PIIT28 Review: The Training Program from Blogilates

Few fitness personalities have taken social media by storm quite like Cassey Ho. The Los Angeles native does things her own way and has attracted a loyal and diverse base of followers as a result. Although she’s helped millions get into shape with Pilates, she’s also become a prominent advocate of body positivity.

In 2016, Cassey capitalized on her growing fanbase by launching her premium Pilates-based fitness program: PIIT28. As someone who has followed Blogilates for several years, I decided to research and write my own independent PIIT28 review based on my personal experience and that of others. Let’s get started.

What is PIIT28?

Cassey will need little introduction to most readers of this review. She is the leading Pilates instructor on YouTube where she maintains the wildly popular Blogilates channel. Through her channel, Cassey advocates Pilates as a means of boosting both fitness and mental health. The award-winning influencer has also been vocal on social issues relating to self-esteem and body confidence.

In particular, she has championed PIIT (Pilates Intense Interval Training) — a high-tempo form of Pilates that supports weight loss and muscle toning. PIIT28 is a structured workout plan that employs the method across a series of 28-minute sessions.

To date, Cassey has released a total of three workout courses under the PIIT28 brand: 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. The first installment is available as a standalone product or all three can be purchased as a bundle.

Cassey’s approach is appealing because each of her workouts can be completed at home in 28 minutes without the use of expensive fitness equipment. This makes the program suitable for people with limited free time and also helps prevent burnout. Indeed, Cassey’s charismatic and relatable delivery helps a lot in keeping you motivated throughout the program.

In a nutshell, the program consists of a series of e-books and instructional videos that teach Cassey’s hybrid cardio/Pilates program. The idea is that you workout for 28 minutes every day. For the first two weeks, there is a new workout routine every day (except Friday!).

After 2 weeks, you return to the first workout for another fortnight. Then, you complete a second 28-day round of PIIT28 with some small modifications from the first round. The difficulty of the workouts increases progressively as you move through PIIT28 1.0 to PIIT28 3.0.

What’s Inside The Workout Program?

Each of the three PIIT28 programs is supported by a considerable amount of training material. All of it is delivered digitally, including the e-books. However, printable versions of the workouts are available and these feature some useful illustrative photographs.

The program starts off relatively gentle and escalates in intensity and difficulty as you move through PIIT28 1.0 to 3.0. Cassey’s excellent instruction and the gradual progression of the routines make the course accessible to beginners. This includes people who don’t have much experience with Pilates.

The “28” theme is a reference to both the length of each workout (28 minutes) and the length of the overall program (28 days). However, the official website claims that the material across the three PIIT28 programs lasts for six months. This is because you complete each of the courses over two back-to-back rounds of 28 days for a total of 8 weeks each.

Here’s a summary of what’s inside the program:

E-book and Instructional Videos

These lay the entire foundation for PIIT28 and, fortunately, the e-book is well-produced and easy to follow. Cassey’s words are uplifting and help with the inspiration required to stick with the program throughout. Having said that, I found the instructional videos more useful because they guide you through the practicalities of each routine in a way that’s easy to replicate.

In short, each PIIT28 workout is structured around a series of cardio-boosting and strength-building moves. The Pilates exercises variously target different key muscle areas such as the arms or abs. The goal of the strength-building exercises isn’t to turn you into some kind of super-human bodybuilder — but they do tone you up sufficiently for it to be noticeable.

The cardio exercises support fat loss and are really what put the intensity into PIIT. By the end of the program, you’ll start to realize that you can more easily push through barriers and ramp up your performance.

The workouts alternate back-and-forth between cardio and Pilates with each individual exercise lasting for 45-second intervals followed by 15 seconds of rest. There are seven exercises per workout and you complete four rounds of each.

Workout Calendar / Printable Workouts / GIFs

These are not critically important to the program but are a nice added bonus in any case. The workout calendar helps you visualize your progress and stay motivated as you gradually get to tick off more and more of your successfully completed sessions.

The printable workouts provide a useful guide for occasions when you might not have access to a computer. Each step is illustrated and explained in detail.

