The Firm: Bust & Butt

Tamela Hastie, Carissa Foster, Dale Brabham
Year Released: 1999

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


The instructors and cast start off in a warm-up with the OOF ball, it's a good length and fun. You are moving around and then go into a 4 -limb segment which seemed like a continuation of the warm-up with some upper body with weights. A good stable warm-up.

Push-ups with a short step are next, full form with legs crossed or on the knees.

I was able to do them full-form, this was a great new variation, it was tough and I loved it. one of those moves that I can always try and improve my form on and get better and better at.

Lunge with barbell on step is next, another tried and true move with a new twist.

I was impressed by the great form demonstrated by instructor and cast. Lots of concentration is needed to perform this, and I always focus on an object in front of me to keep my balance and form. (an old skating trick on jumping)

Included in this set are more push-ups, same as the 1st (on step with legs crossed), lunges on the other leg, push-ups on the tall box next, spinae erector work, this also needs time and correct form. I am not that good at this, so I will be taking my time and probally pausing the tape to learn it correctly. For those of you that can do this ....bravo !!!! This is tough ! next in this segment comes abs.........I really liked this ab moves as they are no-nonsense moves and very effective.i especially liked the move in which you bring your lower body up, then lift the upper, then lift the upper again intensifying it.

the lateral twist ab move is also great, and I love that you are able to see how it works the muscle when they do a close -up on tamelas form. this is evident all thru the tape, the close -ups seem to be "closer " if you will......you can see the muscles working.

On this segment, they have a stretch, but I would of liked it to be longer.

The transitions are also very fast and while I have all my equipment right there, I needed to pause the tape to get ready for the next thing. I'm sure though that I will be able to keep up better when I'm more familar with the tape.

Hover squats and (more ) push-ups are the next segment. also, more spinae erector work with a variation from the previous. NEXT is barbell with dips bicep curls with barbell up-right rows with barbell

This is a wonderful segment, we will all be buff !!!!!!! and so far I am very pleased with the whole tape (this being while I'm actually doing it) the dips with the barbell are tough, I will be taking my time and paying attention to form to get to best results possible. Again the form from the cast is impeccable, keeping their elbows in when doing the curls.

I used the barbell with 15 lbs on it, plus the weight of the bar. next set is bent rows with the barbell, hover squats, and tricep dips. in the future I will probally have to pause here to add more weight on my barbell for the bent -row. Carissa does a great job, I noticed that on the tricep dip off the box that some of the cast are not using the best form. This was another great set, I love the tricep dips, but I'd like to see a longer stretch at the end.

Next is the french press, triceps kick-back which I went heavier than the cast using my 7lb weights, but I'm sure we all have our specific weights for the familar moves.

The music is this set was not so good, I'm very musical so it does make a difference to me, the more I like the music, it seems the better I do ?? but on a general level I'm sure it wont bother most people. next comes lunge and plie. This is done very fast, but extremely effective and tough ! The plies are long and they kill .....This is what we wanted and this is what were getting Tough tough tough !!!!!!!!! We do them with variation like a heel lift for intensity, also moving the thighs in while in plie postition.

Bridgework is next with the ball on the tall box. this set also has a short set of abs with the ball too. I love bridgework so, I wished it were longer, but I can always rewind !!!!!!! next: barball plie with overhead press, up-right row, french press with toe taps and a short stretch.

This set will get you good !!!!!! Dale leads this segment and has "mahvalous" form.

Next set is dips with the barbell, these have pulses and kicks to intensify. biceps and bunny lunges which target the outer thigh. I love this move !!!!!!!!!

This is another set that I will probally want to rewind and do twice !!!! ahh the beauty of modification...........

Then comes tablework, a personal fav of mine, again use your rewind, here if not anywhere else !!!!! Do the whole set on one leg, then rewind and do on the other, you will see amazing results. Watch not only the instructor(dale) but sue mi powell and our beloved Lisa for their great form !!!!! Again, you can see which muscles are being worked and how effective these moves are. We end with a tall box stretch with the soundtrack from bonanza ????? I felt like little joe was going to round the corner on his horse at any minute !!!!

A few last thoughts......I really love this tape, it's tough and will be a weekly tape for me. The instructors are all great, I don't care about voices or changing in between segments, that never bothered me in previous tapes. I'm sure you will be pleased with them, the cast are very "real" as you andI could of been there too. normal healthy bodies, and of course there's lisa (fitbabe) looking damn good and Sue Mi powell whose form is top notch and someone to learn from.

The only thing I can fault is some of the music. I mentioned earlier that while it might not bother the majority, I'm very muscial and while the music used does not interfere with any of the segments or "annoy" the ear, I found some of it bland.

Of course for me the bottom line is the work-out itself and this is one great tape.

eve

03/15/1999