Customer Reviews

The Firm: Lower Body Split

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This extremely challenging 70-minute workout will work every muscle from your abs on down. Using free weights and the Firm's 14" Fanny Lifter, you will get an intense workout experience. This workout will challenge you to go further with squats and lunges than you have ever gone before.

The content of this DVD, however, is not new material from The Firm. While the cover of this DVD features Master Instructor Jennifer Carman, she is only a small part of the instruction. This DVD is a compilation of other, older Firm workouts. Instructors include Pam Cauthen, Taber Bruner, Carissa Foster, and others. You can even spot a very young Allie DelRio as one of the students!

After a 7-minute stretch and warm-up, you begin combinations of lower body work (squats, left and right leg isolation step-ups, and lunges), Cardio Intensifiers (step box patterns), Floor Work (leg lifts, similar to the Cardio Sculpt workout), and three abdonimal segments (crunches with modifiers). The workout concludes with a 4 minute stretch and cool-down.

The DVD includes a handy scene index, so you can skip around to segments that you like without having to go through the entire workout. However, if you choose "play" from the main menu, you are forced to sit through several minutes of credits and a Firm commercial. The DVD also includes a "Bonus Fitness Training Program."

Note that there are several features that date this workout: from the thong-style workout outfits, the late-80's pop muzak, and even the Greek-inspired statues in the background. The music soundtrack ranges from tedious elevator-type music to 80's pop, and even delves into a short segment of classical music, making you feel like you are in a scene from "Chariots of Fire." If you can ignore the soundtrack, you're going to get a solid workout.

This is a challenging workout for advanced levels. It is a DVD filled with time-tested exercises that will tone and shape your body over time. A tough workout, but worth it!

I normally don't like the FIRM compilations however, I recently moved to DVD and this was one of the only FIRM available on DVD. As a compilation this has very smooth transitions and is an INTENSE lower body work-out. I recognized all the sections from previous tapes I had. My only complaint was the portions from the Cross Trainers (Strong Body/Strong Heart) were not as good of transfers as the other portions. If you know this is a compilation and want a compilation I highly recommend this DVD for a lower body work-out.

...if you have the time. This workout is just over an hour long and it's all lower body, although there are a few aerobic sections and some ab work too. This workout is compiled from several other Firm workouts, there is footage from Firm Strength, Firm Cardio, Maximum Body Shaping, Better Body and Buns, Fat Blaster, Cardio Burn, Power Cardio, Maximum Cardio and The Hare. All the tried and true lower body exercises are here, including squats, lunges, dips, leg presses, plies, tall box climbs some of them in 2 and 3 "giant" sets. There is also some good floorwork here for variety, table work, bridge work and some inner/outer thigh work too. The aerobic sections are considered hi-lo impact, some of it is 4 limb movements using light dumbells, plus some plyometric jumps which can be modified. In fact I do squats in place of them myself as I just don't care for a lot of high impact.

If you have the time, this isn't a bad workout, unfortunately for me it is a bit long. While the DVD isn't programmable there is a scene index so you can skip segments, not to mention all the advertising in the beginning which is a plus. As much as I like the Firm I really hope they improve in the chaptering department one day. Overall if you are a fan of lots of lower body work, this would be a good choice. You will need a fanny lifter or stool and assorted weights, a dowel is also used for balance although a broom or mop handle would also work.

Here is a breakdown of the workout and which Firm workout it is originally from...

warmup - from Firm Strength

stretch w/dowel - Better Body/Buns

4 limb aerobics w/plyo jumps - Maximum Cardio

leg press, tall box climbs, squats, side lunges - Better Body/Buns

lunge/dip combination - Maximum Body Shaping

floorwork (table, bridge, inner/outer thigh) - Hare

4 limb aerobics (step squats/overhead presses) - Max. Cardio

leg press, tall box, squats, side lunges - Better Body/Buns

basic training, squats - Firm Strength

lunge/dip combination - Maximum Body Shaping

floorwork (table, bridge, inner/outer thigh) - Hare

aerobics (kicks, punches, marches, plyos) - Max. Body Shaping

lunges, plies - Cardio Burn

lunge/dip combination, squats - Firm Strength

squats/leg abductions (unweighted), lunge/dip combination,
shallow step squats - Better Body/Buns

