May I vent please, about THE FIRM?

L Sass

L Sass

Cathlete
I am soooo disappointed (but so extraordinarily happy that I found Cathe). I was with The Firm for a lot of years and like many of you became quite unhappy when GT took over and mass produced minimal intensity workouts with maximum breaking gadgets. (I've super-glued my twigs into my sculpting stick and am now on my 3rd incline box hoping it won't break.)

But I did GS Legs today and I'm amazed at how Cathe continues to mix it up - always coming up with new and challenging moves. Why is it that The Firm just keeps doing THE SAME moves over and over in a different sequence? They're still the same moves - no wonder I got to the point where I didn't see results. (And I have them all - back to Volume One with Susan Harris.) Cathe's refreshing creativity and constantly evolving moves ensure results. One thing is for sure - I won't waste any more money on the same old Firm workout with a new and expensive plastic prop designed to break. Oh - and speaking of expensive - what's with charging you to chat with other Firm members in their forum. If any of you pay to be a part of that club, maybe you could tell them they've lost me.
 
As soon as the Firm changed the mansion sets and the Benson sisters were doing things separately I stopped buying their stuff. I remember the old days with the wooden fanny lifter and the Firm barbell (I still use both by the way). I thought the new videos were just too simple, not intense enough for me, and most of the instructors were just annoying.

Wow the third incline box! That's amazing. I'm glad I discovered Cathe before I spent money on those. I never got rid of the old Firm videos either. In fact I hurt my ankle last year and I was told not to exercise for months. When I got the thumbs up I did Vol3-Vol6 for 3 weeks (1st week without weight) and then I got back to Cathe again. I keep those oldies around just in case.
 
I loved the Firm in the early 90's. Last year, I got their BSS videos off of eBay (can't remember if it was system 1, 2, or 3). On one of them, you're doing a standard grapevine, with biceps curls. She says, "This is challenging, with or without weights."

It is?????

????????

To whom????? My grandma?

I'm glad I found Cathe!
 
I'm waiting on my shipment of my 3rd incline box too!! I had to call customer support and that was a huge hassle. I have to wait 3 wks for the replacement. In the meantime I came over to these forums...saw some video clips of Cathe's workouts...so very impressed and bought the new series of DVDs. I should be getting them tomorrow. ANd it even hasn't been a week since I've ordered them!! Very FAST Shipping....i'm not used to that with GoodTimes. SO i've cancelled my subscription to the Firm boards and I'm so happy to be here!:)
 
The firm is great for beginners. I think it has served its purpose by bringing non-exercisers or low level exercisres into the mode of doing some kind of cardio and strength work most days of the week. That being said, a beginner exerciser is surely ready for something else about 6 months into the program. I think many on the Cathe site are ex firmers who heard about Cathe only because they were doing the Firm.
 
On one of them, you're doing a standard grapevine,
>with biceps curls. She says, "This is challenging, with or
>without weights."
>
>It is?????
>
>????????
>
>To whom????? My grandma?

LMAO! I know exactly which video you are talking about and I thought the same thing every time she said that!!! I have A LOT of FIRM's. Some I want to get rid of (will eventually try to sell on EBAY) and some I will keep to do on days when I want an easier work out...but I can not believe the difference between the FIRM and Cathe! She blows them away with out even trying!

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

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http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Fortunately I got my BSS3 and incline box through Collage Video - I had similar past experiences dealing with the "telephone operators" at GT. They were terrible! It took me forever to get my 2nd box - because they were being "redesigned" (I hear there are numerous law suits over the injuries that occurred from the first one). But the 3rd one came to me in about 3 days from Collage. So for anyone who will keep buying their systems (and BSS 4 is coming soon with the new box called the "Firminator") you may want to consider going through Collage as well.
 
I am done with The Firm as well. I found Cathe last May and I haven't really done a Firm workout since. I do like all three BSS systems and I just listed two of the older ones on ebay (volume 1 and tough tape 2/5-day abs.) I absolutely agree with you that they always do the same moves, not much creativity with the strength training.

I refuse to buy any more workouts from them, whether new or old, and I definitely will not be purchasing any more equipment through them.
 
I'm so glad to read your vent. I have also been doing The Firm and just discovered Cathe. Glad to here that I made a good decision in purchasing the hardcore series. My DVD's should be arriving today and I'm so excited to try them. I'm also glad that we have this FREE forum to use.

Kathy
 
>The firm is great for beginners. I think it has served its
>purpose by bringing non-exercisers or low level exercisres
>into the mode of doing some kind of cardio and strength work
>most days of the week.

I agree! The Firm was great for me for a long time...it was a logical step in my fitness progression. I don't regret the $ and time I invested in the Firm except to say that I probably could have moved on to Cathe a few months sooner had I known about her. ;(

Have a great work out!

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://lilypie.com/days/050519/1/0/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
I'm so glad that this thread came up. I have the Firm Parts series collecting dust because the fun factor is zero! I plan on unloading on eBay pronto. I've been reading so much about the problems with their boxes, fanny-lifters etc... How can they stay in business if they have to keep re-tooling the equipment?
 
