FitPrime From The Ground Up

Heidi Tanner
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


This is an aerobic weight training tape lasting 50 minutes. It is an advanced workout (much tougher than the newer Firm workouts) with innovative moves that are very effective. It is Aerobic Weight Training at its best. There is nothing quirky about this workout. It has 9 minutes of cardio interspersed throughout – 2 kickboxing segments and a hi-lo segment which I consider athletic and a tall box climb. It is a very well balanced total body workout – both the upper and lower body are worked well without one being stronger than the other.

You need dumbbells, tall box and ankle weights.

The workout starts with a warm-up that is more strenuous than the old Firm warm-ups – it has a mambo, shuffle, pendulum, curtsie and squats. There is also some balance work in the warm-up followed by a brief stretch.

As with all the Fitprimes, you work the weak side first. The first weight segment is static lunges with glute lifts. Fitprimes always throw in some balance work throughout the workout and it was in this section that you do glute lifts and balance. I really felt this in my outer thigh. This is followed by clean and press and then the same movements working the strong side. Squats with hyper-extensions and balance work follow.

After this heavy weight work, you go into a kickboxing routine which is quite fun. The moves slowly build on so no chance for boredom. This routine has a little impact but it can be modified.

Another heavy weight segments follows with drag dips, glute lifts and alternating bicep curls. This too was very effective on the thighs. I liked both the dips and static lunges best in this workout. Bent row and upright rows follow with plies and bicep curls.

The next cardio segment is another kickboxing one with punches, jumps, knee lifts and speed bag arms.

Then onto tall box work where you do slow leg presses, feel the negative, slight dips from the tall box and you hold the muscles isometrically. The burn was massive on this one. Tricep dips with leg lifts follow and then one legged hover squats alternated with seated overhead presses follow. You continue working the triceps by doing a seated French press with heel lifts in the extension position of the French press. Then you work the strong leg and repeat the tall box work. Tricep pushups, hover squats on the other leg and tricep kickbacks follow. This is a great segment

The third cardio segment is next with V-steps, lunge jump (I modify this and just do plyos because I am sure I am going to hurt my knees), march and mambos. Heidi moves well throughout all of these.

Pushups working the weak side first then a stretch and pushups working the strong side are next. A modified child’s pose finishes the stretch in this section.

The final cardio segment is a killer for the shoulders. You do tall box climbs, stomps and mambos while holding light weights to work the medial delts. Posterior delts are also worked.

Lat rows and double-arm rows and rhomboid pinch are next.

Then to the floor – put on ankle weights while seated and then do some stretches. Core work follows with threads, bridge work (I think of it more as reverse bridge work) where you are seated, legs bent in front of you, hands on floor and then lift your body to form a bridge with your core forms the top of the table, arms and legs the support. You are facing the ceiling. The ab work is different and effective. You finish with a brief stretch.

The music in this workout is spectacular. Anna Benson has amazing taste in music. The only negatives about the workout are the colour of the set. It seems a bit washed out. I’m not sure why. I prefer the editing in this workout to all the other Fitprimes. She didn’t use the fade in and out technique as much (I found that distracting in the newer workouts). The only time the editing was distracting in this was in the core work - to get closeups.

Anna and Tracie did an excellent job with this one and Heidi’s performance sold it for them. This is the best Fitprime workout to date and one of my favourite workouts.

Instructor Comments:
Heidi shines in this workout. Her instructions are great, she gives excellent form pointers and just at the right time. Her form is excellent. Heidi is better in this workout than she was in Firm Cardio and I thought she was excellent in that workout. She has a wonderful manner that is supportive, not condescending and yet encouraging. Lots of superlatives but it is true - I don't know if anybody else could have done better.

Colleen Dawes

04/15/2003