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Keeps your heart pumping! |
November 17, 2008 |
| Reviewer:
AngelCake from San Diego, CA
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I have been using the Firm workout videos for over 5 years now, and I love that they keep getting better! I started with my mom's 80's and 90's VHS tapes, and decided to see what had changed for The Firm since then. This workout is not quite as well balanced as the old tapes as far as working every muscle group with targeted weight training, but will definitely keep your heart pumping more than they did! Alison never lets you have a moment's breath as you move between weight training with bursts of plyometrics to energetic cardio. This is the first workout I've seen that breaks the segments up visually, with a brief graphic animation telling you what section comes next. Usually you just have to guess, but this gives you fair warning that you'll be moving into cardio or plyometrics. I don't really understand why this is called a "Bootcamp" training video, as the moves just seem like aerobics and basic cross-training moves. My two big gripes are that there are very few abdominal exercises and zero cool down after all that cardio. They try to sell you on the idea that you are doing "standing abdominals" in the "Cool Down" section, but I didn't feel the moves in my abs at all. This alleged "Cool Down" section just includes twisting your torso as you lunge and squat with a light dumbell. Just felt like more forelimb work to me (working uppper and lower body together). I pause the DVD after this segment and do my own cool down before moving to the floor for a real ab workout. Thankfully none of the moves Alison utilizes require fancy footwork or extensive coordination. I like how simple they are, but they get a bit boring after a couple times through the regimen. I wish there were more than just 3 girls to watch, as I like to see variations of the moves. It's nice for beginners to be able to watch one of the girls perform easier versions of each exercise, but the camera too often focuses on just her so moderate and advanced exercisers can't see what they should be doing. Overall, this is a great addition to my collection of other Firm tapes and DVD's. Any good home exercise regimen requires change and variation, and the plyometrics and constant, unrelenting pace of this workout are refreshingly different than many others. So if you're looking for a workout that keeps you breathless but still offers some legitimate weight training moves, this is a great one for you to try!
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