I've been using a Peloton for 3 years — here's the best Peloton classes to try

Peloton bike classes
(Image credit: Peloton)

When someone asks which Peloton classes are the “best,” it is hard to choose, especially when new classes are uploaded on a weekly basis. One of the best things about Peloton is that classes are not limited to the Peloton Bike or Peloton Tread, but include areas such as yoga, strength training, cardio, outdoor running, walking and meditation. 

I've been a Peloton user for three years — way before it boomed in popularity during the pandemic, so below, I've hand-picked some of the best Peloton classes across the board to inspire you to get moving. 

Looking for more workout inspiration? We've found the best exercise bikes and the best Peloton alternatives to add to your home, as well as some of the best ab workouts to try, and the best exercises to add to your routine if you sit down all day.

Best Peloton classes — cycling

Cycling classes are my favorite to browse and bookmark as I have the Peloton Bike (starting at $1,495) in my home. Classes range from five minutes to 90-minutes long. Along with the abundance of different class lengths, there are many types of classes including warm-ups and cool-downs, beginner, power zone, live DJ, heart rate zone, music, pro cyclist, groove, theme, intervals, climb, and low impact classes.

Robin Arzón’s 30-Minute Red (Taylor’s Version) Ride on December 25th, 2021: My favorite type of class to take is when Peloton releases a new “Artist Series” ride which is usually a 30-minute class with just the artist's songs. I am a huge Swiftie and Robin blessed us all with the ten-minute version of All to Well in this ride.

Kendall Toole’s 30-Minute Disney Ride on November 8th, 2021: I am a big Disney fan and if you are like me and grew up in the 00’s era, you'll love this one. There are classic songs from High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Freaky Friday, and The Princess Diaries. 

Kendall Toole’s 20-Minute 90s Pop Ride on December 7th, 2021: Talking of Kendall, we have the same taste in music. This fun Pop ride has songs from Spice Girls, *NSYNC, TLC, Cher, and Whitney Houston.

Oliva Amato 45-Minute HIIT & Hills Ride on December 13th, 2021: When I am looking for a tough cycling workout to test my endurance and strength, I opt for a HIIT and Hills rides, preferably taught by Olivia Amato. This is one of the hardest classes I’ve taken and rightfully so, it has a 9/10 difficulty rating on the app. The class consists of intervals that will test your cadence, complimented with hills that will make your quads burn. 

Olivia Amato’s 45-Minute Intervals & Arms Ride on March 8th, 2021: Lastly, if you are looking for an arms workout incorporated within your bike ride, opt for the 30 or 45 minute Arms & Interval classes. Again, Olivia Amato tests my capabilities, and is known for her Monday morning killer bike classes with her “Roosters.” Opt for this class if you want a challenge and an arm workout.

Check out my roundup of the best Peloton cycling shoes here. 

Best Peloton classes — bootcamp

The bike Bootcamp classes are a newer category that Peloton first offered in Fall 2020. The bike bootcamp classes have part of the workout on the bike and the other half on the floor using weights and bodyweight. 

There are three lengths of classes to choose from — 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 60 minutes based on your preference. Classes are offered in English, German, and Spanish. The types of classes include bodyweight, core, upper body, lower body, and full body. Instructors to choose from include Callie, Cody, Jess, Robin, and Tunde. 

Jess Sim’s 30-Minute Bootcamp Core on October 19th, 2020: I’ve taken this 30-minute core class over ten times and always leave this class with a sweaty angel on my yoga mat along with an aching core.

Jess Sim’s 60-Minute Pop Bootcamp on December 7th, 2020: When I have a lot of time set aside for a full-body workout, I like to Opt for a 60-minute class which leaves my body aching. I have taken this class numerous times because I know it will leave me feeling like I've had a great workout. It has an 8.3/10 difficulty and 99.8% of people gave it a thumbs-up rating. This well-rounded workout consists of 31 minutes of cycling and 29 minutes of a strength workout on the floor. 

Tunde Oyeneyin’s 45-Minute Pop Bootcamp on December 10th, 2021: Lastly, when I am looking for a longer class to stack with a short cycling class, I opt to take the 45-minute Bootcamp. This way I will get some strength incorporated into my workout for the day, not just cardio. Pop is my favorite genre of music and Tunde always tests my strength ability when it comes to her Bike Bootcamp classes.

Best Peloton classes — cardio 

Peloton also offers cardio classes which are great for when you are on the go and do not have access to a bike or treadmill. Users are able to access these classes on the Peloton app, and these classes range from 5 minutes up to 30 minutes. Classes are offered in English, German, and Spanish. 

Jess Sim’s 10-Minute HIIT Cardio on October 28th, 2020: Add this class to your stack after you’ve done a 30 or 45-minute cycling ride to work your entire body. 