I must agree. I have been doing The Firm for a year and a half. I actually started looking for something better a year ago, but never found anything. I just found Cathe at the end of Jan. when I accidently came across her show on FitTV. I ordered the Intensity Series, and my husband just ordered Hardcore for me for Valentines day. I am so excited. It arrive on the 21st.
I actually just broke my incline box last night. I have been using it to do Cathe (not Firm) I think this last series is actually the worst of their stuff I have seen. I can't stand it. It has always been hard to change their box from low to high, and last night it broke altogether. Plus the workouts in that series are super easy. I had already upped my weights to as heavy as I really wanted to go, and I used ankle weights to get anything out of their workouts... (My sculpting stick has been broken forever. I just worked out without it. I didn't like that it was only 8 lbs anyway, and I didn't need it for stability.)
I too am glad I found Cathe. I haven't done a firm workout since. I also agree with you on being charged to use the forum. I love this forum, and the greatest thing about it is that it doesn't require my credit card number to post.:)
 
And what is with every new BSS coming out with more specialized equipment you HAVE to buy to do the workouts? What a marketing racquet!!
 
I've got the 3 BSS workouts also, plus numerous older Firm videos (over 30 of them total) and since reading that several people have had the box from BSS 3 break, I'm terrified it's going to crack while I'm using it!! ;( I bought mine at Target and hope that I got a decent one cause I will be super angry if it breaks. I'm done spending my hard earned money on Firm videos because like one person said, they are using the same moves just in different sequences. Cathes workouts kick butt EVERYTIME and are so motivating at the same time!!
 
I, too, was a loyal FIRMIE for a number of years. Have all the old wooden fanny lifters, pre-ordered VHS tapes pre-GT take-over, etc. I never found a satisfactory substitution...until I found Cathe! I, agree, the FIRM is excellent to introduce people to weights and aerobics or for people who are re-starting their programs. As a matter of fact, I gave the BSS2 FL & Sculpting stick to my sister who has been really struggling to get consistent with a program. I bought BSS3 from Collage, determined that the incline bench was a piece of garbage and set out to find a better bench. And that's how I found Cathe. The BSS3 system went back to Collage and I'm never going back to The FIRM. Everything I was so desperately trying to re-kindle with the "new" FIRM I found with Cathe. Don't settle for less!

~ Kim

"Welcome the challenge...Embrace it...Don't fear it." -Cathe Friedrich
 
I bought a Firm workout after I heard a lot of women rave about them. I heard that they were challenging and great for toning. So I figured hey why not give it a try? I do not think I even worked up a sweat. The workouts have the same problem a lot of workout systems have. They are good to get you off the couch but once you reach a certain fitness level there is no place to go. I did my DVD once and it has sat on my shelf since. However I thought maybe I have just become a workout DVD snob since doing Cathe's workouts.
 
Ditto, ditto, ditto. I have about 15 Firm videos, the newest being from about 2000. I don't think it's even worth my time to go through selling them on Ebay. Is it? I should just toss them.
 
You know, they say everything happens for a reason. If it weren't for the FIRM, I may never have heard of Cathe. I own every single one just like many of the other posters (even that ridiculous "Ballroom Aerobics...remember that?!!), but since I found Cathe, those FIRMs are just gathering dust.

Every once in a while, my eyes get pulled to some new colorful cover art or a new "master instructor," and I wonder if I should give them another try...but this post confirms my suspicions (same moves...over and over). I've sold all of the "Good Times and later" productions on eBay.

I have to admit, I'm "drawn" to give Tracie Long's new series a try...and I AM wondering if the Benson Sisters' new collaborative effort is worth a look...(seems like they're back to that old mansion set)...

...but hey...NONE of those chicks ever picked up a 25-lb dumbbell in any of those vids...so I'll stick with my favorite drill sergeant, thank you! Cathe ROCKS!!
 
Tracie was my favorite too, and I 'm also tempted to revisit her. I hear that Anna Benson's ex-husband, who was really the master mind behind the early Firm workouts has paired up with the Benson sisters again to do this Kick Butt series. But I'm with you - I feel lucky to have found and be able to do Cathe. And she provides results. Think I'll just stay the course.
 
I have to agree with everything that has been said. I own most of the older Firm videos but my favorite has to be the original with Susan Harris. I bought this through the mail for $5 in 1998 and it really helped me get into shape. Now that I am restarting my exercise program, I am doing this video (did it today). (Yeah, even with the cheesy music, I still like it.) Tracie Long is also my favorite Firm instructor. I have never really liked the new Firm sets. I don't own any but just borrowed a DVD from the library, and this thing didn't even challenge me much except for one thing...it was the step portion of the video. It would probably be easy for you all but since I am not experienced in step exercise, it was confusing to me. I have always avoided anything with a step until I "met" Cathe. I'm trying some easy step videos (yes, even ones I already own and never use) to get some of the basic steps down so that hopefully, I'll be able to graduate to some of Cathes step workouts. A few weeks ago, I did do the Step Blast and kept up with most of it, but had to quit because of my foot. (Sorry I'm going off on a whole other topic....I'll stop rambling now.) :7

Shirley
 
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