The Firm: Sculpted Buns, Hips, Thighs (aka Lie Down & Workout)

This workout has already been thoroughly broken down by others, so I am just going to add my opinions. This is an all floor workout made up of the ab and leg portions from Tortoise and Hare. The run time is about 40 minutes and jumps straight into ab work - there is no warm up. The work is as follows: abs 1, table work/laying side outer and inner thigh lifts right leg, pelvic pulses, abs 2, bridge, table work/laying side outer and inner thigh lifts left leg, abs 3, stretch. So you can see that there is a LOT of abs in this workout, despite the name which would imply it is mostly leg work. For an all leg floor workout, I would recommend Firm's Floor Legs, another compilation made from the original classics.

I like to pull this one out every once in a while for the great ab work (especially the second ab section, which is mostly lower ab focused) and table/laying side work. I make it tougher by using ankle weights throughout (not just for the legs, which is what is demonstrated). It is a low intermediate workout, that would be a good alternate to pilates, which also focuses primarily on abs/legs. I am using it lately as I recover from an ankle injury, and for that purpose it is GREAT. By the end I had a gentle sweat going, but this one is not a calorie killer - it's all toning.

This workout has the usual high production quality, music synchronization, and good instructor cuing that can be expected with the Firm. This was in the library setting with a very large class. Grade A.

This workout is all floorwork. Old-fashioned floorwork. And lots more ab work than the title would suggest. Its basically all the floor work and ab work from Tortoise and Hare.

The workout begins with ab work, then she has us do Kegels. I know I need to do Kegels, but doing them in a group setting is just sort of icky, so I skip these. Then its all sorts of leg lifts, glute raises, etc. You do 4 cycles, each beginning with abs. I like this workout for an easy day when I just want to lay on the floor. LOL!! Its a nice, traditional floorwork tape. My only gripe is that in one section she does one side, then we do lots and lots of other stuff before we do the other side. I also wish that if the FIRM was going to make a floorwork parts tape, they would have the sense to include the super-awesome floorwork from Vol 1!!

I like this video better than The FIRM’s Lower Body Sculpting (Floor Legs). Not only do I really like Tracie, but the moves seem to be executed at a slower, more controlled rate of speed. This is also the video that got me to like doing floor work. Prior to this, I couldn’t stand doing floor work and would always skip it.

There’s a ton of ab work too. Doing this tape consistently made my abs the strongest they’d ever been up to that point. Kickboxing and Pilates can do that now but those forms of exercise weren’t available to me in 1997 and 1998.

Currently, I’m working at getting back my abdominal strength but I can’t use kickboxing because of a chronic back condition. Instead, I need to build up the abdominal strength so I can take back up kickboxing! I’m turning to this tape to help me once again.

Grade: A

I think this video would be good for beginners, intermediates and advanced level exercisers because beginners can use no weights and advanced exercisers can add lots of weight.

I never would have purchased this tape if it hadn't been for an injury. I'm the type of person who will do just about anything to avoid floor work. However, this tape has really opened up new horizons for me. I've found that the work out is short enough and mild enough that I can squeze it in before going to bed. That means I still have plenty of time in the AM for my true love: carido.

I do, however have some problems with the workout. First, with a 2 lb weight, it is not nearly intense enough for me. Especially some of the lying-on-the-side moves where she bends her knees. I have invested in 5 lb ankle weights, though and I'm hoping I'll feel it more as a result of using them.

Also, when I first started using the video, I found I wasn't getting much out of the ab work. It turns out that it was because when I model myself after Tracie on those lower abs, I'm really just swinging my legs around. I still don't understand how she can swing her legs so much and still work her abs. It seems that the momentum of her legs is what's bringing her rear off the ground, not her abs. Perhaps my abs are too weak to do the moves properly. Anyway, my solution is to completely stabalize my legs straight up in the air and raise my rear off the ground with my abs. I also find it difficult to focus on both upper and lower abs at the same time. It seems neither my upper nor lower abs get a good work out if I try to do them both at once. Therefore, I split them up and sometimes focus on lower and somtimes on upper (mostly lower abs since my other videos seem to leave them out).

The nicest thing about this video for me right now, is that none of the moves are contra-indicated for my back injury. Its nice not to have to fast forward over squats and lunges for a change. Its also nice to be able to get a quick lower body work out.

Overall, I think this is a good video, especially if you don't mind using modifications.

My buttocks, hips and thighs are the strongest muscles on my body, since I've concentrated on them for years with all sorts of exercises. Imagine my amazement when they started burning like mad from these very intense, very focused exercises! Tracie Long adds a little "twist" to the usual floor exercises and that makes a BIG difference. If you've got bad knees like I do, this is a great substitute for squats and lunges. The tape is a little over half an hour long, so it's good for those days you want to be a bit lazy. Not mentioned in the title, this tape also has three separate ab workouts interspersed with the hip and thigh workouts.

This is one of my favorite Firm Parts videos. Excellent floorwork! Tracie's cueing and demonstration of the exercises make the use of proper form very understandable. This video is far superior to Floor Legs (a.k.a. Lower Body Sculpting), since the moves are slower and therefore safer and more effective. Love the abwork! I even like doing the pelvic floor contractions--it reminds me to include them in other workouts as well. This is a great video to add on to others for extra floor leg work and abs. I use it often in combination with Tough Tape for a great total body workout.

I bought this for $7.99 and talk about a lucky investment. I did it only a couple of times, but recently I sprained my ankle pretty seriously and this is the only leg work I can do (the whole thing is done lying down.) And I love it. I have never enjoyed floorwork in the least, but this tape changed my mind.

