Peloton Instructor Superlatives 2026 Edition
Dust off your letterman jackets because it’s graduation season at Peloton High and time for Peloton Instructor Superlatives 2026! We’re back for our third annual walk through the halls of PSNY and PSL to hand out the yearbook honors our favorite sweat peddlers absolutely deserve.
If you’re new here, welcome. Pull up a seat because the tea is hot, the vibes are chaotic, and absolutely none of these awards are accredited. This is where we celebrate the personalities, quirks, and the moments that keep us coming back for more. Who made us laugh so hard we forgot our quads were on fire? Who served looks we immediately tried to recreate on a Target budget? Whose rizz was simply too powerful to ignore this year?
So grab your yearbooks, uncap a Sharpie, and let’s see who the Class of 2026 crowned this year.
Best Hype Person
Camila Ramón
Camila can make a breakup ride feel like a celebration, teach you to swear in Spanish, warn you about your inner Tia Toxica and get you to a PR, all in one class. If you aren’t shouting “no pata sucias!” at the top of your lungs by the midpoint of the ride, are you even living? She delivers the kind of energy that makes you forget your legs are actually on fire. Camila doesn’t just bring the heat; she brings the entire fiesta and expects you to show up for it. This year, we hand the Best Hype Person award to Camila because she is, without a doubt, the ultimate hype queen who ensures your mood is as elevated as your output. Open your Google Translate app and click here for the pep talk you may need today.
Favorite Fashionista
Tunde Oyeneyin
Tunde is having a year. This is Tunde’s world and we’re just living in it. Our favorite Sista has been out there slaying it for a while now, but this year, she’s turned the temp all the way up. Whether she is rocking a high-fashion editorial look or a barely-there suit for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo call, or creating her own fashion line for Peloton, her style remains undefeated. She is the blueprint for “serving” on and off the leaderboard. Every outfit is a literal masterclass in peak aesthetic. Honestly, we should all thank her for letting us witness this level of iconic behavior on a daily basis.
Best Couple
Denis Morton and His Tuesday Tunes Album Covers
Roughly a year ago, Denis brought this series back to his Instagram account where he gives you a review of some of his favorite vinyl albums.
This is the ultimate long-term relationship, built on a foundation of mutual respect and impeccable taste in music (and sometimes, exceptionally stylish clothes). While most couples are arguing about what to have for dinner, Denis and his vinyl collection are out here looking effortlessly cool, like your older brother’s best friend (you know the one). Tuesday Tunes is the kind of consistent, wholesome content that keeps our feeds grounded..unless Nas’ Oochie Wally accidentally sneaks in and then that’s a completely different kind of category.
Side note: if you need to catch up or just want to refresh your memory, if you scroll through his Tuesday Tunes reels really fast, you’re also treated to a Denis-hair-growth timelapse. We’re waiting for your return, Long Hair Denis.
Most Likely to be Distant Cousins
Alex Karwoski and Zacharias Niedzwiecki
We’re not saying they are, but we’re not not saying it either. What we are saying is that comparing your Ancestry might be a worthy endeavor, sirs, because the resemblance is definitely there. The facial structure alone is doing some heavy lifting. Let’s just say the “Copy and Paste” vibes are strong with these two.
They might not be bro-skis but they could definitely be distant cousin-skis and Alex probably just needs to invite Zacharias over to a Karwoski family get-together and teach him the secret family handshake already. Now, someone call Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. or something so we can get to the bottom of this already
Best Thirst Trap
Adrian Williams
This is always a fiercely contested category, and it’s a category that we take very seriously. Every year, we spend so much of our time researching it (for our readers, of course). Every year, multiple instructors throw their very attractive hats into the ring (we know that they know what they’re doing). And, every year, the deliberations are tough.
But, this year, Adrian came roaring down the home stretch with three well-timed Instagram Reels. First, he was concerned about our hydration. Then, he sauntered in with that Hudson Williams campaign. You know the one–the one we sent to the group chat the second we saw it. And, finally, he sealed the deal with his slow-motion shirt removal in this Lululemon ad. It was then that we knew he had sauntered off with this year’s Best Thirst Trap award just like he sauntered out of the locker room at the end of that Reel.
