Workout for Monday, December 5, 2011

Tonight was The Firm BSS1 Body Sculpt with Jen Carmen.  As I mentioned before, Jen is one of my favorite instructors.  This is a solid, total body workout that hits everything except abs.  At only 45 minutes, you could tack some one if you want.  I didn't!

Also, I set up the TransFIRMer and keep it on the side of my space so that I can use it for certain moves in this workout.  For instance, the side lunge and the lunge-dip combo series feels so much better on the incline. I also do my push-ups on the stacked TransFIRMer.

Workout for Sunday, December 4

Well, last week I met my goal and then some.  I did SEVEN Firm Workouts (the goals was 4) plus 1 walk.  Granted, most of the workouts were on the easy side (Basics/Prime Power).

Today I had planned on a rest day, but after looking at my calendar for the week, I realized I better just go ahead and workout since I felt up to it.  We have a Christmas party on Wednesday night, and we'll be leaving for Pennsylvania to visit our families on Friday night (coming back Sunday), so my Wednesday and Saturday workouts are pretty much out.  I should be able to get one in on Friday since I'm off work then.

Today I did The FIRM Hare from the Cross-Trainer series. Tracie Long leads this one, and she's excellent in it. I love Tracie's instruction in all of The Firm workouts.  She's truly top-notch.  After she went out on her own, however, I found her workouts to be kind of hit-or-miss.  She's got a new series coming out, but I'll wait for reviews on those.

Anyhow, The Hare is an hour long workout and it consists of ballroom aerobics (which have grown on me), 4-limb cardio (which I love), and excellent floor work.

I also got an hour long walk in, as my DH and I walked to/from Panera on the bike trail near our house.

Workout for Saturday, December 3

Today I did Hard Core Fusion with Allie Del-Rio from the TransFIRMation Series.  This workout is about 55 minutes long and one of my favorites of the "Pinks."  I love this workout because it's the perfect level for me and is fairly equal parts cardio and sculpt.  Although the Pinks are kind of "vanilla" in nature, there are actually some good, creative moves in this workout and time flies by.  Also, I think after doing some of the more "creative" Firm workouts, it's nice to see a cleaner set.  As much as I like the old mansion set, it does get old, and the jungle one used in the Prime Powers is too out there for me.  It will be nice to go back and forth between the old and new workouts.

Also, Allie is one of my favorite instructors.  She cues clearly and right on time.  I do have to go a little heavier than the weights she recommends (she uses a set of three pounds and a set of five pounds and often combines them to make eights or tens).  I finished the workout with a good "glow."

I also got an hour-long walk in today.  The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny, so DH and I walked the bike path near our house to our favorite Italian restaurant.  The walk to/from is a little under an hour.  It was so nice to get outside again!

Workout for Friday, December 2, 2011

Tonight I did The FIRM Prime Power Lower Body Shaping.  While this workout had just as many quirky elements as Prime Power Fat Burning (kooky set, bizarre music), I do think it's a pretty decent workout.  I also feel like I somehow found myself in "the land of dips."  Dip after dip.  This workout is full of them.  I don't mind as I like dips.  My only real complaint is that when the instructor (Kim Bartlett) leads you into the dips (done to the side), she doesn't mirror cue correctly.  So when you turn around to the front with the props in your hands (dowel/dumbbell), you usually have them in different hands than the instructor/background exercisers.  Also, while the rest of her cuing was really good, there was something about this instructor that reminded me of an extremely buff Betty Crocker.  I was about to whip out a mixing bowl.  The picture on the video cover doesn't exactly show what I mean.

Last, though the workout is labeled "45 minutes," it's less than that (though I'm not sure of the exact time).

Workout for Thursday, December 1, 2011

Tonight I did The FIRM Basics Fat Burning Workout.  This one is led by Jen Carmen (one of my all-time favorite instructors) and Stacy Millner-Collins.  I forgot she was in this one too.  She definitely didn't seem as "off" in this one as she did in Firm Basics Abs, Buns and Thighs Workout.  Still, I'm glad I'm through her videos. She is not a bad instructor.  I personally just don't connect with her.

This is another 45-minute workout (which is my preferred workout length for most weeknights).  It's definitely "basic," and there was little I could do to make it more challenging since there wasn't a ton of weight work.  As the name suggests, it was more cardio-based, and the cardio is easy.

Workout for Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tonight I did The FIRM Prime Power Fat Burning Workout.