Finally, the GIFs are a great way to study proper form for any given exercise when you don’t necessarily want to keep repeating or rewinding a section from the instructional videos.

Get Flexy

This is described as a free bonus guide that essentially explains how to properly warm-up before your daily workout. Inside there a series of stretches and exercises aimed at improving your flexibility. The only downside here for the time-pushed people out there is that the warm-up adds extra minutes to your workout.

If you want to see it through you’ll be looking at a total of just over 40 minutes per day. I decided to follow the plan because I already had the luxury of saving about 30 minutes by not having to go to my local gym to exercise. The main plus for me was a noticeable improvement in my performance in the main workout when I took the time to warm up.

Putting PIIT28 To The Test: Does It Work?

Ultimately, when you come to read a review, what you really want to know is whether the product works and if it’s worth the money. I’ve been building suspense for far too long so it’s about time I revealed my thoughts.

Firstly, I like Cassey a lot and I’ve been a huge fan of Blogilates for a while now. But fitness is a personal thing and not everyone is attracted to the same kind of workout or even the same type of instructor.

In my opinion, Cassey is one of the best Pilates coaches you could hope to have and she has a natural ability to make her training videos fun and accessible. Nevertheless, there are some people for whom this program is probably not suitable.

If you’re already experienced in Pilates then the material introduced in PIIT28 1.0 will probably seem pedestrian to you. I’m sure if you purchased the bundle of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 you’d find at least some interesting new ideas. However, there probably will be some workouts that you don’t find stimulating or challenging enough.

On the other hand, I was surprised by just how strenuous PIIT28 workouts can get. As a former gym bunny who thought home workouts were a waste of time, I did find myself out of breath and sore after several of these sessions. This paid off because I broke through a plateau over the course of my first two months — losing six pounds in the process and toning up my core significantly.

Note: Cassey offers a certification program for PIIT28 trainers. If you meet the required standard you can then begin coaching people with the system yourself.

Is PIIT28 Worth It?

PIIT28 is fun and challenging, without a doubt. However, the first e-book and set of instruction videos will set you back $39. If you want the full six months of material then it’ll cost you $79.

Although I enjoyed following the routine, I’m not entirely convinced that it offers great value for money. I say this partly because there are a plethora of high-quality workout routines already freely accessible on YouTube (many of them produced by Cassey herself).

When you start PIIT28 you’ll begin to see that the workouts follow a familiar pattern. You cycle through seven Pilates/cardio exercises, repeating them four times each. After two weeks of PIIT28 1.0, you return to the first workout. After the 28 days are complete you start a second round that is essentially the same as the first but with a few extra challenges thrown in.

What this ultimately means is that your two months using the first program (1.0) comes with only 13 instructional videos plus the e-book. I personally did not get tired or jaded by the repetition. In fact, the regularity of the program gave me a chance to master each exercise more than I could’ve done if every workout was different from the last.

However, if you’re a person who loves to challenge themselves and craves novelty in a workout then there’s a chance you’ll get bored with PIIT28.

Nevertheless, if you’re the kind of person who loves structure then the PIIT28 method is ideal. If you stick with it to the end you can even get a free tank top as a reward!

The truth is, with any workout program, there will be people who love it and people who don’t. Everyone is at a different level and it’s simply not possible to create a program that is tailored to them all.

If you do choose to give PIIT28 a chance you might end up surprised by the intensity of the workouts and the positive results from seeing it through to the end.

More Information

Before giving my final verdict I also wanted to clear up a few questions that many people have regarding PIIT28. I started the program with few preconceptions but many others like to have all the facts before making their decision.

Here are a few of the questions I had before starting the program:

What is the difference between the first and second round?

As you know by now, PIIT28 is split into three parts: 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. However, each of the programs repeats the 28-day cycle twice, meaning there are eight weeks per part. Still following?

The first and second rounds of PIIT28 1.0 are very similar. The main difference is that Cassey increases the intensity levels and places more focus on building core abdominal strength in the second round of 28 days.

The workouts also increase a little bit in duration because of the added focus on core strength. It appears that Cassey structured the program in this manner so that you end up with a nice balance between simply burning calories and actually toning your muscles.

