Apple Fitness + is pretty good for the money, cheaper buy in with the watch and a bundled service.
I have views on Peloton which I’ll keep to myself, but Leroy has already done most of the heavy lifting on them. Buy a turbo trainer and use Zwift or Apple Fitness +, a metric fuck ton cheaper
We just bought a house and are lucky enough to have a basement room with a cinema screen set up at one end and a gym area at the other. We decided to buy a LifeCycle exercise bike and an Octane Cross Trainer having given up an expensive gym membership for the two of us at our previous location, and which we couldn’t use as much last year due lockdown. Bought another tv and can access various exercise classes on YouTube, eg Joe Wicks, pilates etc, plus added another Sky Q box so can catch up on the news, sport etc whilst exercising.
Looked at the Peloton bike but really not interested in all the palaver of instructors, performance metrics and also monthly subs. Am sure it works for some. Maybe we aren’t competitive enough!
Our new machines, tv, etc will pay for themselves in around 15 -18 months with no gym membership and it’s great being able to just go downstairs in the house to exercise rather than having to get in the car to drive to a gym, messing about changing and showering before getting back in the car again to drive home.
Never been much of a gym guy but moved in with the GFs parents in September and her Dad has one. I've used it pretty much every day since.
Started with the scenic rides but once you start doing classes you realise the benefit. I love it. Properly world class. Whole family use it here. We often have fights to get on the peloponnese and the gym (we converted half of the double garage in lockdown -also has treadmill, bench and floor exercise area) is the most used space is the house.
Having said all that there's no way I'd spend that money on one myself at this stage in life. I'll defo be looking for a cheaper one and finding alternative classes to do. There are loads of youtube videos you can do for the stretches/arms/bodyweight sessions which are just as good.
I've had mine about 18 month and I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say it's the best purchase I've ever made. LOVE IT
Even before COVID it really suits my lifestyle with young kids I was never getting to the gym, having the bike in my newly created home gym means I can jump on whenever I have 20-60 mins. I'm about 400 rides in and now using the bootcamp classes and the stretching (casted to a second screen)
Personally I love the variety and the competitive element of it all with the PB's and leaderboards. As mentioned by others the service and the community they have created is first class. I'm seriously tempted by the treadmill.
You can follow certain hashtags and there's even a CAFC one - if anyone wants to follow its - SteveMac5
being fair I have a friend who works for Zwift which I've used and if you get a good turbo trainer I have to say it's a pretty good and much cheaper alternative
I bought a $300 spin bike from Walmart and a $40 wahoo cadence sensor and subscribe to the peloton app. Love it. The only thing I can’t measure is resistance but couldn’t justify the $2,000 bike.
I can see why you might want a load of fancy controls if you're seriously into it. For me, I'd never consider anything with a subscription. I put my knackered old exercise bike in front of the telly with an old recording of the Vuelta and I'm off.
I always find it odd when people who get into cyling and want to spend a fortune on kit. I undestand why people who race want the best bike possible, but if your just an ordinary Joe who wants a bit of a work out surely the shitter the bike the better - that way you'll have to work harder.
100% this for me - I understand others will see it differently of course and people I know with Peletons are convinced it's right for them.
I've got a £150 excercise bike that does the trick, Boring as hell of course but that can be mitigated by earphones in for music or just watching a match - I will often do two 45 minute sessions with a 15 minute break in between!
I can see why you might want a load of fancy controls if you're seriously into it. For me, I'd never consider anything with a subscription. I put my knackered old exercise bike in front of the telly with an old recording of the Vuelta and I'm off.
I always find it odd when people who get into cyling and want to spend a fortune on kit. I undestand why people who race want the best bike possible, but if your just an ordinary Joe who wants a bit of a work out surely the shitter the bike the better - that way you'll have to work harder.
Just to clarify nothing fancy or expensive using "Sufferfest", as I said it costs £11.00 per month and you ride what you like while watching the screen. The good thing about SF training videos is most of them are extracts from all the top pro races so if you like the idea of training/riding with your hero's in the grand tours it's a win win.
I used to hook my road bike up to a turbo trainer however I have now bought a good quality indoor spin bike that does the same job.
We got one back in July last year and I have to say its a total game changer for us. As it cost so much it is used everyday to justify the cost. I've had the cheap Argos alternative exercise bike in the past and it just ends up as a clothes horse. But as I'm paying £39 a month on top of the purchase price it keeps me motivated and is used daily. The classes are brilliant whether you are competitive and want to chase the leader board or not. Such an immersive screen and quality stream I cant fault it. I need the music to push me with exercise and the classes have an excellent variety of songs/artists etc. It has a community feel and if you join the various Facebook groups there are lots of group rides and challenges etc. We have the original bike and I purchased the pivot for the screen so we now can use the boot camp classes and do the floor workouts just like the new bike with the swivel screen. Also there is a £100 discount if you get another members referral code when you order so that was a help too. Peloton have done very well during lockdown with usual gym goers jumping on the band wagon and many of those have said they will not be returning to the gym in future as the Peloton provides what they need. I'm yet to speak with anyone who owns one that doesn't love it, the people who say how bad/expensive it is are usually the ones who haven't got one/experienced one. Personally I think its worth the money.
