Workout for Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tonight I did The Firm Total Body Toner with Allie Del-Rio.  This is a 40 minute muscle toning workout.  It definitely accommodates all levels as you can modify to meet your needs and use the appropriate weights for your level.  I tend to go a little heavier than the weights Allie is using, depending on the exercise.

Workout for Tuesday, December 6

Tonight I did The Firm's Fat Blaster (aka All Cardio).  This was one of the workouts in the Tri-Trainer Series.  The instructors are Allie Strickland, Nancy Tucker, and Lisa Kay.  All of the instructors cue well, and the workout clocks in at 45 minutes.  There's a good mix of step, hi/lo, and four-limbed cardio plus an abs section.

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.