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I went home to New York last month and spent some time with my friends from home. Most of them are New York Corporate Girls these days. For a while in my twenties, the culture shock of having moved to the Midwest and built my life here bugged me. I felt weirdly defensive around them, which was 100% in my head because they were never anything but completely supportive of me. 

These days, I feel much more secure in these friendships and so, so happy to spend time when them when I’m able to. And, a side perk of having all these Cool New York Friends is that I end up staying pretty well apprised of what’s trending. (Because I 100% would not know otherwise!)

Which brings us to Soto Method, and this Soto Method review! 

What is Soto Method?

I had been seeing the sweaty, blissed-out selfies on social media for a while before I went home and got to try it myself! 

Soto Method is a workout framework developed by Hilary Hoffman, the founder of Soto Method and the Soto App. (More on her in a minute.) Soto is an abbreviation: it stands for Sixty On, Ten On. 

Sixty On, Ten On

Basically, it’s a workout that is made up of these blocks that start with a 60-second isometric hold, then a series of five moves, performed for ten seconds. Te workouts can be all different lengths based on the number of blocks in the workout. 

If you’re like me, you might be thinking, how hard could ten seconds of anything be? That was definitely my reaction when I first checked it out. I was….so wrong. Even now, sometimes I’ll start a block and be like, well this isn’t going to be so bad. And then….somehow I’m wrecked anyway! There is absolutely no wasted time in this workout. You’re in the isometric hold while she’s demonstrating the next set, so there’s little down time. 

The time thing is a huge part of the format. Hilary often comments while she’s coaching you that she’s watching the timer, or that she re-films things to ensure that the timing is exactly correct. I like this for two reasons. First, because it enables me, and maybe you if you’re also a type A nutjob, to focus on the activity, and to push because it might be burning, but I can push through five seconds. And second, because this kind of patter is part of the philosophical thing I like so much about the Method and Hilary herself. I value the attention that she’s giving to exactly what she said we were going to do…this sounds vague but I’m going to talk more about it later.

Soto Method app reviews

So, they have some pop-up studios going on right now in New York and I honestly would have loved to go when I was there! But it didn’t work out for me this trip. I hope to go the next time I’m back! 

If you’re outside New York or Miami, like I am, there’s probably not going to be a Soto studio popping up near you any time soon. But it’s all available completely app-based, with workout videos as short as five minutes or as long as 50 minutes. I would guess that the majority are 25-35 minutes. 

So, I tried the workout on the app along with a friend while I was there. (One of the beautiful things about sobriety is that my social calls don’t automatically default to dinner and drinks. I love tagging along to people’s real lives!) And then the next day I invited myself back over after she got home from work to do another. And then I downloaded the app myself. 

In addition to being just straight up great workouts,  I really liked the mix of cardio and strength (mostly body weight, but there are SotoStrength classes that use more!). The workouts are super clearly labeled in their titles so you know what you’re getting: “no cardio”, “1 cardio block”, “express”. It’s really helpful when you’re strapped for time to be able to accurately select a class that’s going to give you what you’re looking for! That’s been a pet peeve for me with other apps in the past that just pick cute names. 

Hilary

Okay, so a workout is a workout, even a really good one. But a huge part of why the app feels worth it for me is Hilary herself. She’s in most of the videos (they seem to have a few other trainers too). I find her super motivating. 

So her whole backstory is that she worked a corporate job at Goldman Sachs and developed Soto as a way to fit in a full-body workout with a busy schedule. So, the emphasis on efficiency is super clear. The workout might have a relatively short total working time, but you’re under tension for nearly all of it. 

What I love about her — I know I talked earlier about how she is super super attentive to time. And that may not seem like a big thing! But to me it really is… and probably to a lot of other Type A people too. She’s narrating the time, and she might say once or twice a workout that she’s not going to have us doing an extra second. There is something amazingly relaxing to me about putting this workout on. I feel at ease that someone else is actually watching and taking care of things. This might sound weird! But if you are used to being the person responsible for holding everything together, you might feel the same way. 

