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Peloton tips and tricks: How to make the most out of your workout

There’s more to riding your bike than meets the eye

Published

March 23, 2021

Nicole Scott

Fitness is about developing routines and forming habits, so don’t get stuck using just a portion of your bike’s potential! If you’re new to Peloton and are looking to getting the most out of your bike, or already on your 100th ride, we’re sure you’ll find something useful in this list of tips and tricks.

To get us started we interviewed Peloton Instructor Irene Scholz to find out what her top tips are for getting the most out of your bike.

Peloton is more than just a bike

Yoga, sleep, strength training — Peloton has it all. Add in another form of exercise when your legs get tired or you can’t bring yourself to get on the bike. Think about forming a holistic workout plan based on the hundreds of classes Peloton has to offer. If that sounds overwhelming, just try out something new: dance cardio or some chair stretching or learn to use that foam roller you bought at a garage sale 5 years ago. You’ve got so much more at your fingertips than just a spin class. Explore it!

Do an FTP Test Every Month

FTP stands for “Functional Threshold Power” and is typically described as the output one could sustain for around one hour. The goal of the 20 min FTP Test is to record your highest average power for 20 min. It’s important to warm up, and warm up in the same way when you take the test again. You should take the test once a month to track your progress.

The added bonus is that it updates your FTP stats so when you’re taking a class you know what zone you’re aiming to train in.

Stretch. Every. Single. Time.

Stretching if the most important part of the workout. You become more prone to injury and tighter on your next ride if you don’t.

Check your set up, even if you’ve been riding your bike a while

Follow the intro videos about setting the seat height and depth, and know that one of the most common setup errors that go unnoticed is that people don’t have the seat high enough.

Here is a video of our favorite German Instructor, showing us how properly set up your bike, in English of course.

Change instructors

As you get in better shape your preferences will change over time, someone that you might not have liked when you first started could be your new favorite.

Do a beginner class

Even 50 rides later, I went back and learned a few things about form I had overlooked.

Check your form every time the instructor tells you to

After coming back from my wrist injury I consciously corrected my form every time they told me to, and it feels amazing each time I actually had to make adjustments.

You’ll find that some instructors do things to check their form, but don’t tell you to check yours. Whenever I see Denis lift and wiggle his fingers and lift his wrists, I do it, too. No instructor will have perfect form, but they’ll all do things unconsciously to check in on themselves.

Stop your knee from turning the resistance knob

This means you’re too far forward. Hitting the red knob whether you’re in or out of the saddle means you’re sinking into your joints, and you end up putting weight into your thighs or arms instead of engaging your core. The solution? Push your hips and booty back so your weight is right over the saddle.

Just like real life, there is no pause button

Accept it, there is no way to pause classes. Stop looking. If you drop your water bottle or the doorbell rings, you can’t pause the ride. People have been asking for it since the bike launched but Peloton wants to keep the rides honest. If you take a break you’ll be fresh.

Schedule a workout with a friend

Similar to a live class, Sessions is another way to work out together with other members. On the Peloton app, you can schedule any ride or run that’s 20-minutes or longer, then send an invite to your friends so they can join you in that class. Think of it like an Encore class, which is a class that is not live, but the people in the ride are all starting it at the same time.

If you’re like me who is not very organized, you’ll also see all the latest rides or rides people have selected that are available starting every five minutes at the top of the classes page.

If you’re competitive and using the leaderboard to push yourself, these rides are perfect to have real people to compete against.

Skip the intro

Peloton finally added a feature to skip the 1min opening dialogue! You’ll find the button on the top left hand corner of your screen at the start of the timeline.

Are you pulling up on the pedals?

Pushing down on the pedals happens naturally. Focus on lifting the opposite foot so you engage your hamstring and glute muscles. It will also increase your output. If you’re going after a personal best, you’ll get more out of your stroke if you’re using your quads on the front of your leg and your hamstring and glutes on the back.

Watch your grip

How tight are you holding onto those handlebars? They’re there for stability, not support. Relying on them to support your weight takes away the core and quad work you’re after. Flutter or flex your fingers during the hard parts to check in on form throughout the class. We do it a lot during sprints out of the saddle.

