Customer Reviews

The Firm - Total Body Shaping Mix [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Generally I am not fond of the Firm's compilation tapes (this video was derived from several different Firm workouts), however this one has come to be one of my favorites. It works the entire body, with an emphasis on the glutes (plenty of the Firm's tall box presses, LOTS of lunges, squats, hip extensions & table work). I use fairly heavy poundage and find I get a most thorough workout. As an aside, this is NOT a cardio workout -- the minimal cardio work appears to have been included more for "fast muscle twitch" and as recovery for the next set of weight workout. Highly recommended. If you're new to weights, the Firm Beginners or Maximum Body Shaping used with light weights would be perfect.

This tape is just what the title says. It's a mix of instructors and moves, to shape your total body. It's great on variety, and keeps you moving without getting bored. The only down side may be for people with lots of Firm tapes already in their collections. This tape features a couple of new sections by Tracy Long, but the rest of the tape is spliced from other Firm videos (the Crosstrainers mostly). I'd suggest getting this tape only if you don't have the other two. Then it would be perfect to get the best of several work-outs in one.

The toning in this video includes pretty much every muscle group in the body--back, abs, arms (biceps and triceps), shoulders, thighs, buttocks--very effective if you want to firm up. The instructors make it very clear how the moves should be performed and show you what NOT to do. The cardio is mostly low-impact and not very challenging, which is the major criticism I have of this video. Most of the higher impact moves include alot of power jumping, which gets to be repetitive after a while. There are also quite alot of segments that have lunges, which are effective, but really, how many lunges can one person stand?

I have to wake up at 5 in the morning to have enough time to do this before work (it's 67 minutes long!) but it's well worth it. You'll see the difference!

I am a FIRM Believer. I have a number of the tapes and use the Body Sculpting System 1 religiously. I must say that I didn't like this video at all. I actually sold it after one use. The moves were too choreographed and the cueing is awful. In addition, proper form was not emphasized in a majority of the segments. If you didn't know, the video is a compilation of the best of the Firm's Body Shaping Series. So if you think that it is 1 hour of Tracie Long, WRONG!!! There are at least four different instructors and everyone is not the best teacher!! Tracie Long is the best! Her segments come from the Firm's Maximum Body Shaping tape. Save your money and purchase that!!!

I've only used three of The FIRM's workout videos, but out of those select few, Total Body Shaping Mix is my favorite. If I didn't have to vary my workouts I'd use this one everyday! This tape is exactly what it says it is, "a Total Body Shaping Mix", which is great. I always come out the next day feeling very sore. The only downside is, there's only about 5 minutes of ab work, which is one of my favorite areas to work on. Oh well though, I love this tape!

Maximum Body Shaping is a wonderful all-over body workout mixing weight training with low-impact aerobics. It has a running time of 67 minutes, which I find to be a bit long. Sometimes I fast forward through a couple of the sets, not because I can't finish the workout, but because I don't have the time.

This video has an excellent (very tough) section of floor work that is great for the inner thigh and gluts. Heidi Tanner is a machine and doesn't let up over some of these very long sets.

This video is for the intermediate to advanced exerciser, although beginners could do it with little or no weights. It is very challenging and I use it to gauge my fitness level as I continue to get in shape.

This workout is fun and effective for beginner to immediate exercisers. The moves are simple yet fun and very effective. This video uses The Firm's time proven technique for combining weights and aerobics to deliver fast effective weight loss. As an advanced exerciser I do own this tape and I use it on days when I want to have a simpler workout for variety. The workout can also be modified by using heavier weights to make it more suitable for the advanced exerciser.

As always variety is key when working out. Check out all the firm workouts and combine them for maximum weight loss.

I love this tape. I'm just getting back into shape and was doing Susan Harris's body sculpting, which is also excellent, when I decided to incorporate this one as well. The varied segments and instructors keep things interesting and make the 67 minutes seem like only 20, and I never sweat so much as I do during this tape. Afterward and the next day I don't feel sore so much as really flexible and good.The exercises seem extremely effective, I can already see results after three times, yet they are not impossible to do. And there are just enough repetitions ... not too few, and not so many that it becomes grueling. I highly recommend this tape!

I have tried several tapes but this one will make you work every minute of the workout. Got me into shape within 5 workouts! It's a must have video. The Firm really knows their stuff.

This is one of the many "Firm Parts" videos, which is a compilation of several videos. In this workout you will see segments of Firm Strength, Firm Cardio, Super Sculpting, Super Cardio, Fat Blaster, Maximum Body Shaping and even a couple of sections from Firm Basics Sculpting with Weights. It runs about 67 minutes long, but I find that the time goes by really fast. It is mainly a strength workout with cardio portions mixed in, but does a good job of hitting all the major muscle groups. For the lower body you will see squats, leg presses, lunges, dips and some floorwork working the inner thighs and table work for the hamstrings and behind. For the upper body you will see military presses, french presses, tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, one arm rows and pushups. There is also a couple segments of ab work as well as a few cardio segments to break up the strength work a bit.

I think this workout was put together well, I give it 5 stars even though I actually skip a couple of the cardio portions to shorten it up just a bit. But that is just a minor adjustment I make to it. I am afraid that some of these Firm videos will disappear, I hope that doesn't happen. This is one workout that I would buy a second copy if it were to ever go out of print, I like it that much. Highly recommended.