March 25, 2021 – Greg Pryor is an unlikely brand ambassador who is still ticking many of the boxes that have made Peloton synonymous with the emerging “connected fitness” market.
- He’s always been athletic (no less a former major league baseball player). At 71, he slowed down a little during the pandemic.
- He received a peloton from a family member who was “obsessed,” says Pryor – and now it’s life changed too.
- He drives it almost every day – and wants to tell everyone about it.
“I’ve had a change in my life because of this peloton thing,” he says of his Kansas City home, where he ended his athletic career with the 1985 World Series Champion Royals. “I love talking to people who are interested.”
Peloton is known among its users for this type of evangelism.
Joke: How do you know someone went to Harvard or has a peloton? They’ll tell you in the first 5 minutes after you meet them.
I did my first real peloton ride, which I think I have to share here
– Jessie Opoien (@jessieopie) March 20, 2021
That excitement is now spreading into an entirely new fitness category that incorporates similar elements for other sports, including gym-like personal training (Tonal, Mirror). Rowing (hydrow); and more. They use high tech home equipment, interactive video screens and trackers, coaches, and the excitement found in group classes. They are usually expensive and come with a subscription service. But cheaper versions are emerging, and more options seem likely to come to try and get a slice of the growing segment, at least in part because the pandemic has driven gymnasts home.
Pryor’s peloton was a gift from a future son-in-law who lost £ 50 a year as a result.
“At first I was intimidated,” says Pryor. “I didn’t know if I could do it. But it gets easier the more I do, and I can resist or go longer or farther away or burn more calories. …
“There’s someone on the screen to encourage you through the 30-, 45-, or 60-minute rides. And I’m responsible to my trainer, who knows everything about my ride. “
Pryor speaks like Peloton Marketing Copy, but he means business.
The ‘Xerox’ from Connected Fitness
With Tonal, NordicTrack and other competitors launching products and services for “networked fitness”, Peloton is still the easiest to identify – the name “Kleenex” or “Xerox”. If every startup wanted to be “the new Netflix” a few years ago in video streaming, now they want to be “the new peloton” in home fitness.
Peloton founder John Foley wanted to combine the power of fitness apps and trackers that allow users to track their progress with the excitement and coaching of group fitness classes in gyms and studios. The old-fashioned home bikes and treadmills hadn’t been upgraded much in ages. So Peloton tried to combine all of this for the new market and introduced its bike in 2014. (You may remember a media storm caused by the 2019 Christmas 2019 TV commercial that some people found sexist to be.)
Peloton combines a high-end stationary bike with an interactive video display that guides users through rides, tracks their achievements, and connects them with other riders around the world through live or recorded classes so they can compete as much as they can You want. It has also branched out with treadmills and other activities to keep subscribers moving even when they don’t want to ride a bike.
“Our model is an evolution of the way we interact with content and interact with other people online. By offering live and on-demand courses, people can incorporate motivational studio workouts into their busy lives, ”Betina Evancha, vice president of product management, said in an email.
The base bike costs around $ 1,900, and the monthly subscription is around $ 40. Peloton specializes in offering weight training, yoga, and Pilates, as well as a wider range of exercise options. Other products (another bike, treadmills) cost more than the base bike.
Other companies entering or establishing themselves in the connected fitness market are fitness experts such as NordicTrack and Bowflex, as well as newcomers such as MYX. They all offer something similar: high-tech devices that promise interactive experiences.
Peloton claims 4.4 million members, a triple-digit growth in subscriptions, and a 12-month retention rate of 92%.
Foley told CNBC, “We believe 100 million subscribers is a reasonable goal.”
Peloton expects total annual sales of over $ 4 billion in February.
No answer to the obesity epidemic
Devices like these are often status symbols. Peloton, Tonal, and their competitors offer upscale experiences at upscale prices that are out of the reach of the vast majority of Americans. This is even more true during the pandemic as millions face job losses, income cuts, and more.
