P.volve

We have to admit that we walked into this workout feeling a bit silly but hey, if it’s good enough for Victoria Secret Angels (who happen to flock to this workout in droves), then it must be good enough for us right? P.volve is famously known for its “p.balll” – a ball similar to the size and material of a barre ball that you attach between your thighs with a tight strap. Imagery of women wearing the “p.ball” dominate their subway and insta ads. Hence both the fascination and giggles we had heading into the workout.  

While the p.ball may be heavily featured, it’ actually only used in one particularly class out of their class offering #innerthighthursday. The brainchild of Stephen Pasterino, P.volve is built on the philosophy that “pain is not gain”. Rather the workouts are all built around “mastering precise movements that hard to reach muscles.” Think long lean tone without the bulk. Now, when we say you won’t leave feeling sore and won’t feel sore the next day, we mean it. On top of that, you won’t even break a sweat! But, that’s just it, we didn’t feel anything…. So it begs the question, how do we know its working? What are we supposed to base it off of without making it the only workout we do for several weeks on end?

The experience was fun. The instructor was thoughtful and precise. The studio space was super cute. But, we had a bit of a hard time getting on board with this one. There are tons of testimonials and promises of lifted buns and defined thighs. Clearly there are people totes shouting it’s praises from the rooftop. And hey, who are we to question the science? We just didn’t get it. The upside? This workout is available on its own streaming service. So if you want to give it a shot or two or three, you don’t have to be committed to the $30 to $40 a pop to come into the studio. You can give it a shot from the comfort of your studio apartment.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

On Inner Thigh Thursday, it’s ALL about the lower body.  With the exception of the warm up, you will wear the p.ball the entire time. So, strap in and prepare for a series of precise but micro toning movements. You’ll begin class with a warmup that includes a ton of balance work that you’ll need for when you are wearing the ball. Think a lot of standing on one leg with your knee up and moving open and closed or your leg behind you lifting and lowering slightly without touching the floor.

Once you’ve got your balance in check, it’s time to get real intimate with the p.ball and start in on the thigh toning magic movements. For our class, this meant a lot of moving our foot from one position to another further then closer away from our body. There were tons of this specific type of move on each side some in a diagonal manner, some parallel. Step in, step out, step forward, step back. Over and over and over. We imagine each version was for targeting each part of our buns.  

Pay as close attention to form and the cues as you possibly can. And for the love of God do not stop squeezing the ball. We were hyper focused, but even then weren’t feeling any type of burn. The only part that we would consider really “challenging” was the plank series while wearing the ball. But even so, we didn’t leave the class breaking any type of sweat or soreness.

INSTRUCTOR

Emma is a barbie doll incarnate. Flawless skin, huge eyes, long and lean figure. I mean how is it possible that she is the same species as the rest of us? It’s just not possible… Now, in case that weren’t enough, she has a incredibly warm and welcoming personality. While instructing she speaks with a calm voice that just really sets you at ease. She was built to teach this class, demoing each of the classes precise movements with a level of finesse that just can’t be taught. Both her energy level and calm exterior made us feel right at home in a class that very much appeared intimidating from the outside.    

Her cuing and timing could not have been more crisp. This said, her tranquil instructing and the slower pace of the class made for a bit of a sleep inducing combo. She’s not going to be your girl when looking for a sassy, maybe risque comment or the the type of instructor whose energy will push you to work harder than you thought capable. We missed that quality, but then again, that’s not necessarily the P.volve way.

SPACE

The P.volve space is very very cute, once you make it there. But, as with most good things in NYC, you have to hunt for it in an neighborhood and building that make you think.. “Huh. It’s really at this address?”. For this studio you’ll venture to the 3rd floor of a super nondescript building in Chinatown. DON’T take the stairs. You can only access the studio from the elevator…. Irony at its finest. You can take them back down though and on the way, be sure to check out the art outside of the door of their tattoo parlour neighbors.

Once inside you’ll find the interior cozy with its exposed brick, wide windows, wood floors, and low lighting. It’s a LOT smaller than we were expecting, but then again, classes aren’t overpacked so this isn’t an issue. There’s no front desk, just a check in kiosk on arrival. The multipurpose storage and changing area is super low key. A curtained off area with cubbies and a vanity for post class primping. There are no showers or sweat towels, but like we said, you won’t really get a sweat on in this class anyway.    

While on the smaller and simpler side, no good boutique studio would be complete without its area of instagrammable moments. Amid the glow of the lower lights is a neon light sign of a peach. And don’t worry, in addition to their instructors being incredibly warm and welcoming, there are extremely skilled in capturing the perfect photo that includes you and the neon peach. I mean if you didn’t ‘gram it, did you even workout?