first FitPrime video

[LeslieM]

It came late this afternoon and I had to preview it during "arsenic" hour (that hour before supper when you're trying to cook, help with homework and keep kids from snacking and ruining their appetites) but I think I'm going to like it. Agree whole heartedly with all the production issues and if I didn't know and love the Firm already it might bother me more than it did upon preview. Tracy is sometimes too "perfect" for me in her other videos, but I like her getting out of breath and her hair getting a little mussed in this tape. I liked her bright outfit and different makeup. The new Firms are a little sterile. If Anna can get her production\camera issues resolved FitPrime will be putting out great products! Leslie

[LCC]

Keeping in mind that I'm "having a mood" and I've only done the workout once---I don't like it. In fact, I'm pretty sure I dislike it.

What I liked:

Tracie
The art work

What I disliked
the disjointed feel to the workout (I just don't like doing one leg and coming back for the other one what feels like a few weeks later)

The uneven feel to the workout.

Uneven as in not enough upper body.

And uneven as in you do the left leg, then a bunch of work for both legs, then go back to the right leg after you are more fatigued than you were on the left so it seems like you're working harder on the second side than you did on the first one

the fact that the cardio always starts on the right foot, instead of the "non-dominant" side

the jumping

that you pick up your dumbbells for a cardio section and don't do anything with them

the chopped off head shots...they really annoy me

the zebra rug

the balance stick

the ball bouncing (I'm not buying a new ball just to bounce it)

the speed of the moves, especially at the beginning. It seems like Tracie finds a groove later and slows down some.

the weird way the yoga poses are incorporated between sets

that move with the pushup with one hand on the ball...that can't be safe can it? And, for my wrists, it's out of the question

the "holey-oleo" song

the music in general

the weird camera cuts so that Tracie is talking right into the camera, but it's the "wrong" camera.

the fact that I don't have any kind of post-workout high after doing it and that I'm more annoyed and stressed than when I started

So, to sum it up, I like Tracie, and the set doesn't bug me too much, but I don't like the music. And, more importantly, I don't like the workout.

I'm bummed. But, I'll probably try it again when I'm in a better mood just to be sure.

Just my feelings after doing the workout once. Please don't be offended if you loved it and I didn't.

Laura (LCC)

[Shelby]

Originally posted by LCC

What I disliked
the disjointed feel to the workout (I just don't like doing one leg and coming back for the other one what feels like a few weeks later)


the fact that the cardio always starts on the right foot, instead of the "non-dominant" side

Laura, I liked what I saw of the video AND your review.

I don't like concentrating on one side for a l-o-n-g period before finally getting around to the other. Suppose something comes up or I'm too bored/tired to go on - I could be lopsided forever and this is my greatest concern regarding this video. "Gotta do the other side yet," is all I can think of while I'm doing all that other stuff that's supposed to distract me. I know what's coming. I begin to dread The Other Side. Of course I could switch up on my own but then I'd be responsible for the counting AND sweating.

But, since it's Tracie, will I be as annoyed as usual...? Just how loyal a fool am I? Usually not THAT loyal but we shall see.

Shelby

[videogirl]

Originally posted by Joan Boadway
I think it's fairly clear that Mark Hendrickson is the one with most of the filming making experience. In fact, I think that was said outright in the Firm for Life book, when they talked about forming the company and what each person contributed. He was already a filmmaker.

Actually in the book it says that both of them worked on documentary films together. And that they both won awards for them. While they say he was a filmmaker it doesn't really say what they did when they were together. Whether one worked on filming and shooting and one did postproduction only. They obviously collaborated in every way in making the films. My impression was always that they were both involved in all areas. I am thinking that Anna is now doing it mainly alone. Except for the mysterious "Bill" who appears on her forum.

[SharonNYC]

Why did I order the FitPrime tapes? If you have to ask that maybe you're in the wrong forum
My tape came yesterday and I'll try to do it on Sunday. I looked at the clip and yes, it does look quirky. But in a way I found that appealing. Tracie's form on the "yoga" looked a little odd, but I didn't order it for a yoga practice. Wouldn't order a Firm tape for that either.

I ordered this tape for weight cross-training. I hope that's how it'll work out -- a change of pace from Cathe Friedrich, Body Pump et al. I'm going into it open-minded. After all, I hated the artistique style of the early Firms. (Now I kind of look at them as kitsch memorabilia I must admit -- so you could say I've mellowed).

