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Firm Express Reviews
? Search no more!!!! Below are detailed reviews for each and every Firm Express workout! Let me know what you think of the set.
I LOVE it!
I did a
30 day Firm Express rotation and lost FIVE lbs
! Which is excellent for me as 1) I’ve been at my current weight for a long time- finally busted through a plateau and 2) it was during Christmas and New Years! So obviously my diet was not the best!
Firm Express: Cycle 1: Ignite
Emily Welsh, 2010
The Ignite cycle w/o’s are led by Emily. There are three 20 minute dvds; a cardio, cardio + sculpt, and sculpt. The Ignite workouts feature moderate to high impact and allow for heavier weights. There are 2 backgrounders, one shows beginner modifications. The set is really cute-kind of looks like a basketball court floor w/ nice wood & light colors in the background. You will only need dumbells for the Firm Express series. All Firm Express workouts feature 8 second power bursts w/ a 12 second recovery.
Ignite Cardio + Sculpt:
This dvd is about 50/50% cardio/sculpt. Interspersed in the AWT are series of four 8 second bursts with 12 seconds recovery. The power move gets progressively harder each time. Some of the power burst moves include low jack progressing to plyo jacks, fast feet, & modified burpees/ regular burpees. The C+S work includes shift squats, power squats, pliet-squat-kick backs, lunge w/ a row & curl, squat into a burpee & pushup, plank rows w/ pushups, and finishes with some standing oblique work.
Ignite Sculpt:
The progressive 8 second bursts get your heart rate up and the strength work in this keeps it up there. The 8 second bursts include fast side lunges, Mt. Climber variations, & a “quick quick run” move. The strength work includes lots of nice combo moves: dips w/ bicep curls, side lunges w/ French press, lat row in a static squat, pliet heel slide, squat w/ a curl & OH press, hinge & row, reverse bridge w/ an oblique twist, push up w/ a reach, pec fly w/ skull crushers & leg extensions, V sits, and concludes with lower back work. They combined moves perfectly so the poundage was appropriate for all moves.
Ignite Cardio:
This is an all cardio w/o that includes non-progressive 8 second bursts (most high intensity). Eight second bursts include: fast low jacks progressing to jacks, plyo hops, & plyo knee pull lunges. Other cardio work combines a mix of low & high impact/intensity work including: double step touch w/ a punch, jab- cross- knee- kick combo, lunges & squats into plyo versions, wide high knees, and low & high jacks.
I liked that part of the 12 second recovery is used for set up- no wasted time- quick recovery and back to work! These workouts move right along and you will work up a nice sweat in the 20 minutes. Time flys even combining 2. I rate these solid intermediates that (like all Firms) are really easy to modify up or down. These contain fun new moves so they are different from other Firms, but still athletic and combine strength & cardio work as Firms always have. The intro is quick and says “I am Gaiam” and moves right into the menu- so combining w/o’s is pretty painless! I received these dvds to review.
Firm Express:
Cycle 2: Accelerate
Rebekah Sturkie, 2010
The Accelerate cycle w/o’s are led by Rebekah. There are three 20 minute dvds; a cardio, sculpt, & cardio + sculpt. The Accelerate workouts feature moderate to high impact and allows for heavier weights. There are 2 backgrounders, one shows beginner modifications. The set is really cute-kind of looks like a basketball court floor w/ nice wood & light colors in the background. You will only need dumbells for the Firm Express series. All Firm Express workouts feature 8 second power bursts w/ a 12 second recovery.
Accelerate Cardio + Sculpt:
This workout combines cardio, strength, and 8 second bursts. The bursts include: explosive V-hops, speed squat-shuffles, & plyo pliets w/ arm scoops. Other work consists of low & hi impact cardio and combo strength moves: soccer kicks, low walks, squat -dip- floor touch, V steps & hops, diagonal lunges w/ rows, squats w/ hammer curls, pushups w/ tri kickbacks, standing to kneeling w/ bicep curl & OH press, leaping lunges, static pliet w/ scoops, hinge & row, upright row w/ abduction, pliet w/ French press, volleyball set & bumps, squat w/ low reach and hops, and concludes w/ standing ab work.