A $ 2,000 bike is not the answer for most people in a country where nearly 33% of the population is considered obese.
There are cheaper options. An unplugged exercise bike costs about $ 100. Anyone with a smartphone, tablet, or streaming device can also find free or cheaper group exercise classes.
An “intense” social connection
Brad Buswell, 57, a Washington, DC defense advisor, has been using his peloton seriously for about a year and says he’s in his best cardiovascular shape since college.
He likes the “Power Zone” concept used by endurance athletes and the social aspect of Power Zone participants on Facebook. “It’s even more intense than the Peloton social group,” he says.
“I’m getting real, measurable results, and I would do it without the strong social component as I will stay active and no longer see gyms as the center of my fitness program.”
Not having a child is like not having a peloton. It’s expensive, it sounds painful, and it’s kind of a cult, but somehow, even though I don’t want one, I feel like I should.
– Alison Leiby (@AlisonLeiby) March 24, 2021
Angel Planells, a 41-year-old Seattle nutritionist, wanted to lose some of the weight he’d gained during the pandemic. He had always been active and had enjoyed driving on Seattle’s hilly terrain. He chose a NordicTrack that has been in business for decades and, like other veterans, is expanding into connected fitness. There was also a cheaper model that will be needed more before networked gyms replace gyms like home games replace video arcades.
He loves it and uses it four or five times a week for 30 or 45 minutes. But he still plans to ride his bike outdoors and go hiking.
“I can’t repeat the actual physical experience,” he says on the NordicTrack. “But I can do it at will.”
He sees the trend towards connected fitness as a natural next step after people have bought more traditional items to use at home for decades – like dumbbells and resistance bands. “It’s just about taking full advantage of the technology,” he says.
In fact, he likes it so much that he now wants to add a tonal to his home gym.
Introduction to digital weights for the home
Tonal uses “digital weights” to replicate the personal training experience in the gym.
“This is the first time that weight has been digitized in this way. Because of this, we were able to incorporate all of these intelligent, adaptive, and AI features that can be highly personalized, ”says Ashley Hennings, Tonals Director of Public Relations and Influencer Marketing.
Tonal is mounted on a wall in your home and takes up little space. It has hand bars attached to a wire that is connected to the machine and controls the resistance or weight you are using. The first workout is a strength test that adapts to later workouts as the user gets stronger – and provides a “point” where they can help in a challenging moment.
“It’s extremely personalized,” says Hennings.
Newbies who may be scared of hitting a gym or unsure how to get started no longer need to worry about that. The machine and interactive software guide you through everything.
The average Tonal user exercises 40 minutes, 15 times a month, says Hennings. You deal with the content, she says. And they learn that strength training is critical to weight management and all aspects of fitness – from longevity to bone density to mental health.
A whole new world?
Other fitness newbies come from a different surprising angle.
Priscille Dando, 52, a school district administrator in Virginia, is a new convert thanks to virtual reality headset programs.
She says she has become “fanatical” about the Supernatural program (around US $ 50 per month), with the player in combination with the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset (around US $ 300) on beautiful Locations around the world can train without leaving home. Music and trainers are motivating.
“It’s a real workout – it’s not easy,” she says. “It’s very intense. I also do other VR exercise programs like boxing and dancing. I even bought a smartwatch so that I could keep track of my exercise at all times.
“Apart from cycling during the season, I never stuck to any exercises. I’m digging it right now. “
WebMD Health News
swell
Greg Pryor, Kansas City.
Angel Planells, Seattle.
Brad Buswell, Washington, DC.
Priscille Dando, Virginia.
Ashley Hennings, Director of Public Relations and Influencer Marketing, Tonal.
Betina Evancha, Vice President Product Management, Peloton.
CNBC.com: “John Foley, CEO of Peloton, promises customers more clarity about waiting times for late orders.” “Peloton expects it can grow to 100 million subscribers. Here’s how. “
Peloton.
Tonal.
Mirror.
NordicTrack.
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