If functional fitness workouts are your thing (and, with the myriad of health and wellbeing benefits, I don't blame you), then you'll want to read my Pvolve review. Why? Well, because the low-impact workout - a favourite of Jennifer Aniston - promises to be led by science, is high on holistic results, and is seriously effective, too.
Fusing functional exercises (like bodyweight squats, lunges and movements done on one leg) with patented fitness equipment (like the brand’s sleek-looking P.band and P.ball), these fire up the resistance in your workouts as you strengthen, tone and sculpt. In short: Pvolve is the kind of strength training method that promises to equip you for today, tomorrow and beyond.
Whether it’s building up the kind of strength that will help you go from standing to sitting or the type that will help you shift your shopping with ease, the brand confirms that it's a workout for all abilities. “Our most avid members will say, for them, ‘Pvolve is like drinking from the fountain of youth’,” Antonietta Vicario, chief training officer at the brand tells me. “They have more energy, they're moving more functionally, building strength, adding stability to help support their bodies moving in their every day and they're learning about their body, too.” She adds: “Tensions magically disappear and they just feel awesome.”
As we mentioned - and if you needed any more convincing - fitness powerhouse Jennifer Aniston kickstarted her Pvolve journey in 2021 and later partnered with the brand in 2023. And if it's good enough for Jen An...
Keen to find out more? I decided to try out Pvolve for seven days and test out the on-demand workouts. Keep scrolling to discover my Pvolve review and while you’re here, do check out our guide to why balance training is so important.
Pvolve review - I tried it for 7 days and have some thoughts
But first, what is Pvolve?
Pvolve (pronounced as "p-volve") is the US-born and bred science-led exercise platform that pairs low-impact functional fitness training with patented resistance-based equipment. If you have a membership, you can access the workouts from just about anywhere, or in-person at a Pvolve studio if you’re in the US.
“Pvolve stands for ‘personal evolution’,” Vicario explains. “Our whole philosophy is that we strengthen your body holistically, so from the inside out, and it helps you with things like mobility, stability and core strength."
“It has a science-led approach to fitness to deliver results that are not just vanity and aesthetic-based, as you're learning movement patterns that set you up for success in your every day. We like to say that you can have your cake and eat it too," she goes on.
When was it invented?
Pvolve sprung onto the US fitness scene in 2017 and is the brainchild of entrepreneur Rachel Katzman who, in her own words, felt "broken" from high-intensity workouts alongside scoliosis pain.
After finding the world of functional fitness, Katzman was inspired to develop an entirely new big-on-results fitness yet low impact workout method - and with the help of a Clinical Advisory Board, expert trainers and unique equipment, she did just that.
Who swears by Pvolve?
Since its conception, there's been a growing buzz around this functional type of training - so much so, the brand’s main Insta account now has just under 300k followers. And this includes the likes of Jennifer Aniston, who joined as a member in 2021 and partnered with the brand in 2023.
At the time, she said: “I had a friend who had already been doing Pvolve and not only did I notice her complete transformation - physically in her energy level - but she also explained that Pvolve is functional fitness that respects where your body is at and allows you to work around your current limitations.”
What are the benefits of Pvolve?
As it turns out, quite a lot. Like any other strength training workout, Pvolve has the seriously impressive power to:
- Encourage muscle growth
- Improve metabolism
- Injury-proof your body
- Boost bone health
- Better your overall health
But, unlike many other fitness fads roaming the internet or lurking in the dark corners of TikTok, there’s science-backed research to prove that Pvolve training works. A 12-week study, conducted by the University of Exeter, tasked a group of women aged between 40 to 60 years to try out Pvolve classes four days a week and another group to adhere to the NHS’ current standard physical activity guidelines of exercising 150 minutes per week.
At the end of the twelve weeks, Pvolve participants saw a 23% improvement in fatigue, a 7.2% improvement in quality of life, a 19% improvement to their lower body strength, an increase in lean muscle without increasing total body mass, a 10% improvement in lower body balance and mobility and a 21% improvement in flexibility. Researchers also noted there was a significant decrease in cholesterol levels and triglycerides, too (a type of fat found in the blood). Pretty impressive, huh?
I tried Pvolve - my honest review
Days one to three
My Essential Pvolve bundle arrives and I’m buzzing to get started. I open the box and there’s the brand’s P.band, the P.ball and the Precision Mat. The latter helps you perfect your form, thanks to its handy foot placement guides, while the P.band is essentially a resistance band that fits comfortably around your wrists and hands. As for the P.ball (you guessed it), it's a ball with a resistance strap that fits around your legs. The beautifully packaged bundle also includes one month of free streaming classes.