Accelerate Sculpt:
This is a strength w/o that includes 8 second cardio bursts. The moves in the 8 second bursts are: skaters, a fast plank lunge, weighted power side lunges, and weighted power lunges. The strength work includes 1 legged squats- into lunge w/ row, pliet- curtsy dip combo, static side lunge w/ tricep kickback, deadlifts, bicep curl variations, & concludes w/ static pliets w/ side bends/ side chops.
Accelerate Cardio:
This is an all cardio w/o with 8 second power bursts. The bursts include a quick quick run move, power squat /turning power squat, a Mt. Climber type move where you kick your leg out to the other side (kind of a side plank/ Mt Climber combo) fast X jumps, & a high knee w/ punch. Other cardio work includes: hi and lo jacks, X jumps, walk forward w/ a kick, a squat rear kick punch combo, cross country skiing, power lunges, and finishes w/ lunges & core work combos.
While Rebekah is one of my fav instructors- I could have done w/out her continual high pitch “WHOOOW-ing” in these. Also she seemed to only go 6-7 seconds on the power bursts- (theres a timer). The actual Accelerate w/o’s are solid, unique, and I like them even more than the Ignite w/o’s. I really enjoyed all three w/o’s!!!!!! I love how these (& Ignite) cooldown w/ some quick standing ab work.
Part of the 12 second recovery is used for set up- no wasted time- quick recovery and back to work! These workouts move right along and you will work up a nice sweat in the 20 minutes. Time flys even combining 2. I rate Accelerate solid-higher intermediates that (like all Firms) are really easy to modify up or down. These contain fun new moves so they are different from other Firms, but still athletic and combine strength & cardio work as Firms always have. The intro is quick and says “I am Gaiam” and moves right into the menu- so combining w/o’s is pretty painless! I received these dvds to review.
Firm Express: Cycle 3 Turbocharge
Alison Davis, 2010
The Turbocharge cycle w/o’s are led by Alison. There are three 20 minute dvds; a cardio, sculpt, & cardio + sculpt. The Turbocharge workouts are designed as active re-charging (though I didnt find them easier than the others in the set). They feature moderate impact and allows for moderately heavier weights. There are 2 backgrounders, one shows beginner modifications. The set is really cute-kind of looks like a basketball court floor w/ nice wood & light colors in the background. You will only need dumbbells for the Firm Express series. All Firm Express workouts feature 8 second power bursts w/ a 12 second recovery.
Turbocharge Cardio + Sculpt:
This workout combines cardio, strength, and 8 second bursts. The bursts include: tire run, horizontal leaping floor touches, fast lunges, & high knees. Other work includes: step knee hops, skaters, ham curl variations, pliet w/ French press, a cool diagonal lunge w/ row where you put down & pick up your #s, squat abductions, hinge & row w/ a rear kick, 1 legged squats w/ bicep curls, a fun shuffle V hop/ tire run plyo lunge combo, curtsy dip w/ front raise and finishes w/ plank w/ knee pulls & pushups.
Turbocharge Sculpt:
This is a strength w/o that includes 8 second cardio bursts. The moves in the bursts are: plyo lunges, plank jacks, floor touch to high knee jump, & kettlebell swing. The rest of the work includes: lunge w/ bicep curl & shoulder raise, hinge & row, plank rows & plank lunges, a static lunge w/ hands on the ground, 1 legged pushups, step squats w/ hi pull, pliet front raise, concentrated curls, static squat w/ a row & glute pinch & finishes w/ elevator planks (from hands to elbows).
Turbocharge Cardio:
This is an all cardio w/o with 8 second power bursts. The bursts include: side lunge floor touches, squat & jump kicks, 1 legged hops back & forth, & a quick step touch. Other cardio work includes: knee pulls, power lunges, weighted side lunges while passing the dumbbell under your knee, skaters, shuffle forward- punch- shuffle back – knee pull, & kettlebell swing w/ a fast walk up & back.