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Now, can someone please inform this man that we have things to do? Errands to run. Emails to answer. Dinners to cook. We cannot be stopping mid-scroll to stare at his muscles like this. It’s genuinely impacting our productivity and we would like it to stop. (We would not like it to stop.)
Best Duo To Be Stuck On A Deserted Island With
Charlotte Weidenbach
Ash Pryor
Let’s be honest: if you’re going to be stranded, you need people with skills. Not “I can make a really good charcuterie board” skills. Real skills.
Dr. Charlotte is a resourceful badass, full stop. When she’s not leading you through a killer class at Peloton, she’s out there navigating music festivals like a pro, which means she’s fluent in crowd logistics, questionable weather, and making the absolute best of whatever situation she’s dropped into. Plus, she’s a doctor so….duh. If something goes sideways on that island (and, let’s be honest, something always goes sideways), you’re going to want Charlotte right there with a diagnosis, a plan, and probably a better attitude about it than you deserve.
And then there’s Ash Pryor. Ash walked on to the women’s rowing team at The Ohio State University. No scholarship, no guarantees, just pure grit and a refusal to be told no. She went on to become a Big Ten Champion and later returned to OSU as the Director of Operations for the women’s rowing team. So to recap: she earned her seat at the table, won at the highest level, and then came back to run the whole operation. Ash is going to get our collective asses off that island, build the raft herself, row us home, and turn us into rowing champions, too. Outboard motor, who?
Let’s face it. If this duo showed up on Survivor, the rest of the cast would probably self-eliminate on day one.
Most Likely to Star in a Rom-Com
Jon Hosking
Hollywood looks and a cheeky sense of humor, wrapped in a down-to-earth personality? C’mon. Hosky’s got major Rom-Com vibes. With chiseled features and good-guy energy, last year’s Best Boyfriend winner looks like he is just waiting to be cast in a Hallmark movie where he’ll deliver a breathless, three-minute monologue about his feelings while standing in a torrential downpour, looking unfairly attractive despite being soaked to the bone. Or be the big-city guy who moves to a small town to run a failing bookstore, only to find himself participating in a quirky local festival involving a lot of knitwear and a goat (probably). Whether he’s ‘just looking for a book on travel’ or giving a pep talk to a Golden Retriever in a local park, Jon is just one slow-motion montage away from a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Best Comeback
DJ John Michael
This one wasn’t even a competition. Not even a little bit.
On November 21st, about seven minutes into a live DJ Ride with Cody, DJJM turned to cue something, felt a pop in his hip, and immediately found himself unable to bear weight on his leg. And what did he do? He stopped the class immediately and… no, wait. That’s not what happened at all. What actually happened is that this man redistributed his weight, kept the music going, leaned fully into his signature arm choreo, and finished the remaining 23 minutes while simultaneously texting his husband one-handed from off camera. The message? Come to the studio. I need to go to the hospital. I think I dislocated my hip.
He finished the class.
What followed was a six-month process involving physical therapy, MRIs, and multiple tests. Then, on April 16th, DJJM walked back into PSNY, got behind the decks alongside Adrian Williams, and delivered what he promised would be a “pretty incredible” playlist. Spoiler: it was.
This superlative isn’t just about the comeback, although the comeback alone would have earned it. It’s about November 21st, before anyone knew a comeback story was even being written. Finishing a live class while in serious pain, with thousands of members none the wiser? Bruh. That’s legendary AF. Welcome back, DJJM. We are so glad you’re home.
Most Likely to be Cast as a Bond Girl
Mila Lazar
With her effortless European cool girl energy, it wouldn’t surprise us at all to find Mila Lazar lounging on the French Riviera, sipping something expensive, and moonlighting as a Bond Girl between Bike and Pilates classes. And not the she-moves-the-plot-with-just-her-looks type of Bond girl. We’re talking Bond Girl with a capital G. The kind who matches wits with Bond, brings the brains and the bravery and the beauty, and absolutely does not wait around to be rescued. Sometimes an ally, sometimes a villain, but always the most interesting person in the room.