Using the handy onboarding calendar, I take Pvolve’s Sculpt & Tone path, rather than its Weight Loss Support route. I click into a full body sculpt class with my P.ball, P.band and Precision Mat by my side and two trainers appear on screen, showing me how to use the equipment. Throughout the 38-minute class, instructors also show a range of exercise modifications, encouraging you to meet them on the mat wherever your body is at. If I’m honest, I thought I’d be eased into this functional fitness method. But in just over half an hour I’ve hit my triceps, back, chest and core. While the P.ball put my glutes, bum and quads through their paces. It’s honestly a wonder how instructors perform the moves and talk at the same time.
Day two was another fiery session, this time with Vicario who guides you through a core and inner thigh workout. What’s great about these workouts is the fact you’ve probably done most of these exercises before. There are planks, hip hinges and core exercises like crunches to do while using your equipment to help intensify the move. But even if you’re a newbie, the instructor talks through the form while turning to the side so you get a closer look. They'll even highlight where your feet should be on the mat (so you can get those gains while preventing injury). Winning!
For no reason other than curiosity, I decided to complete two workouts on day three including a 25-minute lower body and core burn and a full body sculpt. Let’s just say my heartbeat was raised, my legs were shaking and I was introduced to muscles in my arms that were otherwise redundant.
Days four to seven
Now I know no equipment workouts at home can feel just as challenging as using weights, but it was intriguing to see what could be achieved with Pvolve when stripping back the equipment. The answer? A lot, my friends. The sculpt and mobility class I chose was a mix of rotations to improve mobility and challenge stability. This meant it involved a handful of planks, lots of stretching workouts and some very satisfying hip openers, which, after a day of sitting, was just what my body needed.
Next up: a standing body sculpt session. Using just my body weight, the upbeat instructor challenges you to get your heart rate up, with the likes of fast-paced knee drives and a sprinkling of exercises that put your balance to the test (think: one leg holds and split stances with an overhead reach). I finish the 26 minute-session feeling all the better for it.
Of course, the patented equipment is one of the USPs of Pvolve. So for days six and seven, I make the most of levelling up my workouts with the P.band and P.ball, completing a longer 44-minute full body sculpt & burn and a shorter 25-minute session.
Will I try Pvolve again?
As the week comes to a close, I’m surprised at how much these little pieces of equipment and workout classes have tested my body. The trainers keep the classes accessible, informative and engaging (which I think is quite hard to do when you’re talking to a screen). But don’t be fooled: Pvolve workouts will challenge you. It’s pretty wild how a handful of simple and small incremental movements can fire up muscles you never knew you possessed.
All in all, any training that betters your overall well-being now and futureproofs your body as you age gets a massive tick in my books. So in other words? Don’t sleep on Pvolve!
Shop MC UK's go-to wall Pvolve kit now:
This is the most basic bundle you can buy and gets you the brand’s Precision Mat so you can hit the right angles for the best results, a P.ball which will help you sculpt your glutes, core and inner and outer thighs and a P.band, which attaches to your wrist and levels up your arms, back and shoulders. You’ll also get a free one-month digital membership to the streaming platform, too.
Affordable, supportive and versatile, these are just three of the reasons why we’ve listed these cult classics in our guide to the best workout leggings. But be warned: these beauties always fly off the (digital) shelves. So if your colourway or size is out of stock, set up an email notification to stay in the loop once they become available.
Go matching with the brand’s Ultimate bra which is soft to the touch, long line so will cover your ribcage and stylish. Offering low to medium support, it’s ideal if you’re doing a functional low-impact workout like one from Pvolve.
Does Pvolve actually work?
If by "work", you mean can Pvolve improve strength, lean muscle mass, balance, fatigue and flexibility, the answer to this question is a hard yes — and there’s clinical research conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter to prove it.
The twelve-week Healthy Ageing Study tasked women aged between 40 to 60 years old to complete four Pvolve workouts a week, lasting 30 to 55 minutes in length or follow the current standard physical activity guidelines of exercising 150 minutes per week.
At the end of the twelve weeks, those who undertook the Pvolve method saw improvements in hip function, lower body strength, full-body flexibility, balance, mobility, stability, an increase in lean muscle and lower blood lipids.
