Have you recently purchased a Peloton bike or subscribed to the Peloton workout app to help you with your weight loss journey? The good news is that you can definitely lose weight and improve your cardiovascular health by regularly riding the Peloton or doing Peloton workouts. The bad news is that any Peloton weight loss plan must also be accompanied by a healthy diet if you want to see weight loss results. Unfortunately you “can’t out-ride the fork” – meaning you can’t out-exercise poor food/wine decisions. It’s far easier to just not eat the extra 500 calories than to try and burn them off. In fact, it is estimated that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

When I first got my Peloton, I rode it at least 5 times a week, doing 45 minute rides. But after 3 months, I hadn’t lost any weight at all. That’s because all those calories I burned on the bike were replaced when I over ate to compensate for the exercise. I was actually very hungry after each ride and I deluded myself into thinking I could eat whatever I wanted to for the rest of the day because I’d worked out so hard.

It wasn’t until I began to analyse my diet that I started to see results. I finally worked out my calorie deficit required to lose weight using a calorie deficit calculator. From there, I did Peloton rides and workouts to burn more calories which then helped to increase the amount of calories I could afford to eat in a day while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

I found this Youtube video really helpful in helping to work out my calorie deficit.

My weekly Peloton weight loss plan

I more of less follow the following workout plan each week. I try to mix high-intensity interval training to torch calories with full body strength exercises to target all the different muscle groups.

I also tried to include at least one HIIT cardio class a week. I’ve tried and loved the following Peloton HIIT cardio instructors:

• Callie Gullickson – offering beginner and intermediate HIIT cardio classes of between 10 and 30 minutes, Callie is energetic and great fun.
• Jess Sims– Jess is a Master Instructor at Peloton. Offering intermediate HIIT cardio classes of between 10 and 30 mins, Jess is known for her motivational coaching style. But don’t let her super positive, witty personality fool you. Her workouts are challenging! Interesting fact about Jess – she used to be a school teacher.
• Adrian Williams with a fun sense of humor that shines through in his workouts, Adrian’s workouts are intense yet he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. He also comes across as a genuinely nice guy. His classes are on the tougher side so more suitable for the intermediate level.
• Logan Aldridge is an adaptive training expert. He lost one arm in a wakeboarding accident when he was 13. This guy is seriously inspiring for both abled and disabled people alike. Offering intermediate HIIT cardio classes, I feel like I’ve always got a great workout after doing one of his classes.

Tips to help you with your Peloton weight loss plan

• Don’t underestimate how hungry you will be after a ride or a class, especially after HIIT workouts . Once I accepted that I would be hungry after an intense Peloton ride, I started keeping cheese, nuts, Greek yogurt, apples and oranges etc around to refuel.
• Supplement the Peloton bike classes with the myriad of other classes Peloton offers. There are so many classes to choose from.
• Research has shown that many calorie tracking devices are pretty bad at estimating how many calories you burn when exercising. I definitely feel there is a margin for error in the accuracy of the calories the Peloton bike tells me I burnt. To account for that, I always assume it’s at least 100 calories less than what the bike tells me.
• Even if I don’t burn as many calories as I’d like doing Peloton, I feel that exercise has a way of making me want to eat healthier. I don’t want to let all my hard work go to waste by eating junk after a ride or a workout.
• Look out for Bootcamp classes. I’ve found them to be invaluable on my weight loss journey. Each Bootcamp class is basically a combination of cardio and resistance training, making them excellent for weight loss. You can do Bootcamp classes on either the bike or the tread. Each class involves doing multiple rounds of high-intensity intervals on the bike / tread, followed by resistance training using bodyweight exercises or weights. Just a word of warning though – Bootcamps are intense!  But you can always modify your resistance if the Bootcamp is too hard.
• Find a way to motivate yourself to smash your workout out everyday. That might be seeing your metrics improve everyday (the Peloton bike is great for recording and tracking metrics), getting involved in the social side of Peloton rides such as trying to get an instructor shout-out in a live ride or competing on the leaderboard (an electronic scoreboard which is displayed on the Peloton touchscreen). It could be finding workouts that suits your music tastes (mine are the 90s music rides) or listening to your favourite podcast. The idea is that you find something that will make your workouts less of a chore and more of something to look forward to.
• Get yourself a calorie counting app. Work out approximately how many calories you’re burning on each ride/ workout and be careful not to eat back those calories. It is surprisingly easy to overestimate how many calories each ride/ workout burns. A 400 calorie workout can be negated with just one piece of chocolate cake.

