The Firm: Volume 2: Low Impact Aerobics

Janet Jones-Gretzky
Year Released: 1987

Categories: Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance


Owing to recent Classic Firm threads, I did this workout for the first time in years.

The so-called Classics (Firm Volumes 1-6) were innovative for home exercisers in several ways: the use of heavier weights, the music coordinated with the choreography, lush settings, large cast of backgrounders, high production values and the idea of a total-body “aerobic weight training” workout.

You will need dumbbells for this workout, plus a mat for floor work and a towel (or yoga strap) for some of the stretching. This workout also uses a (totally unnecessary) 2x4, either under the shoulders or under the feet for some of the exercises on the floor - don’t bother. The original introduction to the Firm advised 3, 5 and 8 pound dumbbells for women and 2-5 pound ankle weights. The ankle weights are optional; you’ll get a good floor workout without them.

Volume 2, which later gained the inaccurate name “Low Impact Aerobics”, has an upper-body emphasis. After a brief warmup, you will do lots of standing compound exercises with a short unweighted hi/lo floor cardio section to break things up and elevate the heart rate. Exercises include many variations on overhead press, biceps curls, overhead triceps extensions, and delt raises. Most of the weight work includes some lower-body movement at the same time, like shallow squats, front or rear lunges or just side toe taps, and these compound moves challenge your balance and coordination while keeping the heart rate up. The workout lead Janet Jones cues you on “light weights” or “heavy weights” but you’ll need to do this workout a couple of times to hit your sweet spot. After the standing work, you go to the floor for lower-body floorwork: lots of leg lifts, clamshells and leg extensions. Interspersed are upper-body moves like pushups and lat rows. After a short but effective traditional-abs workout (crunches, reverse crunches, oblique twists, a modified bicycle move) and a final set of chest flyes/presses and hip lifts, a relaxing stretch ends the workout. The total workout clocks in at 65 minutes.

What I like about this workout: it’s so different from the current emphasis on drills and metabolic conditioning, which emphasize repetitive moves and little or no choreography. Volume 2 is very scripted and I feel like I’m dancing with weights when doing it. The 65 minutes goes by quickly. The music goes perfectly with the moves. The floorwork is effective even if you don’t use ankle weights, and the stretch (using a towel for some of the moves) is one of the best I’ve ever done.

Dislikes: Janet Jones is not a professional fitness instructor. Another VF’er says she performs the role of lead instead of instructing and that’s true. Her cueing is bad; “set up, go!” is not a cue. Her cutesy kittenish affect can get annoying. The Classics’ terminology for some of the exercises is not clear, like calling overhead press “military alternates” - what?

Instructor Comments:
Janet Jones is lovely to look but not a great instructor. Part of it is the script that Classics instructors read, which can sound stiff. Despite her, this is a solid workout and she does do the workout with good form.

athompson10

01/31/2015