Rating: 
Summary: Super Cardio Mix
Review: I really enjoyed this workout because it was extremely challenging and it lasted for 63 minutes. I don't like short exercise tapes that really don't give you a full body workout. This tape is mostly cardio. There is about 3 minutes of adominal exercises. After completing it I felt very tired. Weights and a step were incorporated into the workout to make it more intense. The steps are pretty easy to follow if you have done some exercise tapes in the past. I would recommend this DVD to anyone who is looking for a high impact cardio workout.
Rating:
Summary: I take this DVD with me on the road.
Review: I really love this DVD because I can create my own workout! I am not able to do the entire 63 minutes, so being able to select up to 8 sessions that I can do has made this a very positive method of video exercising. If I want to do more or would like to redo a session, I just program another set. I like having a method of creating a workout, without fast forwarding.
I travel and having this DVD with me on the road has been a perfect way to stay with the program. I use my laptop DVD player in my room, a couple of water bottles and I am all set!
I didn't notice the accents - just the results!
Rating:
Summary: Great workout for overall fitness
Review: I think I own almost every Jane Fonda video there is out there (and love them), but The Firm really has changed my perception of working out. If you like a good overall workout (not just weights or not just cardio) then this is for you. You can get cardio work, step aerobics,weight work, and short ab work for more bang for your buck. The music took some getting used to but now I enjoy it. The exercises and the constant changing of instructors and activities make The Firm different from other exercise videos/DVD's and much more exciting. I don't get bored doing this video because the songs don't seem to drag on forever. One note of caution is that if you have knee problems or are uncertain of proper weight-lifting form then you may want to avoid this DVD because some of the exercises are high-impact or stressful to joints. Nevertheless, you definitely could modify some of the exercises to make them lower impact. I have seen a big increase in muscle definition in my arms and legs that I didn't have before I began The Firm. I am impressed with The Firm and have purchased more DVD's and videos. The Firm has really helped me to reclaim my strength and overall fitness.
Rating: 
Summary: Blech! Really a STEP workout....
Review: I think this DVD is the lowest I've ever rated anything on Amazon. There are a number of reasons I'm returning this fitness workout, and why you should avoid it if you are looking for a good, not annoying, exercise program. 1. The music is really icky-- kind of elevator-ish instrumental with a beat that doesn't say "cardio workout" to me but instead says "musak at its *worst*." If you care about what the music the workout uses sounds like, very few of you will like this. 2. The workout actually is a cleverly disguised step-workout. If you're going to make a step workout, then label it as such! I was looking for something of a floor dance style cardio-- and nothing on the packaging led me to believe that this was step aerobics. I have a step tape I love, but can't do it because of knee issues and nerve-damage in my foot. So I actually scanned the packaging fairly carefully, and saw a picture and description that led me to believe this was a dance-type lower impact workout with weights (no problem). After watching the DVD, I looked more carefully and saw it says that you have to have a special "Fanny Lifter" (which IS on the back, but wasn't shown in the images, and *wasn't* described as a step-- so until I saw it, I figured I could improvise whatever the Fanny Lifter was... I was wrong). I did see a very tiny print disclaimer about people with "weak knees" or "very out of shape" being able to use a shorter platform. I am in pretty good shape, but yes, weak knees is a big deal. I actually think even if you don't have "weak knees" yet, this workout might make you have them if you do it for long. I needed something with NO platform-- so if this is why you're looking at this instead of a Step workout, don't buy it. The platform you need to buy for this video is actually quite high, also, so even if you're a step workout fan, make sure you are okay with a very high, unstable looking step. It's more a footstool than anything else! It also did not imply that this fanny lifter thing was a pretty much essential part of the workout-- used on almost every section I looked at. It would be really complicated for you to modify the workout if you tried to do it without a step or "fanny lifter." 3. I was annoyed with the fact that I could not fast forward through the DVD credits, intro material, and other 3-5 minutes worth of stuff at the start of the DVD. It seemed like a LONG time to wait while I was standing there in my workout space. The stuff at the beginning was "locked out" and you could not skip at all. If it was a video, I would just not rewind all the way so I could skip that part. But with a DVD, you have to watch it every time. When I am ready to work out, I'm sorry, but I don't really care who the photographer was. It was a waste of my time. I actually can't comment on the difficulty or lack thereof of the routine because I couldn't get past these issues, and instead put in another DVD (the one I mention below). I am entirely too busy to spend that much time on something quite this annoying. I understand that the Firm is supposed to provide a great workout for many people, and if this works for you, and you can skip all these issues, fine. But if the above issues are things you too might find irritating, I suggest instead of this one, the Kathy Smith - Timesaver Cardio Fat Burner DVD (Amazon ASIN: B00005QW4E).
Rating: 
Summary: SAVE YOUR MONEY!
