The Firm - Firm Parts: Tough Tape (Classic Workout Series)

I've been a fan of the Firm workouts for over 10 years. They are the most effective workout I've ever done and as a fitness trainer I recommend them to everyone. The Classic workout series is the cream of the crop. I've tried almost all of their tapes and cds but none compare to the classics, especially Tough Tape, Total Body, and 5 Day Abs. These 3 encompass ALL anyone needs to get into great physical condition without going to a gym or even leaving the house.

This is one of the most sought after Firm videos that are out of print. It is a compilation of the strength segments of the Tortoise and the Hare which are also out of print, but without the ballroom aerobics. Tracie Long leads this workout (as she led both Tortoise and Hare) plus there snippets of her in between segments letting you know what is coming up.There are several sets of leg presses in this workout, one of the sets has 18 reps per leg, while another one has alternating sets on each leg 7 reps each side twice, then 3 reps each side twice, very tough. All the muscle groups are covered well, in addition to the many sets of leg presses you will see squats, lunges, dips and plie squats for lower body. The upper body exercises include upright rows, overhead presses, tricep kickbacks, french presses, pushups, pec flies and bicep curls. A barbell is used for a lot of the exercises, but dumbells are easily substituted if you do not have a barbell.A good short challenging workout for those with limited time. Unfortunately it is hard to find though, but worth the money if you can find a copy. Tracie Long is an excellent instructor, and you can tell that she is working hard along with you. SusanHarris (of Volume 1) appears as a background exerciser which is an interesting tidbit. Worth looking for for die hard Firmies.

I've been working my way to more challenging tapes, and this one is amazing! What I like the best is the fact that you don't need to invest in a whole bunch of stuff to get started, I had some weights and something to step on and it works great!I also like the fact that Tracie is not one of those chirpy, rah-rah instructors who can't shut up - she knows her stuff and leads you through the tough moves without annoying you.The moves are varied and intense, you are really working your muscles with this tape and you feel the results from the first time you use Tough Tape. I recommend it and I will be buying other Firm tapes to mix my workouts around.

I own a collection of about 40 of The Firm's workout DVDs. I find this one to be functional, yet lackluster; compared to other Firm videos, it's not that tough. It's a compilation of scenes from The Tortoise and The Hare (classic The Firm videos) both lead by Tracie Long. The video focuses on sculpting, so there aren't any true aerobic portions, with the exception of the warm up.Pros-Focus on sculpting-Moderately challenging-Tracie Long is very pleasant, has an awesome body (motivation!), and is great at cuing-Doesn't skimp on stretching, as newer Firm workouts tend to do-No Ab sectionCons-Doesn't provide any guidance on weight of barbell. (It looks the barbell they use in the video is about 18-22 lbs.)-Uses quite a bit of equipment. You'll need tall (14") step, short step, towel, and barbell in addition to a slew of dumbbells.-Outer thigh and calves aren't worked at all-No Ab section-Hard on the knees (make sure you keep proper form, pressing your body weight into the heels)

great workout!

I would love to but the dvd version of the original tough tape dvd if anyone is willing to sell it.

I have 9 FIRM tapes, and when I got this, I had to psych myself up for it, thinking it would be very difficult. The weights are heavier than in any other tape I've done, but I still got through the whole thing without a hitch. The toughest so far is the Basic Body Sculpting (an old one, and a lot of sexy-voiced "oohs" from the instructor, but I've been working out daily for the last six months, and still cannot make it all the way through that tape - the legwork's a KILLER ! This is good, I did work up a sweat, but I didn't get sore and I didn't feel too challenged.

This is the first weight training tape where I had all of the necessary equipment! You'll need weights (obviously) but only 3 pairs at the weight you feel comfortable using - you can use an optional barbell for some of the exercises, but I don't, I just use my dumbbells. You'll need a tall step (12-14") but I use a trunk that I have, and you'll need a chair (or the tall step) for bicep curls. YOU DON'T NEED A WORKOUT BENCH! The tape concentrates on the thighs, arms, bust, back, and buns. There is no abdominal section or any work on the calves, but to really concentrate on time the time crunch (it only takes about 42 minutes), abs can be done on other days. The instruction is step by step, but without all of the constant talking, and you can tell the instructor Tracie Long is working hard too. Since she goes step by step, she also gives you enough time to get prepared for the next exercise, which other tapes don't do (Denise Austin's Totally Firm), and then you're rushing to get the next equipment. I would highly recommend this video! It is great for all fitness levels - just use higher weights for the more advanced.