The Firm Ultimate Calorie Blaster is from the latest Firm Body Sculpting Series using the new Transfirmer. This is primarily a cardio workout with a few token strength moves thrown in to make it the signature Firm AWT method they are so fond of. The workout is about 48 minutes long and consists of a warm up, 8 different cardio segments, a cooldown/stretch, and a short abs segment.

This workout uses the Transfirmer, the newest and much improved variation of the Firm box. It's a very sturdy piece of equipment and I highly recommend it for use of this workout and other BSS 4 workouts. You can make do with a regular club step quite a few risers(although I don't recommend trying to make your club step an incline, it's too unstable IMO). The only other equipment needed is a pair of 1-3 lb. weights (I like to use my twigs from my Firm stick) and a mat for the ending ab work.

The set is a combination of modern and art deco. It's light in color and uncluttered.

There are 4 background exercisers, with one showing the beginner modifications. None of them are miked and there is no interaction between Stephanie and her crew. All members are wearing athletic apparell. Stephanie distinguishes herself by wearing all black. The background exercisers wear black shorts or pants and various styles of red tops.

The music is both instrumental and vocal. The best style to describe it techno based. Each exercise segment has its' own music block. I found the music to be energizing and to compliment the workout. The music to vocal cues ratio is excellent.

The choreography in this workout is pretty basic. All segments are built in the same fashion. Two to three basics moves a strung together to create a block. You repeat the block a couple of times, then learn 2-3 more moves for the next block. Most cardio segments are 3 blocks long. Like I said, the moves are pretty basic, with no complicated turns, pivots, or direction changes to throw you off. The only difficulty someone might have is with the transitions. The Firm uses tap transitions to change lead legs whereas most newer step and floor aerobic workouts use what's called a tapless transition. So if you've been doing newer aerobic workouts, you might need to pay extra attention at the transitions.

The Warm Up:
This segment uses the 6 inch section of the Transfirmer, although it starts with some basic floor patterns. Moves in the warm up include the body wave, heel lifts, back cross steps, side leg lifts, step hamstrings, sambas, and step glute raises. The warm up ends with a 4 limb segment that uses the 6 inch section and light weights. Here you do front shoulder raises with a top tap on the box, hamstring curls with a rhomboid pinch, and side to side squats with a hammer curl.

1st Cardio Segment: 6 inch Step aerobics
Moves in this segment include basic steps, sambas, step glute raise, v-steps, knee steps to an L-step and over the top. This segment can be made more intense by using the 8 inch section of the Transfirmer and/or adding propulsion to some of the moves.

2nd Cardio Segment: Low impact aerobics on the floor
Moves in this segment include basic march, step touch to double step touch, low jacks, side lunges, heels front and side, squats, calf pumps, V-steps, and tri-star. Stephanie does show power options for most of these moves to increase the intensity. The beginner modifier keeps everything low impact.

3rd Cardio Segment: Tall Box Climb (uses 14 inch Transfirmer)
Moves in this segment include basic climb, side tap, side tap w/ knee raise. My biggest objection with this section is that the beginner modifier is using the 14 inch box. I believe most beginner would have a hard time with that height and I think it would have been better to show the beginner modifier using the 8 inch section of the Transfirmer.

4th Cardio Segment: Step w/ 8 inch Section of Transfirmer
Moves in the segment include alternating basic step to A-step, grapevines, step taps, step hip ligts, low jacks, turn steps, over the top, lunges from the step, knee lifts. The beginner modifier does use the 6 inch section of the Transfirmer, which I would also recommend to those people (like me) who suffer with knee issues. Stephanie also shows power options for some moves to increase the intensity.

5th Cardio Segment: Tall Box Climb w/ Light Weights, Box in a vertical position
Moves in this segment include basic climb to basic climb w/ a straddle, step up taps to a step up tap w/ a heel drag. Arm movements include hammer curls, side lateral raises and rhomboid pinch. Once again, the beginner modifier used the 14 inch box, which I thought was a mistake.

6th Cardio Segment: Low impact aerobics on the floor
Moves in this segment include V-step march, step touch, grapevine, hamstring curls, squats and low jacks. Stephanie shows modifications to make the moves more intense, such as pony steps, skater move, plyo squats, and regular jacks.

7th Cardio Segment: Step Aerobics on Incline Step (don't try to modify your club step on this routine, it's too unstable)
Moves in this segment include knee lifts to hesitation repeaters, press steps to step glute raise, squats or plyo squats, basic step to L-step to step tap, and over the top. Stephanie does show some power modifications to make the segment more intense.

8th Cardio Segment: 4 Limb on Incline Box w/ Light Weights
Moves in this segment include front-side press steps w/ upright row, four count lunge w/ clean and press, side squats w/ hammer curl/side lateral raise, four count rear lunges.

Cool Down, Stretch, and Abs:
The segment starts with very basic floor moves that eventually get you on the Transfirmer to do calf and hamstring stretches. You exit the Transfirmer and do stretches for the lower back and side of the body. You transition to the floor for ab work, which consists of planks on elbows and side planks. It's really pretty short and IMO, doesn't constitute a real ab workout. You end with more stretches, including mermaid, child's pose, cat pose, and a chest stretch.

The DVD also includes a bonus 8 minute ab segment led by another instructor. This segment uses more traditional ab work and exercises for the lower back. If you add this on to the ab work in the main workout, you'll have worked your abs pretty throughly.

Overall Impressions:
Most people either love or hate the Firm. The Firm workouts have a very serious and structured feel to them while many other workouts today have an informal, come-on-in-and-be-part-of-the-gang quality to them. I, for one, don't mind the seriousness of the Firm.

I really enjoy Ultimate Calorie Blaster. I love how the cardio segments are short, so it keeps my interest. I wish the Firm made chaptered DVDs or had premixes so the workout could be manipulated to create a longer or shorter workout. I think Stephanie did a great job leading the workout. She's one of my favorite Firm instructors. I liked the music and setting. I love the Transfirmer and hope that the Firm stops with the 'new gadget for every BSS series' and just focuses on creating fun and new workouts for this piece of equipment.

I think Ultimate Calorie Blaster is probably a high intermediate to low advanced workout if you do it like Stephanie does, with the power moves and higher step height. I think that beginners will be challenged by this workout, but won't be destroyed by it. I would recommend not doing the tall box climbs on the 14 inch Transfirmer if you're just starting out.

Instructor Comments:
The instructors in Firm videos are scripted in what they say. Therefore, they can come off as somewhat robotic and stiff. I found Stephanie to be more relaxed and natural in front of the camera than other Firm instructors. This made her very personable. Although she does utter the occasional fake phrase (i.e. 'Wow, that was tough!'), she injects her own warmth and personality into her instruction. She cues very well throughout the workout.

Sabine Reuter