I felt this set was a bit more choreographed than the others Ive done but was still pretty easy to catch onto. I liked that Alison used weights in the cardio w/o. The C+S dvd had a lot of combo moves so it was hard to really heavy up. She used the entire 8 seconds in the C+S & C, but not in the S. Fun choreo routines w/out being complicated. Alisons token phrase is “ahhhhhhh” in these
Part of the 12 second recovery is used for set up- no wasted time- quick recovery and back to work! These workouts move right along and you will work up a nice sweat in the 20 minutes. Time flys even combining 2. I rate Turbocharge solid intermediates that (like all Firms) are really easy to modify up or down. These contain fun new moves so they are different from other Firms, but still athletic and combine strength & cardio work as Firms always have. The intro is quick and says “I am Gaiam” and moves right into the menu- so combining w/o’s is pretty painless! I received these dvds to review.
Firm Express
: Cycle 4 Overdrive
Kelsie Daniels, 2010
The Overdrive cycle w/o’s are led by Kelsie. There are three 20 minute dvds; a cardio, sculpt, & cardio + sculpt. The Overdrive workouts offer the most challenging cardio (though I didnt find them any tougher than the others in the set). They allow for the heaviest weights of the series (I agree). There are 2 backgrounders, one shows beginner modifications. The set is really cute-kind of looks like a basketball court floor w/ nice wood & light colors in the background. You will only need dumbbells for the Firm Express series. All Firm Express workouts feature 8 second power bursts w/ a 12 second recovery.
Overdrive
Cardio + Sculpt:
This workout combines cardio, strength, and 8 second bursts. The bursts include: tuck jumps, side leap w/ high knees, quick curtsy dip to side lunge, and lunge hops. The remainder of the w/o works your UB & LB evenly (yay) and includes low and high impact cardio & sculpting work. Moves include: ham curls, jacks, power lunges & squats, burpee -pushup -bicep combo, OH press w/ dip, curtsy dips w/ hinge & row and trcip kickbacks, squat w/ hammer & concentration curls, shuffle rock step kick combo, and finishes w/ V sit & leg extension variations.
Overdrive Sculpt:
This is a strength w/o that includes 8 second cardio bursts. The moves in the bursts are: floor tap- kicks, rear tap while pulling your #’s back, the ol’ Firm bicep-tricep side touch move, & OH press w/ knee raise. The other work includes: deadlift bicep curls w/a balance knee lift, bridge, bench press- skull crusher combo, squat w/ OH press, pushup w/ direction, French press, lat rows, hammer curls, surrenders w/ lat raise, and ends with plank & elevator planks.
Overdrive Cardio:
This is an all cardio kickboxing w/o with 8 second power bursts, most of the work is pretty low impact in this one. The bursts include: weighted sidekicks w/ a punch down, weighted front kicks, front & back kicks, and hitch kicks. She does lots of punch/ kick combos including: jab -cross- sidekick-squat, jumps, jacks, shuffle-punch- kick combos, and finishes w/ standing ab & oblique work. I rate this w/o intermediate.
I really really really liked this cycle. Def my fav of the series. Her routines are fun, athletic, and unique. Great little combos, love the kickboxing. I rate: C+S high intermediate to low advanced, S = allows for heavy weights & is appropriate for all skill levels depending on the poundage used, and the C is intermediate & low impact.
Part of the 12 second recovery is used for set up- no wasted time- quick recovery and back to work! These workouts move right along and you will work up a nice sweat in the 20 minutes. Time flys even combining 2. These (like all Firms) are really easy to modify up or down in impact & intensity. These contain fun new moves so they are different from other Firms, but still athletic and combine strength & cardio work as Firms always have. The intro is quick and says “I am Gaiam” and moves right into the menu- so combining w/o’s is pretty painless! I received these dvds to review.
Firm Express: Kickstart Your Metabolism
Jen Ray, 2010
This is the (awesome) “bonus” dvd in the Firm Express kit. It contains a 10 minute ab workout and a 10 minute AWT w/o. Both are led by Jen w/ 2 backgrounders. The set is really cute-kind of a basketball court floor w/ nice wood & light colors in the background. You will only need dumbbells for the Firm Express series.
