The Firm: Total Body Time-Crunch

Things to consider before buying this video
I have used The Firm videos for nearly 12 years and I notice there are some definite pros and cons with this video.

PROS - It delivers a great workout, I am sweating harder each time I workout with this video. You also do not need a lot of equipment, like step boxes, sculpting stick, etc. Just some dumbells and yourself. It is fast paced and high energy with good muscle toning exercises and great aerobic segments. The time crunch exercise is very useful as well, which is why I bought this video.

CONS - The cueing is off at times, or unclear, so you have to be prepared to pay attention and willing to give yourself time to learn the routine with practice, patience is the key. As I mentioned, I've used these products for over a decade and I found some new moves on this DVD that I have trouble executing with proper form. This makes it very easy for injury to occur. Be prepared to take things slowly, especially if you are just getting into weight/aerobic...

Fit Grandma
This is one of 4 new Firm videos I recently purchased - I've tried two now and am pleased with both. As noted by another reviewer Amazon is not listing this right, this is not the "old" Time Crunch with Susan Harris and Kai Soremekun. This is a "new" Time Crunch with Rebekah Sturkie. She does a great job, cuing and sound are good. It is a nice balance of aerobic bursts and weight work. I did up the weights for me and by my second go at the DVD I had the moves down as they are not too dancy and complicated as some DVDs have been. I'm 60 years old, working out about 1 hour each AM and have been looking for DVDs that have less high impact in them now and this works well for that - some high impact but not too much. I have two more new Firm DVDs to review - hope I like them as well. It is always disheartening to order an exercise DVD and play it to only find out it is a lemon.

I really wanted to like this DVD.
As with any exercise video I purchase, I watch it once before attempting to do it myself. I was excited at first glance but a little concerned about the prompting for the cardio segments. Just watching it I realized it was going to be fast and when I attempted to do it, I gave up. I tried it again and gave up. Tried again by only doing the cardio and hitting rewind but gave up yet again. Maybe it's just me but I don't want to have to scratch my head, trip over my feet, and keep hitting the review button when I'm trying to workout. I like a hard workout but I don't like working hard to figure out what the instructor is doing.

So, with that said, the workout itself was fine and I would give the DVD five stars for that. The only reason I give it three is for the prompting in the cardio segment. Perhaps they should have had the cardio moves on the Learn and Burn section or maybe she could have broken down each step at a slower pace.

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