The Firm: Crosstrainers - The Tortoise

Susan Harris, Tracie Long
Year Released: 1995

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


Of the Hare and the Tortoise…I much prefer Tortoise. Slow and steady wins the race. This workout clocks in at about 60 minutes and is one heck of a slow and heavy workout.

Since this one has been broken down pretty well elsewhere, I will just tell you what I like and dislike about this one.

Likes: I like that the ab work is done first. That is the thing I am am most likely to skip at the end of a workout. By doing it first, I am more likely to actually do it. I also love Tracie Long. This is the video that really made me love her. She is just such an amazing instructor. I would love to work out with her in person one day (although she lives pretty far away from me). I also like the ballroom dancing segments. I don't look at them as cardio, because they aren't enough to get my heart rate up at all...but I use them as mini-breaks from all of the very heavy weight work that this workout entails.

Dislikes: Equipment changes. She uses a short 4 inch box, a tall box, dumbbells, barbell....the list goes on.... The short box used in the ballroom dancing segments is about the right heght, but with the introduction of the fanny lifter, the 6 inch short box is too high to do the moves nicely...meaning the need for another step. I find that I just do the moves on the floor. I am also sad that I cannot get this one on DVD. I think in a well-chaptered DVD, it would be even more amazing.

This workout is out of print, but if you can find it and modify the equipment changes to make it less cumbersome, it is a great tape. I pick up every copy I see, because so many of my friends and family have liked it and rather then lend mine out, I give them their own.

Cori (ziggy2306)

02/24/2004