The FIRM Floor Legs is structured as follows: 1)
Butt lifts (they call them bridges); you lay on your back
lift your butt off the floor and squeeze. 2) Hamstring
lifts (they call them tables); you get on elbows and
knees and lift your legs (one at a time). 3)Inner thigh
lifts and outer thight "shoot-outs". 4) Another
set of bridges. 5)Another set of inner thigh lifts. 6)
Another set of hamstring lifts. 7) Another set of
bridges. Weights are optional (toe weights, ankle
weights, strategically placed dumbbells); the thing I
like about this is it's always challenging - if it gets
too easy just add more weights. Some I do with weights,
some without; section 2 I couldn't finish even without
weights, at first. The only thing I wish is that they had
another section for the outer thighs; there's only 1 for
that and 2 or 3 for everything else.
Debbie Kenny
Floor Legs consists of segments from all of the original
FIRM workouts. The toning parts themselves are 20
minutes, plus there's a warmup and cooldown.
I use
10-pound ankle weights with this. Sometimes it's
difficult to get through and I have to rest. This time
when I did it, I thought "Wow, I'm going to make it
all the way through without stopping this time!"
Then I got to Susan Harris' inner thigh segment -- NOT! I
did have to rest a couple of times on that one!
There are 3 sets of buns work, 2 sets of inner thighs,
and 1 set of outer thighs. Not in that order, though --
it actually goes buns, outer, inner, buns, inner, buns (I
think - my memory's failing!). I would prefer to get rid
of one of the buns segments and add some more outer thigh
work.
This is an excellent, fast workout, and well put
together. Even though it's comprised of many different
workouts, you can't tell. The transitions have been done
very well. I give this tape an A, both for interest and
effectiveness.
Annie S.
This video changed my (workout) life. It's a short one,
29 minutes, but it lets all of your lower body muscles
know they're working. All my life, I've been an avid
participator in cardiovascular activities, and consider
myself to be fit, but I could never make my hips and legs
look as good as I felt. Even as a long distance runner,
my thighs jiggled. Any strength training was a rare
afterthought, and I never did it for my legs ("Why
should I? I just ran five miles!") This seamless
Firm video somehow got it through to me that strength
training was the only thing that was going to do it for
my not-so-great rear view. I feel like I'm really working
when I do this tape, but I look forward to doing it...
Especially because after only five workouts, I've noticed
that my butt is a little firmer and higher. If anyone
else out there is as hopeless about their lower body as I
was mine, I encourage you to FIND THIS TAPE
Karen
3/31/97
One of the easiest Firm tapes ever made. I love floor legwork but this doesn't challenge me. Too short segments, too easy even with ankle weights so I put this on the bottom of the pile just in case I need to go back to square one in my stamina capacity.
maryann parker
4/5/98
Everytime I do this workout, I remember how much I love it and I have to refrain from overdoing it and doing it too often. I normally hate all warmups but this one makes me feel really good. The warm-up portion seems to also stretch my muscles before we even get to the stretch portion. The workout itself is very challenging. It's all lower body work done on the floor with lots of bridge work. I love the bridge work and by the 3rd set, I could tell I will be real sore the next day. I laid a 5 lb ankle weight across my hips and used 2 12lb dumbbells. This workout allows me to really *concentrate* and practice good form and structure. I love it, never tire of it and give it an A+
Instructor comments: I love all the instructors used in this tape. They are all unique in their own ways.
Sheila
5/29/98
This tape is a good short lower body workout. I like it because it is a welcome change from all the squats, lunges, and etc. found in most workout tapes-my knees get a rest!
I've been exercising for a long time and I consider myself to be fairly strong, but this workout still challenges me. This is a nice toning video to "grow" with as you can always increase the amount of ankle weights you use and "heavy up" on the dumbells.
Elizabeth
6-27-98
I really love this tape. It's definitely one of my favorite leg workouts at the moment. However, I was so disappointed that the only section taken from Volume 1 was the inner thigh one! I think the table work and lying leg lifts on Volume 1 are the best and most effective I've ever done. But I guess The Firm wanted to make this tape a short one, and they do a very thorough job with the sections they chose. I look forward to doing this tape, and that says a lot considering it's floor work!!
Instructor comments: Kathy Derry isn't really the instructor since this is a Parts tape, but she does give a good pep talk at the beginning.
Michelle L.
