Search - The Firm: Cardio Party on DVD

Fun workout!

L. Hartness | Vero Beach, FL USA | 11/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Previously sold as a part of a Firm multi-DVD set, Cardio Party is now offered as it's own title. The 39 minute video features Firm master instructors Alison Davis, Emily Welsh, Rebekah Sturkie, Annie Lee and Allie Del Rio. Each has about 8 minutes to lead the program, taking the viewer through some of their favorite moves. If you're a Firm fan, you'll recognize alot of these combinations from other Firm videos. Emily even brings in some moves from her "Complete Aerobics and Weight Training", which was filmed a few years back. When she says, "Some of these moves might seem a little familiar to you," you know what she means.



Overall I enjoyed the routine, I got in a solid cardio workout and had a good time. On this particular day it fit into my need for cardio only, so if you're looking for the Firm's signature weight training included in the workout, it's not here. For today, that was fine with me. It was nice to have no equipment at all required. Just some room space and workout clothes. I'll probably take this with me the next time I need a workout on DVD out of town.



My only quibbles with the workout: Annie Lee doesn't seem as sophisticated as the other leads, and her combinations weren't as fun. However, they required less high-impact efforts, which was nice. Having said that, I found the high-impact moments in the rest of the workout to be reasonable. No running in place, and the plyos weren't too prevalent.



I also wish they had spent a little more time cooling down and stretching out. Allie closes the workout, and while she does slow things down a little and put in a few side stretches, it seemed short to me. We didn't stretch out our hamstrings, glutes, calves, hip flexors or quads-- all of which were used quite a bunch in the routine. Of course, I can do this on my own, but it would've been nice to have it on the DVD.



Overall though, I really liked this workout. It was great to have time with different instructors, and knowing some of the moves from other workouts made it easier to pick up the first time. If you enjoyed the other videos in the TransFirmation series, you'll like this one as well. I look forward to doing it again soon!"

Dance that fat away!!

A. Haraz | 05/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is an extremely fun video. It features all of the main firm instructors andgives each of them an opportunity to lead the workout. This workout does not invlove weights and therefore is not as hardcore as some of the other firm dvds. It is perfect for a rest day fromthe harder workouts!!"

Great workout!

Shopping Diva | Texas | 04/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great workout dvd! It's 40 minutes of strictly cardio and it really gets your heart pumping!"

Not quite a party, but a good cardio workout...YES!

Colleen M. Schneider | San Lorenzo, CA USA | 01/26/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have tried a few of the Firm Videos in the past and some I have liked and others weren't necessarily what I was looking for. This one sounded different, and since I exercise daily, I'm always looking to try something that is out of the norm for me. I do a variety of workouts (dance, pilates, yoga, cardio, step, kickboxing, etc) so a good cardio blast for a day when I am a bit short of time seemed just the ticket.



In this dvd you get five instructors who take turns over the 40 minute workout-each having a different style and different exercises. There are squats, lunges, mambos, and cardio and pliometric exercises. If you want low impact or have knee issues, do not do the jumping variations. I see that it says a beginner can do this, and that is true, but they do move fast-there is no warm up to speak of or cool down. I would recommend always stretching out a little before jumping into even a simple cardio routine in order to protect yourself and make sure you are warmed up.



My favorite instructor on this was Allie who comes on last and does her exercises with a Latin dance flair. Her section was the most fun for me since I enjoy dance. I do have to stop looking though at the instructor to the right of the screen, Annie, who appears to have more of a strength training background and doesn't exceptionally excel in the dance section of the dvd-she looks a tad uncomfortable with this section like she can't wait for it to be over.



I wore my pedometer while I did this video and logged in about 3800 steps. Pretty good! It definitely gets you moving, and it is a good way to start your day if you don't have time for an hour long workout.



I felt this was a good intermediate workout that was easy to follow if you dance or are used to lots of changes between moves. If you are a bit less coordinated, fear not, the exercises will be pretty easy once you have tried the video a few times.



Overall, a good video, with standard exercises, easy to follow that brings your heart rate up and gets the old blood pumping!



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