Olivia Amato’s 20-Minute HIIT Cardio on November 4th, 2020: Take this class if you are limited with time but want a full-body workout.

Andy Speer’s 30-Minute HIIT Cardio on December 30th, 2020: Pair this weighted class with a short cycling workout to leave your body feeling like you’ve done a great combination workout for the day. 

Best Peloton classes — stretching 

Stretching is a great class to incorporate into your workout routine whether it is a part of your warmup or your cool down. The stretching classes Peloton has to offer include full body stretches, upper body stretches, lower body stretches, pre and post-ride stretches for the bike, and pre and post-run stretches for the Tread or running outdoors. 

Ben Alldis’ 10-Minute Red (Taylor’s Version) Stretch on December 25th, 2021: Did I mention I love Taylor? It is no surprise that this is one of my go-to stretch classes. 

Hannah Corbin’s 5-Minute Post-Ride Stretch on January 15th, 2022: I enjoy taking post-ride stretches, and this one is super-relaxing on tired legs.

Jess Sim’s 10-Minute Arms & Shoulders Stretch on October 23rd, 2019: Strength classes, specifically ones involving my upper body, can leave me feeling fatigued so I enjoy really taking the time to focus on one area.

Best Peloton classes — meditation 

Meditation classes are offered from five minutes up to 30 minutes. The purpose of meditation is to help calm your mind and body. There are many different classes to choose from including mindfulness, relax and sleep, meditation basics, zen in ten, breathwork, fitness focus, and audio only. For someone new to meditation, I recommend the meditation basics classes.

Aditi Shah’s 10-Minute Relaxing Meditation on December 22nd, 2021: I often turn to this class to calm my body after a stressful day. 

Aditi Shah’s 10-Minute Basics: Breath on August 13th, 2020: I found this class to be extremely helpful as I learnt to meditate and recommend it to beginners. 

Best Peloton classes — running

As well as it's treadmill classes, Peloton offers audio versions of their run and walk classes to take outside. Some class types included within this category include walking, endurance, intervals, speed, theme and music. Class lengths vary from 10 minutes up to an hour. 

I enjoy taking the pop run classes since they have great playlists. I also like the HIIT and interval runs, as the instructor offers guidance on  when to speed up and slow down. 

Robin Arzón’s 20-Minute Pop Run on March 26th, 2021: Take this class to listen to artists like Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber. 20 min Pop Run

Jess Sim’s 20-Minute HIIT Run on May 29th, 2020: When looking for a class that will get my heart rate up in a short amount of time, I opt for a HIIT run. Even though this class is only 20 minutes, it still incorporates a 3.5 minute warmup, 15 minutes of interval running, and a 1.5 minute cool down.

Becs Gentry's 45-minute The Beatles Run on December 25th, 2020: If you are on the Tread, Becs Gentry is a brilliant trainer. She's super-motivating, and has a series of artist runs worth taking including The Beatles, Britney Spears, Coldplay, and Sam Smith. 

Best Peloton classes — yoga 

Peloton has a host of excellent yoga instructors, including Aditi Shah, Anna Greenberg, Kristin McGee, and Denis Morton. There are classes ranging from five minutes up to 75 minutes, with ten types of classes to choose from — flow, music, power, restorative, yoga anywhere, focus flow, theme, slow flow, family and pre/postnatal, and yoga basics. Another great filter you can choose from is the difficulty of the class including beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Kristin McGee’s 5-Minute Basics: Half Splits on January 26th, 2022: You do not have to be a beginner to take this class, as it focuses on mastering one move — the half splits. 

Aditi Shah’s 10-Minute Yoga Flow on March 15th, 2020: When looking for dynamic cool-down to add to my bike workouts, this is my go-to. It's only 10 minutes long, but it forces you to stop and take a breath before getting on with your day. 

Best Peloton classes — strength

Strength training is important for runners and riders alike, and there's a whole range of strength classes on the Peloton platform, ranging from five minutes up to a full hour. There are twelve types of classes within this category — warm up, body weight, full body, upper body, lower body, core, arms & light weights, strength for runners, resistance bands, barre, Pilates, and pre/postnatal. The bodyweight and classes that do not require weights are great options for anyone on the go or with limited access to equipment. 

Olivia Amato’s 15-Minute Core Strength on February 16th, 2021: This class has a 99.6% rating and will leave your core feeling fatigued. 

Callie Gullickson’s 20-Minute Bodyweight Strength on September 2nd, 2021: Callie’s classes are my go-to and the bodyweight strength sessions are handy when I am traveling and have no access to a gym.

Callie Gullickson’s 20-Minute Disney Full Body Strength on November 17th, 2021: With a 99.1% rating, I highly recommend this class as it has a great playlist and will get your entire body moving.