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The FIRM Express

The FIRM Express

The newest accelerated weight loss DVDs from the Firm.

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QUICK FACTSQUICK FACTS Start the Diet Now Advertisement
  • Established: 1979; purchased by Gaiam in 2005
  • Founder: Anna Benson, Cynthia Benson
  • Headquarters: Columbia, South Carolina
  • Accessibility: Fitness DVDs available online
  • Diet Type: Exercise focus with included nutrition plan
  • Gender: Female

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

The FIRM has been a trusted name in exercise and fitness for many years. The workouts produced by The FIRM have been empowering women to work towards their best bodies and achieve total body fitness. Now The FIRM has a new workout series called The FIRM Express which promises to get you thin in 30 days with three times weekly 20 minute workouts. Like all of the workouts by The FIRM, this program combines cardio exercises with weight training to get results faster and help you burn more fat than traditional cardio alone.

The Firm Express offers a plan that can help you “Get Thin in 30”. Within 30 days, you will go through four different cycles of DVDs that are specifically sequenced to optimize weight loss. The best part of The Firm Express is that you only have to work out 20 minutes, three times each week. With The Firm Express, you can burn up to nine times more fat than with traditional cardio workouts. Currently The Firm is the only fitness innovator using this revolutionary technique.

PROPRO
  • Burn up to nine times more fat than with traditional cardio workouts
  • Program gets great results in just 30 days
  • Only requires three 20 minute workouts per week
  • Uses mini bursts of intensity along with cardio and sculpting exercises
  • Continue burning calories after your workout
  • Created by trusted The FIRM master instructors
  • The FIRM is a trusted name in fitness
  • Online support included with program
CONCON
  • Program is a bit expensive (3 payments of $29.99, as of July 29, 2011) for only 30 days of workouts
  • Focuses heavily on exercise; meal plan is rarely mentioned
  • The workouts fall below the recommended amount of exercise for optimum health
  • No stretching is done before the workouts, so risk of injury and muscle pulls is high
  • Compound strength exercises move quickly, can be confusing and are difficult to keep up with
  • Each DVD is only used once in the whole 30 days
  • Weights are needed for many workouts, and not included with the program
DIET and NUTRITIONDIET and NUTRITION

There is a meal plan that comes with The FIRM Express program. This meal plan allows you to choose meals and snacks from a 30 day customizable Express Fat-Burning Meal Plan. You have the freedom of picking your meals and snacks, so you are in control of what you eat each day. Combining the eating plan with the workouts will give you maximum results.

The Express Fat-Burning Meal Plan comes with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes you can choose from. Calorie ranges are given based on your starting weight. No guidance is given on choosing meals and snacks outside of the meal plan, so you are on your own when choosing other foods. Portion control tips are also included so you can eye ball the correct servings.

EXERCISEEXERCISE

The Firm Express focuses on getting you maximum results in the short period of 30 days. There are four different cycles that you go through with this program. Each cycle includes three different workouts. You will only be doing three workouts per week, all of which are 20 minutes long. The different cycles are Ignite, Accelerate, Turbocharge and Overdrive. You will receive a fitness guide that will guide you through what DVD to complete on each day.

A breakdown of the different cycles is listed below:

Ignite

  • Uses weights between eight and 12 pounds
  • Sculpt section offers classic sculpting routines with lighter weights with Mini Bursts to spark metabolism
  • Cardio section offers straight forward cardio moves with four rounds of Mini Bursts
  • Combined cardio and sculpt section is fast paced and combines low impact cardio with 3D sculpting

Accelerate

  • Uses weights between eight and 12 pounds
  • Sculpt section offers a slower pace with heavier resistance to burn calories and target muscles
  • Cardio section offers the addition of plyometric jump transitions and sports drills
  • Combined cardio and sculpt section follows the same format as Ignite with faster paced Mini Bursts and heavier weights

Turbocharge

  • Uses weights between five and 10 pounds
  • Sculpt section is low intensity with moderate weights to sculpt strong, lean muscles
  • Cardio section includes high powered Mini Burst progressions using kettlebell style exercises
  • Combined cardio and sculpt section uses balance and agility progressions to keep the body guessing and progressing

Overdrive

  • Uses weights between five and 15 pounds
  • Sculpt section slows down the pace and uses heavier weights; lighter weights are used during the Mini Bursts
  • Cardio section uses kickboxing moves while you hold weights for calorie burn and a boost in metabolism
  • Combined cardio and sculpt section uses targeted toners and cardio blasts for a total body workout
CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

Whether you are familiar with The FIRM workouts or just starting an exercise plan, The FIRM Express offers a fat blasting program in just 30 days. While this is a hefty claim, the DVDs themselves are great, intense workouts that can be used over and over again, and for those that have more weight to lose, you may need to do additional rounds of the program. For those in great shape, and used to working out more often and for longer than 20 minutes a session, the program may seem like a step backwards.

The FIRM Express is the newest development from The FIRM, and offers you quick weight loss without devoting hours each day working out.

Common MisspellingsCommon Misspellings

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How Does The FIRM Express Compare?
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User Feedback

(Page 2 of 2, 21 total comments)

Kelly

I've used other Firm videos in the past and am a big fan of the "older Firms" as well as BSS1 and BSS2. But it seems as the years have gone by, The Firm has gotten "soft" in their approach in order to appeal to a wider user base. I was NOT impressed with Firm Express. Save some money and buy the BSS1 system (including the step). The workouts are longer, but produce better results. There's no way you'll get the promised results working out 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week.

posted Apr 27th, 2011 5:54 pm



 

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