The FIRM Express - Get Thin In 30

First post of February! Yay! LOL! I have to congratulate myself because I feel like it's been such a long time since I've written anything to you guys! I really would love to write a post per week but life has been busy, and when I do actually have the time, I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to write about. But today the idea for this post was pretty easy. As most of you know, I LOVE FITNESS VIDEOS! They are definitely my exercise source of choice. I've worked out in a gym a couple of times, but I actually prefer fitness videos to exercise equipment. I find that with fitness videos, I have my own personal trainer, right there in my home, whenever I want, to motivate and encourage me to keep going. Everyone is different, though, so I encourage you to do whatever works best for you. I say all that to get to the subject of this post, since I love fitness videos so much, an obvious and easy choice for me was to do an at-home fitness program review! For the past 2 weeks I've been doing a new program that I am absolutely LOVING! It could be classified as an oldie but a goodie, since I have more than a few of the brand's videos already, but this new program incorporates a whole new style of working out that's really been making me sweat. It's challenging but doable, short but effective, and just an overall AWESOME WORKOUT! The program? The FIRM Express - Get Thin In 30.  

What is "The FIRM"?

I'm a long time FIRM Believer and fan, but I know some of you may be wondering, "what is 'The FIRM'?" So I thought I'd start with that. It all began in 1979 when the first FIRM Studio opened in Columbia, South Carolina. By combining cardio and weight training, The FIRM recognized that people could burn fat, build muscle and get the bodies they wanted safely, effectively and fast! This Cardio + Sculpt fitness formula formed the basis for The FIRM method.

The FIRM's Master Instructors never stop searching for cutting edge research and science to make the Cardio + Sculpt methodology even better than ever before. Which has lead to The FIRM's newest program: The FIRM Express - Get Thin In 30.

The FIRM Express - Get Thin In 30

The FIRM Express - Get Thin In 30 is the next generation of accelerated weight loss workouts. It's The FIRM's quickest, most effective weight loss plan yet! And all it takes is 3, 20-minute workouts a week!

The FIRM Express offers you:

• A Revolutionary Technique Called Mini Bursts, quick blast intervals combined with The FIRM's already powerful Cardio + Sculpt fitness method. Guaranteed to get you thinner, tighter and leaner - fast!
• 30-Day, four cycle system specifically sequenced to optimize weight loss in just 30 short days
• Each cycle includes three unique workouts, that's a total of 12 power-packed DVD's! PLUS a Bonus DVD to Kick Start Your Metabolism
• Exercise LESS for FASTER results you only need 3, 20-minute workouts a week to see results, half the time than doing regular cardio
• Burn up to 9X more fat than traditional cardio workouts
• Work Out Smarter Not Longer and sculpt your thighs, buns, abs and upper body to perfection
• 24/7 fat burning your body will continue to burn calories long after your workout is over - burn extra calories with no extra effort!
• Flat abs through constant core muscle engagement
• The FIRM is the ONLY fitness innovator utilizing this revolutionary technique. You won't see this in any other workout program!
• INCLUDES: 12 ALL-NEW DVDs, a Fitness Guide with a 30-day mix and match meal plan, workout calendar, and 2 BONUS DVDS!!!

Watch the Trailer!

The Workouts

Cycle 1: IGNITE
Rev your body and get ready for great results!
Lower impact, lighter weights (3-8 lbs)

• Sculpt: A classic sculpting routine using lighter weights to sculpt lean muscle and burn fat using Mini Bursts to spark metabolism.
• Cardio: Straightforward cardio moves with four easy-to-follow rounds of Mini Bursts to get your heart pumping and fire up the calorie burn.
• Cardio + Sculpt: This fast paced, efficient program combines low impact cardio and 3D sculpting into one perfect workout that hits every muscle including those hard to tone abs.

Cycle 2: ACCELERATE
Carve and FIRM muscles while blasting calories!

Moderate to high impact, heavier weights (8-12 lbs)

• Sculpt: A slower pace and heavier resistance spark calorie burn and target muscles. Adding weights to two of the four Mini Bursts ups the challenge and results.
• Cardio: By adding plyometric jump transitions, simple sports drills get kicked up a notch, sending fat and calorie burn into the stratosphere!
• Cardio + Sculpt: Following the same format as Ignite's Cardio + Sculpt, this routine pushes the effort with heavier weights and faster paced Mini Bursts.

