The Firm: Burn & Shape

After doing my first The Firm workout, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed. But not for the usual exercise DVD reasons. The cuing was good, the moves were unique and effective, the music wasn't terrible and no one had mall bangs. In summation, the DVD was so good that I have no material. Damn.

So, dear readers, forgive my lack of snarky and humorous comments in this review; this one is a goodie and here's why: The workout lasts 40 minutes. Not too long, not too short. The lead instructor Emily Welsh has a Southern accent, but it's not too Southern, as to evoke visions of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind. The workout is time efficient. In that 40 minutes you get a warm-up, strength and cardio sections that are alternated to keep your heart rate elevated, a solid abs section and a cool down. Again, not too much, not too little. It's like Goldilocks; everything is juuust right.

The DVD is probably best for intermediate exercisers, but beginners should try it, too, as Allison, one of the other The Firm girls, shows excellent modifications. It retails for just $12.99. What I enjoyed most about the DVD were the refreshingly different moves. During the cardio blitzes you get some fun and somewhat funky choreography that isn't easy, but isn't impossible. They're the kind of moves that you may not do perfectly the first or second time, but you probably will the third or fourth time. Basically, they're complicated enough to be fun each time you do it, but not so impossible that you cuss out your TV. The strength moves were equally refreshing. You combine upper-body moves with lower-body moves, thereby keeping your heart rate elevated and the cals a burnin'. Some of my fave strength combo moves were walking lunges paired with clean and presses and bicep curls, double lunges with rows, and planks with tricep push-ups. I'm a The Firm convert.

You don't need a lot of crazy equipment either. Just light, medium and heavy weights (I used 5 lbs, 8 lbs and 10 lbs, and it worked well), and, if you have hard-word floors, I recommend grabbing a mat or a pillow for your knees during the push-ups. Unless you're a push-up pro and can do them on your toes, in which case, go you! Toes or knees, all the moves are effective and my fit bottom—along with my back, chest and triceps—were talking to me the next day.

FBG Rating (Out of 5):
Instruction: ★★★★★
Long-Term Likeability: ★★★★★

Music: ★★★★

Fun Factor: ★★★★

Meets Expectations: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★1/2

Fit Bottom line: If you're looking for a fresh, quick and effective cardio and sculpt DVD, this is one of the best out there. Period. (And thus far, this is our highest rated DVD evah.) — Jenn

Photos grabbed fromwww.photobucket.com.