10-27-17, 11:34 AM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
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I started a classic Firm rotation about 6 weeks ago and gosh I just LOVE these workouts. Add me to the list that classic Firms seems to be making my other workouts easier, or at least not harder as I am focusing on something else. I was sure that Tonique would be harder since I'm only doing Sylwia's workouts maybe 1-2 times a week instead of 4-5 times a week, but actually they seem equally doable as they did before.
I don't love Volume 3 because the floor work is sprinkled through the workout instead of all at the end. Also, I don't care for the standing cardio too much. So I shorten the workout to about 45 minutes by skipping the cardio, and I do love the strength work, and the strength focused cardio work (like the side leg abductions with squats and lateral raises, etc.) It's still a must have in my collection. I rarely do Volume 5 but I did it during my first cycle through classic Firms and I wanted to do every workout. It's mostly cardio (indeed, mostly step cardio) with some leg press and abs, with sometimes confusing foot work. It doesn't really have any strength work for arms outside of light work from the 4 limb cardio. I'm glad I revisited it but it is probably my least favorite of the original six volumes. For reference my absolute favorite is Vol. 1, then 4, 2, 3, 6, and 5 (least of all). My other favorites are Firm Cardio with Heidi and Maximum Body Sculpting/Shaping with Tracie, Better Body and Buns, and Tough Tape 2, although I love most of the BBH era Firms.
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"Feel strong and beautiful. Be a Tonique woman." -Sylwia |
10-27-17, 11:58 AM | |
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Virginia
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Volume 3 is one of my favorites. When I first started using it, I absolutely dreaded it. IMHO it's the toughest of the Classic volumes, next to Volume 1. Now that I'm have more endurance and stamina, I love V3! In fact, I did it last Sunday and enjoyed every minute of it. I surprised myself by using weights on the higher end of Sandahl's recommended ranges throughout the workout.
Volume 5 is one of my "like, but don't love" workouts. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't have enough upper body work for me. I know that I can pair it with more work if I like, but I'd rather do one full-body workout straight through. LaReine is pleasant, and I DO like the workout, but if I want a Firm with lower body emphasis I'd choose Better Body & Buns over V5. Volume 6 is one of my favorites. I used it, along with Volume 4, a lot back when I started because of the low-impact nature of them. If you heavy up with V6, it is TOUGH. For reference, I rank the Volumes in order of favorite for me: (from most to least ) 1, 4, 3, 6, 2, 5. (6 and 2 are tied for the same place) Although I love the Classics, my favorite Firms are from the Tortoise/Hare era through the Supers (1999). In particular: Firm Cardio, Firm Strength, Tortoise, and Maximum Body Sculpting. Oh, and don't forget Super Sculpting, Fat Blaster, and Cardio Step Mix. There are too many Firms that I love!
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Garrie -AFAA certified GFI -Licensed Barre Above instructor -------------------------------------------------------- CLX 6/19-9/19 STS Grad 11/19-2/20, 9/20-12/20 Current Focus: Vintage Rotation Check out my blog by clicking on the "Home Page" link under my profile name. |
10-27-17, 12:53 PM | |
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Jersey
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Ebianco I'm also doing a Firm rotation. Which one are you doing?
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"You humans have the potential to be the most wonderful beings there are - if you can get past all these enormous stupid spots you seem to have in your hearts. It's not your fault. You just don't know how to work your hearts right yet. That's why there are dogs." - Jim Butcher, Zoo Day |
10-27-17, 01:40 PM | ||
VF Supporter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
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Quote:
I'm not following a prescribed Firm rotation, I'm just doing my favorite Firm workouts (below) three times a week mixed with something else, usually Tonique, Barlates, and/or running, on the other days, with two rest days a week. I've been at it for six weeks and I feel GREAT. I had a bout of tennis elbow for a few months and got away from weight training, and my body is really responding to the Firm work. I made myself cycle through all my earlier Firm workouts without repeating, and now that I've completed that I want to go through them again and start to incorporate some Fitprime/WHFN workouts for variety maybe once per week. I'm thinking this loose rotation will keep me occupied for at least the end of the year and maybe beyond that! I started in early September and that's a long time for me to not switch gears How are you enjoying your rotation? Are you doing one of the structured Firm rotations? Current rotation: Volume 1-6 Firm Strength Firm Cardio Firm Cardio Split Super Sculpting Maximum Body Shaping Tough Tape 2 Better Body & Buns Beginner Sculpting with Weights Total Body Shaping Mix BSS2 Complete Aerobics and Weight Training Emily (my favorite of the BSS series and feels like a classic somewhat) Plan to add later... Push Pull Crunch Time WHFN Compilation Killer Strength Metaboost Pump BSS2 Body Sculpt Blaster with Nancy Tucker Fitprime Weights First Firm 12 Minute Time Crunch workouts
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"Feel strong and beautiful. Be a Tonique woman." -Sylwia |
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10-27-17, 03:03 PM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Washington State
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I loved Firm 3 from the beginning. Although I used Firm 2 the most. Sandahl's personality is one of the things I like- she is fun in this workout. I also remember that Firm 3 is the first workout with tall box work.
Firm 5 just did not click with me so I do not have it anymore. I think some of the box work is a little awkward. Alternating Firm 2, 3, Strength and Cardio got me into the best shape I was ever in years ago. So maybe I should revisit that! Tricia |
10-27-17, 03:54 PM | |||
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northeast
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Quote:
I agree. I LOVE Jayne's low-key, deliberate instruction and movements. If you heavy up, you can get in some pretty solid strength work. It's not a true total body strength WO, but it comes very close and IS fairly comprehensive. It's definitely worth one's time. (The ONLY thing I had a slight issue with is that there is no original music -- it's all recycled from the previous Firms. I associate the music with the moves done in the 1st 4 volumes, so it throws me off slightly when I'm "supposed" to be doing lunges with Susan or lifts with Sandahl, and Jayne has us doing something else. ) Quote:
I used Vol. 5 twice -- once when I first got it, then once more to try and see if it would grow on me (like Vol. 1 did) or find SOMETHING, one thing, ANYthing I liked about it, but that just made me dislike it even more. For me, it's like the black sheep of the Firm classics, like, "What happened there?!" Though it's filmed in the same place, everything about it feels "off" like it's a Bizarro Firm or a pilot, a test trial that ran to work all the kinks out. LaReine, as Sue said, is just FLAT and doesn't have that je ne sais quoi, which I could have EASILY easily overlooked if the workout really delivered. Sadly, it does not. The whole thing felt disjointed and like it had been thrown together from rejected pieces of the other Firms that had landed on the "cutting room floor". For me, nothing works about this volume. When I first did it, I was actually ticked off! LOL I felt "cheated", like I had been jipped out of another phenomenal Firm Classic workout because an entire workout's worth of time, energy, money and filming had been wasted on making vol. 5 instead of devoted to making another "real" Firm. I wondered what "could have been" and what it would have been like to have another PROPER Classics Firm. Alas, I will never know because we got stuck with Vol. 5. (Let me tell you how I really feel, though, okay? LOL ) What makes Vol. 5 even more disappointing is that it is subtitled "Abs, Hips & Thighs" and was clearly being advertised as a lower body focused and ab centric WO. While there are SOME of those things sprinkled throughout, there is no more emphasis on those parts than in any other Firm Classics. (It felt like LESS and, if not, certainly, less intense). The whole thing is like a watered down Firm; you can get an idea/taste of what the Firm is but it will NOT satisfy like the real thing.
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Liz |
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