14 Hardest Peloton Instructors Ranked by Difficulty [2023]

Written by Dan Paul
Published on
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Peloton has won the hearts of millions and for a good reason. It helps people achieve their fitness goals, lose weight, socialize and feel part of a community.

Peloton has on a permanent basis 58 instructors that are of different ages, different backgrounds and difficulty levels. Peloton offers over 6,500 different classes in different disciplines, such as meditation, cycling, running, power walks, rowing and many more.

All instructors strive to motivate their class participants to improve and achieve their fitness goals. All of this adds up to a place where people are motivated to exercise and remain happy.

If you feel that difficult Peloton classes keep up your motivation, then you’re in the right place. This article will feature the 15 hardest Peloton instructors giving the hardest workouts.

Top 15 hardest Peloton Instructors:

1. Robin Arzon – 8.94/10

The hardest Peloton instructor in 2023 is Robin Arzon, with an average difficulty score of 8.94 out of 10.

Robin Arzon joined Peloton as an instructor back in 2016. Since that, she has built up her fan base thanks to her hard classes. Her most famous classes are Tabata rides which are 45 minutes long.

Robin is 41 years old and her passion lies around fitness and nutrition. She believes that through sports, people can become a better version of themselves.

2. Denis Morton – 8.53/10

The hardest Peloton instructor in 2023 among men. Denis is 45 years old and has over 20 years of fitness instructor experience.

His hardest classes are his 20 minutes FTP test rides. Even though all FTP test rides are meant to be hard, Denis can push his class extra hard.

Another really difficult class is 45 minute long HIIT & Hills ride. This class is all about high-intensity, hard rock music and strength training.

3. Matt Wilpers – 8.27/10

Matt is 40 years old American fitness trainer. His most famous class is 45 minutes long Climb Ride session.

Climb ride training consists of a 10-minute warm-up, 34-minute cycling and 1-minute cool down. This training is rated as 9.1/10 on the difficulty scale. 

Besides being a Peloton instructor, Matt has also written two books: “The New Rules of Lifting for Abs” and “The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution”. 

4. Kendall Toole – 8.25/10

One of the hottest Peloton trainers on the active roster. She is only 30 years, but don’t underestimate her because of that. 

Kendall is surely one of the hardest Peloton instructors. Her most popular class is a 30-minute long ride with headbanging metallic music. 

This class difficulty is rated 9.4/10 and consists of 4 minutes of warm-up, 25 minutes of cycling, and 1 minute of cooldown. 

5. Olivia Amato – 8.24/10

Olivia Amato was born in the United States and is 32 years old. She focuses on helping people achieve their fitness goals, whether its a weight loss, improved endurance or more power in the legs.

After training a few sessions with Olivia, she is definitely one of the hardest Peloton instructors out there.

Her most popular classes are 45 minutes long HIIT & Hills Ride named sessions. They are designed to improve your mental and physical strength, burn as many as possible calories and have fun. 

6. Christine D’Ercole – 8.21/10

Our favorite instructor out there. Christine is 51 years old, and she is the only Peloton instructor who has professional titles. 

She has won the Masters World Championship and is a 5-time national champion in indoor track cycling. 

Combining her professional experience and many years of being a trainer, you can be sure that she is one of the hardest Peloton instructors out there. 

Christine focuses on cycling classes and can motivate her students through motivational speeches and positive energy.

7. Ben Alldis – 8.20/10

Ben Alldis is one of the youngest Peloton instructors and definitely one of the hardest.

He is well-known for his class called 60 min Climb Ride. This class plan consists of 10 minute long warm-up, 49 minutes of cycling and 1 minute of cooldown. 

This workout has been used over 100 000 times and rated 9/10 on the difficulty scale. 

8. Alex Toussaint – 8.12/10

One of the hottest male Peloton instructors. His hardest class is a 20-minute-long Peloton All-Star ride. 

Alex is 31 years old and has over 10 years of fitness experience. He joined the Peloton team in 2018 and his approach connects physical and mental well-being. 

Overall, his classes are filled with positive vibes, and Alex likes to emphasize the importance of being happy and positive. 

9. Ally Love – 8.06/10

Ally Love is considered one of the most inspirational Peloton instructors. She is 37 years old and she works closely with multiple sports clothing brands.

Besides being one of the hardest Peloton instructors, Ally finds that taking care of mental health is very important. She often uplifts her students through motivational speeches and energetic music during her classes. 

10. Jess King – 7.97/10

Jess King joined Peloton in 2019. Since then, she has been motivating people from all over the world with her positive energy.

Jess is a certified instructor and definitely knows what she’s doing. She is considered one of the hardest Peloton instructors because of her 45-minute Sweat Steady Ride class.

This 45-minute long session will definitely make you sweaty and help you lose a bunch of calories! 

