FitPrime Live contains two workouts. Both of these workouts were filmed live at a FitPrime “fitness vacation” (I think that’s what one of the instructors called it). I chose this collection because it is subtitled G-Force 3 and G-Force 4. FitPrime’s G-Force workouts are workouts that use a rebounder. G-Force 4 is done by 4 different trainers: Tracie Long, Carissa Foster, Cindy Thorp and Eleanor Washburn. G-Force 3 is led by Anna Benson, one of the creators/founders of The Firm who later broke away to create FitPrime. The two workouts are very different. So lets start with the one I liked.
G-Force 4 is well done, considering the limited equipment they apparently had. As already mentioned, it is led by 4 different instructors and each instructor has a 10-14 minute segment. My favorite segment (of course) was Tracie Long’s. Loved it. It was the most fun and I just love her as an instructor. I have never heard of the other 3 instructors but I also really enjoyed Cindy Thorp’s segment. She did standing core using the medicine ball, cardio using the medicine ball and some shoulder strength work with dumbbells. The other two did trainers did a fine job but I didn’t love their segments. Overall, this is an excellent total body cardio + strength workout. Between the 4 instructors every muscle in your body will be hit at some point, plus you get cardio on the rebounder and on the floor with the med ball. There were minor sound issues throughout the workout and other trainers frequently ran up to fix the lead trainer’s microphone but none of it detracted from the workout.
Volume 3 is a different story altogether. This workout is led by Anna Benson, and I’ll be honest, I expected a lot more from this workout. I had never heard of Anna before but when I learned she was the creator (or one of them–I am not well versed in Firm history) of The Firm, I expected this to be an amazing workout. I was very disappointed. When the workout starts, it appears a rebounder circuit is just finishing. The “live” aspect of this workout is very problematic. The camera is always on Anna but sometimes she is acting as trainer not even doing the exercise, just talking. But she does not go to the exercisers so we do not have any visuals except her standing or sitting there doing nothing and talking and frequently what she says is not helpful cuing–just commentary. I bought the G-Force workouts for the rebounder aspect and there wasn’t much rebounding in this workout. And what rebounding there was, was not fun and definitely was not intense. In fact, in 49:30 minutes I burned 200 calories. I was not challenged at all–not by any aspect of this workout. Since 20 minutes of the workout is yoga, the low calorie burn is not a surprise but it wasn’t even good yoga. It was boring yoga. And you are in corpse pose 5:30 minutes of that 20! Plus the sound was horrible. Half the time, and especially at the end, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
But the good news is, at least I loved one of the workouts so it wasn’t a waste of money (plus I got it on sale at Total Fitness DVDs).
G-Force Volume 3 is 49:30 minutes; 2 minute warm up, the last 20 minutes is yoga and the final 1:30 minutes is Anna talking. Equipment: rebounder, square/high step @ 12 inches, a body bar or dowel, medicine ball and dumbbells. The warm up uses the 12 inch step. After the warm up you get on the rebounder. I do not know the weight of Anna’s dumbbells or medicine ball so the dumbbell weights below are what I used. I used a 5 pound medicine ball.