Ordinarily we’d suggest a Bond Girl name to complete the bit. Agent Pila Tease, anyone? But let’s be honest. Mila Lazar already sounds like she was written by Ian Fleming. No notes. No changes. What defines a Bond Girl, you ask? All we’ll say is that you know one when you see one. And Mila has most definitely got it.
Most Likely to Be a Main Character
Johanna Ricouz
Johanna Ricouz is a lot of things, but a shrinking violet isn’t one of them.
She blazed onto the Peloton scene with a Turkey Burn introduction at the end of November and immediately left her mark. We’re talking immediately. Like, did-not-wait-to-introduce-herself-to-the-vibe immediately. Your favorite Pilates instructor crashing out in class? Yep, that’s her. Almost word for word. Johanna isn’t here to mince words, baby your feelings, or ease you gently into any kind of uncomfortable truth. She is here to kick your ass, tell you not to take any shit (but also do no harm!), and deliver a daily dose of realness so potent it should probably come with a warning label.
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Main character energy isn’t something you can fake. You either have it or you don’t, and Johanna has it in quantities that most people spend their whole lives chasing. She’s not here to be background noise. She’s not here to blend in. She showed up, she took up space, and she has absolutely zero apologies about any of it, nor should she.
We’ll take that energy in a main character all day long. Every day and twice on Sundays.
Best Celebrity Lookalike
Rebecca Kennedy and Lily Rabe
When Alex K. and Zacharias are done with that Ancestry test kit, we’re going to need them to pass it directly to RK, because we have questions. Specifically: is she related to Lily Rabe, and how quickly can we find out?
For the uninitiated, Lily Rabe currently stars in Shrinking as Harrison Ford’s daughter, but she may be best known for her iconic portrayal of Misty Day in American Horror Story: Coven and Apocalypse. Misty Day, for those who need a refresher, is a swamp witch who communes with nature, resurrects the dead, and listens to Stevie Nicks on repeat. She is, in other words, extremely cool.
Lily Rabe/Deposit Photos
Now. We’re not saying RK and Lily Rabe are definitely related. Obvi. What we are saying is that the resemblance is genuinely uncanny, and also that RK loves herself some Stevie Nicks. Is that a coincidence? Almost certainly. But the universe has a sense of humor and we’re not here to ignore the evidence when it’s this compelling.
The vintage-vibe energy, the cheekbones, and the Stevie Nicks fan club membership? RK, honey. Check the family tree.
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Most Likely to Appear on a Wheaties Box
Matt Wilpers
Matt Wilpers has been out here casually running marathons, crushing bike races, and smashing course personal records like it’s just any normal day for a while now. But this year, he added HYROX to the mix, competed at HYROX Miami in April, crossed the finish line of the 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26 with a time of 2:58:25 and claimed his Six Star Finisher medal in the process, and then rolled directly into the TCS Five Boroughs Bike Tour on May 3rd like someone who has never once heard the word “rest.” Oh, and just days after London? He announced his next goal during a live class: IRONMAN 70.3 Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada on June 21st. Because of course he did.
If that isn’t Wheaties box material, we don’t know what is. Plus, he just looks like he starts his morning with a bowl of Wheaties…probably.
Most Likely to Make You Question All Your Life Choices
Robin Arzón
Duh.
Even Peloton knows she’s out to flatten us and is leaning alllllll the way in with the Triple Yellow Challenge. If you know, you know. But if you haven’t yet been personally victimized by Robin in Yellow and think we’re being dramatic, go ahead and sign up for this challenge and report back. We’ll wait…..for you to regain consciousness.
To borrow a line from Oda Mae Brown in Ghost: you in danger, girl.
Godspeed.
Best Smile
Mariana Fernández
Things that are powerful: compound movements, TS60, carrying all your groceries in one trip, Adrian’s muscles, and Mariana’s smile. This wasn’t even close this year. Mariana has the kind of megawatt smile that can brighten even the dullest day. It’s that “hey friend” kind of smile that makes you feel happy and hugged all at once.
Sometimes we swear her smile is so bright she has somehow plugged herself directly into the sun. It lights up her whole face and leaves a little sparkle in her eyes. And if that is not enough, she adds a cute nose crinkle that is just the cherry on top.
