When Peloton announced its new strength-training tool, Peloton Guide, in November of last year, skeptics were quick to criticize its surprising lack of innovation and (unsurprisingly) its high price.
A motion tracking camera that costs more than a PS5? From the company whose bikes and treadmills revolutionized the way we think about exercise at home, the negative reception was understandable.
But the brand's first foray into dedicated strength training uses this admittedly simple technology to really useful effect, where similar AI-enabled workouts haven't. This refreshing ability, coupled with a dramatic (and welcome) price cut, means that Peloton Guide could become the entry-level product the company is clearly hoping for, after all.
So what does Peloton Guide actually do? Well, for €295 / €275 / AU$445 plus a monthly subscription (which we'll detail below), users get a webcam-sized unit that, after connecting to a TV via HDMI, provides interactive workouts. on screen dedicated to non-cardiovascular activity.
A motion tracker adds much-needed self-discipline to The Guide's library of strength-based activities, a body activity monitor recommends the best route for a well-balanced workout program, and Peloton's near-celebrity-level coaches make the whole experience is extremely . Well, Platoon.
As with all Peloton products, you'll incur a monthly fee: $13 / $12 / AU$19 for the Standalone Force Pack, or $24 / $24 / AU$35 for the All-Access subscription to the brand (an introductory offer running until the end of the year), but those numbers became a lot more palatable (if not quite affordable) after the brand dropped (opens in a new tab) €200 / €175 / AU$ 305 off the price of the main camera just a few days before launch.
Peloton Guide comes with a remote to navigate its menus, though the company is currently testing beta voice commands to select, skip, and pause mid-workout. The camera also features a physical mute switch and lens cover to provide privacy when not in use.
That's the basics, but is Peloton's latest invention any good? In the short time we've spent with the device, we can confidently say that yes, Peloton Guide offers users a comprehensive and genuinely enjoyable training experience, even if it's not as innovative as the brand's existing hardware and software.
everything for everyone
For starters, Peloton Guide is suitable for all experience levels. There are no parameters built into their strength workouts for specific barbell weights (beyond small, medium, and large), so users are encouraged to select weights within the framework of universal training plans.
That, in itself, is a virtue given how difficult it can be to get into strength training for the first time. Those who don't know the proper technique for lunges, squats, bicep curls, etc. Here you'll find plenty of advice from Peloton's award-winning instructors, also throwing in nuggets of wisdom for more advanced users, and as that familiarity grows, you can adjust the weights you use to progress at your own pace.
Also, those who imagine Peloton Guide's motion tracker to be a glorified Xbox Kinect sensor or Wii Fit remote should rest assured: this is one camera that works consistently. During our brief time testing the little TV, the camera (a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens that outputs 4K video at up to 60fps) never lost track of our movements or reacted angrily to our deliberate attempts to confuse it. Again, this is supposedly simple technology, but Peloton has perfected it to work effectively as the centerpiece of its latest offering.
Find your own form
There is room for improvement. As effective as auto-correction can be when you see yourself performing a move differently from the on-screen instructor, Peloton Guide doesn't provide specific form feedback; it really is up to each individual to improve his own technique. You'll get real-time heart rate and calorie metrics (if you choose to use the brand's associated heart rate monitor), but nothing to tell you if you're actually stretching in the right places (beyond incidental feedback from the trainer).
That said, as with all other Peloton products, there's already a lot of data on the screen at any given time. Of course, you're completely free to ignore the plethora of stats and partially colored illustrations of your anatomy - there's even an optional non-HUD mode to train in peace - but having all that information at your fingertips can be overwhelming. . We can imagine that it is difficult for the uninitiated user, for example, to know where to look and what data to consider important before, during and after a training session.
But that's the nature of fitness technology in 2022. It's not exactly fair to criticize Peloton's latest offering for giving its users too much information. As always, everything is laid out intelligently, although there is a learning curve here for anyone new to the service, although the process of going through the trainings themselves is straightforward.
All in all, then, Peloton Guide does what it says on the tin, and that's a good thing. Before testing the device and software, we expected the brand new product to be a largely non-essential entry in the established Peloton canon. But to our surprise, it provided a challenging, enjoyable, and ultimately perfect training experience.
The still high price of Peloton Guide will, of course, be a driving factor in whether new and existing customers flock to another fitness-based subscription service. Still, we think it's a great option for those who want to incorporate quick and engaging home strength training into their lifestyle routine.