ALEX TOUSSAINT HAS just wrapped up a 45-minute hip hop cycling class when he sits down with Men’s Health. It’s 7pm in New York, mid-morning in Australia, and Toussaint is still glistening in a lather of sweat.
The trademark intensity that Peloton members will know hasn’t dimmed a bit. Some trainers cultivate a relaxed, almost meditative atmosphere in their classes. Not Toussaint. The 33-year-old is all about the energy. He’s a hype man who will constantly push you to show up and work harder. If you don’t want someone constantly in your ear holding you accountable, Toussaint’s classes probably aren’t right for you. And you better believe he holds himself to the same standards. Case in point, that 45-minute ride is Toussaint’s second workout of the day, and today is a slow day for him.
I’ve frequently taken Toussaint’s classes over the last few years and typically come out of them a panting, sweaty mess in need of a sit-down. I’ve often wondered if Toussaint finds the classes to be as difficult as I do, considering that he does the same amount of work, but doesn’t appear to be nearly as troubled by it. As he explains, classes are just a small part of Toussaint’s daily routine.
“When I work out at home, that’s my workout. When I work out at work, I call that my outwork,” he says. “Depending on what time the class is, I’ll usually already have done one or two workouts for the day before I even come in for the class. Sometimes I’ll do three workouts by the end of the day.”
As you’d expect, Toussaint’s weekly training routine is packed. “My week will be: Monday chest and cycling; Tuesday legs and mobility; Wednesday full recovery to let my body rest; Thursday yoga and meditation; Friday full body plus my run class; Saturday abs and arms plus my cycling class,” Toussaint says, adding that his recovery days are equally intensive. “I always say, ‘How you recover is how you play,’ because how you play is how you win at life. My recovery days are about minimal movement of the body while keeping my mind in motion. I’ll use my Normatec compression boots, my Hyperice, I’ll do a cold plunge. Some days I do active recovery, which is like a light walk on the Tread. I call it my gratitude walk.”
Committing to such a routine to the point where it actually becomes a routine and not just some overzealous training plan you designed in a far more optimistic headspace takes a great deal of discipline. Toussaint has it in spades. “It’s not easy, but that’s where the discipline factor comes into play, right? I believe that discipline will carry you when motivation won’t. I’m a human being like everybody else, there’s no way I could be motivated every single day. But I have the discipline to know that I’m working to get better. I have the discipline to put myself in a position where my back’s against the wall so I can see how much I can grow. Discipline is the foundation that everything is built on top of.”
Discipline, Toussaint says, was drilled into him early. “I went to military school and I was raised in a military family, so that disciplined, regimented mindset was instilled in me as a kid,” he explains. “It’s really who I am. There’s no way around that. It’s how I was raised, with my parents being Haitian immigrants. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
While Toussaint places plenty of emphasis on discipline, he also greatly values balance and is a major proponent of cross training. “If you’re an athlete, you want to move your body in multiple planes of motion,” he says. “I think when you move your body in one plane of motion for too long, that’s where the muscle imbalances come into play. And those cause the minor injuries and things like that. If you incorporate cardio with your strength work and utilise mobility to offset that on your recovery days, then also having meditation and yoga as a complement, that will create a well-rounded, balanced routine.”
That focus on balance aligns with where Peloton itself is heading. Earlier this month, the company announced Peloton IQ, an AI-powered coaching system that can provide personalised, real-time feedback and adaptive coaching across the brand’s refreshed Cross Training Series. It’s the most significant evolution of the Peloton ecosystem since its inception, and Toussaint believes it will fundamentally change the way people train.
“It’s exciting to be at the forefront of it with Peloton,” Toussaint says. “As a coach here for the last ten years, technology has been a part of what we do every single day. And with AI starting to play a big role in everything that we do, having it within the fitness space is going to be key for a lot of individuals out there who sometimes need that extra little bit of coaching.”
But while AI will supplant the role of the trainer in many ways, Toussaint doesn’t think it will completely erase the need for a human element. When asked if he believes AI will eventually replace him, Toussaint is pragmatic. “I mean, I think that’s a natural human reaction, right?” he says. “Like, yeah, it is replacing us in some of what we do. But human coaching is never going to go anywhere.”
“Everybody who’s a coach here at Peloton has their own personal flow and style that they bring to every class, and people like what each trainer offers,” Toussaint continues. “I don’t think that’s going to go anywhere at all, but having what is essentially somebody in the room with you, providing you with information and feedback, I think that’s what’s going to help training go from great to spectacular.”
For all the benefits offered by the introduction of AI in fitness, it will never be able to motivate you like a human trainer or coach can. Not that Toussaint would know what it’s like to feel unmotivated. “Brother, the most honest thing I could possibly say to you, is that I’m just thankful to wake up every day,” he says. “Like the simple fact that I get another chance at this thing called life for another 24 hours, that itself is enough motivation for me to be get up and go get it.”
And, on extremely rare occasions, if there is a day where Toussaint just isn’t feeling it, he knows he can rely on that irreplaceable human element. “I’m fortunate that I share a locker room with the other Peloton trainers,” he says. “So if there is a day where I’m lacking, I know one of my coworkers will light a fire under my ass to get me going.”
With Peloton’s new technology promising more personalised guidance than ever before, Toussaint is ready to keep leading from the front. AI will help us train smarter, but trainers like Toussaint remind us it’s still the human heart that drives us to push harder.
The Peloton Cross Training Series is available to purchase from Peloton and on display at select Harvey Norman franchisee locations.