Soto Method and Agency

Beyond that: if there’s a key word in Soto it’s “agency”. (And if there’s a key phrase in Soto it’s “a powerful physical reminder of your agency”.) Not agency like the CIA — agency like control of yourself, and the ability to take action and have an effect on your life. Hilary is extremely motivational, but in a way that I think is a little different than a lot of other coaches. 

Within Soto, “agency” is what gets you to press play on the workout, what gets you on the mat, and also what gets you to give the extra push in the last ten seconds. But the concept is not just workout classes. She also talks about daily life and bringing that same mental fortitude and agency everywhere.

The discussion of work is often very much about schedules like the one she had as an investment banker. I don’t always fully identify with the “long hours of work” talk. But it’s easy enough to apply to my job, my family, my life. 

I have agency, and I can do the workout after school. I have agency, and I can make lunches the night before so I’m not stressed. And I have agency, and I can stay focused in my prep period so I don’t have to take the grading home. 

I just think that “agency” is a really beautiful way to talk about a concept that can be hard or hurtful in a lot of contexts. We are so used to being shamed for not being perfect. And a lot of times that can either lead us to give up, or lead us to just insist that we have no control over anything. To call it “responsibility”, for example, would feel shaming. Like you have to do it, and if you don’t, you’re failing. We all know that narrative. 

But “agency”… that doesn’t imply that you have to do it. Just that if you choose to do it, it makes a difference. 

And that sounds really simple…but how used are you to feeling like you try and nothing happens? The idea that your agency, your actions, even the small ones, make a difference? 

What are the Soto Method workouts like? 

Okay, so: it’s as structured or as unstructured as you like. If you want a weekly set of workouts, that’s available every week, and they change every week.  There’s also a set of 42-day transformation programs, where you do Soto every day for six weeks. (One day per week is a super light active recovery workout!) 

If that doesn’t work for you (it doesn’t for me!), you can pick your workouts. They’re sorted in the app by duration, by muscle group focus, or by how much cardio you’re willing to do. I do regular Soto about three days a week at this point, and I pick my workouts based on what I’ve been doing in my in-person workouts that week.

The workouts are mostly made up of exercises that you’re going to know! It’s not a Tracy Anderson situation where you’re learning a whole new set of movements per week. So the learning curve isn’t very steep. Some of the exercises might come from mat Pilates, but it’s not really a Pilates class.

For each section of class, she sets you into your isometric hold. While you’re there, explains each of the five exercises you’ll do for 10 seconds (twice). 

So, a lower body block might look like this: (this is not a real one, but you’ll get the idea)

• 60 second hold in a squat position
• 10 seconds left side lunge
• 10 seconds right side lunge
• 10 seconds squat and pulse
• 10 seconds bridges (up and down)
• 10 second single leg-bridge (R)
• 10 seconds left side lunge
• 10 seconds right side lunge
• 10 seconds squat and pulse
• 10 seconds bridges (up and down)
• 10 second single leg-bridge (L)

So, you can see that the last 5 exercises are a repeat of the first 5. Every workout has a super clear roadmap, where you know exactly what’s in the block before you start the short exercises. 

And then you’re in control from there: you pick the workout you want based on how long you have and what muscle groups you want to do. The video descriptions will tell you what muscle groups are worked. In some cases, it also says how you’re doing them (like lower body on the mat vs standing vs side-lying). 

Do you need certain fitness levels for Soto Method? 

No, I don’t think so. Enough fitness to complete fairly simple exercises. But if you need to take breaks, you take them. And because it’s a time-based practice, if you’re having trouble in a block, your break means that you have less of that block to do. I think the short period of time also helps mentally for beginners. You don’t need a huge degree of fitness to start. 