11. Tunde Oyeneyin – 7.96/10

Tunde Oyeneyin is from Nigeria but moved to the United States at a young age. She is 37 years old and her most popular class is 10-minute Arms toning.

Doing biceps and triceps exercises with free weights during cycling can be very challenging. The total number of workouts done in this class is over 750 000, and the satisfaction rating is 99.9%!

12. Sam Yo – 7.95/10

Besides being one of the hardest Peloton instructors, Sam Yo is also a very passionate person. 

Sam inspires his class participants with dance music and positive energy. One of his most difficult classes is 45 minutes of HIIT & Hills Ride. 

13. Cody Rigsby – 7.91/10

Cody Rigsby is 36 years old and is from South Carolina. He has over 15 years of experience as a coach.

His hardest Peloton class is a 60-minute climb ride with a difficulty rating of 8.6/10. 

Besides being one of the hardest Peloton instructors, Cody focuses on improving aerobic capacity, increasing flexibility and building strength. 

14. Emma Lovewell – 7.89/10

Emma Lovewell is a Peloton instructor who focuses besides cycling a lot on core strength. 

Her most popular class is 10 minutes long Core Strength session. This workout has been used over 4 million times since 2019! 

Emma is passionate about helping beginners who have just started their fitness journey. Besides strength and endurance training, she also focuses on meditation.

peloton strength training

Top 7 hardest Peloton Strength Instructors:

Instructors NameAverage Difficulty Score
1. Rebecca Kennedy8.84
2. Adrian Williams8.67
3. Jess Sims7.96
4. Robin Arzon7.75
5. Chase Tucker7.62
6. Rad Lopez7.59
7. Matty Maggiacomo7.47

Top 5 Hardest Treat Instructors:

Instructors NameAverage Difficulty Score
1. Olivia Amato8.98
2. Jess Sims8.78
3. Matt Wilpers8.23
4. Becs Gentry8.12
5. Selena Samuela7.92

Top 7 Hardest Yoga Instructors:

Instructors NameAverage Difficulty Score
1. Ross Rayburn7.65
2. Kirra Michel7.32
3. Nico Sarani7.21
4. Anna Greenberg6.87
6. Mariana Fernandez6.84
7. Denis Morton6.81

peloton class instructor during her session

Top 7 Hardest Peloton Spin Instructors:

Instructors NameAverage Difficulty Score
1. Matt Wilpers9.22
2. Denis Morton8.97
3. Alex Toussaint8.94
4. Robin Arzon8.29
5. Christine D’Ercole7.96
6. Ally Love7.87
7. Kendall Toole7.85

Top 5 Hardest Stretching Peloton Spin Instructors:

Instructors NameAverage Difficulty Score
1. Assal Arian6.74
2. Hannah Corbin6.43
3. Jess King6.41
4. Chase Tucker6.40
5. Tobias Heinze6.37

Conclusion

Peloton offers its participants a wide variety of classes with different difficulty levels. 

The hardest Peloton instructors are Robin Arzon, Denis Morton, Matt Wilpers, Kendall Toole, Olivia Amato and many more.

These instructors are known for having above-average difficulty classes that push their participants out of their comfort zones and help them achieve their fitness goals. 

Who is the hardest Peloton instructor? 

It’s important to understand that instructor difficulty levels are subjective, even though our numbers are based on Peloton app class feedback information. 

Some people tend to find one type of class harder than others. That being said, we recommend listening to your body, as only you know what’s difficult and what’s not. 

We don’t recommend pushing yourself too hard without any prior fitness preparation and quality nutrition. Always listen to the instructor, use your common sense and have fun while achieving your fitness goals. 

FAQ:

How can I prepare for a class with a “hard” instructor?

Make sure you will eat and hydrate well before the class. This way, you will make yourself ready to give your absolute best without any risk to your health. Also, during your Peloton session, have water nearby.

Get mentally prepared for a difficult class. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone once in a while is an absolutely normal and rewarding feeling.

However, the most important recommendation is to listen to your body and don’t go too crazy. 

Are there any instructors that are considered “easier” alternatives for those who prefer a less intense workout?

Yes. Peloton has 58 instructors available with over 6500 different classes combined. 

We are sure that every person will find the right difficulty for their training session.  

Are there any tips or tricks for getting the most out of a class with a “hard” instructor?

We recommend doing the FTP Test ride that will customize your Peloton power zones and make your classes more enjoyable.

Besides having your power zones set out, we recommend listening carefully to the instructor and acting accordingly. 

How do I know if a class with a “hard” instructor is right for me?

If you’re a complete beginner, we don’t recommend choosing any instructor from this list. 

The hardest Peloton instructors are meant for advanced users, therefore, you should work your way up to this point. 

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AUTHOR

Dan is the owner of Sportscalorie. His mission is to educate people through his own experience. He proudly says that cycling changed his life.