FitPrime From The Ground Up

Heidi Tanner
Year Released: 2003

Categories: Circuit Training (cardio and weights)


This is an intermediate/advanced workout which works your entire body with a wide variety of moves. Although the main focus of the workout is on strength training, 2-minute aerobic intervals are woven throughout for a total of about 10 minutes of aerobic activity. The 4-minute warm-up quickly gets your heart rate up with mambos, shuffles, curtsie lunges, squats, and balance work. You then move right into weighted squats and extensions before going into the first cardio section, a kickboxing workout. Next comes more heavy weight work with plies, dips, and lunges; you'll also do some upper body work by performing bicep curls and rows. The second cardio section is also kickboxing, but this time focusing mainly on punches and arm work.

You then need a tall box for some extremely challenging leg presses; your thighs will be screaming by the end of this segment! You'll also do hover squats and seated weight work for the arms, mainly working the triceps. The next cardio segment consists of v-steps, more mambos, and a jump squat. You'll move on to more upper body work with push-ups as well as begin adding some yoga stretches such as child's pose. The final cardio segment works the shoulders with tall box climbs and stomps; I had to drop to lower weights during this section. You then put on ankle weights--stretching the hips as you do so--and move to the floor for about 10 minutes of abs work which includes yoga stretches such as bridge and table poses. The workout finishes with a brief stretch for a total of 50 tough, sweaty minutes.

Instructor Heidi Tanner works out in front of a wall mirror on a set that looks like a basement studio, and the music compliments the workout well. The title of the video refers to the fact that the workout is performed barefoot to work on increased stability from the foot upward; I found this challenging for some moves such as the squats and press ups. Overall, I felt that this was an excellent, unique, thorough full-body workout (with a lower body emphasis) which left me feeling strong.

Instructor Comments:
Instructor Heidi Tanner is a classic FitPrime/Firm instructor: with a soft Southern accent, she cues well and makes sympathetic comments (eg, "This is hard!") while encouraging you to push yourself.

Beth C (aka toaster)

11/28/2004