Digital workouts like Peloton are overrated because they can push you too hard, according to a CrossFit athlete and personal trainer. Here are 2 advantages of training with a professional.

• Digital workouts like Peloton lack customization and are overrated, a personal trainer told Insider.
• In person, an instructor can see when you need to work harder or relax, Scott Britton said.
• Britton says strength training is underrated and you can do a good workout in 20-40 minutes.

Digital workouts like Peloton are overrated because fitness needs to be personalized, a CrossFit athlete and personal trainer told Insider.

People looking to get in shape should prioritize strength training, make the most of their time in the gym and have a fitness professional present if they can, Scott Britton said.

Britton, a British athlete, said digital workout classes are problematic because the instructor cannot see the participants. For some people, being told to push harder isn’t fair, for example, and others may need to correct their form, Britton said.

He also thinks fitness trackers that always push people to move more lack social responsibility, because health and fitness should be about balancing recovery with activity.

Instead, Britton, an ambassador for wearable tech company Whoop, recommends trackers like the Whoop Wristband, which the company says gives users guidelines on how hard to push their bodies based on their recovery. .

Britton, who is the founder of global fitness charity event company Battle Cancer (which has raised nearly $1.3 million in 2022 to date), has also developed a program for people rebuilding their physical health. and mental after cancer treatments. All program participants receive a Whoop Strap to help them learn to move the right amount for their own body.

Digital workouts are overrated

Online workouts grew in popularity during the coronavirus lockdowns when gyms closed and people stayed home, but Britton thinks if people can, they should train with in-person trainers.

“Peloton-esque digital workouts are overrated,” he said. “Digital coaches can’t coach you. They can’t motivate you other than by shouting through a screen and there’s too much separation, they can’t see the way you move.”

Peloton did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Every body is different, so a properly performed squat on a person may look different than on the instructor, he said. It’s also hard to tell if you’re doing a good move if you’re not a trained fitness professional.

“The way you move may need to be changed,” Britton said.

Shout

Likewise, some digital instructors repeatedly ask participants to work harder, but that’s not always the right approach, according to Britton.

“You might be really struggling, but you’re trying your best and they’re yelling at you,” Britton said. “Whereas if they’re in real life with you, they can see you’re doing your best.”

Britton said when he instructs people in person he can tell when someone is struggling because they had a terrible day or are exhausted, so he can see when to tell them to calm down.

“I think it’s such an important aspect of fitness that gets overlooked,” he said.

You can do a good workout in 20 minutes

Britton also thinks strength training is “grossly underrated” whether you want to improve your health, lose fat or get in shape.

Many people start running or doing HIIT (high-intensity interval training) when they want to lose weight or get in shape, but it’s a mistake to overlook strength training, Britton said.

Strength training has many more benefits than building muscle, including strengthening bones and joints, reducing risk of injury, improving heart health, and increasing calories burned at rest, such as Marissa Cruz Lemar of Insider previously reported.

“Deadlifts, squats, bench press, these very old-school stuff are incredibly good for joints, tendons and your own confidence,” Britton said.

He also thinks that many people are spending far more time in the gym than necessary and not using their time productively.

Workouts don’t have to be long if they’re effective.

“People tend to spend too much time doing nothing,” he said. “You can accomplish a phenomenal amount of work in 20 to 40 minutes.”