Rating: 
Summary: Use Original Firm w/Fanny Lifter; Then Buy This Tape Only
Review: After using the The Firm Body Building System with the Fanny Lifter,to add variety I purchased the The Firm's Body Building System I with the Sculpting Stick. System II contains three videos (Total Sculpt plus Abs, Complete Aerobics & Weight Training, and Maximum Cardio Abs) and stick only. I've tried each of the workouts several times and found the routines to be very similar to the original System routines, except it used the stick to provide stability or give a little more resistance. Because I'm short, the stick gave me more stability when doing the exercises that required me to step up on the 14" Fanny Lifter. Using the stick for stability also allowed me to do deeper squats. I found the Lift & Hover Squats to be a bit more challenging, because I wasn't use to having anything spread along my shoulders. After my first workout, I could feel the more intense workout throughout my hips, thighs, and calves.There are several exercises in the Total Sculpt plus Abs video and Complete Aerobics & Weight Training video that requires the stick to be disassembled to use the ends as 1 lb hand weights. After several workouts, I found the disassembling of the stick was not worth my time, since the 1 lb was like working empty-handed. I now use my lightest dumbbells during this segment of the routine. Overall, I found the stick to be an excellent source of stability, but other workout sticks can be purchased at a much cheaper price or simply use the stick from a broom or mop. I still think The Firm gives a good workout with great benefits and quick results, but it's Fanny Lifter that remains the key to an individual's success. For the best workout at a cheapest price, if you're an original Firm user purchase this video and use a household broomstick. Those new to The Firm can purchase an entire system containing the Fanny Lifter and the Stick. Because the workout helps me to get tone and sculpt, it still deserves 4 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Cardio and Sculpting Workout
Review: Complete Aerobics and Weight Training is led by Emily Welsh, one of The Firm's master instructors. There is a reason that The Firm has become a dynasty in the world of workout videos. They put together effective, high-quality videos of which this is a prime example.
You will tone all parts of your body while getting a cardio workout. There is a lot of variety in this workout;step aerobics, kickboxing, and low impact aerobics are alternated with sculpting segments. There is also a section of ab exercises that is fairly challenging. I own quite a few Firm videos and this one stands out for some of the unique exercises and moves that Welsh incorporates.
The Firm's Fanny Lifter, 6" and 8" steps which combine for a 14" high step, a range of dumbbells, and the Firm's Sculpting Stick are used in this workout. You could substitute a regular step or even a stepstool for the Fanny Lifter and a broomstick would work for the Sculpting Stick.
Rating:
Summary: Emily was great!
Review: Emily Welsh is a new FIRM instructor, but she was great! She made this complete workout fun. It's got weight training, cardio, and lots of the time they use the new Sculpting Stick to add variety. Start out by warming up with Fanny Lifter, then launch into weight work that alernates upper and lower body exercises, a technique called PHA (peripheral heart action) training that burns more calories by forcing the heart to pump between distant muscle groups. Cardio intervals are interspersed throughout, everthing from kickboxing to step aerobics. End with four limb with the "twigs" (the ends of the sculpting stick) and then hit the floor for upper body work and an abdominal section that will change your mind about ab work! The stretch is long, relaxing, and complete- a great finish! This workout is about an hour long. Kitka
Rating: 
Summary: Good Tape-But-Shameless equiptment product placement
Review: Hi All, I liked this tape because it never fails to get me moving and sweating. I also like the instructor. She has natural energy and doesn't act to fake. The pushup are also a nice touch. However, I do feel that it shamelessly promotes the firm products. For instance, they frequently change equiptment during the workout just to use The Firm products. The equiptment changes often do not improve the move or increase the variety of the overall workout. It can also become distracting to the viewer. The instructor also comes very close to advertising the Frim products during the workout. If you don't believe me just watch it and listen. I have an older Firm tape and the routine does not rely so heavily on equiptment specific to The Firm. I don't care what anyone says. I am sticking to my regular step to do the lunges, etc. (ten inches is plenty for me to squat and lung).
