Customer Reviews

The Firm: Total Body Time-Crunch

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is one of 4 new Firm videos I recently purchased - I've tried two now and am pleased with both. As noted by another reviewer Amazon is not listing this right, this is not the "old" Time Crunch with Susan Harris and Kai Soremekun. This is a "new" Time Crunch with Rebekah Sturkie. She does a great job, cuing and sound are good. It is a nice balance of aerobic bursts and weight work. I did up the weights for me and by my second go at the DVD I had the moves down as they are not too dancy and complicated as some DVDs have been. I'm 60 years old, working out about 1 hour each AM and have been looking for DVDs that have less high impact in them now and this works well for that - some high impact but not too much. I have two more new Firm DVDs to review - hope I like them as well. It is always disheartening to order an exercise DVD and play it to only find out it is a lemon.

I have used The Firm videos for nearly 12 years and I notice there are some definite pros and cons with this video.

PROS - It delivers a great workout, I am sweating harder each time I workout with this video. You also do not need a lot of equipment, like step boxes, sculpting stick, etc. Just some dumbells and yourself. It is fast paced and high energy with good muscle toning exercises and great aerobic segments. The time crunch exercise is very useful as well, which is why I bought this video.

CONS - The cueing is off at times, or unclear, so you have to be prepared to pay attention and willing to give yourself time to learn the routine with practice, patience is the key. As I mentioned, I've used these products for over a decade and I found some new moves on this DVD that I have trouble executing with proper form. This makes it very easy for injury to occur. Be prepared to take things slowly, especially if you are just getting into weight/aerobic training. The other drawback is the lack of information in these videos. The old firm tapes used to have the instructors referring to the muscle groups, giving tips on how to use proper form, and emphasize what exercise works which muscles and how. Like abduction and adduction, internal contractions, etc. These new tapes do not do that which can hinder a person's execution of each exercise.

All in all, I give this a good rating because the workout does deliver and I can deal with the shortcomings, it just takes time and patience to learn the video and execute the routines properly.

As with any exercise video I purchase, I watch it once before attempting to do it myself. I was excited at first glance but a little concerned about the prompting for the cardio segments. Just watching it I realized it was going to be fast and when I attempted to do it, I gave up. I tried it again and gave up. Tried again by only doing the cardio and hitting rewind but gave up yet again. Maybe it's just me but I don't want to have to scratch my head, trip over my feet, and keep hitting the review button when I'm trying to workout. I like a hard workout but I don't like working hard to figure out what the instructor is doing.

So, with that said, the workout itself was fine and I would give the DVD five stars for that. The only reason I give it three is for the prompting in the cardio segment. Perhaps they should have had the cardio moves on the Learn and Burn section or maybe she could have broken down each step at a slower pace.

As another reviewer stated this is NOT the workout with Kai and Susan. This one is a brand new Firm release featuring Rebekah Sturkie... and by far the best they have put out in a long time. Rebekah is a natural in front of the camera and is just a joy to workout with. The music is fun and I even found myself humming one of the tunes the other day... that is a rarity for Firm workouts. The workout is 45 minutes and alternates cardio with toning, in classic Firm style. There is an express pre mix with just the toning segments. The only thing that could make this DVD perfect would be to have a cardio only premix, but you can use the skip button on your remote and do this yourself. The cardio is all Hi-Low and the only equipment needed is a set of dumbells. This workout is as easy or as hard as you make it and is really fun. If you can only buy ONE of the new releases, THIS is the one.

I like this DVD very much. Sure, it took several tries to get it all down pat, but at the end of the day after a full day of work I go home and put the 20 min. quick version on. I wait till the week-end to do the 45 min one. I turn 60 this year and have been hooked on THE FIRM for 5 years. I had bought some tapes in the interim and some CD's but they were compilations of older ones put together to create a work out.

This one is all new and it is fast-paced and you get a good cardio and muscle toning too. I work up a good sweat and feel good when I am done. I revert back to the old Firm tapes/cd's when I want to use the stepper, which as I am getting older don't feel so comfortable doing any longer.

All in all, ladies/gents, this is a good workout. Just give yourself some time for the learning curve. I tell you I could not do the QuadStar for a while...I wanted to zig when they zagged, but finally got it together. Really a fun workout! No doubt!

I like the original firm time crunch better than this one (the one made in the 80's).

This is an OK workout, except it has military dead lifts. Against my better judgment, I did the military dead lifts on this on injured my lower back on the first trial of this video.

So, if you are prone to lower back problems, I'd either not get this one or skip the dead lifts.

As far as the workout itself goes, it is fairly good. Interval training, which is nothing new and very popular right now. It is nice that they did take out the weight section so if you are "time crunched" you can do just 25 mins of weights. Too bad they didn't also do that with the cardio. The cueing on the cardio is horrible though. This is the first workout video that I actually watched all the way through, then did it. Also the first video that I actually got ticked off enough by the cueing to turn it off and put a different dvd in. They do make a point to tell you who is all on the screen, and who to fallow if you are a beginner, but don't bother showing her the majority of the time. Nice that they don't require tons of extra exuipment either. Just hand weights. They also don't make you sit through commercials before getting to the main menu.

This video can be a tad challenging, not in terms of over-exertion, but in terms of quick changes, but the results are worth it. I have been doing this for around four mnths now, and it was a gift from my sister at Christmas, and I am now more toned at 36 then I was at 26. It is not too high impact, but delivers a massive sweat. You don't need tons of equipment and space, either. I strongly recommend you use this to get in shape for the summer!