For people who already have a fitness routine or are used to strength training workouts, you might find Soto challenging anyway! I lift 2-3 times per week, do reformer Pilates, and I’m training for my second triathlon. But I have found Soto to fit really well into my training and to push me in other ways. It’s a good workout for a day that you don’t have enough time to get to the gym or when you feel like you need a full body workout with light or no weights. Balancing my weight training with bodyweight work has reduced pain for me. And I feel like it’s improved my stability.

Can you do Soto Method postpartum?

I’m sure that some people are curious about postpartum workout Soto style. My youngest is 6, and I have three kids, so I’m definitely not newly postpartum by any stretch. But the consistency of Soto has been great for some of my post-pregnancy issues. It’s been great for my lower back, for example, which has always hurt during planks or any kind of hands-and-knees core work. I have already been doing reformer Pilates for a year and a half, and the Soto work improved my lower back strength beyond the improvement I experienced from Pilates. 

(At the risk of pelvic floor TMI: I’m in the habit of describing my postpartum pelvic floor as GEET: “Good Enough (Except Trampolines)”. I think a lot of this style of core work has been great for my pelvic floor. And, again, that’s improvement even after a year and a half of Pilates. I haven’t been on a trampoline, so I can’t say how much better, lol.) 

Soto Stride (my favorite part)

For the runners: there’s a version of the weekly schedule every week that also has built in guided runs. I freaking love these runs and have done them exclusively since downloading the app. Not a single Soto Method review mentions that and I don’t know why!!

I love these runs! They are all structured like the above, but the blocks are a 60 second stable jog/run, followed by 5 40-second segments that are all slightly different. She typically has suggested speeds, but it’s pretty easy to adjust them up or down based on what you’re working with that day. There’s enough change to keep it interesting, and to keep the mental part of running manageable, but not so much change that you’re stressing or trying to remember what’s next. 

And, of course, Hilary is a wonderful instructor who’s just in your head being so positive and supportive the whole time. (I didn’t realize I heard my mean middle school track coach in my head when I ran until he was replaced with Hilary!) She’s talking you through the second count, talking about agency, talking about what it meant to get out there for yourself today. And it just keeps it a really positive, inspiring experience. 

I should emphasize that I’m a really middle-of-the-pack runner: I’m not someone amazingly fast and fit soaring through these runs. It’s still a little bit tough for me. But I love the Stride weekly routines and the way I get a perfect workout balance with the runs and the strength sessions. When I have one of my gym classes on one of the days, I might swap or skip sessions. But it takes the whole workout planning thing off my plate. 

I have never seen anyone talking about Stride in the reviews, even on Soto Method’s website. But it is absolutely what makes it worth it for me! 

What does Soto Method cost? Is Soto Method worth it?

The Soto Method app costs $40 a month if you pay it monthly, and $20 a month if you pay for the year. They start you with a free trial for a week, but there are also codes available for a free month. Mine came from Carly Riordan. 

To me, the annual price is worth it. I’m not sure I would pay $40 a month because I already pay for my gym. But $20 is worth it to me for the runs and the motivational speaking! But having unlimited access to these classes is worth it to me! They also seem to add new workouts very regularly, which makes the cost feel worth it. 

But I know that a Soto Method review might make it sound great and then it may not turn out to be right for you. I definitely recommend starting with the free month!

Soto Method might be worth it for you if: 

• Working out from home/outside the gym is a priority for you
• You are mostly looking for bodyweight exercises or light, 1-5lb hand weights
• You want a balance of full-body burn style workouts and guided runs
• You typically do another workout, but travel a lot and need something you can do with limited equipment in a hotel room
• You struggle with the mental part of working out and need someone who will motivate you

Soto Method is probably not for you if:

• You prefer heavy weights or weightlifting (the heavyweight challenge uses 10lb weights)
• You want to be completely exhausted at the end of your workout
• You prefer instructors who don’t talk much

I hope this Soto Method review helped you decide whether or not to try Soto Method! If you try it, let me know what you think!