How many calories can you burn on a Peloton ride?

You can burn around 400 – 1000 calories per hour on a Peloton ride, depending on your age, sex, weight, heart rate, cadence and resistance.

Is Peloton good for belly fat?

Unfortunately spot reduction – or the idea of losing fat in a specific area of the body such as the stomach, is just a fitness myth.  The only way to lose weight in the belly is to reduce overall body fat and ramp up your strength training to build body mass.

The good news is that Peloton offers a variety of workouts to get you burning calories. If the Peloton Bike, Bike+,  Tread  or Rower is not your thing, Peloton offers a variety of workout classes through its app.

With a combination of cardiovascular exercises, strength training and a balanced diet, you should see overall weight loss results, including on the belly.

How long does it take to see results from Peloton?

The Peloton bike, just like other stationary bikes, allows you to burn fat while providing a low-impact cardio workout.  However just like with other stationary bikes or any exercise regime, results take time.

If you are strict with your workout plan and eat healthily, you should notice some results within 1 month of starting. Within 1 month of following the above Peloton weight loss schedule, I saw the following results:

• 2 pounds lighter
• more definition in my calf muscles
• more energy; and
• more stamina.

Of course you will lose weight quicker if you are very restrictive with your calorie intake and ride the Peloton bike at a higher intensity.  

However studies have shown time and time again that slow and steady weight loss (of between 1 – 2 lbs per week) is better for long term weight loss. You’re more likely to stick with a weight loss plan if it is realistic and fits in with your lifestyle.  5 workouts a week are do-able for me.  If I tried to do 7 workouts a week, I know I’d eventually just give up altogether.    

And even if it takes a while to see weight loss results, remember you are still getting all the other great benefits from exercise such as stress release, improved mood, cardiovascular fitness and endurance.

I love Peloton’s Bootcamp classes, and I really feel they’ve helped me on my weight loss journey. They combine elements of cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises. These classes can help shred fat as they combine cardio and strength for a total body workout to help you burn calories, build muscle and improve your overall fitness level.

Bootcamp workouts give you bang for your buck – they are perfect for someone who is short on time like me but wants to get both strength and cardio done in one quick, effective workout. They will definitely have you working up a sweat!

Best Peloton Bootcamp workout for weight loss

Bootcamps are actually a form of HIIT (high intensity interval training) which means you will still be burning calories and increasing your metabolic rate once the bootcamp is finished.

The Peloton Bootcamp classes can either be done on the bike or the tread. Some of the moves you do off bike/ tread so you do need some space to be able to effectively complete them. Basically, the cardio component is done on the bike/ tread while the strength work is done on the floor.  Also, you don’t just do half the workout on the bike/ tread and then move to the floor. The bootcamp breaks up the bike/ tread workout with short strength training moves on the floor.

And don’t be intimidated by the name “Bootcamp”. The classes are not just for the ultra-fit. They are great for beginners too as they provide an introduction to a variety of exercises and training styles.  You can choose a 30 min, 45 min, or 60 min Bootcamp. The app also lets you filter by body focus (e.g. lower body, upper body).

Note that the bike Bootcamp classes will require you to change your shoes for the floor work.  You’ll also need a set of weights and a mat in addition to the bike or tread although some of the Bootcamp classes use your bodyweight only.

If you’re new to Power Zone rides, I recommend watching this video:

Peloton weight loss plan – concluding thoughts

In the end, weight loss comes down to consuming less calories than you burn. Workouts can help with that but probably not as much as you think. Instead of focusing on how much weight you can lose with the Peloton, I’d focus on finding rides/ workouts you like and showing up consistently and adjusting your diet to help you lose the weight you want to. Luckily Peloton has put a lot of thought into making workouts as entertaining as possible. Peloton also has a large online, supportive community of users. I’ve found this community to be great for accountability and support when I’ve needed it. You can also participate in group rides if you have an all access subscription which are great for keeping you motivated.

Ultimately the best Peloton workouts for weight loss will be the ones that you enjoy, not the ones that burn the most calories. Peloton also has a variety of other workout equipment, from treadmills to stationary bikes to weights and now a row machine, that you might prefer to the bike.

And if you are struggling to lose weight with the Peloton, remember there are many other health benefits to exercise. Exercise helps with cardiovascular and muscular health, and can help improve mood. Since I’ve been riding, I feel like I’m able to handle stress better, I’m proud of my Power Zone training and I’m part of a community I love. Those positives far out-weigh any weight loss benefits in my opinion!

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Michael Hoskins