bridge work - Firm Cardio

bridge work/abs - Power Cardio

abs - Firm Cardio

abs - Fat Blaster

abs - Maximum Cardio

stretch - Firm Strength

If you want an awesome workout for your glutes, hamstrings, and quads...buy this. Granted, you'll recognize all the instructors from Tough Tape 2. All they did w/ this DVD (I thought it was new, not old routines from the above) was take the lower body sculpting from Tough Tape 2 and put it in this one. And there were segments that were not in Tough Tape 2, which made this workout longer. To sum it up, throw away your old Firm video and buy this one. The Upper Body Split is also not "new", it is from the old tape. Only keep the old video if you like total body training in one sitting. This one is like 70 minutes long and it's ALL LEGS. Highly recommend it!

I just got through doing this workout, and it was quite a challenge. I've been doing The FIRM now for about 9 months, and I'm glad that I decided to add this one to my collection. It is a compilation with numerous video leads.

Another reviewer said that it was overkill, but I personally didn't think so. In fact, today was my first time doing it, and I was able to get through the entire workout. Like many of you, I stopped periodically to get a sip of water and wipe my brow, but beyond that, I didn't find it to be overkill at all. That said, don't think that it wasn't a challenge, because IT WAS! Just when I was about to drop from doing leg press and standing leg work, we went down to the floor...AHHHH, YESSSS. And then, back to standing leg work again, then later to the floor again, you get the idea.

This workout works those target areas that women love to minimize: hips, thighs, and buns. The lunges in this workout are done without the blue portion of the fanny lifter (since it wasn't invented yet), so they REALLY dig deep into the saddlebag area. LOVE IT! I also like the fact that there are some moves in this one that I haven't seen in the other videos: "walking squats," kick/punch combos, and a sort of variation on the dead lift with a squat intensifier. Cool!

Great workout, in my opinion. It only has a few cardio intensifiers...other than that, get ready to sculpt your hips, thigs, and buns.

P.S. They even throw in intensive ab work at the end!

This IS tough! I started with the Total Body Sculpting Systeem (which I really like), but this DVD is really taking it one step further. Challenging, but with visible results! I felt exhausted after the first session, but it really, really works. I also work out with the Upper Body Split Firm Parts, and the combination of the two DVD's is excellent!

If you like dips and lunges this workout is for you.

It is a compilation of the old FIRM workouts (The Hare, StrongBody, StrongHeart, Better Body & Buns, Maximum Body Shaping, Cardio Burn, and Maximum Cardio.

It is 69 minutes long. It contains four supersets (on each leg) of lunges and dips. It also contains several set of leg presses using the tall box on each leg.

I think the best part of the workout was the floor work.

The flow of the workout was very good. I felt that there was thought put in the way this workout was put together.

I had DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) two days after doing this workout.

I got this video from the library. Well, I loved it so much I bought it. This workout is indeed very challenging. If you do this 2-3x per week you will see results. You do need to increase the poundage as you get stronger. I like the fact that this video is so long because it really challenges you. There are some cardio segments but the video is mostly weights. When I first did the video I thought to myself"How many lunges can I do". However, I am thankful that the video is so intense. I would recommend this video. Make sure you do it before the kids get up though and get ready to have a firmer body!

This intense workout is great for shaping legs,hips and glutes. At first I didn't like the music and the 80's theme, but it has great exercises. After 2 weeks I really saw the results, and now its my favorite lower body workout.

This DVD would have been great, except for the repetition. I would have liked to see more variety. There are tons of lower body exercises that could have been done, but, they do the same ones over and over. I got so very sick of lunges. When another segment would come on that they were doing them yet again, I was like, "NOT AGAIN!" It's not as though I was incapable of doing them-I was just bored with them. It totally makes it drag trying to get through the workout.
It's a decent workout-I just lost interest due to the lack of variety in the exercises.