I really miss the gym (or rather my body misses the gym!) but I like the variety of equipment you can use there, so my plan is to wait until I get a jab then get back
I don't use the exercise bikes much anyway, let alone go to spin classes etc
One comment I've read that a problem with having this sort of equipment inside the house, especially in the living room if you don't have a spare room, is that your living room ends up smelling like a gym! Is that the case?
I really miss the gym (or rather my body misses the gym!) but I like the variety of equipment you can use there, so my plan is to wait until I get a jab then get back
I don't use the exercise bikes much anyway, let along go to spin classes etc
One comment I've read that a problem with having this sort of equipment inside the house, especially in the living room if you don't have a spare room, is that your living room ends up smelling like a gym! Is that the case?
Mine is in the spare room (playroom/office/home gym) so I cant really comment. But we did invest in a heavy duty floor fan as the sweat drips soon become a lake
I can see why you might want a load of fancy controls if you're seriously into it. For me, I'd never consider anything with a subscription. I put my knackered old exercise bike in front of the telly with an old recording of the Vuelta and I'm off.
I always find it odd when people who get into cyling and want to spend a fortune on kit. I undestand why people who race want the best bike possible, but if your just an ordinary Joe who wants a bit of a work out surely the shitter the bike the better - that way you'll have to work harder.
I've got a £150 excercise bike that does the trick, Boring as hell of course but that can be mitigated by earphones in for music or just watching a match - I will often do two 45 minute sessions with a 15 minute break in between!
What a coincidence.
I will often do two 45 second sessions with a 15 minute break in between!
#Bensarmy for me. I don't mind his Mrs Leanne Hainsby but her constant dancing/theatrics can get tiresome. Matt Wilpers Power Zone rides are also very good as are all of the Power Zone instructors. The wife enjoys the Cody classes but I think I would end up smashing the screen listening to him!
Just completed a 10 minute introduction to Pilates and a 15 minute arm toning sessions. Both with the lovely Emma Lovewell.
I have spent a decade pushing and pulling 50kg - 65kg on various weight machines at the gymn. I was unable to keep up with her exercises using two 2kg weights!
I looked into Peloton but couldn't justify the mad subscription price. Ended up going with a Proform smart power bike which has a built in screen, has live sessions and lots of different exercises for endurance, HIIT workouts etc and automatically adjusts the cadence when you cycling uphill etc. Some of the locations are amazing on the built in workouts and include places like Hawaii, Barcelona and Turkey to name just a few. Screen rotates so you can do other workouts off the bike when doing a mixed session.
Cost me £900 from Sweatband.com and includes a 1 year family subscription so you can have up to 4 different users on the one iFit ccount.
Also, Amazon sell a yearly subscription renewal for £80.
Comments
I have views on Peloton which I’ll keep to myself, but Leroy has already done most of the heavy lifting on them. Buy a turbo trainer and use Zwift or Apple Fitness +, a metric fuck ton cheaper
Started with the scenic rides but once you start doing classes you realise the benefit. I love it. Properly world class. Whole family use it here. We often have fights to get on the peloponnese and the gym (we converted half of the double garage in lockdown -also has treadmill, bench and floor exercise area) is the most used space is the house.
Having said all that there's no way I'd spend that money on one myself at this stage in life. I'll defo be looking for a cheaper one and finding alternative classes to do. There are loads of youtube videos you can do for the stretches/arms/bodyweight sessions which are just as good.
Even before COVID it really suits my lifestyle with young kids I was never getting to the gym, having the bike in my newly created home gym means I can jump on whenever I have 20-60 mins. I'm about 400 rides in and now using the bootcamp classes and the stretching (casted to a second screen)
Personally I love the variety and the competitive element of it all with the PB's and leaderboards. As mentioned by others the service and the community they have created is first class. I'm seriously tempted by the treadmill.
You can follow certain hashtags and there's even a CAFC one - if anyone wants to follow its - SteveMac5
being fair I have a friend who works for Zwift which I've used and if you get a good turbo trainer I have to say it's a pretty good and much cheaper alternative
Believe you can also watch Netflix on it, not sure why you'd want too as the classes are engaging.
I've got a £150 excercise bike that does the trick, Boring as hell of course but that can be mitigated by earphones in for music or just watching a match - I will often do two 45 minute sessions with a 15 minute break in between!
I used to hook my road bike up to a turbo trainer however I have now bought a good quality indoor spin bike that does the same job.
I don't use the exercise bikes much anyway, let alone go to spin classes etc
One comment I've read that a problem with having this sort of equipment inside the house, especially in the living room if you don't have a spare room, is that your living room ends up smelling like a gym! Is that the case?
I will often do two 45 second sessions with a 15 minute break in between!
Apply rule #5 and #9
https://www.velominati.com/
Have spent hours and hours on turbo trainer and rollers using sufferfest and zwift but nothing comes close to actually going for a bike ride.
If you want to get fit, hire a proper cycling coach. Go speak with my friend Ian http://www.rule5cyclingcoaching.com/
He’s the only one I can’t stand.
Favourites are probably Robin, Alex and Hannah F.
I have spent a decade pushing and pulling 50kg - 65kg on various weight machines at the gymn. I was unable to keep up with her exercises using two 2kg weights!
Cost me £900 from Sweatband.com and includes a 1 year family subscription so you can have up to 4 different users on the one iFit ccount.
Also, Amazon sell a yearly subscription renewal for £80.
https://www.proformfitness.co.uk/exercise-bike/studio-series/smart-power-100-pro