PiYo Review

Editor’s note: This review has been updated to reflect BODi’s current subscription-based access — PiYo is no longer sold as a standalone DVD set, and it no longer has its own dedicated product page on bodi.com (it’s still in the app’s catalog, just not front and center the way it used to be).

Many of you might be at a point in your life where, when you look in the mirror, you’re not happy about it, and you’ve been trying to lose weight forever. Your clothes don’t fit and you’re just frustrated. I get it. You want that toned look back, to fit into the jeans you once did, and to look in the mirror with a sense of pride about how you look. That’s exactly what you can get from PiYo, and anyone can do it no matter your fitness level.

As a former college athlete, I understand the benefits of staying in shape. But I also understand that the combination of a fast-paced daily lifestyle, raising kids, working full-time, and father time can sneak up on you. Before you know it, you’re out of shape and you have no idea how you got there.

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Why Is the PiYo Workout So Effective?

Simply put, it’s continual movements of yoga and Pilates exercises that strengthen and tone your muscles while losing body fat. Chalene literally takes you by the hand no matter what fitness level you’re at and makes you feel confident you can do every workout. You’ll be given an easy nutrition plan based on a formula you fill out in the PiYo Diet Guide, and you’ll be doing roughly 25 to 45 minute Pilates-yoga workouts to burn calories.

She uses Pilates moves to strengthen your inner core that strengthens your back, helps your posture, draws your stomach muscles in for a flatter look and of course burns calories. From there she mixes up the best yoga moves with a twist and makes it fun. If you’ve done yoga before, you know how boring and hard it can be holding long positions, doing the same repetitive exercises at a slow pace. Her last twist to her routine was to make all the movements shorter, while still effective, and to not stop moving. As you are doing all these, you are getting the real benefits of yoga by increasing your flexibility, toning muscle and building strength in the core muscles that really matter for long term health.

Who This Is For

PiYo works for all ages, men and women. Both my wife and I use the PiYo workouts, and there are countless testimonials from users in their 20s through 60s. If you fall into one of the following categories, it can improve your level of physical fitness:

• You want to exercise without jumping, or you’re rehabilitating from an injury
• You don’t want to spend money on expensive fitness equipment
• You love doing Pilates or yoga exercises
• You want the privacy of working out at home, because gyms and health clubs can be intimidating
• You’re overweight, out of shape, and want a proven program you can start off slowly
• You want something simple but proven, to start your weight loss journey
• You’re deciding between this and 21 Day Fix — see our full comparison

It’s designed from the ground up for everyone — from the most out-of-shape beginner, to someone with knee problems, to a super-fit athlete. Chalene is genuinely encouraging through the workout; you feel like she’s on your side pushing you to get in shape, and she always seems to say the right thing right when you need to hear it.

You Get the Best of Pilates and Yoga in One Workout

This is the real big benefit. I love yoga period! I’m so relaxed and stretched out when I’m done with a session. It also works all those tiny connector muscles that you normally wouldn’t do during a weight lifting session in the gym. This yoga workout will have you in constant motion working on your flexibility, strength training and burning calories all in one workout. It gives you long lean muscles, a firm butt, stronger legs and stronger arms from its yoga principles. Two workouts for the price of one, and no special lessons needed to get started.

Chalene Johnson

This workout was specifically designed by celebrity fitness trainer and New York best-selling author Chalene Johnson to burn fat and help normal people get back in shape in the safest way possible. She brings a ton of energy into the workouts and speaks to a level anyone can relate to.

My wife said it best: “It’s amazing how good you feel doing it. You never feel like it is so hard you can’t do it. When it does get hard, Chalene says just the right thing to encourage you to help you finish it.”

I do this workout alongside all the other weight lifting I do — so if you’re a man wondering if yoga and Pilates is right for you, trust me, this program is genuinely good. You get the sense right away that Chalene is very humble and caring. She truly has your best interest in mind to help you get in shape. She always keeps you encouraged and motivated, so you never feel like you want to quit or you cannot do it.

You Save Money Working Out at Home

Working out at home matters a lot to people just starting out — you don’t feel confident going into the gym in your current state, or you don’t have the time or money for a monthly membership. PiYo lets you do it all in your living room with just a yoga mat and a towel. I’d recommend doing these before work if at all possible, so you always get the workout in without interruptions from life. In less than a single free hour, you get an extremely effective workout without leaving the comfort of your own home.

What You Get

PiYo used to ship as a set of DVDs — today it’s part of a BODi subscription, streamed through the app, along with the rest of what came in the original kit: the workout videos plus a bonus “Buns” routine, the Get Lean Eating Plan, an 8-week workout calendar, and access to BODi’s community and online support.

The 7 PiYo Workouts

1. Align: The Fundamentals — teaches you the basic moves and works on your form.
2. Define: Lower Body — you will be focusing on moves and sequences to strengthen your lower body including your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. A short workout.
3. Define: Upper Body — this 20 minute program targets arms, triceps, shoulders and chest. Note: I would combine lower and upper body into one workout.
4. Sweat — Ok, this is a fast paced cardio workout that works your whole body with the yoga, Pilates and body weight resistance moves combined. You will sweat.
5. Drench — don’t let the title scare you off. An endurance cardio fat-burning routine working all body parts.
6. Sculpt — a fast-paced routine that keeps your muscles under constant tension using more yoga and Pilates moves.
7. Strength Intervals — 25 minutes of bodyweight strength training. No weights, no jumping, no bulking up.

The PiYo Diet

The package includes a complete guide to figure out how many calories to eat daily to lose weight safely. It matches the CDC’s own guidance on a gradual, sustainable pace, not a crash diet. The macro split is roughly 40% carbs, 35% protein, 25% fat. Here’s the three-step process:

• Step 1 — figure out your daily calorie intake, so you know how much to limit yourself throughout the day.
• Step 2 — pick your plan, A through D, based on your calorie target (Plan A: 1,200-1,399, Plan B: 1,400-1,599, Plan C: 1,600-1,799, Plan D: 1,800+). Now you will know what are the suggested servings of primary vegetables, secondary veggies and grains to take. You will also get to pick out a certain number of fresh fruit, lean protein and healthy fats.
• Step 3 — you choose the foods you want to eat from their food list. Each food item lists the amount of servings it represents and that will help you keep following your plan in step 2 to the tee. You will want to write this list down and keep track of it because it will become your grocery list.

You’ll eat 3 main meals and 2-3 small snacks throughout the day, roughly every 2.5 to 3 hours — which also happens to be about how long it takes to digest a meal, so your metabolism stays cranked. It takes a little getting used to the first week, but after that it’s a cinch.

How Much Does It Cost?

PiYo is no longer sold as a standalone DVD set — it’s included with a BODi subscription. That same subscription unlocks 225+ other programs, healthy meal plans, and trainer-led guidance too. BODi has monthly and yearly plans, with a 7-day free trial and a 31-day money-back guarantee, less shipping and handling. Pricing and promos change, so check the current offer on their site before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

This program is for you if you’re looking to lose weight and tone up quickly, without an extreme workout full of jumping and joint stress. You want something encouraging yet challenging, using positive motivation, and a format that’s been proven to work for thousands of people — without spending a lot of money.

Your fellow fitness fan,
Eric Ellis