There are a lot of Pilates-style workout channels on YouTube, but one of our top picks is always Blogilates. If you type “glute training” or “easy arm exercises” into the search bar, you're likely to see videos by Cassey Ho, a certified Pilates and fitness instructor.
Ho is known for her energetic personality and simple yet effective approach to exercise. That's why I had to try Her BODY on Blogilates. This is an app she created to take you on a customized fitness journey inspired by Pilates.
almost 10 million subscribers On YouTube, Ho has definitely carved out a place for himself in the fitness world. Among them is this stylish app. The idea is to make Blogilates feel like it's always in your pocket. All of Ho's workouts are equipment-free, so you can try them whenever and wherever you want.
i'm a big fan Micro-exercises to burn muscles notorious for Pilates, but I'm also a simple gal who loves efficient workouts, so I thought this was right up my alley. Continue reading below to learn more about the BODY by Blogilates app and what we thought after trying it out.
What is the Blogilates app?
The Blogilates app keeps things simple with five tabs including Home, Calendar, Workout, and Social. The Calendar tab displays a monthly training schedule that focuses on a different muscle group each day. This also includes rest days, cardio days, and strength training days.
The Workouts tab has a wide collection of workouts, while the Social tab lets you ask questions, post photos, chat about your workouts, or just say hi to fellow exercisers. Masu.
All the workouts seen on the Blogilates YouTube channel can also be found on the app, making it easy to access your favorite routines. Plus, they're all cast on TV. Ho's workouts focus on everything from your butt, arms, abs, and back, and he also offers cardio, stretching routines, and full-body options.
The app also has 7-day, 30-day, and 100-day fitness challenges. Think 100 Day Ab Challenge, 30 Day Arm Workout, or 7 Day Booty Burn. Clicking on a challenge will allow you to track your progress along the way.
For a little more fun, sign up for Ho's signature 90-day journey. This option allows you to track your mood, energy, water intake, and more. You'll also have access to Premium His workouts and charts to help you find patterns in your approach to health. Do you need more water? More sleep? Blogilates will let you know.
Blogilates app pricing
The app is free to download and has a 7-day free trial so you can see it before committing. If you want more access, there are monthly subscriptions starting at $3.99, an all-access pass for $6.99 per month, an annual subscription for $39.99, and a Journey subscription for $69.99 per year.
my experience
Ho is known for his simple yet effective arm workouts, so I immediately knew I wanted to start there. My main workouts tend to center around lower body movements like squats that work the glutes, so I thought I'd give the upper body a little love with the 30 Day Sleek His Arms Challenge.
The goal is to complete five arm exercises each day. Every day he increases the number by one. Day 1 we did 15 arm circles, arm raises, prayer pulses, half cobra push-ups, and up-up-down-downs.
Although these exercises are very simple, this challenge includes a mini video that shows Ho how to do them with proper form. First, I spread out my yoga mat and did 15 arm rotations.
Having tried Blogilates' workouts in the past, I noticed this movement that Ho often refers to as a “golf ball.” This is one of her signatures and it seems easy at first, but after a few seconds her arm is on fire.
The arm rotation was fine and the arm raise wasn't terrible, but when I hit the prayer pulse, I started rethinking my life decisions. Ho points out that this is deceptively difficult.
When you finish a round, you have the option to rate the workout and its difficulty, a fun way to track your progress. It was a tough routine, but it was over so quickly that I felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Having a checkmark definitely made me more motivated to come back the next day. And even though my arm hurt from the first day, I noticed that it was getting a little bit easier each day. Three cheers for progress.
From there, I became obsessed with one-off workouts like the 10-minute booty burner with the band. I found out about this workout on the Blogilates YouTube channel. And I was grateful that it was so easy.
Mr. Ho began talking about his busy weekend. After all, she is known for being fun and approachable. And then she got down to business. She did fire hydrants, low rainbows, bridges, and butterfly extrusions, just to name a few.
I also started the app when I wanted to stretch or change my mood. One night, I chose 14 minutes of “Stretching After a Stressful Day'' as a way to wind down before bed.
It was a mix of neck rolls, sit-down juicy twists, hip-opening figure fours, child poses, and even included some words of comfort from Ho. She encouraged me to focus on the present moment and forget about all the chaos outside the door. It was honestly really great.
verdict
Similar to the Blogilates YouTube channel, the BODY app seems to have a workout for every mood and need. Want to train your butt? Try training your glutes. Does it feel hard? Click through yoga-inspired stretches to follow Ho's guide. She makes each workout concise yet approachable so it feels fun and effective.
The app is very easy to use and I love being able to track my workouts, add favorites to collections, and take on specific challenges. If I didn't have an app that made me want to do it again, I would have 100% given up on arm training.
Once I'm done with the arm reps, I'm going to move on to the 200 sit-ups challenge. This is his 20-day challenge of 200 repetitions of core training and cardio. I wish you good luck!
Research referenced:
Krubeck, J.A. (2010). Pilates to improve muscle endurance, flexibility, balance and posturee. J Strength Conditions Resistance doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c277a6.
Tornai, N. (2016). Physical and psychological benefits of weekly Pilates exercise in sedentary young women: a 10-week longitudinal study. Physiological behavior. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.05.025.