Review: I'm actually glad I didn't buy this DVD, as I had originally intended. I borrowed it from a friend first. This was my first taste of The Firm, as I am usually a gym brat. I wanted a cardio workout I could do at home when I couldn't get to the gym. I HATED this workout from the moment it started. As others have commented, the music selection is horrible. It does very much resemble elevator music, and besides being unmotivating, it is annoying. Second, the steps aren't demonstrated and the instructors move very quickly. It makes it difficult to catch on, and while, I'm sure if I did this workout frequently, I WOULD catch on, I became frustrated early in the workout. Frustration tends to be a big factor in whether or not a workout will become a regular for me, so this workout was immediately shelved. Third, you do need a step for this workout--the routine is almost all done on a step. They suggest their Fanny Lifter (which is expensive), but I think any step will work. I don't have a step and attempted to use a stool. It didn't work and it was awkward. You also need a medicine ball--something else which is expensive and I don't already own. In short, why go purchase these things for a cardio workout when there are better videos on the market that require no extra equipment? I know many people are big fans of The Firm, and I'm sure they have other great workout tapes out there. This is not one of them. I pulled it out again to give another try a few months after my first attempt. I felt exactly the same way. It requires a lot of extra equipment, the music and instructors are not motivating, and the steps are rather advanced. Save yourself the money and look elsewhere for a good cardio DVD.
Rating:
Summary: SAVE YOUR MONEY!
Review: I'm actually glad I didn't buy this DVD, as I had originally intended. I borrowed it from a friend first. This was my first taste of The Firm, as I am usually a gym brat. I wanted a cardio workout I could do at home when I couldn't get to the gym. I HATED this workout from the moment it started. As others have commented, the music selection is horrible. It does very much resemble elevator music, and besides being unmotivating, it is annoying. Second, the steps aren't demonstrated and the instructors move very quickly. It makes it difficult to catch on, and while, I'm sure if I did this workout frequently, I WOULD catch on, I became frustrated early in the workout. Frustration tends to be a big factor in whether or not a workout will become a regular for me, so this workout was immediately shelved. Third, you do need a step for this workout--the routine is almost all done on a step. They suggest their Fanny Lifter (which is expensive), but I think any step will work. I don't have a step and attempted to use a stool. It didn't work and it was awkward. You also need a medicine ball--something else which is expensive and I don't already own. In short, why go purchase these things for a cardio workout when there are better videos on the market that require no extra equipment? I know many people are big fans of The Firm, and I'm sure they have other great workout tapes out there. This is not one of them. I pulled it out again to give another try a few months after my first attempt. I felt exactly the same way. It requires a lot of extra equipment, the music and instructors are not motivating, and the steps are rather advanced. Save yourself the money and look elsewhere for a good cardio DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Chaotic cardio
Review: It's a cardio tape with fast and chaotic excercises. There is a fast change of equipment: little chair, medecine ball and weights, so you end up skipping reps. It will make you sweat but you'll feel annoyed because there is no clear direction of what's coming next. The weights' section is so short that you should not count that as a weight routine.
They should have just openly said that there is step aerobics and used a real stepper instead of these small chairs.
They were trying to create a domestic atmosphere but the carpets and the mirrors just made it worse.
Rating: 
Summary: kicks butt!
Review: Let me preface this by saying this is my first "The Firm" workout. I know they have many out there and have been producing them for years.
I ordered this DVD after seeing "The Firm" infomercial on TV. I had NO IDEA how hard it would be! I have been doing other aerobic DVDs at home, but I was exhausted after the warm-up and first set of excercises The Firm has put together.
I think hard-core fitness buffs will be able to get the most out of this. It is going to take me awhile to learn their lingo and master their moves. It was difficult for me to even keep pace with them. But, if you are experienced with combining weights with cardio, this is a great DVD.
I gave it four stars because it is an awesome, kick-butt workout; it would be helpful to have a couple of scenes just for beginners. It is very important (for beginners)to watch their "fitness training program" before you attempt the workout.
The music is a little cheesy and it is hard to get used to their South Carolina drawls, but overall, a fantastic workout!
Rating:
Summary: NOT for Beginners
Review: This DVD is not for Beginners but great for those who are intermediate and advanced. I really enjoyed it. I started working out with Kathy Smith and Denise Alston but I needed a new environment that's when I turned to The Firm. It is fun to customize your own exercises. The exercise I really enjoy is the Power Jump/Run. You can burn calories and tone your calves. I rate this 5 stars plus.
Rating:
Summary: Nobody said this was easy
Review: This is a fantastic workout! You sweat, you ache, but you don't lose interest. The idea of being able to customize your workout is fantastic - if only more workout dvds would follow suit. The tape does include a lot of jumping, which isn't so great for some apartment dwellers, but doesn't seem to hurt the knees too much. And for those of us who don't want to shell out the [money] for a fanny lifter, may I suggest the Fisher Price Step Stool Potty. It's a little loud to step on and not quite as high, but at [the price] it gets the job done.
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