The Firm: Hard Core Fusion

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A 55-minute sculpting/cardio workout from The Firm. There’s also an abbreviated, “express” 35-minute version of the same routine. Allie Del Rio Pointer instructs.

Advanced beginning through intermediate exercisers. A modifier is shown doing the moves with no weights at all, and there’s also a great tutorial section for the exercises, so a beginner could get a start here. You’ll need 3 to 8 pound weights or, even better, The Firm’s CardioWeight™ System. Also a mat for a few exercises, if you’re working out on a hard surface.

When I saw the words “hard core” in the title of the DVD, I took a deep breath before inserting the disc into the player. I was expecting a workout that would give Jari Love a run for her money, but it turned out that this workout wasn’t anywhere near that tough. It might be challenging for an advanced beginner, but for an intermediate, it’s definitely a moderate workout — the kind where you want to feel like you worked out, but you’re not up for anything too intense. The workout is a lot of fun — Allie cheerfully gives you classic Firm multi-limb moves alternated with cardio segments that will raise your heart rate but not leave you completely breathless. Because she builds on the moves as you go along, the choreography does get a little complicated, and you may need a couple of passes to get it all – but once you do, you can increase your weights (and the difficulty of the exercises). This is one workout that would really go best with The Firm’s CardioWeights™ — they’re dumbbells with handles, making it easy to double up the weights, and Allie does this a lot on this DVD. While most Firm workouts are at least advanced beginner through intermediate level, beginners can get started with this one — there’s a great tutorial in the “bonus” section where Allie teaches you the exercises, and there’s a modifier during the workouts who shows the moves with no weights at all, so you can get a feel for what’s going on. This isn’t the toughest Firm workout out there, but for some of you, that may be a good thing.