Double tap the screen

If you want to get rid of the progress indicators, leaderboard, music and high fives, double tap the screen. If you do it again, it will bring everything back. I find this useful when I throw my towel down and I hide something I want to see. Rather than trying to tap a specific button, I just double tap the screen a few times.

Listen to the songs you liked even after the ride

Ever wondered what happens to all the songs you liked during a ride? If you connect your Spotify or Apple Music accounts, every song will be added to your playlist! When you do, you’ll see a playlist called My Peloton Music by (username).

How to connect Peloton Music to your Spotify account

Go to your profile on the Peloton Bike and select “Music” on the left navigation column. This page will show a list of all songs you have saved during your workouts.

From the “Music” tab, click the “Connect” button on the top right of the page to link to your Spotify or Apple Music account. Enter your Spotify or Apple Music username and password, and agree to the terms to proceed.

In your Spotify player, open “Your Library” to view your playlists. A new playlist titled “My Peloton Music” should appear in your playlists. If it does not appear, simply refresh the Spotify player by closing and reopening the app or you might need to scroll down through your playlists to find it.

Lower the instructors voice

If you have classes where you loved the sound track, save them and then choose to have more music and less instructor. It’s amazing how much having motivational music blasting helps. Hit the volume button on the right hand side of the display and on the touch screen change the mix. Note that you have to do it each time as it always resets back to an even mix of music and voice.

Try more short classes

Opting for multiple short classes in a day instead of long ones will also lead to getting your milestones earlier. Once you reach a milestone stage — 50, 100, or any other rounded up number, opt for a live ride. You might just get that shoutout!

The bike gets a lot of attention but the app is a treasure trove

Beyond spinning, you’d be pumped to discover all the other classes available in the app. There are yoga, pilates, and barre classes. There are strength-training classes and boot camps. There are even five-minute cardio classes for the whole fam. I also love that there are meditation classes so I didn’t have to continue my subscription on another app.

Pro Tip: Save time by bookmarking your favorite classes in the app on your phone so you can easily find them on the bike tablet later.

How to get a shout out

Take an early class – If you’re taking a live class in Europe before the US wakes up, there will be less people in the class. That way, your chances of getting a shoutout increase and to grab the top spot on the leaderboard.

Take a live class. This may be obvious to most but if you’re new to Peloton it may be unclear. The instructor can only give you a shoutout if you are on with them in real-time.

Have an easy to read leaderboard name. If your name is long, has a lot of numbers or no capitalization, it can be hard for an instructor to spit it out while leading a class. If you’re willing to alter your Pelo-identity, try to use real words or phonetic spellings so it is easy to read and to say. And yes, you can change your name without losing all your stats.

Join class early. Live classes usually start 3 or 4 minutes prior to the recorded session and “when the lights go down.” During this time instructors casually chat with the people in studio. They also scroll through the leaderboard to see who is on and give quick shout outs. It might not quite be the same as getting it during that final hill but it is nice to know they see you and it can give your entire workout a boost.

Ride on your birthday. Make sure your birthday is set in your profile.

Toe clips are great! For your friends…

I made the mistake of getting toe clips instead of shoes. I made this choice not because I was being cheap, but because I wanted to share the joy of Peloton.

The problem with using toe clips instead of real shoes is that you can’t pull up when you’re bringing your foot around. I’m not a cyclist so I didn’t think that these things mattered. After a few months I decided to get the shoes and it made a huge difference! If you want to increase your output and workout your whole leg, you need the shoes.

I’ve gotten good at clipping and unclipping the toe clips. The first time it took 30 minutes, now it takes just 30 seconds! I still suggest buying them if you have friends sharing your bike they’re worth every penny.

Make clipping out a little easier

What I learned about installing the toe clips is that you have to loosen one of the screws. I also noticed that if I forgot to tighten it, it was really easy to unclip. It takes practice to snap your foot out in a single graceful movement. Cheat a little, loosen the screw. The disadvantage to doing this is that when I’m standing and have my full weight pushing and pulling on pedals I hear a creak. You need to twist your ankle out at a 90 degree angle out from the bike. I’m never in danger of my foot unclipping, but it sounds like I need to tighten things up a bit, which I do.

Don’t loosen your pedal too much as you’ll risk damaging it.

