The Firm Cross Trainers: The Tortoise Workout [VHS]
Don't be offended by the title: "tortoise" doesn't mean that you're sluggish and round. Rather, the point is that by using slower moves and heavier weights, you build strength and complement the faster workouts you do on other days. However, the reps in this 1993 60-minute video aren't all that slow--usually about four seconds, when six seconds is more typical for heavy weights. You'll need a variety of dumbbells, a barbell, and a short and tall step. The instructor presents a good variety of effective upper- and lower-body exercises, although modifications using dumbbells could have been shown in the barbell segments. The strength moves are interspersed with short aerobic/step segments of ballroom dance moves that sometimes don't quite match the music. Use this video to cross-train with one of the faster workouts, such asThe Firm: The Hare Workout, which uses light weights and a faster tempo.--Joan Price