Search - The Firm - Cardio Inferno on DVD

Fun and Sweaty...Me Like! :-)

Addicted2Amazon! | Philadelphia | 04/17/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Firm's Cardio Inferno is a fun, 30-min. workout that alternates steady-state cardio with fast-paced light sculpting. Though I was a bit skeptical when I initially brought the DVD home and viewed it, I thought differently after I tried it. In my opinion, this DVD is awesome!
It begins with a long-ish warmup...okay, I must admit that it could have been a little bit shorter than what it is (almost 8 minutes). As it is done in an add-on style, the very 1rst move (stepping from side to side while alternating an arm raise) gets pretty old about half way through. But that is probably my only real beef with this program!
What I like about CI is that it is a FUN cardio program that raises your heart on a gradual slope, a little gentler than many of the other Firm workouts. The cardio is not dance-y, however. It is composed of athletic moves like jacks, kicks, lunges, hamstring curls, and hopping. Have a mentioned that I think this is really FUN? :-)
The program is actually a cardio/light sculpt hybrid, so it's pretty effective even if done alone. There is a sculpting segment, followed by a cardio segment, then another sculpting segment, a final cardio segment and then your cool-down. Light weights are recommended for the sculpting segments. The sculpt moves are pretty fast-paced, and your arms and lower body will be moving fast in bicep curls, lunges, squats, arm raises, etc., so I would listen to them and keep it light. I personally don't use anything heavier than 3-4 lbs. It is Firm-style sculpting, so your upper and lower body will be doing things simultaneously. Like I said, I definitely felt the burn with my 3 lb. weights,!
Many of the other reviewers weren't crazy about the instructor, Sue Mi. I must admit, she's probably not my favorite of the Firm instructors, but I have no issue with her. Yes, you may find her a little...corny. But she actually kinda makes me smile, and I'm having fun doing the workout, so I don't really mind her cheesy grin and comments like, "Knee higher, pleeease!"
Intermediates/Advanceds: Yes, this will probably not leave you panting and crawling for the shower. But that's why I like it. It's lighter, and perfect to combine with something else to make a harder, personalized workout. Being that it's only 30 minutes, and never gets to abs, I actually combine this with The Firm's Slim and Sculpt Stability Ball workout, also 30 min. In CI, I burn calories and do a little bit of sculpting, then in S&SSB I finish toning everything and get an awesome stretch-out. I think it's a perfect hour workout! (Of coarse there are many other 30-min. sculpting workouts out there that would be great on the end of this).
So in a nutshell, this workout is FUN, effective and (if you're a fitness nerd like I am) perfect as a cardio add-on to a shorter sculpt workout. If you would like to see a clip, check out collage video's site.
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