Understand the types of rides

If you’re new to Peloton, some of the terminology and slang used will probably be confusing. Here are some basic ride types to get you started:

Low-Impact. This doesn’t mean low effort, but in general it means that the cadence won’t go over 100, the resistance won’t go over 50, and there will be little or no “out of the saddle” sections (i.e. standing).

Groove. This type means less cadence dictated by the instructor and more based on riding to the beat of the music. It can also sometimes include more movement on the bike. When people ask, “what ride is more like Soul Cycle?” this is one of the frequent answers.

Live DJ. This means exactly what it says: a live DJ is in studio mixing songs and helping to drive the class. These are fun when the DJ and the instructor have a good rapport.

HIIT. High intensity interval training or HIIT is a series of intense periods followed by a quick rest period. PRO TIP: avoid doing this as your first ride.

Tabata. This is a type of HIIT ride, but it follows a specific pattern. The classic Tabata pattern is 20 seconds of effort followed by a 10 second rest. I think “Tabata” translated means sweaty; or death.

70’s / 80’s / Y2K / Classic Rock / EDM. These are rides based on the associated genre of music, and it’s not limited to these. There’s country, jazz, broadway, etc.

Power Zone. Based on your calculated Functional Threshold Power, these rides direct you through seven different zones of output from “Very Easy” to “Max Effort.”

Call a Friend

If you’re wondering what the 5MP camera on the bike is for, during a live ride you can do a call with a friend. But first, you have to be friends on Peloton. In your profile settings, go to social, then enable video chat.

During a live ride, invite friend to ride at the same time. Click on their name on the leaderboard and an option to call them will appear. This will activate the camera located on the top part of your screen. A small window showing their video feed will appear on the instructor’s right. Now, you can see each other as you ride, talk (if you can) in between each pedal stroke, and enjoy milestones together — virtually, of course.

Fair warning: make sure to only use this feature with good friends because that angle is not flattering. There are only so many people that I would let watch me die during one of Irène Scholz’s rides.

Did we miss any tips or tricks? Let us know in the comments!

— with additional tips from Carol RH Malasig

If you’re keen to try reading this in German, visit Mobile Geeks!

This article was originally published on May 4th, 2020. It has since been updated to reflect Peloton updates.

Apps

iOS 27 public beta gives us our first taste of Siri AI

You can access the beta for free.

Published

July 16, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, public betas come and go with nary a peep from anyone but dedicated fans and testers. After all, why care about a beta when the final release is likely just around the corner? This one, however, is special. Today, Apple launched the iOS 27 public beta, and it’s our first taste of the redesigned Siri AI.

Recently, WWDC 2026 unveiled Apple’s latest attempts at entering the AI segment. Whereas previous iterations to incorporate AI failed to make an impact, Siri AI promises to provide users with helpful feedback that’s actually helpful.

Now, in the public beta for iOS 27, users all over can finally access the new assistant. To get to the beta, you need to be a part of the beta program, which you can easily sign up for on beta.apple.com. Once signed up, you can get the update from Software Update in Settings. You’ll see options for a developer beta and a public beta. Choose iOS 27 Public Beta.

At face value, Siri AI offers much of what you’d get from a traditional AI-powered assistant. However, it does slightly differ because it integrates the entire phone. The assistant contextualizes your information (including emails, messages, and photos) to give you the most accurate feedback that you might need.

If that’s not enough, Siri AI also has its own chatbot app. If you’re more used to ChatGPT, the assistant should give you that bit of familiarity.

Now, if you don’t want to go for a beta, Apple is expected to launch iOS 27 in its final form sometime in September.

Apps

The case for traveling without a plan

How Grab’s 5-Star Travel Guide replaced my spreadsheets, for personal travel anyway

Published

July 16, 2026

MJ Jucutan

I have somehow acquired the reputation of a man permanently in transit.

Fill your feed with airport check-ins, road trips, hotel rooms, and race bibs for a decade, and people stop seeing travel as a hobby. They start treating it like a personality trait. And naturally, everyone is always breathless to know: “MJ, how on earth do you manage it all?”

Here’s the truth: every trip begins long before I pack a bag. A good itinerary takes time. Flights, hotels, transfers, backup plans, restaurant lists all have to fit together well enough to make the trip feel worthwhile.