Pump It Up!:
This is an awesome 10 minute AWT workout. In this w/o you do one set of 8 second bursts (w/ 12 seconds of recovery) then a strength and/or cardio move and repeat. So literally 1/2 of this workout is bursts- loved it! The bursts were all weighted and include: plyo jumps & then she adds in OH press, weighted lunges & adds in bicep curls, and plank moguls. The rest of the workout includes: ski w/ weights & alternating reach, side lunge w/ tricep kickback & dumbbell floor touch, squat- clean & press- abduction, dips & bicep curls, and pushups & renegade rows.
Shortcut to Flat Abs:
This is a fun 10 minute weighted core routine. You will need 1 dumbbell for all the work in this. Standing moves include: standing weighted crunches, squat w/ a chop & swing, and windmill. Floor work includes: clam shell crunch w/ a pullover, side knee drops w/ pec fly, roll ups, bridge w/ sky marches, V sit while rowing, supermans, scorpion low back work, and plank into side plank w/ hip raises.
I absolutely LOVED Pump It Up!- if all the dvds in this set were structured like this- I would be in heaven (well probably because they’d have killed me). I would rate Pump It Up! a low advanced-if it were 20 min I would say advanced. Shortcut to Flat Abs is a great solid intermediate ab w/o. Jen is a great lead- good curing, nice demeanor. She didnt always use all 8 seconds in the bursts though.
These workouts move right along.
No
wasted time and you will work up a nice sweat in the 10 minute AWT w/o. These (like all Firms) are really easy to modify up or down in impact & intensity. These contain fun new moves and the time really flys. The intro is quick and says “I am Gaiam” and moves right into the menu- so combining w/o’s is pretty painless! I received these dvds to review.
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thanks for this post. i was wondering if i should make the investment in this series, and your review has totally got me committed! i love the breakdown of the specific activities in each workout … it’s much easier to anticipate what i’m getting myself into
also, i was unsure as to whether or not i needed more equipment than i had, so i do appreciate that you made a point of mentioning that.
For those thinking about purchasing the Firm Express: You should know that when you order online and start to finalize your order, do NOT be fooled about the free vitamins. If you click to accept it, it will automatically charge you 3 payments of $29.99. I am now trying to have them cancel that out of my order (but I’ll have to wait until Monday to do anything about since it’s the weekend and customer service is not open). If you call this number: 800-736-0652 for help, don’t waste your time. Those people don’t know anything and can’t help. All they do is take orders. I’ve never had a good experience purchasing infomercial items but took a risk with this because it seems to be promising. Ordering infomercial items are always such a hassle so shady.
I had the same problem with the vitamins. I emailed them and they responded right away. I asked to cancel the shipment that comes after the initial order and they cancelled my entire order, but I’m not being charged for it so I ordered the FirmExpress again, but did not accept any of the “free” gifts.
Yeah I have a question,on the infomercial it shows them using weights during their workouts,where can I find information on what kind of weights/heavyness to buy?
I have been using The Firm for the past few weeks now. I did it a little differently than instructed. I stayed on the first cyle with Emily for about three weeks. I just finished the second cyle this week. I wanted to try to build my strength up before moving on, not to mention get some of these moves down.
For several years, I have been using Leslie Sansone DVDs (walking at home). I started getting very bored with it, and I also noticed I wasn’t seeing many results. I saw The Firm Express advertised on TV, did a little research on it and decided to purchase it. I am really glad I did. The workouts are intense, and they do not miss one area in the 20-minute workout. I am still working at a lower intensity, but I have noticed myself getting stronger and losing some inches and weight just in the time I have been doing these workouts. I haven’t gone through all of them yet, but the first two cycles are very good, as is the 10-minute workout. Who knew you could work up such a sweat in 10-20 minutes, but I assure you, you will! These workouts are tough, but you really feel as if you have gotten in a good workout for the day.
As a side note, Emily (1st cycle) is a way better instructor than Rebekah (2nd cycle). Rebekah and her high-pitched squeals really gets annoying. I am not sure why they didn’t edit those squeals out….they should have!
