The Firm: Aerobic Body Shaping (BSS4)

This is a great AWT workout alternating cardio with strength work. The workout flows very well and does not feel too long or too short.

It was nice when we moved into a second set of leg press fairly early on in the workout - While I like the move and know they are great for toning, I was glad to be done with them and move on.

I really enjoyed the last cardio segment with bunny hops - this was a lot of fun.

Allie does a great job leading and Pam, Stephanie, Annie, & Alison look wonderful as support.

This dvd is from the TransFirmer series; it uses the TransFirmer-a step that can be used as an 8 inch box, 6 inch box, 14 inch box, or on its incline for step aerobics or as a weight bench. The TransFirmer is a great piece of eqiupment-very versatile and fun. The w/o is 57 minutes and includes an 8 minute lower body bonus w/o that Aliie also leads.

The set is bright and white. Allie leads with 4 background Firm ladies; Alison provides the beginner modificaions. Allie cues very well in this, and no babytalk. This workout has enough strength work to be used as a strength workout but also has some nice cardio intervals that will burn some calories and bring on a good sweat. A lot of the lower body work will also get your heartrate up.

She covers every body part and really utlizes the TransFirmer on the incline alot. some of the strength moves include hover squats/ bicep curl combo, side lunges onto the incline, 2 sets of leg press, lat rows, clean and press, dips, pec flys, bridge work using the TF, floor ab work, lunges onto the incline, and lat raises.

Some of the cardio intervals are done on the incline step and include step around and tap, straddle step, and turn step. Some of the cardio is done on the floor and includes bunny hops, mambo, kicks, marching in place, etc.

I would consider this a thourough intermediate w/o. Add some plyos and heavy up and you can easily get an advanced AWT (aerobic weight training) w/o out of it IMO. You can also follow Alison and take it down a notch.

Title: The FIRM Transfirmer Aerobic Body Shaping

Instructor: Allie Del Rio Strickland

Length: 60 minutes

Format: Cardio plus weights

Background: Brightly lit, light background, wood floors. Modern looking.

Background exercisers: Several - four or more. One shows modifications.

Review:

FINALLY a "newer' FIRM that I actually like! This workout alternates short cardio intervals with weight training. Many of the cardio segments are done on the step, some are old fashioned floor aerobics. The weight segments are thorough and offer tempo changes. She will typically do 8 reps, then a two count reps, then a few 3-down, 1-up reps. The choreography is easy enough for someone with two left feet, but still interesting because she does not do the same thing too long. Her cuing is a little late early on and improves as the workout progresses.

Grade: B+

The Firm Transfirmer Series Aerobic Body Shaping is led by Allie DelRio who does an excellent job with both cueing and form pointers. Alison, Pam, Annie, and Stephanie join her, with Alison showing beginner modifications. This 56 minute workout also contains a bonus lower body section on the DVD. The instructors are in black and light lime green, and the set is colored on some of the panels to match the green. The way they subtly change the colors to match the instructors"outfits reminds me of the Classic Firm mansion set’s walls, which were a different color in each of the first six volumes.

The warm-up uses the six inch (green) part of the Transfirmer, and includes static stretches and interesting step work. We then do the first weight section which uses the stacked (14 inch) Transfirmer. Allie says to use “heavy” weights. I used 2 12’s and that was good for me. As in Supercharged Sculpting, they don’t do endless reps so you can go heavy. The tempo is a bit faster than in SS though, in keeping with the aerobic weight training concept, but not so fast you can’t handle the weight. We do hover squats, then sit to do overhead presses, the more squats, then leg press, then biceps curls! WHEW!

The next segment is step using the Transfirmer in the incline position. This was really fun and the TF is very soft to step on! Someone on another forum asked about ankle problems doing this, but you don’t stomp on it or twist your foot at all, so I have to say I don’t see this as being an issue unless perhaps you already have an ankle injury. However, if you don’t step too high on the platform, your leg is barely angled at all at the ankle joint.

Back to the stacked TF for MORE leg press, with heavy weights again. Then we do one arm lat rows, then climb the TF with light weights doing front delt raises at the same time. Be careful here, especially if 14 inches is high for you. There’s a lot of balance in this move. I started with 5# bells and switched to 3’s. I felt more stable with those.

Back to the incline position for more step work. Lots of straddles and different things I’ve never seen anywhere else! A very fun segment!

We keep the TF in the incline position for side lunges, then double arm lat rows, then forward lunges onto the incline with the same leg we used in side lunges, then we lie down for pec flyes. It takes balance to stay on the inclined step, so don’t go too heavy. You will also feel your core working. We also do overhead presses with the weights, so you’ll want to be mindful of how much you use. We then stand to do dips, working the same leg as before.

Before we work the other leg, we do floor aerobics, doing a combination of box step and low jacks. This is the danciest part of the workout, but it’s not overly complicated.

Then we go back to the inclined TF and repeat the side lunges on the other leg, followed by French press, then front lunges, then we lie down for chest press, then triceps extensions holding one bell sideways, then stand for dips working the same leg.

The last aerobic segment is floor work again, doing mambo cha-cha’s and bunny hops. This is the only segment where high impact is used, and it’s barely impact at all. It’s a lot of fun!

We then do biceps curls, triceps dips off the 14 inch stacked TF, then in a seated position we work the rear delts with light weights. It’s onto the floor then for bridge work using the step, then no step for abs and finally planks. A well-deserved stretch follows.

I did not like the music as much in this one, but that’s just a personal preference. Overall it’s an A! A very effective and challenging workout, especially if you use heavier weights.

Carol

The Firm is back!!!! This was my first thought once I completed this workout. Aerobic Body Shaping is a nice circuit training-style workout that alternates basic weight training moves like squats, lunges, bicep curls, etc with cardio. But as the infomercial says, what makes this workout unique is the Firm's newest piece of equipment - The TransFIRMer!

Now like many others, I was very skeptical about the new box and the new workouts. Especially after purchasing BSS3 (which by the way, I did not like at all). After that disaster, I swore I would not buy another Goodtimes Firm product again. But I'm going to have to swallow my pride and admit that the new box is a great piece of equipment and it really enhances the strength training and the cardio moves featured in Aerobic Body Shaping.

For example, cardio and lower body work, such as lunges, are done on the incline. The moves are easy but fun to do for a choreography clutz like myself. Overall, I'd say it is a solid intermediate workout.

Also big kudos to the producers for brining back the nicely lighted open set. It is very much like the set in BSS1 and 2. That dark set in BSS3 was awful. The music is pretty good too.

One thing that concerned me before purchasing this system was how difficult it would be to adjust the box for different segments. I was very happy to see that the box is very easy to adjust in this workout. The transitions are very smooth. The Goodtimes Firms finally got it right!