My colleagues would probably call me a Type A traveler. They’ve watched me run international coverages and high-stakes business trips entirely off spreadsheets. Spreadsheets!

Timed down to the exact micro-second, complete with contingency plans for every possible disaster short of an alien invasion.

And they are completely right. For work. But personal travel? Oh, darling, personal travel plays by a completely different set of rules.

The luxury of letting go (and the panic that follows)

A month before departure, I am all about securing the basics. But once the flights and rooms are locked in? I completely let go.

I would much rather leave room for fabulous, unexpected curiosity than fill every single hour with another rigid destination.

Part of it is sheer decision fatigue. I spend so much of my professional life making executive decisions that the last thing I want to do on vacation is have a minor existential crisis at 2:00 p.m. over which artisanal café deserves the honor of my afternoon. I want to wake up, look at the sunlight filtering through the curtains, and let the universe decide.

Of course, ironically, that absolute freedom can spiral into its own fabulous brand of panic. I know I want to go somewhere chic. I just have absolutely no idea where.

Which is precisely how Grab’s 5-Star Travel Guide quietly became the most indispensable accessory of my latest getaway.

Finding somewhere to spend the afternoon

I recently flew to Cagayan de Oro to spend some quality time with my long-term, long-distance, low-commitment, casual boyfriend. (Yes, it’s complicated, but the mystery keeps it glamorous.)

I arrived with absolutely zero plans, and this was entirely deliberate. If there is one thing a strong, independent person must never do, it is rely on someone else to dictate his day — even if that someone is technically his own handsome, local tour guide.

Instead of waiting around for an itinerary to be handed to me, I simply opened my Grab app while I’m in downtown and slithered over to their Travel Guide.

My fabulous friend, Syra, glided over from Midtown, and we agreed to rendezvous in Uptown to finally check out H Proper Coffee, which was practically screaming at me from the top of the Grab list.

It’s the city’s legendary third-wave coffee pioneer — complete with a deeply impressive roastery — and it has recently, thank goodness, expanded to Makati.

: Bowerbird Coffee

The guide also flirted with other familiar, delicious names like Milestone Coffee (where Syra and I had gossiped over lattes just six months prior), alongside Bowerbird Coffee, Fukuro, Apostrophe Café, The Lone Wolf, and Grae Coffee.

I must say, the recommendations were utterly spot-on. They weren’t just highly rated by random bots; these were the actual enclaves that the city’s stylish locals genuinely know and love.

Dinner dilemma (solved!)

The Travel Guide came through yet again when the sun began to set and the crucial question of dinner arose. Now, I absolutely adore discovering hidden neighborhood gems and family-run eateries. They possess a soul that no luxury restaurant could ever replicate.

That said, every proper holiday demands at least one evening where you put on a sharp blazer, splash on some Tom Ford, and indulge in a truly beautiful meal.

Unsurprisingly, Cucina Higala seduced me all over again. Look, I am a creature of habit. If I know an establishment delivers perfection, I will return.

Seeing it sitting proudly near the top of Grab’s curated list felt like a delicious little pat on the back; a quiet validation that my impeccable taste is worth trusting after all.

Beyond the plate

Refreshingly, the guide doesn’t stop at flat whites and fine dining. Grab’s Travel Guide also highlights local luxury hotels.

Though, fair warning, a few of them are the sort that make your credit card wince slightly. (But darling, they are five-star for a reason.)

It also curates actual experiences. Browsing through the app, I found options for everything from heart-pounding whitewater rafting and sharp Pilates studios, to a world-class pottery atelier, a folkloric museum, and a sweeping, adventure-filled mountain retreat.

Some were already on my radar, but others? I would never, in a million years, have stumbled upon them myself. And that is the thrill of traveling this way. You leave just enough empty space in your diary to be utterly surprised.

For the spontaneous traveler

Let’s be clear: planning every detail down to the last centavo is not a flaw. When you’re younger or traveling on a strict budget, every single peso counts, and a meticulously plotted itinerary ensures you maximize both your wallet and your time.

But eventually, thank heavens, you reach a stage in life where the itinerary matters just a little bit less. A stage where time and budget stop being the terrifying monsters standing between you and a boarding pass.

