The Firm Express: Review of Cycle 1 - Ignite

(Video courtesy of YouTube: this is 10 minute "Pump it Up")


This past week I started The Firm Express: Get Thin in 30. I have used The Firm for YEARS as a great strength and cardio home workout (hello, fanny lifter!) but haven't really used them much since their newer stuff came out. I know this isn't a brand new workout, but I finally got around to buying it. I have dabbled with Zumba (super fun, but I don't think it would change my body that much, plus I'm just not a dancy-dance person). I've tried Insanity and quit after a week because it was just too dang hard at this point in my fitness and I really wasn't enjoying it. If there's one thing I've learned about myself since becoming a mom a year ago, it's that if I have 30 minutes to an hour of ME time, I better dang well be doing something I enjoy! Hence the reason I'm not running anymore either. I've always had a love/hate relationship with running, and right now it's more on the hate side. Not because it's hard, but because it's soooo....freaking....boring. Which is why I ultimately bought myself The Firm Express. Actually, hubby kinda convinced me when he said, "Why don't you do your Firm videos, those always worked for you?" So OF COURSE, I had to rush off and buy the new (short!) ones, which I'm loving. 


The Firm Express workout is based on a 30 day rotation of 12 videos (3 each week) for 4 weeks, plus an additional 10 minute Pump it Up video that has a cardio segment and an abs segment. So you really only work out 3 days per week on the beginner rotation (which I'm following to ease into it). The new workouts are based on HIIT with 8 seconds of "bursts" followed by 12 seconds of recovery. When I was doing my research on this, I was like, "8 seconds? Bah. That can't work." But then I watched some of their new workouts on YouTube and thought, "Wow, those 8 seconds look like a good workout." After trying the first few videos in the rotation, called the Ignite Cycle, which includes a Cycle 1 Sculpt, Cycle 1 Cardio, and Cycle 1 Cardio+Sculpt (all in 20 minutes!) I have been very impressed. As a longtime Firm user, I haven't had much trouble following the moves (super targeted cueing and efficient non-dancy moves, which I appreciate). However, I know some reviews have stated that if you're new to The Firm you might find the instructors move too quickly through the steps to get a grasp of them. But I love the fresh look of the set, the super fit instructors who cue well, and the combination of strength/cardio/plyometrics. I am not one to go to the gym to do weights on a machine or prance around in front of a bunch of sweaty dudes, so I've always liked The Firm's classic approach to weights and cardio. 


The 10-minute "Pump it Up" DVD is a great enhancement to add additional (hard!) minutes to your workout (check out the clip above). I got a VERY good workout by adding it the Sculpt DVD, and was sore for 2 days! 


My only concern with jumping into weights again while still having a few pounds (5-10) to lose is that I may build muscle before I burn the fat off, but we'll see what happens. I plan to upgrade to the Beginner 2 rotation I found on Facebook, or just add an extra day or two of the straight cardio DVD when I feel ready. 


Check back next week for my review of Cycle 2: Accelerate!

Spice Up Your Workout with Soccer Drills

Somehow I got suckered into agreed to help coach my bosses' daughter's soccer team. No pressure. I just have to take a group of fourteen chatty 7th and 8th grade girls and mold them into fierce soccer players. No biggie, right? Don't scoff, we've won our first 2 games. All thanks to the coaching, I'm sure of it. 


I know, I know...winning isn't everything. Bah. I can tell you one thing, there's nothing more empowering to a group of impressionable young women than the sweet feeling of victory. What are we teaching our youth when tell them that winning isn't everything? We're teaching them to be lazy and to settle for less than their best. If you're not first, you're last, right Ricky Bobby?? :) Ok, rant over. 


To celebrate the beginning of soccer season, (my fave time of the year - leaves are changing, our Indian Summer is coming to an end, the excitement and nervousness of pulling out the old muddy cleats) I came up with some soccer drills you can incorporate into your regular fitness routine to shed inches and pounds faster than Brandi Chastain can rip her jersey off. (That's a soccer reference for all you non-futbol followers). 

Stacy's Soccer Workout

Do these moves 1-2 times a week on non-consecutive days. 

Equipment needed: Stopwatch, soccer ball

Start with 30 seconds of each move at high intensity (as hard as you can go) then gradually add 15 second increments as you get stronger, working up to 90 seconds. Recover for 30-60 seconds between moves. Repeat the sequence. 

1. High Knees - Hold hands out in front of you waist-high and lift knees as fast as you can, bringing knees to palms. Keep hands at waist-level, don't let them drift downward.

2. Squat Jumps - Holding a soccer ball above your head, jump up then lower into a squat, still holding ball above your head. Maintain good form, completing jumps as quickly as possible. Be sure your knees don't extend over toes on the landing, this will protect those knee joints! 

Variation: bring the ball down to waist-height in front of you during the squat, or side-ways in front to work obliques.

3. Fast Feet: Standing with feet slightly wider than hip width apart, run in place as fast you can, swinging both arms together forward and back. Turn direction every 10 seconds without stopping your feet. 

4. Ball Hops: Place ball on floor, positioning yourself to one side. With feet together, hop side to side OVER the ball, being extra careful not to land ON the ball. (I've done this, not fun!) Hop as quickly as possible. Variation: hop forward and back on the repeat.

5. Burpees: Everybody's favorite! Begin in standing position, hop down into push-up position by extending legs behind you as you lower. Hop legs forward and jump up as high as you can, reaching arms straight up. This completes one rep. Variation: On the repeat, try a Mountain Climber. Begin in lowered burpee position (hands on floor, legs extended behind you) and bring legs in toward hands one at a time quickly, then extend behind you quickly, like you're climbing a mountain).

This is a fast but effective way to torch calories while improving athletic skills like quickness off the ball and overall stamina. Do these as recommended and you will blast inches too!