- Jumping jacks on rebounder
- Jump shift hips side to side (she calls it “swishing”); add pushing arms out to sides
- (get off rebounder) Fencers lunges with one DB held top of lunging leg (one 18# DB)
- Bent over single arm row (one 18# DB)
- Push ups
- Repeat #3 & 4 on other side of the body
- Plank into up dog
- Down dog hold; start pulsing your back down
- (pick up body bar or dowel) March in place and lift bar/dowel overhead; stop marching and arch back, bar still extended overhead; place bar against thighs and hinge forward then press bar forward so that arms are straight and in line with your ears
- (set bar/dowel aside and get back on the rebounder) High knee run; double hop run with arms extended to side; changes to 4 hops on each leg then 8 hops on each leg
- (get off rebounder, grab medicine ball and sit on high step) Sitting on high step, toss medicine ball from hand to hand across body
- Still sitting on high step, place ball on floor beside you and place palm on top of ball so you are leaning to the side, you are holding a DB in the other hand, extend DB hand over to the side and to single arm overhead tricep extensions in this position (one 8# DB)
- (set DB aside) Still sitting on high step, open legs wide and hinge torso forward, extend arms straight so biceps are in line with ears and hold; raise bottom off step and come down into a peasant squat with elbows pressed against inside of knees and hold; start pulsing bottom up and down in this position
- Sit on step again and pick up medicine ball, toss ball straight up to ceiling and catch it; toss ball up with one hand while also lifting other leg off floor, alternate sides with each toss (you catch the ball with both hands)
- Still sitting on step, still holding medicine ball, legs are close together, lift ball overhead with one hand, bring ball back down to thighs and pass ball under thighs to other hand and raise it overhead with that hand
- Hold a DB in each hand, with legs somewhat straight, cross legs at ankles, both feet flat on ground, hinge forward into a deadlift variation but you just hold the pose so it is more of a stretch (15# DBs)
- Repeat #16 with legs swapped but this time do double arm rows while hinged forward (15# DBs)
- Kneel on floor behind rebounder, fall forward and do plyo push ups on rebounder
- Kneel beside rebounder with hands on frame, stretching hips flexor; straighten front leg to stretch it
- Squats holding a DB in each hand (15# DBs)
- (get dowel/bar) Stand with one end of bar on floor and other end in hand for stability, lift one leg out to side of body and keep it raised; continue balancing on one leg, taking bar in both hands and extending it overhead
- Lay out fitness mat and put high step at the end, do down dog pose with hands on high step
- Hands still on high step, move feet closer to step and extend one leg up straight behind you and lower forearms to top of high step
- Sit on mat with legs crossed, but one knee is raised, wrap arm around bent raised knee and twist spine, looking behind you
- In same starting position as #24, high step is in front of you, rock forward and up on knee, placing hands on top of high step, then rock back down to mat
- Repeat #23 on same leg
- Lay on back, heels on top of high step, bottom close to high step, raise hips into a high bridge then raise one leg straight and toward face; place hands under body against low back, elbows on mat
- Move step, sit on mat with knees bent, roll onto back then roll up into bent knee boat pose with arms reached overhead; pulse knees into chest
- In same starting position as #28, roll back, bringing straight legs/feet toward wall behind you then roll back up to sitting with knees bent and feet on floor, continue rolling in and out of this position; continue this roll, but rise up into bent knee boat pose and hold for a few seconds
- Shoulder stand pose hold; bend one knee, bringing knee to forehead; bicycle the legs
- Plow pose hold
- Repeat #23-24 on other leg
- Lay on back and extend one leg to ceiling, hands behind calf, other leg on floor and stretch extended raised leg
- Raise both legs to ceiling and open then wide in a V, stretching inner thighs; bend knees and pull knees closer to shoulders
- Rocking figure 4 stretch (small rock for the spine)
- Corpse pose for about 5:30 minutes
G-Force Volume 4 is 51:30 minutes; 7:30 minute warm up and 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: rebounder, medicine ball, dumbbells, high step (it looks like 12 inches) and fitness mat. This workout is led by 4 different trainers. It is also chaptered by trainer so you can go to whichever segment you want, or you can choose to play all. Carissa Foster leads the warm up. The warm up is on the floor behind the rebounder and uses the medicine ball. Carissa says you can use a 2 or 3 pound medicine ball so I am assuming that is what they are using. I used a 6 pound medicine ball for all of the segments that use a medicine ball–including the warm up. The trainers do not share the weight of their dumbbells so the weights listed below are what I used.
