The Firm: Body Sculpt Blaster

Totally awesome something I can do with out dread!! Everyday

I don't know how anyone could say this workout was "too easy"; I was dripping with sweat, literally! The DVD shows/suggests 3 sets of weights: Light, medium, and heavy, but really only the medium and heavy ones are used. It is good to have the lighter weights on hand just in case a weight is too heavy, you can quickly switch if needed. I don't have the Fanny Lifter but I use the Transfirmer Box (basically the same thing) and Cathe's High Step. I don't do the full 14 inch Box Climbing bc of my knees, but I use the blue (8 inch) portion and really squeeze hard to get maximum benefit. As my legs get stronger and take some of the pressure of off the knees, I will use Cathe's High Step at a 10 to 12 inch MAX height; 14 will always bee too much for my particular joint issues. This DVD packs quite the punch in 30 minutes and it really pulls me into becoming a Firm Believer all over again! I got this in the mail today and couldn't pass up using it immediately and I am so glad I did! Doing this DVD really helps me to re-realize why I loved the BSS1 and 2 (Fanny Lifter Series) workouts and mostly the add-on workouts like this So Very Much!!! You get in just enough reps to really feel your muscles begin to shake and the sweat starts to drip within 8 minutes and continues well after you are done. There is minimal cardio like toe taps while doing french presses and of course, in the warm up. There actually IS ab work and that is for the obliques. You sit on the 14 in box and do side bends. If you really squeeze hard, you may feel it the next; I'll know tomorrow. But adding on a few exercises at the end is no biggie. I mean really, 30 minutes and you get a total body strength workout that also lends some aerobic/anaerobic burn as well is amazing! I can't find one thing about this DVD that I didn't like or would change. In fact, it's gotten me excited about digging out my old Firm add-ons from this series and see what results I can get over the next month or 2. It's straight forward and Nancy is perfect in this DVD. So much fun, so much sweat, and a lot of heavy breathing! I used 3, 5, & 8 lbs dumbbells and it was perfect to start. The reps are slow and controlled enough that it will be very easy to heavy up on this workout when my body is strong enough to do so. The stretch at the end is amazing and it gets deep into your hip flexors and feels too good! It's my new Firm Favorite! I love these add-ons and epsecailly this DVD! I'm 27 and haven't done the classic Firms and can't stand the Fimr Pinks, but I understand know why the Fanny Lifter and it's workouts are the best selling system that the Firm has ever released! If this little ol' 30 min DVD made me work that hard, I know results will happen with this workout! Invest in it and you will not regret it!

Nancy Tucker leads this 30 minute routine, she is joined by 4 fellow Firm Master Instructors including Libby who shows beginner modifications. Assorted dumbells are used plus the Fanny Lifter, though any step or stool will work.This workout consists of a lot of compound movements, where you are working your upper and lower body at the same time, some examples include squats and overhead presses, plie squats and bicep curls, leg presses and bicep curls, lunges and bicep curls, etc. Though there are plenty of exercises done on their own, such as one arm lat rows, pushups, double arm lat rows, leg presses with tempo variations, side lateral raises, etc. I found that I had to use lighter weights than normal for most of this workout, due to the compound movements plus a few of the exercises are performed at a quicker pace, such as the leg presses with tempo variations. As another reviewer stated, there isn't much ab work in this workout, just a couple sets of seated oblique work.I enjoyed this workout, while I personally recommend and use lighter weights for this routine, I wouldn't call it easy. A solid effort by the Firm, and my favorite from the BSS1 series. This is also my favorite Firm led by Nancy, 4 and a half stars for this one.

I have been using TheFirm workouts for over 20 years. I thought I had every one ever made, not sure how I missed this one. It is fantastic! I love the older Firm workouts. I get such a better workout than when I use "the pinks". This one is short, just 35 minutes but very challenging. Nancy suggests 3, 5 and 8 lb weights. I used 5, 7 and 10 lbs and feel like I can increase the weight a bit more next time. That's the beauty of TheFirm, it never gets too easy. This DVD works every part of your body in a very short time.I will be sure to keep this in my rotation, especially when I don't have much time to exercise.

This video is okay, but quite honestly if you have other Firm videos, this one isn't necessary. Maximum Body Shaping with Traci Long clocks in at 45 min. , includes abdominals, and seems more thorough to me. Every now and then it's nice to have a different routine, but this isn't really that special, and I prefer the "classics", Maximum Body Shaping, the Basics, and Cardio Sculpt (which also has the pulsing leg presses.) If you don't already have a bunch of Firm workouts, this is a good choice, but if you own a few (or more!) I don't think you need to add this to your library.

Full body weights workout in just 30 minutes. Good pace and I like Nancy Tucker's instruction.

This workout is an advanced (if you go heavy) pure body sculpting workout using compound exercises, no cardio in-between, like so many FIRM workouts. But because of the leg work, it gets your heart rate up and you work up a good sweat. The pace is perfect allowing you to use heavy weights, yet no resting. Nancy gets a lot done in just 30 minutes. If the accent bothered me in the beginning, I didn't notice it later, I was too busy working out and liking it. This is a great workout!

This workout is a winner. No jumping around and you get a nice total body workout in 30 minutes - I don't know why more people don't make workouts like this. Perfect for intermediates, but there is a modifier for beginners. Did I mention there is no jumping?