Peloton Live Classes vs. On Demand: Which is Better?

When I first started working out at home, I was instantly drawn to Peloton because they offered live classes. It was like I could get an in studio experience from the comfort of my home!

However as I started doing more workouts and my schedule changed, I started mixing in some On Demand classes. In this blog post, I’ll go over the difference between Peloton Live Classes and On Demand classes, class schedules, and which one is better.

What’s the Difference Between a Live and On Demand Class

There are a few differences between a live class and an on demand class, but the main one is that the live one is happening live while the on demand class can be from a few months (or even years) ago.

I’ve been taking a few live and on demand classes and found that I generally prefer to take on demand classes. I like on demand classes because I can do them any time of day (instead of a scheduled time), and I like to see playlists and have the resistance and cadence guides given to me since I tend to zone out sometimes during workouts (oops!).

Live classes can be fun to take because you do have a chance of getting a shoutout, especially if it’s a milestone workout. But generally I don’t really make it a priority to make it to a live class anymore, especially with the live schedule still reduced. The whole appeal to me of Peloton was to be able to do workouts on my own schedule.

Benefits of a Peloton Live Class

A few benefits of a Live Class:

• New Content
• More participants
• Chance for a shout out by the instructor
• Can watch the pre-show
• More accountability by having it scheduled

Benefits of a Peloton On Demand Class

A few of the benefits of an On Demand Class:

• Can view playlist and details of class ahead of time (this might not be available on newly released On Demand classes – it can sometimes take up to a day for this info to appear)
• Can view resistance and cadence guides
• Able to take the class on your time
• Can stack class with other classes
• Not as many buffering or streaming issues

Which is Better?

Ultimately, this is up to you and your personal preference. I find that the on demand rides are better for me because I don’t have a set time I can workout each day and usually end up missing the start of live class (currently there isn’t a feature to start from the beginning while a live class is happening). If it’s a milestone class for me I might try to make an extra effort to attend live to possibly get a shout out, but that would be it.

I’ve also run into streaming issues when I try to stream a live class where the class will buffer and become really choppy (this mostly happens when I stream on my iPhone, not on my bike). This ends up making me frustrated during the workout because I feel like I’m cheating or getting in as good of a workout by not following the instructors cues 100%.

Conclusion

It’s a personal preference if you choose to do your workouts live or on demand, but ultimately you’re guaranteed to get in a great workout either way with Peloton.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Peloton Live Class?

A Peloton Live Class is a class that’s streaming in real time with an instructor.

What is a Peloton On Demand Class?

A Peloton On Demand Class is a class that is available to stream any time in their library. On Demand classes are usually classes that were previously done live.

What is a Peloton Encore Class?

An encore class is like a hybrid between a live class and on demand class. The class is a class that has already happened live, but Peloton will reset the leaderboard so it seems like it’s a live class.

What Metrics Are Available in a Live Class?

All metrics are available in live classes. In a ride, this includes your heart rate, strive score, resistance, cadence and output.

Can Peloton Instructors See Me in a Live Class?

Yes, Peloton instructors can see the leaderboard in a live class – that’s how they know who to give shoutouts to!

What is the Peloton Live Schedule?

The live schedule will vary every day and depend on your time zone. Generally, there are live classes in the morning, afternoon and evening.

What Workouts Have Live Classes?

All of the workouts will offer live classes throughout the week. Cycling and strength tend to have the most available every day, while workouts like running and bootcamps are only offered a few times a week.

What is a Peloton Pre-show?

A Peloton pre-show is when the instructor goes live on Peloton 5-10 minutes before class. They’ll usually do extra shout outs, chit chat, tell stories and more. They’re not necessary to enjoy the class but they’re fun to watch and get to know the instructor!

Do I Have to Pay Extra for Live Classes?

Nope! Peloton Live Classes are included in the monthly Peloton membership.

Can Digital Members Take Live Classes?

Digital members have full access to both live and on demand classes.