204 Customer Reviews
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The Firm: The 500 Calorie Workout |
  Other FIRMS are better |
| I have several of the FIRM videos, but will pass on this one. The instructor is way too chatty to the point of annoying and she doesn't cue on the beat so I always was off the beat and found her patterns hard to follow. - posted by Julie on 3/5/2012 |
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| Inefficient waste of time. |
| This workout is a funny mix: it is too easy to be high intermediate or advanced, but the moves are complex enough that it isn't suitable for beginners struggling to learn form and choreography. I am an advanced exerciser but I still enjoy some intermediate stuff if it is effective and fun. Cardio-wise, I felt like it was the equivalent of marching on the spot most of the time except maybe the final cardio section felt like jogging on the spot. Sculpting-wise, there were so few reps of everything that it was totally useless. You never feel anything. And you can't use heavier weights because she moves so fast that anything heavy enough to make you work would be unsafe because of the speed (I used a set of 7 lb weights). The choreography was complicated at times but unnecessarily so--it didn't make things more fun or more challenging. Instead, you just stand there wondering what to do and you cumulatively miss a lot. She doesn't cue well so she's already doing the new move a lot of the time before cueing. There are also a lot of moves that twist your back and so I think beginners could easily hurt themselves if they don't have a strong core or aren't careful about position. I don't see how this is a good workout for anybody since it isn't good as cardio and isn't good at sculpting. I was frustrated because of how inefficient it was--she would raise one arm while doing legs and you'd think great, we're doing both upper and lower body at once . . . but why not raise both arms? Why toe taps instead of leg lifts? Why side steps instead of hops? There was a lot of that, where I just felt 'why are we doing this instead of this other way more effective exercise?' And, as I say, there were so few reps I never felt worked out (which means my muscles won't get any stronger doing this video--they have to be challenged). My almost-70-year-old mother loved it and found it slow enough for her if that helps you decide if this is right for you. - posted by Holly on 2/22/2012 |
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| intense and fun! |
| Excellent video that works the whole body and is upbeat and fun. - posted by Shelley on 2/17/2012 |
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| This one is not for me. |
| I received this workout a few days ago,I watched it first then tried it,after about 35 minutes maybe, I couldnt take it anymore,it was soooooo FAST,by the time I would do a lunge she was on to the next move. To me,going that fast you CANNOT get proper form.When we were doing the toning part it was so fast that first off I couldnt go very heavy on my weights was afraid I would pull something, second off I couldnt even feel the burn. I stopped it, took it out put in one of my Chris Freytag's workouts in, I was like aaahhhhh thats soooo much better. I got a good workout in on that one. Dont get me wrong, I like Kelsie she is sweet but this one was just way to FAST for me. I got her pump,jump 'n jab the same day I received this one, that one is sooo much better, now I like it,it is a normal pace. - posted by Melissa on 2/9/2012 |
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| Good Workout |
| I like this workout but it's weird that she doesn't move to the beat of the music so it makes it a bit more difficult to follow her, but you're still going to do some sweating. I like the combination of moves. - posted by Renee on 1/1/2012 |
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| Pretty Good But Probably Won't Do This One Often |
| This workout is O.K. It will get your heart rate up and toning moves are good. Kelsie switches kind of fast from one thing to another, especially in the cardio sections and she is so off on the music that this can trip you up. I find it really annoying that the music is off. Surely they could have edited this until they got the music to match her moves. I think the workout would have been much better if they did that. Her Pump Jump and Jab is SO much better, though shorter. Don't get me wrong, this is a good workout, but I give it 2 stars only for the Firm not getting the music to match the moves and Kelsie kind of being all over the place in this one. It is also difficult to bump up the weights in some of this as she just moves too fast in some segments to be able to do that. I wanted to increase the weights but didn't want to risk injury. There were some parts where I could up the weights but not enough segments where I could. - posted by J on 10/21/2011 |
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| You need to be familiar with FIRM workouts |
| I have been doing The Firm workouts for years and I am definitely a "FIRM" believer. I think that you should have a little experience with FIRM workouts or even some Step class type moves before trying this DVD. I think if you don't have any background you will not be able to keep up with the cardio segments and you'll feel frustrated. The instructor, Kelsie, is in incredible shape. I definitely cannot lunge as deep as she can and that's OK because with this workout, like all FIRM workouts, you can modify it if you are a beginner and work up to deeper lunges and heavier weights. I would say I am at an intermediate level and used 5 pound weights for all of the strength training segments. That weight was definitely a push for me at certain times and I was truly exhausted after some sets, especially shoulders. I never had a workout cause me to sweat like crazy like this one does! I also feel like I can keep going and not tire out completely because they mix it up: they have cardio then strength, then cardio again, etc. As with most all FIRM workouts they combine upper and lower body to increase intensity and burn more calories. Overall it is a solid workout and a long one - approx 60 minutes. It's also an all over good workout - you get full body strength training and heart-raising cardio all in one. I like mixing my workouts up quite often so I do this one maybe 3 or 4 times a month and mix it in with the rest of my FIRM DVDs. I really do love this workout. - posted by Colleen on 8/29/2011 |
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| too confusing |
| I've tried too give this dvd a chance several times its just way off beat and moves entirely to fast I was lost after 5mins and I'm usually pretty good at keeping up with cues. :( very disappointed - posted by de on 8/14/2011 |
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| frustrating and good at the same time? |
| The workout would be excellent if Kelsie would keep to the beat, she just doesn't do that on this workout and it is so frustrating. I actually loved all the moves but couldn't get her beat thing down - it is just off. - posted by Leigh Ann on 8/3/2011 |
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| Really Fun! |
| I am an intermediate to advanced exerciser, and I really enjoyed this workout. This is not a high-rep workout, so I did go heavier on the weights than what is used in the video. The cardio sections were fun. Kelsie does revert to grapevines a bit much throughout the workout, but some of the other cardio combos are a bit more complex, which keeps boredom at bay. I really felt like I got a good workout without being exhausted when I was done. Great job Kelsie! - posted by Suzanne on 7/25/2011 |
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