Hmm...where to begin.  This is a lesser-known Firm and one that makes you scratch your head and go "hmmm..."  Just check out the cover...LOL!  I don't think this is the cover it was actually released with though.  I got mine many moons ago in a plain, white cover.

Anna Benson, one of the Firm Founders, was the creative force behind The Firm.  Sadly, she passed away around this time last year.  I have to say that she got really creative with this one.

Let's start with the set.  Half jungle, half beach.  A couple of statues of cheetahs with glowing eyes (see cover!).  A big fake sun up top.  A statue of a man's face lying somewhere in the background (see cover!).  Zebra-striped rugs.  And the music?  Marching bands, some Christmas-y sounding stuff, some Star-Wars kind of thing, something with a telephone in it (I actually almost paused to listen to see if my phone was ringing), and a Chariots of Fire-type stretch song.

This one was led by Stacy Millner-Collins, and she was a little better in this one.  A little.  Her timing was still off on some parts, and she tends to forget to tell you to get your weights or step or whatever.  Once she told you to put your stool away so that you can do abs, but you needed it to do them.  Nice thing to do after you already laid down.

The workout is about 45 minutes long, and although you would think that given the name it would be more cardio-based, the cardio is very easy.  What isn't easy is some of the arm work.  There is a seated segment that almost made me cry.  And I was only using five pound dumbbells.  They should have named this one Upper Body, as a cross-trainer to the other Prime Power which targets the lower body.

Firm Workout Listing

So how many FIRM workouts are there?  Well, according to my count there are currently 131.  I highlighted Express Yoga as that is one workout I do not have.  I'm sure I'll acquire it before this Challenge is over!  The FIRM is also taking pre-orders for a new workout led by Allie.  Yes, of course I pre-ordered it!  It's not coming to retail until the end of 2012.