[Deanna]

I just got mine yesterday and had to check it out first thing today.

I think I'm going to like this video a lot! It's pretty intense, especially for the lower body. The leg press, then single legged squat, then repeat both sequence is tough!! I was using a pretty heavy bb so that always helps . I think it's an ok upper body workout too.

I agree with everyone else who has said the editing was choppy especially in the beginning of the video. I also was annoyed when the camera cut-off Tracie's head--which seemed to happen quite a lot. At least you can see all of her in the mirror. I was having some snowy lines run down through my screen every few minutes, especially in the beginning of the video. Anyone else have this problem? Maybe I should try to get a replacement?

I would swear the opening song in the warm-up is from a Firm video, but I can't even begin to guess on which one?

It seemed like the soundtrack repeated itself when we switched over to doing the right side too. I wouldn't swear to it, but it seemed like it did.

The camera work during the upright row section made me LOL. It goes up/down, up/down right along with Tracie's arms. I felt like I was watching a tennis match .

There's a section of lunges, dips, and then combining them together--I kept thinking "marry the dip and the kick", but Tracie never did say it .

I really liked the ab work using the ball and "stick" (I guess the Firm owns the rights to the word "dowel"?). It was a little weird at this point, because Tracie runs you through a bunch of stretches and I think we're finished, but then she says it's onto more abs!

The yoga was very short-lived and used mostly for the cooldown. She runs through a few poses pretty quickly, and maybe it's just me, but she seemed a little uncomfortable with this part of the workout.

Overall, I think I'm going to like the video. I'm not great at comparing videos, but the pacing and intensity felt similar to Firm Strength to me.

[FitBoop]

to everyone posting their impressions of the tape. As much as I really like Tracy, I think I will pass on the tape. It sounds like this first effort has a lot of kinks.

[SharonH]

On her site, Anna claims that her long-view camera was defective. So, I guess that is why we are left with lots of shots of Tracie with no head. Also, the color distortions could not be corrected and Anna didn't have the money for a re-shoot. It's a shame that Anna didn't go through someone like Greg Twombly if she was on a shoestring budget. I don't know how much it costs to film through Greg, but I imagine he tries to keep costs down as few instructors have a lot of money to spend on video production.

[smuha]

I really appreciate Anna's post explaining what happened. I can forgive the glitches knowing that it was the first video where she had to do almost everything herself. I also know she's working to improve future products and I can live with that.

The more I think about the workout itself, the more I realize that my initial disappointment during the preview (minus the glitches) was because it was nothing like I'd seen before and it's not what I expected. I was expecting something that looked more traditional and flowed in a traditional manner. Weights First isn't traditional at all and is instead a very innovative workout.

I'm used to seeing a whole bunch of lower body work with medicine balls but the balls are always too light compared to what I use for other tapes (see Joni's post asking about medicine balls). Instead, the ball is used as more of a play toy and no other videos, that I've seen, use it the same way.

Day after soreness (keep in mind I used no weights for lower body if I could get away with it):

• quads are sore
• hamstrings aren't necessarily sore but have that tight-been-used feeling
• butt is very sore
• abs are sore and feel much tighter today
• lower back has a good kind of sore (as opposed to the bad pain I'm used to experiencing) like I nicely worked my muscles
• anterior delts are very sore
• upper pecs are sore (but I couldn't go very low on the pushups so I need to work on that)
• and my upper and mid-back are sore but I did the lat rows in such a way that it was more like starting a push mower because Tracie had shown me how to do lat rows like that the last time I saw her in person.

I don't think my legs can take that workout more than once a week but I'm already trying to figure out ways to incorporate the ball warm-up and the ab work into my other workouts...

[Lydia L]

Downloaded the media player clip--- What's up with the Zebra rug?.... The set looks so busy and crowded.... I held off ordering due to this being Annathena's first venture.... I do think she should have gone with someone who had more experience with production... Greg could have done a whole lot better!... A lot of mixed reviews as to the effectiveness of the workout too. I'm still not sure if I plan to order or not... I'd love to see this one in person... perhaps at the next VF gathering if at all possible. I love Tracie-- but the production value seems pretty low.... if the workout is super than I might overlook some things. Thanks for all the reviews and comments .... I need to evaluate, compute and analyze!