The Firm: Calorie Killer

Nancy Tucker
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Step Aerobics


This is one of the Goodtimes Firm’s BSS2 add on workouts which is a mixed cardio routine. Nancy leads with four background instructors and she incorporates the Fanny Lifter (she uses the 8” blue portion and the fully assembled 14” step) and the Sculpting Stick. I don’t have the stick and easily sub dumbbells or a dowel for the movements. The workout clocks in at 40 minutes.

I am surprised this got such mixed reviews, I thought it was one of the best Firm cardio workouts (BBH, BSS, or Pink) that I have seen. It has a wide variety of moves including traditional floor work (step touches, plyo squat jumps, etc.), kickboxing (both kicking and punching), sports drills (football runs and the like), tall box climbs (two LONG sets), and of course Firm classic 4-limb cardio (using the stick and “twigs”) and step aerobics. I am choreographically impaired but found each tune easy to follow (like Lindsey said, the last step routine is just a tiny bit confusing but I think being fatigued probably didn’t help). I liked how she kept up the pace but didn’t make it too complex, and I just loved the variety of movements. The variety also helped to keep the workout time flying. I found that my heart rate got up and stayed up high throughout the workout.

The music was good and the Firm set is open and bright. In general I really liked the BSS2 series and Nancy is my favorite BSS1/2 instructor. Out of the Firm cardio routines that I use and enjoy the most, I would rate them in intensity from easiest to hardest: Firm Fat Blaster (tri-trainers), Maximum Cardio (Carissa Foster), and Cardio Killer (Nancy). So as you can see I will use it for a more intense day, for me. I would rate this high intermediate, assuming you use the 8” step, make it high intensity, and put some energy into all the movements. Overall grade A+!

Instructor Comments:
Nancy Tucker is a great instructor. She mirror cues, provides form pointers, she’s enthusiastic and encouraging without being chatty. I would be ecstatic if she came out with her own videos, like Stephanie Huckabee has done.

Emily B.

02/24/2011