Customer Reviews

The Firm - Firm Basics: Fat Burning Workout [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The first Firm tape I found was Firm Basics: Sculpting with Weights and I was very impressed with it. I like their approach to weights and aerobics in short enough bursts that I never get bored with either. Feeling like I needed more cardio, I bought Firm Basics: Fat Burning. The two are a great combo for beginners, alternated every other day with a day of some other activity in between to allow muscles to rest. Now that I've been using them for several months, I am moving on to more difficult Firm videos. I highly recommend these to anyone just starting out or just starting back. At 45 minutes, they are the right length, and you can do them in your living room without having to move all the furnitute. Having to buy props was a little annoying to me at first but I use a broom handle and backless chair instead of a dowel and stepper so all I had to buy was 5, 8 and 10 lb dumbbells. I will definitely return to these videos when I need a light workout or if I stop exercising for any length of time. A mere 6 months ago I called myself "the world's laziest woman" and I hated exercise because rep after endless rep was so boring. Now I am hooked on the Firm, getting fitter by the day and I am an exercise goddess!

I have been using the Firm Video's for about six months. I started using the Firm Basics videos. I' had tried to use workout videos before and have quickly lost interest in them. I didn't lose interest in The Firm!

All three of the Firm Basics videos are great. They are easy to follow and fun to do. Oh, and I started seeing a difference in my body shape after my 2-3 Firm Basic workout. I saw big difference after 10 workouts. And at the end of one month I'd lost two sizes. Six months later, I'm down 4 sizes and have a ton more energy and stamina.

I've long since grown out of my Basics Tapes, but I keep them around for days when I'm not feeling real great but still want to get a workout in.

I'd recommend this and any of the other Firm Basic videos for anyone who want to start getting back into shape.

I have been working out with videos, running, and weightlifting for 6 years now. Whenever I get burnt out, I turn back to this tape (and also The Firm's Not So Tough Aerobics) to pull me through the rough spot.

The Firm Fat Burning is fun, Jennifer Carman gives great verbal cues & is warm and friendly. I feel like I am working out with a pal. It's a total body workout, so you get the ab workout in there also. I have found that I can make this tape as challenging as I want to by "heavying up" the weights.

The hover squats are exhilarating, but I like the aerobic segments the best. The music is also really great.

If you decide to buy this one, you'll want a 12 - 14" step-up box. It is worth the investment if you decide to workout with The Firm workout videos.

Another great thing about the Firm is that they always include a warm-up and cool-down stretch. This has helped me with some of my neck and back problems.

Of all the various exercise programs and videos I've done in the years I've been working out, I have always come back to the Firm. They are the best workouts with fabulous results in the least amount of time. Best of all, they are FUN.

I stumbled onto this video at my local "Blockbuster" store and, having never heard of the Firm, decided to give it a try.

I've been walking 3 miles a day for several years, and miss the aerobics and sculpting classes I used to do at the gym. I wanted to get into free weight training too. For the cost of the tape rental, I thought I'd check it out.

It turns out that this was a fun tape. I love the alternating of low-impact aerobics, sculpting exercises, and weight work. There's probably not enough of any one thing to satisfy those who want lots of intensity in one area, but it's a great taste of everything. There is a respect for the viewer's intelligence that I appreciate too.

The only thing that annoyed me (and it turned out to be a minor annoyance since I was able to scavenge all the items) was that some equipment was needed and it isn't mentioned on the box. So be forewarned: you'll need a high bench, a two-by-four, hand weights of various sizes, a 48 inch dowel (with rubber tips to prevent sliding), and a mat or padding of some kind on your floor if you're not working out in a carpeted room.

All in all, I highly recommend this tape, and it's made me hungry to explore more of the Firm's series.

Exercise starts out slowly, builds to a point where you are working up a sweat and then gradually comes back down again without a prolonged period of maximum effort. Short sets of light aerobics are alternated with sets of toning exercises, some using free weights, a tall box, (I use my two-step Rubbermaid footstool) and a dowel. (I use an expandable shower curtain rod.)You can improvise equipment based on what you have around your house. There are lots of squats, lunges and dips so quads and hamstrings get the most toning benefits. The last exercise on the tape is a great shaper for the upper hamstring area. Exercises are done in low-rep sets so they are mangageable and the tape moves along quickly. I like the tape and have recommended it to my sister (who has been doing the same Jane Fonda tape for more than 5 years!)

I got this tape after a year or two of inactivity, and it was the perfect thing to ease back into it. Note, this is a tape for beginners, but intermediate can modify with heavier weights and for not using a dowel. (And you can use a broom or mop instead of a dowel.) This tape has a lot of fun aerobic segments mixed with some sculpting with weights. It's only 45 min, so it's perfect to motivate yourself to workout for a short period of time. After I got this tape, I bought many more from The Firm. Their instructors and techniques are excellent, and you do notice results very quickly. This tape has excellent cueing and having two different instructors keeps it interesting.

The Firm Basics are The Firms "beginner videos" to get you started, their ads say. The people that bought them, and have complained in the reviews, must have been past the beginner stage and bought them anyway. I'm here to tell you that I was a beginner, when I got the Firm Basics and they were tough for me back then. I had gained about 50 pounds from having a baby, and was badly out of shape. This video helped me to get fit, and I saw results after about 8 workouts. When I bought it, I knew that I couldn't do 15 minutes straight of aerobics. But I had heard that these tapes were intervals, or the cardio mixed with the weights, I bought this one and Basics Sculpting With Weights. Both videos have changed me from an out of shape fat person to someone who regularly exercises and is fit.

I have used FIRM videos since day one, and actually have every one ever made. I bought this to teach a sedentary neighbor how to do aerobics. As I expected, she was VERY challenged while I barely broke a sweat. I do use it if I want to workout but am kinda under the weather or too sore from yesterdays hard workout to want to be too challenged. I HIGHLY recommend this to seniors that are out of shape, or beginners new to aerobics.

This is an excellent tape for those (like myself) who are just getting into, or back into, working out. However, it really is very easy -- I mastered it in about one month, and I was seriously out of shape (and uncoordinated to boot!) Even if you are as clumsy as I am, you should be able to get the moves pretty quickly. If you are not an absolute couch potato, you might want to get some of their other tapes and just take them slowly.

If you already own any of the Classic Firm tapes, skip this series. BEGINNERS ONLY. I own about nine tapes and bought this one because I was looking for a new, mostly aerobics Firm tape. Great if you're just starting out or have never used weights before. Good cuing and instruction. Way too slow and dare I say it, boring, for seasoned Firm users like me.