Volume 1 - Body Sculpting Basics	Susan Harris
Volume 2 - Low Impact Aerobics	Janet Jones-Gretzky
Volume 3 - Aerobic Weight Training	Sandahl Bergman
Volume 4 - Time Crunch	Susan Harris/Kai Soremekun
Volume 5 - Abs, Hips & Thighs Sculpting	LaReine Chabut
Volume 6 - Boomers	Jayne Poteet
Not-So-Tough Aerobics	Various
Tough Aerobic Mix	Various
Upper Body	Various
Standing Legs	Various
Lower Body Sculpting	Various
5-Day Abs	Various
5-Day Stretch	Various
The Tortoise	Tracie Long
The Hare	Tracie Long
Firm Strength	Pam Cauthen
Firm Cardio	Heidi Tanner
All Cardio (Fat Blaster)	Various
All Weights (Maximum Body Shaping)	Tracie Long
Better Buns and Body	Various
Tough Cardio Mix	Various
Ballroom Aerobics	Tracie Long
More 5-Day Abs	Various
Sculpted Buns, Hips, & Thighs	Tracie Long
Tough Tape	Tracie Long
Tough Tape 2	Various
Sculpting with Weights	Tracie Long
Fat Burning Workout	Jen Carmen/Stacey Millner-Collins
Abs, Buns & Thighs Workout	Stacey Millner-Collins
Lower Body Sculpting	Kim Bartlett
Fat Burning	Stacey Millner-Collins
Cardio Burn	Tamela Hastie
Power Cardio (aka Calorie Killer 2)	Dale Brabham
Maximum Cardio	Carissa Foster
Core Cardio 1	Various
Core Cardio 2	Various
Bust & Butt	Various
Upper Body Split	Various
Lower Body Split	Various
Super Sculpting	Various
Super Cardio	Various
Cardio Split 1	Various
Cardio Step Mix	Various
Total Body Shaping Mix	Various
Boot Camp 3-in-1 Mix	Various
Cardio Sculpt	Allie Del-Rio
Body Sculpt	Jen Carmen
Ab Sculpt	Lisa Kay
Super Body Sculpt	Stephanie Corley-Huckabee
Body Sculpt Blaster	Nancy Tucker
Super Cardio Sculpt	Nancy Tucker
Cardio Sculpt Blaster	Lisa Kay
Lower Body Sculpt I	Lisa Kay
Lower Body Sculpt II	Libby Heath
Complete Aerobics & Weight Training	Emily Welsh
Total Sculpt Plus Abs	Jen Carmen
Maximum Cardio Burn Plus Abs	Allie Del-Rio
Upper Body Sculpt	Janet Brooks
Calorie Killer	Nancy Tucker
Firm Abs	Nancy Tucker
Complete Body Sculpting	Christa Riley
Total Muscle Shaping	Stephanie Corley-Huckabee
Fat Blasting Cardio	Lisa Kay
Advanced Cardio Blast	Lisa Kay
Cardio Express	Stephanie Corley-Huckabee
Express Total Body Shaping	Pam Cauthen
Hips, Thighs and Abs	Pam Cauthen
Firm Power Yoga	Kirsten Strohecker
Aerobic Body Shaping	Allie Del-Rio
Ultimate Calorie Blaster	Stephanie Corley-Huckabee
Supercharged Sculpting	Pam Cauthen
Jiggle Free Buns	Pam Cauthen
Jiggle Free Arms	Stephanie Corley-Huckabee
Jiggle Free Abs	Allie Del-Rio
Speed Slimming Sculpt	Allie Del-Rio
Rock it Off!	Alison Davis-McLain
Rock Solid Buns	Alison Davis-McLain
Rock Solid Cardio	Kelsie Daniels
Rock Solid Abs	Allie Del-Rio
Express Abs	Emily Welsh
Hi-Def Sculpt	Annie Lee
Cardio Overdrive	Alison Davis
Hard Core Fusion	Allie Del-Rio
Cardio Party	Various
Cardio Dance Fusion	Alison Davis
Burn & Shape	Emily Welsh
Cardio Sculpt Fusion aka Total Body Lite	Emily Welsh
Skills, Drills & Thrills (Balance Trainer)	Tina Smalley
TransFIRM Your Trouble Zones (Kettlebell)	Kelsie Daniels
Cardio Inferno	Sue Mi Powell
Pump, Jump 'n Jab	Kelsie Daniels
Sculpt-ilates	Robyn Johnson
Target Toning Zero-in-Ten	Rebekah Sturkie Emily Welsh
Tight Buns & Killer Legs	Kelsie Daniels
Total Body Toner	Allie Del-Rio
Total Body Time-Crunch	Rebekah Sturkie
Core Solutions	Alison Davis
Get Chisel'd	Rebekah Sturkie
The 500 Calorie Workout	Kelsie Daniels
Dangerous Curves Ahead	Alison Davis-McLain
Fat Burning Cardio Toning (Firm Cords)	Tina Smalley
Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn	Alison Davis
Cardio Dance Slim Down	Allie Del-Rio
Ultimate Fat Burning Workout	Alison Davis
Fat-Burning Sculpting Ball Workout	Tina Smalley
Sculpt & Tone Pilates	Alison Davis
Slim & Sculpt Stability Ball Workout	Allie Del-Rio
Cardio Core Fusion (Sculpting Balls) - with Cardio Absession Burn, Shape & Tone	Rebekah Sturkie
Weighted Cardio Gloves Workout	Rebekah Sturkie
Power Sculpt Workout (w/Sculpting Stick)	Allie Del-Rio
Express Yoga	Alison Davis
Calorie Explosion	Various
Power Half Hour	Emily Welsh
Slim Solutions Yoga Workout	Allie Del-Rio
Slim Without the Gym (Cardio To-Go Kit)	Annie Lee
Slim & Trim (Power Ball Kit)	Tina Smalley
Core Toner Plus	Emily Welsh
Cycle 1 - Ignite: Cardio+Sculpt	Emily Welsh
Cycle 1 - Ignite: Cardio	Emily Welsh
Cycle 1 - Ignite: Sculpt	Emily Welsh
Cycle 2 - Accelerate:  Cardio+Sculpt	Rebekah Sturkie
Cycle 2 - Accelerate:  Cardio	Rebekah Sturkie
Cycle 2 - Accelerate:  Sculpt	Rebekah Sturkie
Cycle 3 - Turbocharge:  Cardio+Sculpt	Alison Davis-McLain
Cycle 3 - Turbocharge:  Cardio	Alison Davis-McLain
Cycle 3 - Turbocharge:  Sculpt	Alison Davis-McLain
Cycle 4 - Overdrive:  Cardio+Sculpt	Kelsie Daniels
Cycle 4 - Overdrive:  Cardio	Kelsie Daniels
Cycle 4 - Overdrive:  Sculpt	Kelsie Daniels
Kickstart Your Metabolism: Pump it Up!	Jennifer Ray
Kickstart Your Metabolism: Shortcut to Flat Abs	Jennifer Ray