The Firm: Cardio (aka Variety: Strong Heart)

Heidi Tanner
Year Released: 1995

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


I love this tape. It's my favorite Firm tape of all time. The sequences are quickly moving and fun, fun, fun. No, it's not the most taxing tape that the Firm has put out, but maybe that's why I like it. :^) Heidi's energy and enthusiasm really shine through on the box aerobics and floor aerobics with light weights intervals. She has light feet and contagious, happy personality. Everyone in the video seems to really get into the rocking horse step. I love that one! Oh yeah, the weights, can't overlook that. Lots of really good lower body work in here -- squats, lunges, dips, and leg presses. But they never seem monotonous. You switch it up with upper body work, which makes things go faster. Also, I like how they get the pushups out of the way early. One teeny criticism -- the ab work hurts my back sometime. Other than that, this is the video that got me into weight training. Nothing will ever take it's place!

Instructor Comments:
Heidi is my FAVE Firm instructor. I love to workout with her, and it really seems like we're old buds when I pop the video in. She has this broad, totally unself-conscious and unpretentious smile and a warmth that I can even feel on the tape. Her box aerobics and floor aerobics are really fun, and more advanced than any other Firm tape I've seen. I love it when she and the other exercisers really get into the floor section with weights. I think they feed off of Heidi's energy.

Eulonda Skyles

05/06/1998