow members as we all pursue our fitness goals.

If joining a group to gush over instructors is not your thing, you can find affinity groups that match your mojo better. On Facebook, go to Groups and search “Peloton” and you’ll find Groups already created for a wide range of folks, including, in no particular order: moms, dads, book clubbers, members over 40/50/60, “super newbies,” Swifties, yogis, people embracing sobriety, people who love Disney, people who went to your college or live in your city or state, teachers, doctors, singles, pet owners, etc… these are just a small sampling! The Pelo-verse is vast and its umbrella has room for everyone. And similar to the instructor fan groups, many of these affinity groups run their own monthly challenges that you can join.

But Social Media’s Not Really My Bag, Baby

If you’re not into Facebook or Instagram (or maybe you are too into it and want to separate them from your fitness focus) there’s another way to reap the benefits of exercising alone, but with other people: joining a third party program that uses Peloton classes with other members, but is curated more closely towards reaching specific goals. Many members find that the connections and the strength that they build training alongside Peloton in this way has really improved their fitness and their wellness. Here are a few popular ones:

• Power Zone Pack: the PZP offers multi-week progressive challenges throughout the year that can combine riding, running, and rowing (you choose). There are also optional add-on pairings for weekly yoga and strength classes within their platform. Inside Power Zone, members follow a sequence of classes from the Peloton library but do so in subgroups (teams) on Facebook that allow for extra support and camaraderie and the ultimate in accountability. Power Zone challenges are a popular way to add structure to your training year, or to a season if you mix in other exercise modalities (like – gasp – going outside when weather permits!).
• Team Wilpers: Peloton instructor Matt Wilpers has his own business staffed by professional coaches where people who want a different level of oversight and training in running and riding can come to work and receive more individualized focus (while enjoying some group activities too). Much of their group challenge content overlaps with the Peloton class library, with the added benefit of his coaches’ expertise.
• Summiit Challenges (Pelofondo): a Pelofondo is a large outdoor long distance group ride, and this app provides many opportunities throughout the year for people to establish distance targets for themselves and ride with friends (yes, ride indoors from home on the bike that goes nowhere, but let’s use our imaginations, shall we?). Depending on your own goals, you might join up with a group who sets up the same start time on a Pelofondo weekend, shares a stack of rides ahead of time, and then you ride like the wind until your target is met (usually over a one or two-day plan). This is a popular group activity for many Peloton members.

(Note, although you will need social media for all of these, the level at which you engage is lighter than joining the private instructor or affinity Facebook groups.)

OK, I’m Convinced, Sign Me Up!

We suggest you spend a little time doing some research to find the groups and challenges that resonate with you and your goals, but to help you get started, here are some resources and some examples of challenges that members have shared with us. (Note, inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement, nor is this list inclusive of every opportunity out there. These are suggestions only, as provided to us by fellow members.)

• Matty Maggiacomo/Maggic Makers challenges
• Hannah Frankson/Hannah’s Push Push Crew challenges
• Jess Sims/You Get To to Crew challenges
• Alex’s Katch Krew challenges
• HCOTF (Hardcore on the Floor) (monthly strength calendar)
• Breakthrough Crew (monthly challenge group)
• Streakers 365 (monthly challenge group)
• CDE Perimeter Challenge (a multi-month team ride within the IAMICANIWILLIDO Crew/CDE Project wherein teams pledge to ride as many miles as they can to combine totals to reach 10,130 miles, the perimeter of the United States, that one member was actually riding outdoors in that same time frame to raise funds and awareness for disaster relief and family relocation progress.
• PZ Yogis Between Challenges (the PZ Yogis Power Zone team creates between-challenge challenges for things like going through the library of Kristin McGee’s 60 Minute Classes, or all of the 75 minute OD flows, or trying all of the mediation approaches in Ross’s book)
• Peloton Row Crew challenges
• 100 Days of Peloton FB Group (does 100 day challenges)
• 4Ps Challenge Group on FB (Positive, Progressive Peloton Plan)

“If it Doesn’t Challenge You, it Doesn’t Change You” – Fitness Instructors, Life Coaches, and Parents of Teenagers Everywhere

Jess Sims, of “we can do hard things” and “we don’t have to we get to” fame, can offer us some additional motivation to get started on doing something challenging. In her Hip Hop Run from 7/18/24 she said, “The thing about life is, and we know this, everything is hard. This is training for that. You must choose your hard. Choosing to go out of your comfort zone to pursue something that you want is hard. Choosing to stay in your comfort zone and not work towards that potential is a different kind of hard. You choose.” (Wow. I mean, she dropped this knowledge bomb during Oochie Wally so I was totally caught off guard, but it still resonated!)

Challenges are challenges for a reason, but as Peloton likes to say, #TogetherWeGoFar and it’s true! Go find a crew and make the most of your membership by leaning into something challenging!

Which challenges have been your favorites? Which will you try next? Tell us!

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