Saundra

I did a search of my blog posts and was shocked to find that I have not blogged about The FIRM's Aerobic Body Shaping workout. Aerobic Body Shaping is a 55 minute aerobic & weight training workout led by Allie Del Rio. It is one of 6 workouts that was made for use with The FIRM's TransFIRMer. Aerobic Body Shaping (ABS) does an excellent job of implementing the traditional FIRM style workout of the original (late 80s early 90s) aerobic weight training volumes. It was release in late 2005 early 2006. I can't believe it has been that long ago. ABS alternates sculpting segments with cardio segments. The cardio segments have basic choreography but the moves are fun - very easy to follow and pick up. The sculpting segments have a nice flow and include traditional weight work. The exercises are sequence so you can go heavy with your weight selection if you want too. Also, the FIRM signature moves are included in this workout (i.e. leg press and tall box climbs). ...

The FIRM Boomers aka Complete Aerobic Weight Training - Volume 6 of the "Classics" series. This workout features Jayne Poteet and is only 52 minutes long but the tempo of the workout makes the workout seem a lot longer. Except for a couple of the sections, things seem to move in slow motion. To that end, you can go heavy in this workout. What might prevent you from doing so is the compound nature of many of the exercises. There is quite a bit of stepping in this workout. Very basic stepping -your traditional basic step, step knee raise and leg lift/sweep type of moves. Most of the variations come in the form of arm movements. Most of the workout is done standing. There is a floor section but it is not as lengthy as some of the other FIRM workouts. My favorite section of the workout are the shoulder shrugs and shoulder pinches. You don't see that move very often in workout DVDs. I think this is a good workout for beginners wanting to advance to the intermediate sta...

Volume 5 of the "Classic" series is the 45 minute Abs, Hip, & Thigh Workout featuring Lareine Chabut. This is probably my least favorite of the "Classic" series of workouts. Although, I like the individual sections as they appear in the various compilation workouts that have been produce; here in there own workout, there didn't seem to be enough content. Like most of the "Classics", it has a standing and a floor section. The standing section consist of 4 limb aerobics using a small to mid step and light dumbbells. There is also a series of "leg presses" and "squats". The floor section was the dominate part of this workout, commencing with a 9 minute abdominal sections and then moving into lower body leg exercises. The workout concludes with a stretch. There is a double rewind function on this workouts that lets you repeat the cardio segment. I have nevered used this feature. This is the only workout of the classic seri...

The FIRM's Aerobic Workout with Weights aka Aerobic Interval Training. I truly dislike when the makers or whoever changes the name of a workout. This workout is lead b Sandahl Bergman. It is Volume 3 of the "Classic Series", taught in the "Live Class" format and is 60 minutes long. Okay. It is not that I didn't or don't like this workout. Maybe it was all the alternating between the standing and floor work. First we were standing then going to floor and then standing again and back to the floor. All of that just made it seem like this workout was never ending. Of course I could have been having an impatient workout day, but boy did this workout seem long. And I like the workout. The only thing that I could really say I didn't care for was the sequencing of the workout and that only had to do with the "one arm french press". We do the right arm about 10 minutes into the workout and then some 40 minutes later, Sandahl does the left ...

The FIRM Low Impact Aerobics is a approximately 65 minute workout featuring light-to-mid weight training and aerobic intervals. It is volume 2 of the "Classic" series and it features Janet Jones as the lead. The workout is roughly divided into two section - a standing section and a floor section; each of which are about 30 minutes long. I actually like the floor section is this workout better than the floor section in Body Sculpting Basic. In BSB the floor section seemed endless. In LIA, the sequence of the floor sections makes it more endurable. Exercises included in the floor section are pushups, core, leg biceps, shootouts, pec fly, rib-cage pullovers, and lat rows. Standing sections 4 limbs sets, high impact aerobics, biceps-triceps-shoulder work, lunges, squats and lots of high kicks or waist kicks (if you can only click that high). One thing to note about this workouts are the individual segments whether they be floor or standing are long. The workout is taugh...

Aaahhh Nostalgia. Body Sculpting Basics , the very first FIRM workout ever produce clocks in at 60 minutes. It has probably been a couple of years now since I have done this workout. I am so happy to have a Chapter DVD version of the workout because it is truly a classic. The work was made in the late 80s; of course, the leotards and (as someone pointed out to me) the hair are dated, it is still a challenging workout - especially the floor section. Now for the workout itself, the only thing I didn't care for and found the moves to be dated was the warm up. There was more stretching, albeit active stretching, than actual warm up movement (i.e. side step, marching). The rest of the workout is very good. My favorite part occurs right after the warm up, but before the floor section. This section of the workout - the standing - section is a good 25 minute aerobic sculpting workout. The second half of the workout is killer. It is about 30 minutes long and all floor. The majority...

Cardio Sculpt From the original Body Sculpting System, Cardio Sculpt is a 55 minute workout that features Allie Del Rio as the lead. It is mostly a sculpting workout with three cardio segments placed throughout. I thought the cardio segments were rather mundane and very very basic. The first cardio set was low impact, the second was step, and the third was 4-limb movement using the step. This workout utilizes the fanny lifter to help shape and sculpt the body. The workout contains two sets of leg presses, plus the regularly used squat and lunge exercises; as well as traditional exercises for the bicep, triceps , back and chest. Cardio Sculpt does include a floor section where you are working your lower body doing shootouts, leg lifts and leg raises. There is an abdominal section also. I felt the abdominal section was a bit weak. Overall this is a solid workout. 3 stars out of 5.