Firmies: Need opinions on Vol 3 and 5

[kristiep]

I have been on a Firm re-discovery lately (mostly Classics), having acquired quite a few this past year.

Volume 5
Volume 5 is on my wishlist, but not available from Kflix.

I just rented Light Aerobic Mix from Kineticflix and liked it – except for the warm-up which is from Vol 5. The other Vol 5 segment (I think it was just one) I liked.

I hate to base an opinion on the warm-up because I don’t like a lot of the Firm warm-ups anyway. What’s the overall impression of Volume 5? Anyone dislike it?

Volume 3
I kind of liked and disliked Vol. 3. Loved Sandahl but sometimes the workout moved too fast. I would need to figure out how to modify some things. For those who liked Volume 3, did you like it straight off or did it grow on you?

I'm really digging the Firm classics right now. They are like a magnet to me. And I read in another thread that a VFer felt that Firm workouts made her perform better at other workouts. I feel like I am also experiencing that effect. When I mixed in a few UFC Fits and Jillians that are always tough for me, I went heavier and more intense -- and finished all reps!!!!

[LoveVA]

There might have been someone else who said that as well, but I have mentioned here a few times that my cardio stamina and strength didn't really improve significantly until I started doing the Firm classics. All of the sudden, all my other workouts like Tonique, Cathe's X10 and 40/20, etc, became noticeably easier.

I loved Vol 3 from the start. There are people who either love or hate this one and I am in the love camp. I think Vol 2 is my absolute fave, but Vol 3 is a very close second or even tied for first. I actually like the pace.

A kind VFer let me borrow Vols 5 and 6 to try them out as I was on the fence about them. I love love love Vols 1-4 but was unsure about 5 and 6. I'm glad she let me borrow them because I was almost bored to tears. I'm not sure what it was that I didn't like. I just did not click with them at all, but that's just me. Everyone has different likes and dislikes when it comes to workouts.

[kristiep]

Originally Posted by LoveVA

There might have been someone else who said that as well, but I have mentioned here a few times that my cardio stamina and strength didn't really improve significantly until I started doing the Firm classics. All of the sudden, all my other workouts like Tonique, Cathe's X10 and 40/20, etc, became noticeably easier.

I loved Vol 3 from the start. There are people who either love or hate this one and I am in the love camp. I think Vol 2 is my absolute fave, but Vol 3 is a very close second or even tied for first. I actually like the pace.

A kind VFer let me borrow Vols 5 and 6 to try them out as I was on the fence about them. I love love love Vols 1-4 but was unsure about 5 and 6. I'm glad she let me borrow them because I was almost bored to tears. I'm not sure what it was that I didn't like. I just did not click with them at all, but that's just me. Everyone has different likes and dislikes when it comes to workouts.

Hey LoveVA,
I think you are the one who shared her experience with Firm. Thank you for that post as it got me inspired to dig in, and not dabble, with the Firms I had.

It's interesting but I love Volume 6. It is a bit more deliberate in pace so I can see why it might be boring to some. For some reason, it clicked with me.

I'm also a big fan of Cardio Step Mix, Super Cardio, Super Sculpting, Tortoise, Hare, Max Body Shaping, and Firm Strength. Now I need to add Light Aerobic Mix to that and give Vol 4 another try.

[ebianco]

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.

[Garrie A.]

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!

[seww]

Volume 5 is by far my least favorite FIRM classic. Lorraine's personality is flat and I hated the aerobic rewind option.
BORING!
Just my opinion,
Sue

[bubbles76]

Ebianco I'm also doing a Firm rotation. Which one are you doing?

[ebianco]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

Ebianco I'm also doing a Firm rotation. Which one are you doing?

Hi Bubbles!

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

[TriciaR]

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

[LizEMA]

Originally Posted by LoveVA

[...]I loved Vol 3 from the start. There are people who either love or hate this one and I am in the love camp. I think Vol 2 is my absolute fave, but Vol 3 is a very close second or even tied for first. I actually like the pace.

[...]I love love love Vols 1-4 [...]

This is pretty much me, verbatim.

Originally Posted by Garrie A.

[...] If you heavy up with V6, it is TOUGH.

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. )

Originally Posted by seww

Volume 5 is by far my least favorite FIRM classic. Lorraine's personality is flat and I hated the aerobic rewind option.
BORING!
Just my opinion,
Sue

I had read reviews before purchasing, and it seemed the consensus was that Vol. 5 was "boring" and the easiest of all the Firms (in the Classics series). Despite that, I just HAD to have it to both satisfy my curiosity and complete my collection. Unfortunately, it is, indeed, boring, the easiest of all Firms, and, worse than that, sadly and unfortunately, as a whole, just a WASTE of my TIME. The BEST parts about Vol. 5 are on the parts compilations (leg presses and squats in Standing Legs, ab work in 5 Day Abs, and the floor work in Lower Body Sculpting).

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.