Take it from us, the next time you’re feeling down, hop into one of her classes or take a quick scroll through her Instagram and see for yourself. Because, if smiles are powerful, Mariana’s is a whole damn nuclear force, and we’re lucky we get to enjoy it.
Most Likely to Make You Lose Track of What You’re Doing in Class
Zacharias Niedzwiecki
Zacharias burst onto the scene late last year and immediately became a contender for multiple Superlative categories (we see you, Best Thirst Trap). But it was his balletic yoga flows that put this particular category on lock and frankly, it wasn’t even close.
On the platform and especially off it via his Instagram Reels, Zacharias has a way of stopping you completely mid-scroll, mid-thought, mid-sentence. The flows are hypnotic. Truly, scientifically (probably), cannot-look-away hypnotic. Every single TCO writer who has taken one of his classes has caught themselves commenting, more than once, that they could sit there for hours and watch him flow. Hours. Plural.
Most likely to make you lose track of what you’re doing in class? Listen. We’d love to tell you that’s hypothetical. We’d love to say it’s just a fun category name. But we’d be lying, and we respect you too much for that. We suspect this happens on the reg around the Peloton community. In the meantime, don’t mind us. We’ll just be over here trying to focus on what we’re supposed to be doing in Z’s class.
We’ve thoughtfully embedded one of his Reels so you, too, can be hypnotized by how gracefully he flows. You’re welcome.
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Favorite Sports Fan
Cody Rigsby
YES, Cody. We know this might not seem like the most obvious pick at first, but that just tells us you haven’t seen Cody’s absolutely hysterical mic’d-up night at the Rangers vs. Islanders game. Watching Cody watch hockey in real time was pure entertainment gold. “He’s in time out for two minutes?!?” NHL, if you’re listening: we need more mic’d-up Cody immediately.
Cody’s hockey fandom goes deeper than funny commentary and arena snacks,though. His connection to the sport started years ago through the Carolina Hurricanes, where his mom worked at their original home, the Greensboro Coliseum. And in recent years, Cody has become an advocate for inclusion in the hockey world, partnering with the NHL on initiatives like the 2026 NHL Unites Pride Cup to support and celebrate LGBTQ+ visibility in the sport. We love this for them, and for him.
So yeah, Cody may have served comedy gold in the stands, but he’s also helping make the sports world more welcoming and inclusive, and we absolutely love that for him and for the NHL.
Best Friendship/Bromance
Matt Wilpers & Christian Vande Velde
Move over Erik and everyone else, there is a new bromance in town. Matt Wilpers is the banana to Christian Vende Velde’s orange (trust us, the real ones get it). Every year, these two buddies with a very clear big-bro/little-bro dynamic team up for their annual 2-for-1 Valentine’s Day ride, and spend (nearly) the entire class expertly roasting each other for a full 120 minutes….in a loving way, of course. Highlights include, but not limited to: a 20-minute Z3 interval (see, it’s not all fun and games, there’s actual coaching involved), plenty of Valentine’s Day roasting, Magic Mike dollars raining from the ceiling, and solid training tips throughout. I mean, what’s a bromance without a little Magic Mike, amiright?
At some point in all the cycling chaos, you are so entertained by their good-natured ribbing that you briefly forget you are also creating a lake of sweat beneath you. But what makes this bromance a winner is not just the jokes. It is the genuine mutual respect and easy chemistry between these two friends that comes through in every 2-for-1 class that they teach. They talk like people who really are friends outside of the cycling studio, because they are. Valentine’s Day is always a little sweeter, and funnier, when these two team up for a class.
Class Dismissed
And that’s a wrap on Peloton Instructor Superlatives 2026. From smile power levels that could rival the sun, to bromances, to celeb lookalikes our favorite instructors continue to deliver far more than just great workouts. They make us laugh, push us, and occasionally question our life choices mid-interval.
So consider this your official yearbook signing for the class of 2026. Catch us back here next year for more unofficial awards, totally made up categories, and entirely justified opinions.
The Clip Out is an independent Peloton news site with reporting, analysis, and community insights. We deliver breaking updates, feature reporting, and expert context on the stories driving the community and the industry.
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About the Author: Nikki Smith
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