8/20/98
I would recommend this as a nice change-of-pace video. It is not something that's likely to become the cornerstone of your lower body training. For those not familiar with the Firm Parts format, these are clips taken from the first six Firms. Instructors include Susan Harris, Janet Jones-Gretzky, Sandahl Bergman, LaReine Chabut and Jayne Poteet. Kathy Derry serves as a sort of Mistress of Ceremonies, introducing each segment. The video is all floorwork, starting with bridge and proceeding to table, side leg lifts, bridge, side leg lifts, table and bridge. I used weights with the bridgework, but leg lifts and table are plenty hard for me without any added weight. I would rate this at about an intermediate level; it would also be good for a beginner looking to move up or an advanced person using added weight. You should get a decent burn from this. Although they say it's for quads and butt, I feel it mostly in my butt and hams. One problem that is typical in the Firm Parts Series: the warm ups and stretches don't really correspond with the muscle groups you'll be working, so you may be better off adding your own stretch.
Instructor comments: Typical Firm instructors and milieu-either you love it or hate it. None of the instructors are on long enough for me to work up any strong emotion for or against them.
Stephanie Waite
01/01/99
I bought this video because I wanted a little variety in my floorwork. I already had The Firm Sculpted Buns, Hips and Thighs (a.k.a. Lie Down and Work Out), so I will use some comparisons in this review.
This video has a warm-up, 20 minutes of leg/hip floorwork, and a stretch. LDWO has no warm up, 14 total minutes of abs, 16 minutes of leg/hip floorwork and a stretch.
Lower Body Sculpting uses ankle weights and dumbbells for bridgework and to intensify the legwork. LDWO uses ankle weights and dumbbells, too, but the dumbbells do not intensify movements on the leg that is already wearing the ankle weight.
Lower Body Sculpting's movements are faster. I feel like I get a better workout with LDWO, however. I am better able to isolate and control the muscles using slower, more controlled movements. The exception is Susan Harris' inner thigh section in Lower Body Sculpting--it is a killer! Also, I find it a bit awkward to do hamstring work with a dumbbell tucked behind my knee. I've dropped it on more than one occasion (I guess that means my form wasn't correct!). I also wish the Firm had included some more leg floorwork from Volume 5.
I like Lower Body Sculpting, although I like LDWO better. I will keep both in my rotation for some variety.
Instructor comments: Kathy Derry is the "personal trainer" who introduces the sections. The instructors are Susan Harris (vol.1 of the Classic Firm series), Janet Jones-Gretzky (vol.2), Sandahl Bergman (vol.3), LaReine Chabut (vol.5), and Jayne Poteet (vol.6). They are all adequate, but do not give many form pointers.
Kristin Aziz
1/4/99
This is great if you have a bad back, bad knees or lousy balance, all of which make doing squats and lunges difficult. Targets key areas: buttocks, inner and outer thighs. It's short (30 min.) but definitely gets the job done. Still one of my favorites in my Firm collection.
Instructor comments:
Pam
patterns@rocketmail.com
11/15/99
This is a Parts tape compiled from the original FIRM classics. It has likely been broken down elsewhere, so I will just add my two cents.
I like the fact that this tape is all floor work. I like the fact that the next day I am feeling muscles I forgot I owned. I like most of the instructors (usually just the ones that I cared enough about to keep the full workout they lead - vol 2 & 6).
The music is of the calibre of the classic firm workouts (awful). But this is a great workout so i can get past that. Besides - by the time Susan comes on, I am screaming at the television to let me go, so the music is really a non-issue.
I almost traded this one away without even previewing it, since I had acquired it in an ebay auction that I only wanted the other tape it was with...but when I hurt my foot and could only do floor work - I pulled this gem out and am glad i gave it a shot. It is now one of my faves for lower body work.
I do recommend this one to people looking for lower body floor work. I really love it.
Cori (ziggy2306)
February 24, 2004
This is a nice little floor work tape. I really didn't like it at first but I find myself doing it a lot now as part of a FIRM classics rotation. It's nice and short, so it's easy to add on to other workouts or for a low energy day. Sometimes I wish it was a little bit longer. There is only one segment from Vol. 1 and from Vol. 5, so they certainly had more material to use.
I think this is a really well put together parts tape. What I like about parts tpaes is that the changes in instructors and background sets & exercisers really keep things interesting. It's hard to get bored.
If you like older FIRMs and floor work, you'll surely like this tape. Hopefully they will put it out on DVD some day. Better yet, put all the floor work segments on one DVD! So you could mix & match! One can dream :)
Instructor comments:
Same old Firm classics instructors, although they're more like presenters than instructors. They're kind of fun if you dont take them too seriously.
Megan
fitness@meganjack.com
Sept. 24/2004