Rebounding and Weights for Lower Body (Carissa Foster) 5:30 minutes:
- Small hops on rebounder with legs wide
- Hop in split stance
- Scissor run hops
- Repeat #1; jump faster
- Fast hops with feet together
- Repeat #3; changes to double scissor hops; add reaching arms overhead and pulling down; add directional changes
- (get dumbbells) Wide plie squat with one foot on rebounder and one on floor, holding DBs on tops of thighs, raise toes of foot that is on the rebounder so only the heel is pressing into the rebounder, do squats in this position; add bicep curls; hold squat isometrically and pulse up (no more bicep curls), pushing heel up off rebounder with each pulse (10# DBs)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body/rebounder
Rebound & Weights (Tracie Long) (13 minutes):
- High knee run on rebounder; add bicep curl arms to overhead press
- Single arm back row with one foot on rebounder, 20 reps (one 20# DB)
- Balance on one leg (on the floor) and do overhead tricep extensions, 2 sets of 12 reps (French press) (one 20# DB)
- Double arm overhead press (on floor); changes to alternating arms (10# DBs)
- Step ups on high step, DBs held on shoulders (15# DBs)
- Sit on high step, DBs still on shoulders, do hover squats (15# DBs)
- High knee run on rebounder
- Double jack legs; add arms
- Repeat #7 & 8
Medicine Ball Cardio & Upper Body (Cindy Thorp) (no rebounder) (9:30 minutes):
- Hold medicine ball and do squats; at top of squat raise ball overhead to one side, alternate sides with a squat between each overhead raise
- Balance on one leg holding ball in same side arm overhead, other toe is on the floor and body is leaned to the side of the supporting leg and ball, from this starting position, raise leg while also lowering ball then lower leg while raising ball (keep arm slightly bent and away from body while raising and lowering)
- Repeat #1
- Repeat #2 on other side of body
- March in place
- Double side steps; add a hop to the side steps; add reaching ball overhead when step-hopping and bring ball to hip before changing sides
- Hamstring curls bringing ball from hip to hip
- Step touch side to side tossing ball from hand to hand
- Alternating knee raise into front kick; add figure 8s with the ball
- Pulse squat; changes to 3 pulse squats + one jump squat reaching ball overhead
- (set med ball aside and get dumbbells) Bent arm lateral raises; hold arms isometrically at top of lateral raise; raise and lower one arm while holding the other isometrically; changes to alternating; changes back to both arms raising and lowering together (5# DBs)
- Bent over rear delt flys; hold arms at top of fly isometrically (5# DBs)
Pilates & Yoga Stretches (Eleanor Washburn) (you need your fitness mat) (14:30 minutes):
- Down dog on fitness mat
- Straight arm plank; lower body until you are a few inches off the floor and hover
- Up dog
- Child’s pose
- Bird dog pose
- Child’s pose
- Tricep push ups (you hold isometrically for a few seconds at bottom of push up with body a few inches off the floor)
- Down dog
- Repeat #2-4
- Sit on mat, knees bent and feet on floor, torso is leaned back slightly and arms are extended straight in front of you, slowly lower until lower back is on mat, hold briefly then slowly raise back to start
- Lay flat on back, one leg extended straight on mat, hands are holding shin of other knee pulling it into your chest; extend leg straight, hands behind thigh, pulling leg into chest
- Bend both knees and pull them into chest, raise head/shoulders, hands on shins and hold briefly then extend legs out straight on a 45 degree angle and extend arms overhead and hold briefly, alternate between these two positions
- Lay on back, hands behind head and neck raised, legs are raised straight to ceiling with heels together, lower straight legs then raise them back to start
- Still on back, head/shoulders raised, one knee and pulled into chest with hands on shin, other leg is extended straight a few inches off the floor, hold in this position bringing the forehead toward the knee; alternate legs moving faster
- Still on back, both knees bent and brought into chest, arms are extended out to sides in a T on floor, roll bent legs side to side, reaching knees toward elbow
- Bicycle maneuver, holding isometrically with elbow to knee; changes to a faster tempo
- Lay on side, legs extended straight, raise and lower top leg; keep top leg raised isometrically and raise and lower bottom leg to meet it
- Repeat #17 on other leg
