Slim Series: Firm it Up

This is another Beachbody production, part of the Slim Series. It has the same dvd features as the other workouts in the series (minimal chaptering, music off option and ads for other things) and the same layout as most beachbody productions, with a message bar along the bottom of the screen and time clocks for the section and the workout as a whole.

The workout is lower-body-focused and is about half standing work and half floor work. The standing work uses a chair for balance, but a dowel could also be used. It is fairly traditional stuff, squats and kicks with variations and short combo sections. Then there is a leg lift and leg extension section. The floor work is mostly pelvic tilt stuff with variations. I did not enjoy it much.

There were two problems I had with this workout. First, as usual, Debbie does not mirror cue and this can be a problem for some of the moves were alignment is critical and you'll be trying to copy her posture (I am thinking particularly of a very slow kick type move she does at one point). I would suggest following Debbie's visual and simply subbing left for right to follow her.

Secondly, I felt this workout should have included stretch breaks during the routine, instead of leaving them all for the cool-down. The exercises are fairly high-rep here and I think it's safer in such cases to stretch during rather than pressing on and on for an interminable hour with more and more punishing work. Especially during the floor section, where I started feeling twingy in my lower back after yet another series of lifts and tilts, I was resenting having to cut a few reps to get in a short break.

Overall---this workout was not bad enough that I'd break up my set to get rid of it. But I am not sure it's good enough that I'd do it again. I have lower body workouts that are shorter, better and more interesting.

Firm It Up is 58 minutes and targets your lower body. No weights are needed but if you want to up the intensity, put on 2lb ankle weights. I have adjustable ankle weights that increase by 1 pound increments and go from 1-10 lbs. I didn't use them yesterday since it was my first time doing the video but I will be using them next time. This is a medium paced video which allows you to concentrate on strength and stability.

There's a different set of background exercisers in this video and everyone looks great. This time around, Debbie doesn't need to check on form as often and has the time to get down to business. This video is filled with squats and side kicks. If you don't like to do these, this video is not for you. At first the movements seem so easy but you do soooooo many reps. By the end, you definitely feel the burn.

I hate forward and backward lunges with a passion and this video doesn't have any. Yay! Glutes are thoroughly worked out with floor exercises. Actually, the second half of the tape flies by because you're mainly on the floor. The workout concludes with solid ab work and a cool down. There is a scissors move that is reminiscent to pilates and it kicks ass. It is one of the last ab exercises. Since you've already fatigued the abs, you really feel the burn. You lie on your back and scissor your legs up and down while scissoring you arms as well. I haven't previewed the other dvds but I have a feeling ab work is on all the workouts.

I thought this workout was nice as well. Right now, I rank it a little easier that Shape It Up since it's shorter in length. Next week, I may change my mind when I strap on ankle weights.
Also, these workouts are only as tough as the amount of work you put into them. Focus on form and put as much strength as possible into each movement.

Wowsa.

An hour long workout. All lower body. No weights, except you can use ankle weights for the chair work.

Equipment is: A chair, A mat (or carpeted room), Ankle wts (optional)

Active warmup (maybe 5 mins) - very similar to her others.

Then we get into squats, squats on toes, squats with knees together, wide legged squats, squats and knee ups, squats and roundhouse kicks, plie squats - you name it. LOTS of squats.

Then you get a chair, and do some ballet style inner thigh work, followed by slow and controlled side kicks.

After this, it's to the mat-cave, Batwoman, where you do leg work while on your back.

First move is the move that Joyce does in one of her vids, that I didn't feel. It's the inner thigh frog lift, I think... but I felt it here. She gave me the sufficient form pointers so that I was doing the right thing.

More inner thigh work - lying on the back - my inner thighs were hurting.

Then... interminable pelvic lifts.

I had no clue that pelvic lifts could be so torturous.. She does MANY different variations of these, and I had to take breaks. My bum was BURNING.

Finally, abs. Regular slow crunches, then faster crunches, then knees to the side crunches (obliques) supersetted with lying on side oblique lifts. Then reverse crunches, then legs up in the air, hands pointing at toes crunches. I think I got them all, but I could be addled

I LOVE this workout.