I used to have a number of the old Firms in VCR format and liked them a lot. I've also borrowed some of the newer ones, which are done in a different style and think these are also great, in my opinion. When the Firm changed its management (and workout style), some video fitness users had problems with the company, I believe, but that seems to have been resolved and it seems the workouts are pretty popular. There's a lot on the Firm out there on the net, maybe in this site's exercise forum as well, I'm not sure, where you can get opinons. Maybe a kindly mod here will give you a link.
But just to offer my opinion, the Firm will give ye a good workout.
I have tried a few of the Firm exercise videos. I especially like Supercharged Sculpting with Pam and Aerobics with Weights with Emily. I have trouble following Stephanie Huckabee in the Ultimate Calorie Blaster, so for aerobics, I tend to go back to Tae Bo cardio and I just got a new dvd with Kelli Roberts called 10 Minute Kickbox Bootcamp. It's a great workout that doesn't require a lot of coordination!
Except for a couple Cathe Friedrich videos I have, I do the Firm almost exclusively for exercise. My abolute favorites are the Firm Strenth/Cardio duo, and the Tortise/Hare duo. I find most cardio very boring and would rather lift, so I love being able to lift weights while keeping my heart rate up. The trick is the sequencing of exercises...a couple minutes of pure cardio, then perhaps some upper body, then lower, then back to a little cardio..etc
The Firm will definitely work if you are consistent and eat well. It does show results in 10 workouts, like the commercials say. You can get alot of the older "kits" with the steps and the incline board at Target now. It usually takes them about 6 months to get the latest new infomercial on the shelves. The website for their club is Firmdirect.com. I wouldn't recommend the clubsite, I always join for the 30 days free (which requires a cc) when I get my new set and then cancel, disappointed that they still haven't created a good bulletin board community (it is lite years behind this one for example). I have always been credited for the charges, no problem though.
I don't know anything about the newer workouts, but I have some of the older tapes, and they're terrific. They workouts are well-paced and well-designed, with excellent cuing. My only warning is to be careful if you have knee problems, because they do put a lot of stress on the knees. I have to change some of the footwork when I do them because of this, which unfortunately means I'm not getting the full intensity of the leg exercises. If you don't have knee problems, though, this may not be an issue for you.
Those workout tapes really kick my butt! Some of the moves are so choreographed and advanced that I can't keep up, though. So when that happens I just march or move around crazily until they get to a section that I can actually do. hehe.
Oh..Yeah The Firm works..if you stick to it. I have a problem sticking to it. Because when I started I had problems doing some of the moves and also made me very sore (workout kicked my butt!). I also found it a little monotonous... But yes if you stick to it it should work for you in approx. 10 workouts (if you follow their plan its about 3 workouts a week for a few weeks than 4 so it takes about 3-4 weeks to see results if you use consistantly). I have btw the three dvd set with the box that has the three different postions. Incline box position, higher box position, and lower (I think 6 inch) position. I like the fat blasting cardio dvd the most (that one is about 30 minutes and the body sculpting and muscle shaping are an hour) but you don't get to use that one for a couple weeks (if you follow their plan). Hope that helps. :-)
I also have the 3 DVDs, (Cardio Blast, Body Sculpting and some other one with Huckabee whom I can't follow just yet). I have been doing it for about 3 weeks now and have lost 6.5 inches -- 2 inches alone in my thigh! They are tough and a phenominal workout for the legs, hips and butt.
My mom has the Maximum calorie burn plus abs with Allie Del Rio and the Complete aerobics and weight training with Emily Welsh (and some other ones, but I can't find where she put them.) I've used these tapes before and although some moves were just too difficult to follow, it still was a really great workout.
The only thing that worries me is the fact that they've all got really muscled thighs. Like, big and muscled. That's perfectly fine for them (and for anyone else who wishes to look like that, so please don't think I'm being insulting!), it's just personally for me, I don't want to have such thick thighs. I've had thick thighs since I was in high school because of fat, I want to have toned SLENDER thighs. Is there a way to prevent my thighs from becoming as developed as theirs???
The FIrm definitely does work. I started with their workouts years ago and anytime I need a fast showing result, I reach for these. I have some of the newer ones only b/c so many are 30 minutes and you can do 2 30 minute ones back to back or one in the am & one in the pm and get a decent workout. My faves and the ones that yield the most results for me though are all of the old original pre Goodtimes/GT media ones put out.
I am fortunate enough to go to their studio, where the classes are just as tough as the old tapes and your bady does have results in 10 workouts (or less as it has been for me.)
Anna Benson (one of the trio that started The Firm) has now started a video workout called Fitprime. These are very in tune with the older Firms, but with a twist of functional fitness and are fantabulous workouts as well. These are desinged to challenge your balance and have the fusion fitness concept down.
I just got my Firm set and tried it tonight. I lasted about 25 minutes beore I had to quit. I did try the 14 inch step and that was tough!! I think I will have to modify it for now until I can keep up with the video. I did like it though, I was sweating by the time I stopped. I have to say though....I feel so uncoordinated. I kept moving (even though it was the wrong moves) I hope as I go on that will improve.
I just got my Firm set and tried it tonight. I lasted about 25 minutes beore I had to quit. I did try the 14 inch step and that was tough!! I think I will have to modify it for now until I can keep up with the video. I did like it though, I was sweating by the time I stopped. I have to say though....I feel so uncoordinated. I kept moving (even though it was the wrong moves) I hope as I go on that will improve.
Lynn
You may want to try this with the 6 inch portion, or thr 8 inch portion or if that is too much, substitue with dips. I did that for years, then moved the the smaller portion of the step, now I am on the 8 inch portion, not really wanting to go to the 14 to prevent the Spnogebob butt I keep reading about, andalso to prevent my knees from going bad again.
The Firm?
I lasted about 25 minutes beore I had to quit. I did try the 14 inch step and that was tough!! I think I will have to modify it for now until I can keep up with the video. I did like it though, I was sweating by the time I stopped. I have to say though....I feel so uncoordinated. I kept moving (even though it was the wrong moves) I hope as I go on that will improve.