Customer Reviews

The FIRM: Cardio Overdrive

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This workout totally kicks butt! If you're not sweating after the warm up, you will be sweating after about 60 seconds into the first cardio set, and you will sweat profusely as the workout continues. Warning: the cardio segments are very dancy, however, Alison's cueing is stellar! There are two cardio sets that include light dumbells, one high intensity cardio set. Never fear though, there is an instructor demostrating low impact/beginner modifications, and she gets plenty of camera time! The dvd also features a 25 minute express option, as well as a tutorial that demonstrates some of the moves. This really is an excellent workout to have in your fitness arsenol.

This is the best workout I've ever had! I rented it from Netflix first to see if I liked it, and I ended up purchasing it right away.

I had been using Barry's Bootcamp for the past couple weeks. It's nice, but with those 30 second breaks every minute, I didn't feel like I was really getting my heart rate up. I think Barry's is fine for those who are in good shape and want to stay that way, but if you have a lot of fat to lose, the FIRM is the way to go. I've used them in the past, and it's like taking a potato peeler to the front of your thighs!

I started out this video with high expectations. The warm-up was kind of fast and I thought maybe I had skipped over it by mistake. But I kept on going. I should mention that I'm well over 200lbs; I had used the TransFIRMation steps in the past but you're not supposed to use them if you're over 250lbs. I did, and I cracked them. I digress. For the othe reviewers who might say that there are missed cues or it's hard to follow... do it again! Sheesh, an exercise video is to be used many times, not just once and complan that it's too difficult. They used music like Salt N Pepa's "Push It" and at times the moves even felt like I was in a cheerleading competition. I love the way you learn a couple moves well and then add on. Very easy to follow and a delight to watch. Sumi is the beginning person and I was happy to see that I could even out-do her -- and she was gettin' down with her bad self! I don't have bad knees so I can't comment on that, but I could do every thing that was put forth to me.

All of a sudden, she says, "it's time to cool down..." Whoa! I look up and over 40 minutes have passed. I was disappointed that I didn't sweat, but when I took off my shirt, it was soaking. Three-quarters of an hour and I didn't realize how hard I was sweating and I didn't realize how much time was flying by. You work your butt off (literally) and you're having so much fun that you don't feel like it's a workout. That makes it the best workout on earth!

I rotate between my growing collection of Firm DVDs and this is one of my favorites! Alison offers good cuing that makes it easy to follow along with the workout. She switches between cardio and toning with weights and the 50 or so minutes go by in a flash. It's a great workout and a must have for all Firm-ies!

I have to admit that I was worried about this workout because Allison is the lead. In the past, I found her workouts both hard to follow and lack-luster. This one is quite the opposite. The full 45 minute workout had me sweating and kept my heart rate at 80% for the majority of the "bulk" of the workout. The tape starts with a short warm-up that showcases some moves that will be used later in the workout. Then, you move into cardio sets (I think there are about 5, maybe 6) that get increasingly harder, peak, and then become easier and finally end with a cool-down. I was also concerned with this tape (and all of the new TransFIRMation tapes that do not use the step) because I was sure it wouldn't provide a good calorie-burning workout. I was very wrong. This tape burned 400 calories according to my HRM. This tape is definitely in my top 5 Firm workouts!

I burn 400 calories with this workout. I did it 10 times (two weeks of five days) and I DO see a visible difference. My arms look really toned, and my mummy tummy is deflated.

Other people complain about the Firm's cuing, and while I agree that the first couple of times are tricky, I appreciate the fact that they move you quickly through the moves so that when you're doing it for the 50th time, you're not completely bored with the "instructional" nature of it.

This is a fun workout, it does have it's cheesy moments, such as when Alison says, "Triceps and tummy are two very important parts of the body for a woman." In her southern accent, it's just too much and I always wince. However, who cares! It's a good, solid workout with no floor exercises and very little weights.

I own several Firm dvds, and I like Alison, but her cueing could be a lot better on this one. This is a fast-paced classic aerobic workout. Not much use of weights here. The moves are so fast and change so often, I found it frustrating, and I'm usually able to do fairly complex moves with no problem. I was disappointed with this one.

This is a very good workout and I really enjoy doing it. It's a little more than half an hour of solid cardio and because it's fun, you're finished before you know it. It doesn't slow down at all and that keeps your heart rate up and keeps you burning fat away.
You have things like basic marches, and it changes in intensity to things like latin dancing and sport like movements. Alison Davis is a good instructor who is friendly and motivating. The toning segments aren't too challenging, but they are enough to make you feel like you've done some good the next day.
This workout is probably geared more for the intermediate exerciser; if you're advanced you'll find this too easy and if you're beginning, you might need to take your time getting through the cardio. I really enjoy it and highly recommend it.

I just got this DVD and couldn't believe how much fun a cardio workout can be. The moves were easy to follow - thanks to Alison's stellar cueing, and I worked up a great sweat. Adding 3 pound weights surprising added the extra boost to keep my heart rate up. This is definitely going to be added to be part of my workout routines for the week (which is currently lacking in the cardio area). I think Alison is one of the top Firm instructors and is very talented. You will not be disappointed with this one.

I completed this video for the first time this morning, and I thought it was quite a pleasant addition to my over 24 FIRM videos. As an advanced exerciser, I found that this was not too intense, but it did manage to keep my heart rate high (even during the toning segments). Please note the toning segments are not static toning, but they do have a cardio "feel" to them. The full workout is completed in 46 minutes, and you can complete the express workout in 25 minutes.

I thought Allison did a great job and there was only one awkward arm movement in the last cardio segment. She (or the choreographers) must have some ballet training because I noted that she incorporates two ballet moves into the cardio segments. I give this a definite 5 stars. You will not be bored with this one!

I usually do TaeBo but I wanted to try a different workout that I could do in addition to the workouts I have. So I bought this dvd and Cardio Dance Fusion (also by Alison Davis). I'm so happy. This is a very good cardio workout. Alison has you do cardio, then add light weights to the cardio, so you switch back and forth thru the whole workout. She keeps me moving so I don't get distracted. I live on the 2nd floor in an apartment and a lot of workout programs I read have jumping and running that I can't do. With these two workouts I can work up a sweat and not be the annoying neighbor.