For many people, Friday means it’s time to get psyched for the weekend, fire up the margarita machine, order pizza. But for a select few—and perhaps you’re among them—it’s Full-Body Friday Fun Day, the day you’ve committed to a challenging Peloton strength class (or two).
Member Chelsea H. is a fan and tries not to miss a single week. “Rebecca Kennedy’s Friday 45 has quickly become like church for me,” she says. “It’s a great vibe and sends me into the weekend feeling strong and proud!”
As always with Peloton, Chelsea’s not alone. A recent edition of Rebecca’s Friday 45 had over 1,200 Members getting stronger together.
In addition to Rebecca’s full-body classes, the Friday schedule often features not one but two full-body offerings from Jess Sims, including a Flash 15, a (you guessed it) 15-minute burner designed to be a standalone workout if that’s all you have time for, or stackable on top of another workout (or workouts!) if you’re feeling spicy.
So why is Friday a great day for a full-body workout? Rebecca has the answers: “Friday is great for full-body strength workouts if you've been doing body-part splits earlier in the week, or if you need a big bang-for-your-buck workout going into the weekend with time to rest and recover,” she says. “I am a huge proponent of full-body workouts any day of the week, but love to celebrate our whole body and self collectively as we have worked hard all week and deserve a workout that challenges us physically and elevates our spirit—a total weekend mood booster!”
And let’s not forget about the physical gains. Member Tammy H., who runs the RKsolid’s Crew page on Facebook, loves the Friday 45. “I have noticed that adding them weekly has greatly improved my performance in Power Zone training,” she says, “as well as helping me achieve much faster paces while running!”
Getting in a great full-body workout doesn’t need to take 45 minutes though. For the busiest of the busy, the Flash 15 is a godsend. This is a 15-minute scorcher of a class that hits everything and leaves you sweaty and spent, but in a good way. And most people can pretty much always find 15 minutes. “It’s perfect for a morning workout before the workday starts, perfect for a short lunch break and also perfect to do at the end of the day when you’re tired but still want to fit something in that’ll make you feel so good!” says Jess Sims, who created the class in December as a way for extra-busy folks to stay active during the holidays. Since then, it’s evolved into a Member favorite.
The Flash 15 classes waste no time getting down to business. After a two-minute warm up and a one-minute demo, you jump straight into a 12-minute HIIT-style “EMOM,” which means there’s a different set of exercises “every minute on the minute,” incorporating both strength and cardio so you get the best of everything. “EMOMs are also great because they hold you accountable during the workout, which makes the workout fly by—hence the name Flash 15. You work hard to get the prescribed number of reps done, and then you rest the remainder of the minute,” Jess explains.
Most of the Friday full-body classes are labeled intermediate but designed for all levels, with the instructors offering modifications for beginners as well as progressions for those who are a little further along in their fitness journey. Then there are the official advanced classes—Rebecca’s started offering those monthly on Fridays, and if you’re scared, it might be time to change your perspective. “Turkish get ups, windmills, human makers: FUN. FUN. FUN!” she says of the complex moves she programs for these classes (and also details on her Instagram so Members can prepare if they want to). Not only is it fun to learn something new and challenging, but checking out the advanced classes is an opportunity for Members to see how their work in the intermediate classes is progressing. After all, as Rebecca says, “If you never try, you’ll never know.”
So give it a shot: Head to the schedule and, well, schedule it! The new scheduling feature lets you add classes straight to your personal calendar so you won’t forget to do it. Make sure to add in a pre-strength warm up—five minutes minimum, says Rebecca. Finally, Tammy H. has some additional tongue-in-cheek advice if you’re going for an advanced workout: “Get your affairs in order before you attempt one. You know, stock up on Motrin, Epsom salts, water, foam rollers—all the recovery tools!”
Ready for a full-body strength workout? Check out the schedule and count yourself in on the Peloton App!
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
