Overall, I like this tape a lot and probably will reach for it often for heavy weight work.

WHAT IS BAD:

1. There are no leg presses, and I don't think those lunges on to the short step do a darn thing for your butt. My butt wasn't the least bit sore the next day, nor was anything else. Now I just do leg presses instead of those. How can they not include leg presses on a butt tape?

2. The shoulder work is paltry. There are three sets of upright rows, which mostly hit the trapezius, and one measly set of military presses.

3. Five sets of pushups doesn't count as bust work to me. It would have been great if they had included a couple of sets of pec flyes.

4. A few of the moves seem a little dangerous, like doing overhead presses while doing plies, and then taking the barbell and doing upright rows with plies. The barbell was smacking my legs and it was tough to keep good form. I suggest dumbbells for this sequence.

5. There are only two sets of back work.

6. Some of the stuff they put in is really a waste, since they don't do enough of it. There are, I think, three total reps for the spinal erectors, and about 6 total reps of bunny lunges. Those didn't do a bit of good for me-- they go really fast, anyway. And they're a new move so I'd like to spend more time learning them and doing more of them.

WHAT IS GOOD:

1. The music!!

2. This is very thorough for a 43-minute workout-- more so than Tough Tape. And I think this is harder than Tough Tape. I really sweat with this one and so feel I also get a good aerobic benefit from it. They don't waste a single second here-- everything is compound moves. No one-armed stuff and often several muscles are worked at once. It's very time efficient. There's little time to fumble for equipment, but you get used to it, so keep everything right there with you

3. This one has ab work.

4. The plie work is killer. There is a lot of it, and it's varied. My legs were screaming for mercy.

5. Tricep work is very thorough and tough.

6. There are fewer reps in this tape, so you can go heavier.

7. I love FIRM tapes that use the barbell. This one uses the barbell nearly exclusively. Sometimes I substitute dumbbells because for some things it's hard to keep good balance with the barbell.

8. This has a little bit of everything-- even bridgework and tablework, and just enough of it to get my legs burning-- not enough to bore me to death.

Question is, is it worth the money? It's worth $19.95, for sure, but maybe not $29.95 or $34.95, whichever price they choose, unless you're a diehard FIRM fan. If you're starting out or don't care if you own every FIRM there is, there are safer and more thorough FIRMs out there for much cheaper. Consider that Tough Tape, which is very similar, is only $6.99 in stores like Target. Bust and Butt, too, is a Parts tape. It does come in a hard cover, though.

I like it and I'm glad I got the package deal, though. I enjoy the tape a lot, with a few modifications.

Instructor Comments:
I feel pretty neutral about all three of the instructors. They are no Tracie Long, but they aren't bad, either. Tamela's a little too enthusiastic for me-- seems fake, and her form is bad at times, but she is upbeat. Carissa is very no-nonsense. Dale is also very competent, and extremely muscular with a very deep voice. What's odd about her is you'd expect her to be no-nonsense and brusque, but instead she tries to be cheery and enthusiastic-- very scripted. It's like she and Carissa swapped personalities. I think I'd like Dale better if she DID act like a drill sargent.

Sara Whitney