This morning, Peloton has announced their plans to launch 3 large beta efforts. These will be launching in the coming weeks, and Peloton will gather feedback to see if any of these should roll out to the entire Peloton community.
These betas will involve a standalone Peloton strength app (called Peloton Strength+), a “gaming-inspired workout” for Peloton bikes (where you have an avatar cycling through a virtual environment), as well as “Personalized plans”, which is Peloton using AI to create a custom weekly workout plan for you.
Update – New data indicates the gaming-inspired workout games will be a Zwift style game/feature.
Update 2 – Beta testing for Strength+ has started and you can find out how to sign up here.
We’ll share an overview of each of these below.
Peloton notes that “these beta tests will be limited to a small subset of US-based testers”, and will include both existing Peloton members, and people who are not currently Peloton members. These will be launching in the “coming days and weeks”, but might not all launch at the same time. Not every member will get access to these in beta, and they will be limiting the number of testers.
As a reminder, Peloton launched the “Field Testing Community as a way for people to sign up to beta test for Peloton. Many of these tests will likely be offered to people who have joined there.
Peloton Strength+ App
The Peloton Strength+ app is planned to be an entirely separate app from the existing Peloton app. It is being created “for those who want to engage more deeply in strength workouts while at the gym”
This will feature the coaches in a gym setting, rather than at Peloton Studios New York or London. Peloton Strength+ will see “Instructor-led workout programs in a gym setting, paired with audio guidance and expert coaching, as well as a custom workout generator that designs a plan based on equipment access, areas of focus, time availability and more. ”
It is not known at this time whether the Strength+ app would be part of existing Peloton memberships, or require an additional fee.
Peloton Gaming Inspired Workouts / Peloton Virtual Workout
The next beta Peloton is launching is for the Peloton Bike & Bike+ only, and is a virtual cycling game. This game is said to be “immersive, gaming-inspired cycling experience meant to encourage social engagement.” This will see a video-game style environment, where you have an avatar that moves as you cycle. As Peloton says – this will be a ” virtual training environment, including a personalized avatar riding through simulated landscapes, either alone or with other virtual riders.”
While this could sound similar to Lanebreak, the video games already available on Platform from the description, we imagine this will be more involved. There are many directions this game could take.
One possibility is that the new game / experience will be Peloton’s Zwift competitor. In Zwift, you pick one of several worlds, and then are riding a cycling avatar through roads or trails in that environment. Literally, a “virtual training environment”. In addition, Zwift allows you to race & ride with friends, or whoever happens to be on at the time. This is a feature Peloton members have been asking for a while, especially those who want to mix up their training.
Peloton has also been rumored to be experimenting with a world exploring game, like some versions of Mario. Rather than just pedaling to move in a straight line on a track (like Lanebreak), you might be able to move your character around a map and world, like you can in a Mario style game.
Unlike Lanebreak, which currently has no real time component, this new game should let you ride alongside your friends, as it mentions you can play “alone or with other virtual riders.”
We will share more specifics about the gameplay and style of the game as they become available.
Peloton Personalized Plans / Personal Training Plans by Peloton
Finally, Peloton is launching “Personalized Plans.” This will see Peloton use AI to generate a set of weekly workouts for Peloton members. In Peloton’s words: “plans will merge expertly-designed personal training and machine learning to generate a weekly set of class recommendations. We take someone’s unique fitness habits, preferences, and tastes and propose a detailed plan of Peloton classes that supports each person’s individual needs.”
Initially, members will be able to select from a goal of “Get Stronger” or “Support Weight Goals”. As you decide what classes to take that week, you can then take one of the suggested ones, or swap it for a similar workout you might want to take instead.
You will be able to see your suggested workout plan in the Peloton app, or across your hardware devices like the Peloton Bike, Bike+, Tread, Tread+, and Row. The Peloton Guide is not mentioned – but that device has had a weekly workout plan feature for a while now. Peloton has not yet explicitly said if the new Personalized Plans launched today is simply taking that feature from the Guide and putting it on other devices, or if it is a new feature & logic built from the ground up.
From the small description shared so far, it sounds to be fairly similar to the Guide feature. The Guide “Weekly Workout Plan” described itself at launch as “a well-balanced set of classes each Monday with a personal plan to help you get stronger. Programmed by our experts and tailored to your preferences.”
As described above, one of the two goals you can set for yourself is “Support Weight Goals”. This could be Peloton’s first step in the direction of their nutrition & wellness offerings, which we’ve shared more about, including quotes from Peloton, here.
We also shared earlier this year that Peloton was teasing virtual coaching – and this seems to be the first effort in this area.
Peloton does note that for all 3 of these betas they will be gathering feedback to refine and tweak the betas to help make the “final versions (if launched) deliver maximum value and satisfaction”. As we’ve seen with previous betas, such as the Ergatta Video games on the Peloton Row, not everything makes it from beta to a full launch, as Peloton ended beta testing and removed the Ergatta games.
We’ll share more information as it becomes available, and as always, if you have any information to share, feel free to reach out to us via our contact form, our anonymous tips page, or via any of our social media channels.
What do you think of these beta announcements?
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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I wish Peloton and Zwift would partner up!
How does someone get into the beta programs?
Peloton creating a Zwift environment would be great. I’ve never used Zwift, but have liked what I’ve seen from friends who use it. Seems like a cool way to engage with other people (even if it’s just historical rides). I’d also be far more likely to re-do a ride in that kind of space where I can go against a ghost rider of myself in the past rather than simply pursuing an output number.
I just started using Ladder this week, and while I like it (quite a bit), I wish Peloton would offer more robust weight-lifting workouts with more variety. I feel like I’ve done Ben’s 5-Day Intermediate program so many times… but there aren’t that many different 4- and 5-day resistance training options… seems like no new ones in ages