As a fit 20-something, I find this DVD provides a very challenging workout with great music and enjoyable instruction by likeable leader Rebekah Sturkie. Four short cardio segments really get me moving and sweating, interspersed with three short weight-training segments that help me catch my breath a little, though they definitely leave me burning the next day. I really like that there's a 25-minute express workout, though it's just the regular warm-up cardio followed by two of the weight segments then the abs/cool-down--I would appreciate more cardio here (but you can get the same effect by fast-forwarding the regular workout to make your own).

I think this is a good choice for intermediate or advanced users, but not beginners, although one of the women does simplified lower-impact beginner moves throughout. I found the choreography and pace of the cardio to be extremely challenging the first couple times I followed the workout, and had a lot of difficulty keeping up initially. It was much better once I was familiar with the moves and order, but I still often need to slow down and watch my form. The moves are quick and it would be easy to injure myself if I let myself get tired and sloppy just trying to keep up. Definitely take it easy and light the first handful of times you do this.

The abs segment on the floor is very effective, and thankfully short. I could barely do it the first few times, but after awhile found it very refreshing, and was astonished over a few weeks to see my abs and sides get hard as a rock!! The segment is intense but brief, and I always feel like I've earned the cool-down right after.

After doing the regular or express workout only 2-3 times a week for two months, I am surprised at my own strength and energy, and pleased with the sexy toned body I've earned! This DVD will get you in great shape if you stick with it--just be careful to watch your form and adjust the intensity to your needs.

I have recently purchased 95% of the TransFirmation DVDs, aka "Firm Pinks" and I have to say these are some of the best DVDs on the market. I have a Fitness DVD collection of over 500 and I have finally gotten to the point were I have found something that is effective, fun, offers minimal equipment, and gets you in/out in shorter time compared to other systems that offer both cardio and strength in 1 workout.

Total Body Time Crunch is approx 45 Minutes in length, about 47 due to the extend stretching. You have 3 cycles of both cardio and strength, starting with cardio/warmup and ending with strength on the floor. According to Fitness DVD websites, this workout is rated anywhere from Intermediate/Advanced to straight Advanced. I will say that this feels more along the combination of Intermediate/Advanced. It recommends starting out 3, 5, & 8 lbs dumbbells, and beginners, no weights. I have been lifting weights for sometime and I am familar with the Firm so I decided to up my selection to 4s (bad shoulder), 8s and 10s. 8s or my "Medium Weight-according to Firm Instruction" were used most often. Now for people who feel this isn't advanced enough due to the strength element alone, you NEED to use heavier weights for MAXIMUM results!! I have just started back to exercise after almost 7 months off and had been using 3s, 5s, & 8s like in the DVD, but wasn't finding the challenge for most muscle groups. Upping the weights even just slightly made all the difference in the World! I am hoping to up the weight selection again in another 2-3 weeks. For those concerned with the "Bulk" myth, I found out today directly from Firm Master Instructor herself (answered an email), that she, Allison, uses 8s and 10s as her low weight for most Firm Workouts and up to 20-25 lbs for larger groups like legs, back, and chest!!! If you see Allison in these DVDs, she's firm and tight, not bulky! I can't even lift that doing the Cardio-Weight workouts; that's incredible!

As far as the Cardio goes in this one, it will take 2-3 run thrus to get it completely. It's not dancy IMO, I hate Dance DVDs, but it's not basic either. If you've done the Fanny Lifter DVDs, which is my Firm Background, it's more complex than that, but not by leaps and bounds. It't taught in add-on style so a new move is added about every minute, min/half during the cardio cycles, practiced a few times and the cycle is over. It varies anywhere from power squats to side steps, side steps with leg lifts or knee lifts, kickboxing-lite, 4 limb, ect.

If you are a true advanced exerciser doing Cathe Friedrich or Amy Bento on a regular basis, this will be rated intermediate for you. If however you are a Firmy, Inter/Advanced, and Non-Firmie, Non-Strength person, Advanced. I actually got this and another "solid-Intermediate" DVD mixed up this morning when working out; I thought I was doing the less-intense of the two. Turns out I did the more advanced DVD and I loved every minute of it. With the heavier weights my muscles felt it like they haven't in prior Firm Pink workouts, my fault not theirs, and I am excited to try more and do this one more often. This is a great buy! While the reps are not long or muscles groups repeated except for the leg work (different types of exercises for the same muscle group) and Chest, I felt I got a perfect weight workout. I used heavy enough weight that by the time we were doing the last 2 reps, my arms were going to fall off in revolt. Now that's how you know you've picked the right weight! Not so heavy you will hurt yourself, but heavy enough you feel like you can't do another rep when the set is finished.

Again, 3 cycles of cardio and strength, each cycle lasting about 5 minutes each. This DVD offers a 25 Minute Express Option, wonderful I am sure, so 2 workouts on 1 DVD. Rebekah is an excellent lead, perhaps my favorite now, and her cueing is spot on! The music is typical Firm style, but I actually liked it in this workout. No complaints! The Chest Fly/Press and Bridge Combo along with the Tricep/Ab combo (both floor exercises) are quite impressive! Get this workout!

FYI: You can view a DVD clip at [...]. Clips range from 60 seconds to approx 3 minutes. This is again from the TransFirmation/Firm Pink Collection, not the Firm Classic Collection (mansion-style).