In addition, I try to workout five mornings a week, so I will go through that week’s cycles DVDs for (cycle one, two, three or four)…typically Monday – Wednesday. Then, I will do the cardio from that same cycle again on Thursday, and do a Cardio from a previous cycle on Friday. In addition, I try to get in short workouts later in the day (20 minutes…..good time to use the 10-minute boost workout) about 3 or 4 times a week. I am trying to lose weight, so I am doing what I can. I work full-time, but these shorter workouts really enable me to get the workouts I need.
As far as weights, I only have 5 pound and 8 pound weights. So far, I have only used the 5 pound weights until I get more accustomed to the workouts. I also have wrist weights, which will come in handy as I progress through the workouts. In my opinion, if you have a couple sets of weights….3, 5, 8, 10 pound…..whatever you feel comfortable with, and maybe some wrist weights, you will be good to go.
Overall, I really do like this system. It is a great way to target every area in a short amount of time. I do not have the time to workout for an hour every morning, an truthfully, these workouts are so intense that I feel as if I have worked out for an hour. When I was using Leslie Sansone videos, many of them were 40-60 minutes. I get a better workout from The Firm Express than I ever did with those. I would highly recommend this workout program. The length of the workouts, the intensity of the workouts, and the variety of the workouts makes this system one of the best.
I too have Walk a way the pounds and find it boreing and was wondering if I should make the leap of faith and invest in the MAJOR investment and get the DVD’s. Thanks for the reveiew. I am wondering what weights to start out at? I have a 5lbs, is that good enough?
I am overweight and am at a plateu and need to get started again, and walking isn’t doing it, would is program work?
I don’t want to invest in a informercial hyp only to find a disapontment later. Dose she have a beginner side in the program? I am curious.
Thanks
im waiting for my firm express to get here i cant wait to try it i am a young mom and would love to use the baby weight i have a question does it help loose the lower part of you belly not sure what its called but that little flab that hangs? thats the most problem that i have loosing and would like to know if it would help loose it?
The cheapest place to purchase the Firm Expres is through Amazon.com. You can get free shipping also for making a purchase over 25$.
You can also get the Firm Express from Walmart…I purchased mine there for about $78 plus tax.
The beauty of this program is that you only use each workout ONCE per month. IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER, you really don’t even need weights during the first month, because they suggest you do each of the workouts WITHOUT WEIGHTS the first time through.
Target and Walmart have some medium-quality hand weights for a few dollars each once you start using them. I’ve done Firm workouts for years and usually go for 3 lb and 5 lb weight for most exercises. After one and a half or two months, you may want to incorporate 8 lb weights for a couple of the workouts (OR – hold a 3 lb and a 5 lb weight crisscrossed in each hand). Get Neoprene coated weights! Metal ones are slippery and make your hands smell.
As for the diet plan, it’s your basic “eat less and incorporate more lean protein, whole grain and fruit” style of plan. It’s what we all know we should do – the kind of meal you see the 110 lb workout fanatic eating – the best possible interpretation of the newly revised FDA Food Pyramid. And maybe one day I really will eat like that without feeling totally deflated, but I would suggest finding a diet you think might work for you WITHOUT the exercise plan, and then incorporate that one WITH the exercise plan. (The Firm is known for their aerobics, not their dieticians).
My go-to plan is the South Beach diet because it was created by a CARDIOLOGIST for people who need to improve HEART HEALTH, with the lucky side effect of helping those people lose weight AND reverse or halt symptoms of diabetic and pre-diabetic people. It’s a great diet for people who love to cook, and you can eat as much as you want if you stick to the list of approved foods. If you aren’t into cooking, I’d go with a Zone or Jenny Craig kind of thing where you buy a lot of pre-made meals. That’s obviously going to be more expensive, but you could also do the Weight Watchers “food roulette” style of plan where you get meal options and count points.
Most importantly, remember not to get too dragged down in the details and accoutrements. Skip the pills, the web club, the endless charts and logs. Make one goal – complete each workout once. Next month, repeat that goal, but with weights. After that, repeat that goal but with heavier weights. It’s a GRAND TOTAL OF FOUR HOURS OF EXERCISE, SPREAD OVER ONE MONTH. How hard can it be to commit to that?
So I have a question… this workout has interested me for a while and my boyfriend wants to try it with me. Would it work for guys?