What is the “28 Day Reset”?

The “28 Day Reset” is an optional extra available for purchase as an add-on to the PIIT28 program. It cannot be bought on its own — however, it is bundled with all three parts of PIIT28 at a price of $99.

We all know by now that we need a good foundation in both fitness and nutrition to reach our health targets. The 28 Day Reset is essentially an e-book containing Cassey’s tips on nutrition along with around 150 recommended recipes.

The content is nothing revolutionary and similarly simple and clean recipes can be found online for free. However, the meals are delicious and the visuals and instructions in the e-book make the recipes very easy to follow.

There is also a vegan version of the 28 Day Reset available with a slightly different selection of recipes.

How much does it cost?

In my opinion, PIIT28 is on the pricey side. Conversely, though, I believe the program is worth it for many if you follow through with the entire schedule.

Of course, another benefit is that the workouts can be completed from home with no expensive fitness equipment. If the alternative is paying for a gym membership, a personal trainer, or fitness classes, then Cassey’s program may offer better value for money than meets the eye.

Here are the four purchasing options:

• PIIT28 1.0 is $39
• PIIT28 Power Pack (1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 included) is $79
• Transformation Pack (all 3 PIIT28 workouts plus the 28 Day Reset) is $99
• Transformation Pack – Vegan (as above but with vegan recipes) is $99

This is all accessed from an online portal to which you receive ongoing access after signing up.

What is PIIT28 2.0 and 3.0 like?

I’ve focused much of this review on my experience with PIIT28 1.0 and it’s easy to overlook that this is just one-third of the overall program!

PIIT28 2.0 and 3.0 are structured very similarly to the first installment. Cassey does ramp up the intensity as the program progresses, which helps maintain a sense of challenge. There’s always an opportunity to push yourself harder and the increases in difficulty feel natural and gradual as you grow in confidence.

Each of the three programs is a blend of Cassey’s POP Pilates approach along with cardio exercises. This makes the course versatile in terms of both shifting extra pounds and toning up.

Still undecided?

If you’ve reached this far and still feel undecided then a “try before you buy” approach might be best for you. Fortunately, Cassey recently uploaded one full PIIT28 session to her Blogilates channel. I’ve embedded it below for convenience.

This is a great opportunity to see if you feel like the program is the right fit for you.

Do I really need to buy PIIT28?

Apologies in advance for the glib answer to this question but if you want to follow the program then the answer is yes. Of course, it’s probably not that unusual for people to share some of the material from the course with a few close friends but posting or downloading the PDF files or videos for free online is not a smart (or legal) idea.

I’m also not personally aware of any coupons or discounts available for either the PIIT28 training program or the trainer certification course.

If you’ve read this far and decided that PIIT28 might not be for you then you can still find structured and interesting workouts online for free without too much effort.

This really is a personal decision. If you like structure and you think investing in a quality workout program will help keep you motivated then PIIT28 is worth a shot. However, you might also feel that a different program is better suited to your needs.

Fans of Cassey’s Blogilates channel will probably greatly enjoy the workouts so the best way to make up your mind is to subscribe to her channel and see if she’s a good match for you.

What else do you get for your money?

I’ve covered virtually everything the full Transformation Pack ($99) program includes in this review, but to summarize:

• Three illustrated e-books and 38 quality instruction videos
• A printable workout with photographs for each of the 38 workouts
• Get Flexy warm-up guide
• 28 Day Reset nutrition and recipe guide
• The chance to win a free PIIT28 shirt on successful completion
• A workout calendar for each stage

Although I didn’t personally count, Cassey also says that in total the program teaches over 140 different exercises and over 200 animated exercise GIFs.

Our Verdict

I was satisfied with the program and my own results. I broke through the goals I set prior to starting and everything in the course met or exceeded my expectations.

However, I know there’s a lot of you out there who feel like $99 is a stretch too far. This is especially true now when there are so many free YouTube channels with excellent fitness content.

If you love Cassey and Blogilates you won’t be disappointed, but if you’re not familiar with her content then the best course of action is to watch some more of her free videos and see if you’d like to go a bit further with a more structured approach.