The Firm: Tough Tape
Tracie LongYear Released: 1993
Categories: Total Body Workouts
With strength work, I am an intermediate exerciser, who dabbles some with advanced work, but doesn’t want to become a hard-core advanced strength exerciser. I have really enjoyed getting into workouts on the ball Pilates as an alternative to traditional weight work.
This is a Firm strength workout led by Tracie Long. I know this tape is an older one and is out of print, but it has stood the test of time and I wanted to add my two cents.
It is like other Firm tapes in that Tracie leads a class of background exercisers and has little interaction with them. Her cueing is good and she gives form pointers throughout the workout. The music was apparently forgettable, because I can’t tell you a thing about it.
I like this workout when compared to later Firm workouts because you switch equipment less often. You do several exercises with the barbell and then switch mainly to dumbbells. I used three sets of dumbbells. On the other hand, the fact that the barbell is used for both lower body and upper body exercises has meant that I’ve had a difficult time deciding on a weight for my barbell. I can handle more weight for lower body exercises than the upper body ones interspersed between them.
There are a lot of leg presses. However, given the high number of leg presses in later Firm workouts and Cathe workouts, I think the impact of their sheer number has probably lessened over the years. Given the leg presses, plies, lunges and dips, it is a very good lower body workout. There are also upper body moves, but they are less intense to me.
Instructor Comments:
Tracie is her usual calm, competent self. She gives form pointers throughout the workout.