The Firm: Ultimate Fat Burning Workout

I'm not really one to write reviews for things, but I feel as though these workouts deserve recognition. My first experience with The Firm was a few years ago when I decided to buy and try the Transfirmer series of workouts. I wasn't necessarily a beginner at that time, but man..those workouts kicked my butt! I then ordered the previous body sculpting series videos to rotate to avoid boredom. I had great success with them but for whatever reason, I ended up joining a local gym and the The Firm videos/step began collecting dust. Fast forward to present, a husband and almost 2 year old daughter later, I decided I needed something that worked for me at home bc trying to coordinate a toddler to your desired gym schedule isn't necessarily the easiest task (not to mention wasting so much gas). It dawned on me to re-order some of The Firm workouts, new and older DVDs; no more driving 30 minutes to the gym for me! Let me tell you, as someone who is by no means a beginner when it comes to fitness, these workouts are no joke. I got a better workout with these DVDs than I did at any class or time on the treadmill/elliptical. I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone who wants to get in shape and get there FAST. I can tell a change in my body already-they promise results in 10 workouts, but you'll see it before then. Trust me. What's also great is that you can make them as easy or as challenging as you desire-increase or decrease your weight. Either way, you'll get a great workout!

I saw Alison Davis's "Ultimate Fat Burning Workout" on-demand years ago. I thought it was great and I memorized a few of the exercises for me to do on my own. The day after Christmas in 2013, I decided to buy this, my first workout DVD, as I wanted to take advantage of my limited-time two-day free shipping offer.I first attempted the workout on December 30, 2013, the day it arrived in the mail. I was forced to stop it because I had to tend to family duties. On New Year's Day 2014, I did the whole 40-minute workout right after breakfast to get the New Year started off right. Alison is a friendly instructor who wants everybody to do their best as they work out with her. Her exercises had me sweating! I felt very good once I finished the workout. Yes, I'm a male and I find this workout effective for both men and women. This is a very effective workout and I recommend it to all people, male and female. I can't wait to do this workout again and again and again!

Cardio Dance is one of the best ways to slim down your waist and upper body. If you're the apple shape like me, these rapid upper body movements and twisting moves train the upper body muscles for endurance. Not to mention the cardio and calorie burning. I think this one is fun for dancers and non dancers. Once you learn the moves you can really fly.

For about the first 10 minutes of this workout- I just wasn't that excited about it and it didn't seem as 'hard' as other Firm workouts. By the middle- I was liking it. By the end, I was sweating pretty hard. I don't think I'll be sore tomorrow or anything (I guess I'll see) but then again, this is a cardio workout so the objective is to work up a good sweat. Unlike some reviewers, I liked the amount of repetition in the movements. It seems to help me get in a good rhythm. Perhaps that will eventually get boring but I think the workout was rather fun.I liked the twisting abs moves as I think that's something that will make a big difference over time but beginners should be careful not to twist too much as you could injure yourself.I will add this one to my regular rotation- esp. on days I don't feel like doing leg presses or getting out a lot of equipment. Not the hardest Firm DVD but still enough to get a good cardio workout.

The problem with this dvd is that I already had it. What I thought I was purchasing was a different dvd because the photo advertised on the dvd is totally different from what I already have. It’s deceptive.

In the morning, when I'm tired and groggy and have forced myself out of bed to workout, I usually stand in front of my DVD player and go through my pile of workout videos deciding what I'm in the mood for that morning. I choose this video more often than any of the others. It's only 40 minutes, so that's nice (especially if I've hit the snooze button one too many times.) Also, it's entertaining to do. The different segments go quickly, and there aren't many parts of it that I don't actually enjoy doing. What I get out of it does depend on what I put into though. Sometimes, if I'm doing the moves somewhat half-heartedly, I'll end up burning at least 150 less calories (according to my handy-dandy heart rate monitor) than if I do it with a lot of intensity and good form.All in all, one of my favorite "go-to" workouts because I actually like doing it...which ultimately makes all the difference in the world.