You learn that not every single meal requires three weeks of intense counter-research. Not every hour requires a reservation confirmation number.

Sometimes, the most breathtaking, unforgettable moments happen simply because you wandered into a doorway you weren’t even looking for.

So, book the flight. Secure the hotel. Figure out how you’ll get around. Then let your feelings, and Grab’s Travel Guide, decide the rest.

Apps

Plot twist: Starbucks PH is letting you actually pick your reward now

Starting July 21, you choose what you redeem and when, from just 50 Stars, on the new Starbucks PH app.

Published

July 15, 2026

MJ Jucutan

Confession time: I have spent an embarrassing number of hours doing mental math in line at Starbucks, staring at my Stars balance like it owes me money. Ninety-eight Stars. So close!

Two Stars short of a free drink that would just… appear, whether I wanted it that week or not. That’s the old system for you. It decided for me and I just showed up to collect.

Well, girl, the glory days of blind Star hoarding are over, and honestly? I’m thrilled.

Starting July 21, Starbucks Philippines is scrapping the automatic 100-Star-equals-one-voucher system it’s run since 2019. In its place: a Multi-Tiered Rewards system that finally treats members like adults who know what they want. Which, let’s be real, is exactly what I’ve wanted the whole time. I didn’t want a random cake slice I never asked for. I wanted to choose.

Tiers, explained (because I know you’re already doing the math)

Here’s where it gets good: You’re no longer stuck waiting for triple digits to cash in.

At 50 Stars, you can get a free drink customization or a bakery pick like a bagel, a banana loaf, or my personal weakness, the doughnut. Fifty Stars used to get you nothing but a longer wait. Now, it gets you a treat.

At 100 Stars, the world opens up. Any handcrafted beverage or bakery item are all yours to pick. This used to be the only option on the menu. Now, it’s just the middle tier.

And then there’s the new 150-Star tier, which lets you trade in for pasta, a sandwich, or a full cake slice. A whole meal, earned in caffeine.

The only real exclusions to keep in mind: breve and the 2 oz heavy cream customization aren’t included at 50 Stars, and the Coffee Traveler Kit, French Press, and Reserve Ice Cream beverages sit outside the 100-Star tier. Small print, but worth knowing before you get to the counter with big plans.

The app situation (Deep breath, it’s fine)

Now, I’ll admit, hearing “you need a whole new app” gave me a small moment of panic.

New app, new login, new everything, right when I finally memorized where the barcode scanner button lives on the old one.

But here’s the relief: your Stars, your load balance, your account, all of it carries over automatically. No re-registering, and no starting from zero. You just download the new Starbucks PH App from the App Store or Google Play starting July 21, and your loyalty history walks right in with you.

The old app gets discontinued, so this isn’t optional, but it’s also not a hassle. Sign-in is faster, Star tracking updates in real time, and honestly, watching my Stars tick up instantly instead of refreshing the app like I’m checking a crush’s read receipts sounds like an upgrade I can get behind.

One thing to note if you’re a Mobile Order and Pay loyalist like me: it won’t be available on day one. Starbucks says it’s coming back in a future update, but the timing is still unannounced. Mildly inconvenient, but not a dealbreaker.

The part that actually changes how I use my Stars

Here’s the detail I didn’t expect to care about this much: Under the old system, your voucher’s 90-day countdown started the moment you crossed 100 Stars, whether you were ready to redeem or not.

Now, that 90-day clock only starts once you actually issue the reward yourself. Which means no more panic-ordering a bakery item I didn’t want just because the voucher was about to expire. I get to decide when the countdown even begins.

Stars still need to convert into a reward within a year, and anything unconverted still expires on your account anniversary, so it’s not an invitation to hoard forever. But within that window, the control is finally mine.

So, what now?

Mark your calendar for July 21. Download the new app, let your Stars migrate themselves while you do absolutely nothing, and start planning what you’re actually going to redeem instead of settling for whatever the algorithm decided you’d earned.

Fifty Stars for a banana loaf on a rough Monday. A hundred and fifty for a full pasta situation on a day that calls for one. My inner spreadsheet is already recalculating, and for once, that feels less like a chore and more like a plan.