A Peloton All-Access membership, which is required to take classes on the Cross Training Row+ or any of the brand’s other machines, is $49.99 a month, up from $44 when I reviewed the original Row. Hydrow loads the same, but it’s at a higher level connected fitness machinesAviron ($34 per month), Ergatta ($39 per month), and iFit ($39 per month, available on NordicTrack rowers).
View rowing lessons on Row+ (Credit: Ali Jabir)
An All-Access membership offers unlimited access to Peloton’s class library and the ability to create up to 20 user profiles on the machine, so everyone in your household can track workout stats and get personalized workout suggestions. With an All-Access membership, you also use the Peloton app on your Android or iOS mobile device to stream classes on the go. Without an All-Access membership, you can use the machine in Just Row mode, which only shows your measurements on the screen but offers no entertainment features.
The Row+ is a great complement or alternative to Peloton’s other machines. An All-Access membership includes a Peloton rower, bike and escape route. Rowing class categories include: beginning, endurance, form and drills, intervals, music/theme, and warm-up/cool-down. There are a wide variety of styles for strength training: adaptive, arms and light weights, barre, boxing exercises, bodyweight, full/lower/upper body, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more.
Strength training with Row+ (Credit: Ali Jabir)
In addition to rowing and strength, membership gives you access to classes in the following categories: bootcamp (combining rowing and strength), cardio (with options like dance, family fun, HIIT, Just Tabata, kettlebell conditioning, low impact, shadow boxing, and more), floor pilates, meditation, stretching, and yoga (flow, strength/flow relaxation, slow, post-flow relaxation, yin, and more).
On the schedule tab, you can view upcoming live workouts. Peloton holds about six live rowing lessons per week, fewer than cycling (six to nine per week). The somewhat meager live lesson schedule doesn’t bother me, as the on-demand lessons can still compete with Peloton’s Here Now leaderboards.
Live classes on Row+ (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)
Peloton offers many training programs, including the beginner-friendly You Can Row (3 weeks, 17 lessons), the endurance-oriented Can You Row Distance (2 weeks, 8 lessons), and the speed-focused Perfect Speed Goals (3 weeks, 10 lessons). There are many others that cover everything from running and strength to meditation and even injury recovery. Peloton regularly introduces new class styles and programs and stays at the forefront of fitness trends. For example, Hyrox recently launched a training program (12 weeks, 103 classes) designed to develop the aerobic fitness and strength needed for competitive competitions.
Upcoming Apps+ (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)
Classes are the main attraction of the platform, but Row+ also has an Experiences tab with a selection of small scenic rows that allow you to virtually explore scenic waters across the US and around the world. Only seven Peloton scenic rows are guided by a coach, the rest are unguided. If you’d rather watch a trainer on the water than in a studio, Hydrow and iFit-enabled rowing machines offer more visually guided rowing content than Peloton. Rowing and Ergatta focus on fitness games and competitions.
The Row+ Practices tab also has a 2K Benchmark row that you can use to track your progress, and a custom strength training generator that makes it easy to review and select specific exercises, which can be helpful if you’re on a regimented training plan.
For additional entertainment options, Row+ lets you log into your streaming account to view a number of services on screen while you row, including AMC+, DirecTV, Disney+, NBA League Pass, Netflix, YouTube and YouTube TV. There are a handful of Peloton Originals, including fitness-oriented documentaries.