There's about an equal amount of ab and leg work, it seems, and the workout is about 40 minutes. It starts with an ab section and then a few minutes of those blasted pelvic floor contractions, then more tough abs and then legs. The leg work consists of shootouts for the hamstrings (which make them burn like no exercise I've ever done), bridge work (feels good, not like the awful bridge work in Cathe's PS Legs) and the usual leg lifts. Every area of your hips and butt is hit from all different angles and the ab work is quite tough. All you need for this workout is a mat and one ankle weight (and an optional dumbbell to add extra resistance).

This video leaves my backside feeling very tight and even though I'm lying down through the whole thing, doing just this workout doesn't feel like "cheating" as far as leg work goes. On the other hand, it's perfect, too, if you're recovering from an injury or illness.

I have all of the Firm videos except the Firm Basics ( which I think would be too easy for me now). I think all of the Firm tapes are EXCELLENT. They always challange you. To make them harder all you need to do is increase your weights. So when I bought this one (6.99 at Target!, I expected it to be as hard as Tough Tape, but for the floor. It's an OK video. Not at all challenging like I thought it would be! I try and make it harder by adding a 5lb ankle weight and an additional 2.5lb ankle weight for the floor exercises. It helps somewhat. Maybe there are just not enough of them? The abs are not as challenging - I think- as 5 day abs (taken from Vol 2-6). I usually will do this video after one of my step/aerobic tapes. Or I do it with Lower Body and Upper Body Firm parts for a "toning" day.

This is an ok workout...I really like the leg workout but the abs sections are pretty dull...

This workout is good alone for an easy day...it would be also excellent after a tough lower body workout like MIS or Standing Legs or a tough cardio workout...

A heavy dumbell is needed along with ankle weights and a mat...

I give this workout a B

This tape disappointed me. First of all, it claims to be a 45 minute workout, and while I haven't actually timed it, I'd be surprised if it lasted much longer than 30 minutes. Secondly, I purchased this video looking for a tough leg and bun floor workout, and this one just wasn't tough enough. Yes, the exercises are done much slower (and safer) than in the FIRM's lower body sculpting tape, but there just aren't enough of them. I have to rewind and do each leg section again to get a decent workout. However, while there aren't enough exercises/reps for the legs and buns, there is plenty of ab work. And it's not the most exciting ab work either. I much prefer Keli Roberts' Abs & More or the FIRM's 5-Day Abs.

One of my favorite tapes - I love doing this tape after I am pooped from high impact. I love floorwork, especially leg exercises. I use 5 lb. ankle weights and feel great. The abwork is interspersed between the leg work. I love Tracy, the music and the workout. Highly recommended.

I usually hate floorwork, but figured this would be a good tape to supplement a running day or even to use on a day I didn't feel like jumping around or killing myself with Standing Legs or MIS.

I actually liked this tape! There aren't endless reps and variations. Tracie takes you through 30 minutes of traditional floor work. There is table work (on all fours) doing leg shoot-outs, crossovers, lifting the leg 90 degrees and pulsing up, etc, weighted bridge work -- the regular lifting the hips and pulsing, sometimes varying the "lead hip", the lying side leg lifts -- working the inner thigh. The sets are divided by ab work. GREAT ab work I might add.

What I really liked about this tape was that the work on each leg was separated. You don't do table work for the right leg, immediately followed by the left. I like this because whenever I do floor work, the second leg is always *so* tired from suporting the body during the other leg, it tires quickly. The 2-3 sections of ab work, and the bridge work separate the tablework and lying side leg lifts.

I thought the ab work was very complete -- lots of oblique work which is nice. Tons of lower ab work, you are forever bringing your hips off the ground!

Overall, I think this is a good tape. Like I said, I will use this after a run to get some extra leg toning in and ab work or on a day that I don't feel so good or am particularly tired. It makes you feel like you did something, but doesn't wipe you out. I give this tape a very stong A!

This is a great tape for runners, walkers, and anyone who wants to add toning to an existing cardio program. I do this tape after a step workout, or after Tough Tape. LDWO is a great tape. I love the table work (which for me is amazing, because I usually hate table work), and I find the abs really effective. It has almost everything I want in a toning tape: table work, lots of abs, outer and inner thigh, bridge work. I do wish there was some work for the arms, such as pec flies and maybe even some pushups. Also, I do NOT like the 2 minutes of pelvic floor work after the first set of abs. I am not a fan of the pelvic floor stuff, and I think the Firm gets a little too enthusiastic about working this particular "muscle." I don't want to overtrain it! I usually fast forward during this part. Overall I will give the tape an A, and I strongly recommend it for anyone who needs to add some lower body toning to their routine. When it is combined with Tough Tape, it makes for a great (and tough!) workout.

This is compiled of clips from Tortoise and Hare. It is all done on the floor. There are abs (lots and lots), hamstring and glute work, and inner and outer thigh work.

I like the leg work sections the most. I find the ab sections fairly boring, but I do them anyway. I would have liked to see a little more leg work and a little less ab work.

This one gets a B.

(formerly Lie Down & Workout)

I have done Lie Down and Workout for 2 months now and I still feel it in my stomach and legs when I'm done. First you start with ab work and then move on to pelvic stabalization and then it's on to more ab work. Then you put an ankle weight on one leg and do table leg lifts, on all fours, then do side lying leg lifts, then more abs and bridge work using heavy dumbbells. Then you put the ankle weight on the other leg and do the same exercises and then you finish with another set of ab work. It's an excellent tape to have! I highly recommend it.

Tracie Long is a great instructor. I like how the workout is done slowly and very controlled and the cuing is excellent.