Cycle 3: TURBOCHARGE
Lean out your physique with the best in cardio coupled with muscle toning exercises.

Active re-charging, moderate impact, moderately-heavy weights (5-10 lbs)

• Sculpt: Lower intensity and moderate weights allow your body to continue sculpting strong, lean muscle. Agility and balance elements engage mind and body while sculpting the torso.
• Cardio: Here, Mini Bursts feature high powered progressions using kettlebell style exercises, with lower impact alternatives to suit your fitness level.
• Cardio + Sculpt: Balance and agility progressions keep the body guessing and progressing. Mini Bursts feature fresh takes on classic calorie sizzlers for a total body workout.

Cycle 4: OVERDRIVE
Now your body is primed for burning overall body fat, blasting belly fat and sculpting beautifully defined muscles.

Challenging cardio, heaviest weight (5-15 lbs)

• Sculpt: Slowing the pace and using heavier weights will push you to the max! Sets are short and the exercises are targeted. Lighter weights used during Mini Bursts.
• Cardio: Kickboxing moves while holding weights power charges calorie burn and revs up metabolism. No matter what your fitness level, you can master these sequences and push yourself to the limit.
• Cardio + Sculpt: Targeted toners plus potent cardio blasts keep it fresh in this peak performance workout. Amazing total body cardio and head-to-toe sculpt!
  

BONUS: Kick Start Your Metabolism

• Pump It Up!: Get fab results with this condensed version of The FIRM Express. All it takes is four highly effective and sequenced moves combined with four rounds of Mini Bursts to start melting all over fat. Perfect when you're high on motivation but short on time.
• Shortcut to Flat Abs: A unique 3D ab training program using targeted exercises done standing, sitting, on your back and belly. The FIRM Express takes a science-based approach and infuses it with the latest studio techniques. A fun and effective core toning route!

My Opinion

So the real question is, "what do YOU think, Jonelle?" And as I stated before, I LOVE THESE WORKOUTS! To be honest, while I have been a fan of The FIRM workouts for awhile, I've never been a big fan of their cardio workouts, I mainly use the old FIRM workouts for sculpting which I have always thought that they were excellent for. The old FIRM cardio workouts were always kinda' boring to me and since I have other higher impact cardio workouts that I truly enjoy (i.e. - Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, ... etc.) I just never gave them much play time. But the new FIRM Express workouts have officially changed my mind! I think the cardio bursts that are apart of every Express workout really help to not only pump up the impact of the workout, but break up any repetitiveness or boredom that I may have experienced in the FIRM workouts of the pasts. I really hope that they keep that in future FIRM workouts! The cardio bursts, along with the addition of weights, helps create a strong, sweat dripping, calorie burning, AWESOME workout!

Not to mention, for those concerned about time, each workout is only 20 MINUTES!!! Now that may be a good or bad thing, depending on who you talk to. Some people love short workouts. Some people, like me, aren't that fond of them. But I have learned that you really can get a good workout in only 20 minutes! Or even under 20 minutes! Turbo Fire's HIITs changed my mind about that sometime ago, but The FIRM Express confirmed it. And they don't play around with those 20 minutes either! You do a quick warm-up (and by quick, I mean a minute, maybe two) and then you are off and running! They make the most of those 20 minutes and I appreciate it! And you can always do what I've been doing which is do two! :) If one workout is good then two is even better!

The pros, I've given you. The cons? I have none. The price is $89.97 and that could be con to some, but I expect that for all you're getting and if you're a fitness video collector like I am, you know that price is standard. And remember, you can always pay in 3 monthly payments of $29.99 if you don't want to pay that higher price all at one time. The only other con I could possibly see is you do need a good supply of weights, I would recommend having at least a 3lb, 5lb and 10lb pair of weights. I'm lucky because I have the Bowflex SelectTech weights, so I have from 5lbs to 50lbs to work with, but I wouldn't recommend you invest in something like that until you really start weight lifting regularly because that is an investment.


So my conclusion? If you are a FIRM fan or just looking for something new, check out The FIRM Express! It's a great program that I don't think you will regret!