Rating:
Summary: Add more weight!
Review: I agree will all of the positive reviews. I love this workout. You can always add more weight to make the workout harder. I use 10 pound ankle weights during parts of it as well. This makes it much more challenging. I have also found that straping my ankle weights to the sculpting stick works GREAT for floor work. This workout is the best in the Sculpting System 2 group, but I really like them all. The whole kit is expensive, but the cost is so worth it. It really works and it is much cheaper and better than a gym membership. I do one workout each day and my fanny REALLY is firmer. The Fanny Lifter is wonderful. I thought that it was a waste and that any step would work. It is not true. I have been working out with a shorter step for a while without great results to my rear-end, but, now that I am using the Fanny Lifter, I am getting much firmer and starting to really look good!!! Get the whole Sculpting System 2 three tape group, get the fanny lifter and workout every day. Your shape will change! One more comment - The whole system is wonderful for beginners as well. One person on each of the Sculpting System 2 videos does the whole workout modified for beginners.
Rating:
Summary: I love this workout
Review: I bought the whole BSS2 system, it sat around for about six months until I finally decided to keep a New Year's Resolution. I like all three tapes in the system, but this one is my favorite. Emily is a very sweet instructor who explains movements and add-ons very well. She's also very motivating without overdoing it and annoying you. The only problem I found, which isn't actually a problem, is I am not very coordinated when using new tapes, so I found the second aerobics interval a bit hard to follow the first few times I used the tape. I like that the three aerobic intervals are spaced nicely so you don't feel too pooped out. As I said before, I love this entire system, and you will definitely feel positive changes early on if you use the system faithfully, but I like this tape the best out of the three as I feel I have worked out every muscle in my body when I'm finished and if you stretch properly at the end, you will not be sore. I would suggest however if you haven't been doing ab work regularly, to follow the instructor showing the beginner movements. I no longer follow the beginner through the rest of the workout, but the ab work I still do, so don't push yourself too hard!! Enjoy the workout and love your results!! I'm keeping track of my results to submit a testimonial to The Firm a few months down the road. That's how good these will work if you make a concerted effort to be healthier.
Rating:
Summary: Get It!!
Review: I consider myself an intermediate to advanced exerciser and have been doing The Firm for a few months now and LOVE THIS. I borrowed the BBS 2 from a friend but from the 3 workouts, this was my fave so I bought it separately. It really is the classic combination of aerobics then weights then aerobics which is what I look for. I loved the kickboxing moves and the slightly different use of the fanny lifter with legs out to the side - a nice twist on the typical up down move. I was sweating within the first 10 mins, getting a thorough workout. A fantastic ab section too. Definitely one of my favourites.
Rating:
Summary: Boy...instant muscles
Review: I enjoyed the little cardio session they provided in the middle of the DVD. If you want instant muscles and nut cracking thighs, this is definitely for the candidate ^_^ The instructor was very upbeat and instructed smoothly during the sessions. Enjoy ;) Another addition to my fitness library.
Rating:
Summary: Good Workout
Review: I have a couple of Firm DVD's and have to say that this one is by far the best! It is a good, hard 60 minute workout that works every part of your body. I wish that the ab section was a little longer, but overall I really enjoyed this workout.
Rating: 
Summary: I want my money back!
Review: I have a few of the newer The Firm videos and I have the same complaints about all of them. The aerobics segments are extremely confusing and hard to follow. The instructors speak way to fast and their movements are too fast as well. By the time I figured out one movement they were already onto the next. Also, I think it's important to have a good warm up before getting into any workout and you won't find that here. I also found it very annoying the way you have to keep moving your fanny lifter, sculpting stick and weights out of the way as the segments change. It completely interrupts the workout. The weight training segments are decent, but for the most part, I didn't get a very good workout from any of the videos. For me these videos were a waste of money.
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