What Peloton is Missing

Sep 20, 2022

I read an article about Peleton yesterday. The fitness equipment and subscription company has been in the news a lot lately as its stock price has been dropping rapidly (the stock was just $9.70 this morning, a far cry from the high of over $160 in December 2020) due to supply chain shortages and the lack of consumer sales. The problem with Peleton is that it doesn’t actually have any kind of unique advantage - it sells equipment and software that is already being reproduced by other companies for much less.

Whether the stick falls all the way to $0 or not doesn't affect me; I don’t own any Peleton stick. But between Peleton and the number of other fitness tech companies that emerged during the pandemic, it’s made me think a lot about the growing trend of technology with fitness, and how they are just today’s version of Tae Bo.

The idea of working out at home seems so convenient. Not having to drive anywhere, workout when you want, and for as long as you want, appeals to everyone. The problem is that no one sticks with working out at home long-term. I’ve seen Pelotons being sold on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace all the time. Or worse, they end up being a really expensive clothes hanger.

Don't get me wrong, home workouts can save a lot of time, but only those with the discipline to stick with it, and most of us (myself included - I have a small gym in my garage) do not have the discipline required to do things on our own. So what is the trick to sticking with a routine or program long-term? Accountability and community.

Humans are social creatures. Even self-described introverts need to be around others. If you look at human history, community matters a lot. At first, it was simply for survival, but now it's a part of our DNA to connect with others face-to-face.

I know every one of you are smart people. But you wouldn’t have put yourself through a college education by going to the library and reading textbooks alone. You went to a physical place where you were taught by professors who guided you through the material and corrected you when you needed it. You had peers surrounding you for both the academic push and the social interactions. And you did better and progressed faster because of both.

At Invictus Fitness, you have coaches that guide you through your program (curriculum) and correct you when you need it. You have peers surrounding you for both the physical push and the social interactions. And you will see results a heck of a lot faster because of both.

At Invictus we push each other to do more in every workout; we create accountability to show up, and we relieve stress when we’re able to laugh and connect with others.

When you have people that genuinely care about what's going on in your life, you experience a connection that can't be made through a screen.

This is what Peloton and many other companies are missing—and it’s what we pride ourselves on.