Customer Reviews

Firm: 500 Calorie Workout

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I like this DVD. It is a full hour and according to my heart rate monitor, I did burn over 500 calories, so it does live up to it's claim in my instance. We have to remember that the number of calories burned depends on a number of factors including your weight,resting heart rate, conditioning, etc. There are a lot of factors, so if your heart rate monitor does not max out at the 500, it may be because you are smaller, or more fit than the average exerciser.
That said, this DVD does hit all the major ( and some minor) muscle groups. You will need weights. Unlike the other Firm DVD's there is only one set of weights used on the program, but I switched out to heavier weights for the leg work. I especially like the standing ab work section. For some reason, I prefer these to on the ground sit-ups.
I did find that the timing was off on some of the routines and it seemed that the instructors cueing was a bit behind sometimes, but not enough to take a star off. I did the whole routine and felt like, from the start, I was getting a good workout with no stops.
I'll use it again.

Overall this is a good workout, and I will definitely be doing it again, but I do have a few minor complaints. For one thing, the rhythm of the movements is off sometimes from the music. It's not the whole time, but it does occur a few times, especially during cardio intervals, and it's annoying. My other problem was that Kelsie didn't give much warning sometimes. She would switch from one movement or combo to another and not tell you she was changing until she was already doing the new movement. Both of these problems were worsened by the fact that the music was often about the same volume as Kelsie's voice. So all of these things will make your experience a little more frustrating for your first time, but at least the late cueing and volume balance won't be such a problem after doing the workout a few times. I'm also hoping that I'll be able to ignore the beat being off, but we'll see.

Enough with the bad, here's the good. It's a well-rounded, challenging workout. Kelsie has some new creative moves and combinations that keep the workout interesting. And like I said in the title, she packs this workout with lunges, so do yourself a favor and don't do this on a day when your legs are already sore. I'm also glad to get another full hour workout - so many of the ones I've been getting from them lately are around 40 - 45 minutes.

I have been doing the Firm workouts since 2000-01 and this is an amazing workout. At first the movements seemed off the beat of the music, but then improved. The workout promises a 500 calorie burn workout in an hour and according to my monitor...I burned 618!!! That is amazing for a workout on DVD. I was so excited to try it out first thing...you won't be disappointed!!

As a trainer, I thought Kelsie was very good. She had unlimited energy and was very motivational. That being said, I borrowed this DVD from a friend, and I have to say, I'm not the least coordinated person ever, but this was a little ridiculous. I know a lot of workout DVDs have dance and complicated exercise sequences, but until you figure out what Kelsie's doing, it's on to the the next exercise. I didn't even feel like I was getting much out of it at first because I had to start and stop so often. I'm not a beginner exerciser, so I can imagine how the beginners feel trying to keep up with this one. The DVD claims visible results in ten workouts, and I think it probably takes that long to figure out what's going on with each exercise. Overall, I'll stick with my 30-Day Shred by Jillians Michaels. The moves are easy to follow, but extremely effective.

I was hesitant to purchase this video because I was unfamiliar with the instructor; however, I am thrilled. If you want a full hour of high intensity cardio this is the workout for you. Perfect excercise when you know you are going to eat a little extra dessert :) It reminds me of the intensity the firm had back when it started. Plus there are a lot of new moves that I haven't seen in other firm workouts (and I have nearly every one). It was challenging but the moves were so creative it kept me interested. Definately buy this!

I purchased this Dvd and Kelsie kicked my butt , Yes you will burn well over 500 calories . My total burn after the dvd ended was 1179 calories according to my heart rate monitor. Please note if you are heavier you will burn more calories as I did. I love this workout it is my Tuesday , Thursday and Saturday challenge !!!!!!!!! Get this dvd and you will not be disappointed. Peace

I Did this workout yesterday. I am sore today!! And I workout everyday!! I have alot of Firm Dvds but they are mostly 30 to 45 mins long, I like the hour long, and I did burn over 500 calories.. This is a fast paced video so if you are not familiar with the lingo you will have a hard time getting the moves. And 3 to 5 lb weights are enough. The moves are high reps and quick. The music was a little off at times but it did'nt bother me because I was too busy concentrating on the moves to really notice. Great workout made me sweat on a cold day. I work out with a friend and she quoted " I Think this is my favorite workout!"

I have enjoyed Kelsie as the lead in the kettlebell workout as well as the kickboxing workout. She is great again in this workout, although her cueing at times is a little off. Kelsie is full of energy and very motivating. I love the fact that you don't need to use any of the Firm gadgets. You just need weights. I tried to go heavier on some weights, but I mainly used 5's. My arms would get too tired. I really think that this workout is a tough one. I was at the point where I wasn't sure if I could do any more, when Kelsie started doing core work. This workout is well worth the money.

I really enjoyed this workout. It was fun, I could feel my muscles working, and I felt amazing when I was done. There are a lot of lunges which may be hard on the knees, but I didn't have any real problems. She also does a lot of back toning exercises which is a nice change because a lot of DVDs seem to avoid them. She alternates back and forth between cardio and weights and the segments are fairly short, especially towards the end. I liked how she had different styles for her cardio sections so it wasn't all aerobics, dance or athletic intervals. I didn't have any major problems with her cuing. I got lost in one section the first time through, but I was able to start right back up again and keep going. After a couple times through the DVD I can anticipate what is coming.

I don't have a heart rate monitor so I don't know how many calories I actually burned, but I was tired and dripping in sweat by the end of the workout. A couple times I was ready to throw in the towel, but Kelsie was very encouraging and I pushed through it. I was very pleased with my purchase and I will be sure to do this workout a couple times a week.

I am a big fan of Kelsie Daniels' workouts, and I hope that The Firm/Gaiam puts her into regular rotation for upcoming workouts. She's an upbeat instructor, and her moves are innovative, challenging, and really fun. With that being said, once again, the music in this workout is just enough out of sync to be a distraction, during the cardio sections. It's not such an issue during the sculpt sections or during the abs section at the end, but it definitely is for the cardio. And it's a real shame, because they use some good music during this workout.

As for the title, "500 Calories," I wear a heart rate monitor for all the workouts I do. I actually burned 457 calories during this workout, for the first time, and I admit that I did ground some moves and follow the beginner modification for a little bit. I have no doubt that if one were to keep up with Kelsie, 500 calories could be torched during this workout.