The Firm: Better Buns & Body (aka Better Buns)

Jennifer Peluso, Jen Carman, Taber Bruner
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Lower Body Strength


I'm not sure why I'm bothering to review this since I think its out of print now, but there do seem to be copies out on ebay and other such places so, maybe this will help some prospective buyer.
First of all, this is probably the worst Firm outside of Cardio Burn, but it is also a great example of what was wrong with old Firm videos. Those problems were just writ large in this video. First of all, the instructors, except Jen C., don't use great form and many members of the cast illustrate even worse form, so a home user should know good form before using this video to be safe. This is a common problem in early firm videos, and it is amplified by the fact the firm instructors typically don't instruct on form, and that is certainly true in this video. There is very little instruction. There also seems to be a lot of wasted time in this video as instructors rotate from exerciser to leader. Although I didn't like the order of exercises here, they are classic firm exercises, minus the (short) cardio components most firms have. Squats, lunges, plies, tall box work, some upper body work- they're all here. i thought the order of exercises interrupted the flow, and I never felt like my work out mojo got going when I used this tape. What really bugged me was listening to the instructors. Taber's sing song voice sounded like she was reading to little kids, which I found irritating and condescending. Jen Peluso used this high pitched childlike voice that was breathy- it didn't sound professional, and then she sniffed through her floorwork like she had a bad cold. Jen C. had good form, and offered some helpful form pointers, but typically sounded like a porno star, especially when she says "do it again." My husband used to hang out when I did this tape to hear her say that and then would laugh himself silly on the couch. I think he probably burnt more calories laughing than I did working out with this tape. This video is best suited for people who love the firm and want to collect all their videos. While it isn't a bad workout, it does have tried and true moves that pop up in all or at least most firm videos. However, there are many more firms, not to mention other videos, that are better, with better insruction, and more logical sequence of exercises.

Instructor Comments:
Inconsistent!! Jen uses good form, but sounds like she's auditioning to be a dominatrix in a porno flick. Taber uses a sing-song voice that drives me crazy. And Jen Peluso- where to start? She looks like she can't control the weight she uses, has a breathy, child-like voice and sniffs through the floor work she instructs. I'm sure she was trying to emphasize the breathing pattern, but it sounded like she needed a tissue, and was really distracting. Overall, they were more annoying than effective and motivating.

linda

11/30/-0001