This challenging compilation from FIRM Classic workouts contains multiple sets of standing leg exercises in an intense thirty-minute leg superset. One warm-up set of tall box step-ups is done with no weights. For the next set of step-ups, dumbbells can be placed on the shoulders or held by the side. They are never set down until the end of the workout. Often, two leg exercises are alternated within a set for intensity and muscle exhaustion. These combinations include: squats with side leg lifts; dips with glute squeezes; squats with lunges. At other times sets of different exercises are alternated back to back for a superset. This is done with step-ups and calf raises, squats and lunges, step-downs and squats. Or upper and lower body work is combined within one rep: squats with overhead presses; lunges with biceps curls; outer thigh lifts with lateral delt raises.

Doing 24 sets of squats, lunges, dips and step-ups along with 9 sets of standing leg lifts is enough to make anyone eager to lie down for often-dreaded floor exercises. If done with the weights suggested, this is one of the hardest lower body specialty workouts I've seen on tape. (And it can be tough on the knees.) Although each instructor demonstrates excellent form throughout the tape, cues and reminders for correct technique and body alignment are not frequent. Modifications are never demonstrated and heavy weights are encouraged, so when you use this tape, you should know both good lifting form and your weight limits. And you can skip the ankle weights, this workout has plenty of intensity without them.

On DVD with Firm Upper Body (compilation from FIRM volumes 1-6.)

In this short but intense "body pump" style workout Gilad works the entire lower body with many variations of squats and lunges, then targets the glutes and hams with kneeling leg lifts. Counting in sets of 8, Gilad usually does at least two sets (sometimes at different tempos) before changing the exercise. About every 4 minutes during the standing segment he does a short shakeout to give the legs a break....your chance to get water or change weights if you're using them.

Like all the Quick Fit workouts this one has a very skimpy warm-up. The seven-minute squat sequence begins with a long set of plie squats, then moves on to standard narrow stance squats. Next you fool around with toe angles: first by doing narrow-stance plies with toes pointed outward 45°, then by squatting pigeon-toed with thighs pressed together. The final long set of squats includes glute lifts to the back and outer thigh lifts to the side. No weights are used in this section, although you could certainly hold them by your side on or your shoulders if you wanted.

The next seven-minute standing segment begins with a set of stationary lunges to which three moves are slowly added. First you bring the back leg forward as you stand up, keeping your toes pointed out to 45° to target the inner thigh. Next you add a knee lift, and last you add a glute lift. Gilad finally picks up dumbbells for the last series of stepping lunges. First you do alternating forward lunges, next rear lunges, then crossover rear lunges (the FIRM would call these curtsey dips).

The final 5 minutes focus on the glutes and hams. Propped on elbows and knees Gilad works one leg at a time with a long set of bent leg lifts, then adds a ham curl, and ends with a crossover bend leg lift. A quick stretch for hips and quads ends follows.

On DVD with other Quick Fit Workouts: 3 cardio and three toning: Chest & Back, Shoulders & Arms, Abs.

Jay designed these three compact and effective workouts to target the areas women find most difficult to tone - legs and abs - in less than 20 minutes per session. He teaches the leg workouts one-on-one, using a dowel and step. Each leg segment is built around squats, lunges, or step-ups choreographed into fluid routines, so this workout works best for intermediates who are comfortable with these moves and have no knee problems. Jay doesn't hold weights during these show, controlled reps, although as you progress you certainly could add them. The ab work is performed very slowly for maximum effectiveness. Here Jay meticulously instructs and coaches as his trainee demonstrates standard crunches and many variations. Both of them (one on the step, the other on the floor) demo the final 3- to 4-minute stretches.

These three segments are designed to be target toning add-ons to other exercise sessions so there are no warm-ups. Do one segment, and leave the next one cued up for another time. The format allows for a lot of flexibility, because if you're really short on time you can easily divide this into six workouts (6 to 8 minutes each) for either legs or abs. Jay teaches thoroughly, so you'll learn a lot about correct form, but at times it does feel like he's leading a fitness seminar.

As Karen explains in the introduction, this workout focuses on building leg endurance not big leg muscles, so weights aren't used for the standing exercises. Instead, you firm and tone your legs and glutes by lifting your body weight onto the step slowly, with great control. The workout opens with a seven-minute routine for the calves-- an unusual find in a video workout. The next 16 minutes of the standing section includes many variations of squats-- on, off and over the step. This section is really a slow-motion step aerobic workout. You lower down off the step deeper, slower and with more control than stepping though, trying to keep your weight on your heels and to land lightly. Depending on the height of your step, your fitness level and how many arm moves you include, this section could become an aerobic workout, but its true intent is toning. This section ends standing on the step doing hamstring curls with ankle weights. Inner and outer thighs are worked on the floor with leg lifts and hip rotations (thigh weights used here).

Karen's a serious but very competent instructor. She counts reps and clearly cues movements every step of the way. You always know what to do and when to do it. Using correct form is important to her so she continually passes on many technique tips. She's the only instructor I've seen who addresses the concept of "pulsing" during squats. Learning and practicing her method could save your knees from potential injury.

Kathy designed this target toning workout to focus on one lower body muscle group at a time, using both compound exercises (squats and lunges) and isolation exercises (leg lifts). Most exercises get one set of 16 reps at regular tempo followed by 8 or 16 pulsing reps. Each exercise is explained in detail and a few demo reps are shown before the set begins. An easier version (using chair support or a shorter lever) and harder version (using weights) of every exercise is usually offered. While beginners may not be able to get through all the sets at first, this workout offers great instruction for classic lower body exercises and shows how to make the exercises more challenging as you get stronger.

Glutes are worked first (and longest) with 9.5 minutes of squats, lying glute bridges, standing glute leg lifts and lying leg lifts. Next, hamstrings get 2 sets of lying bridges (with one foot on a chair, the other in the air). Abductors (outer thighs) are worked with three sets of leg lifts -- two standing and one on the floor. For the quads you do an unusual HFL plie (a squat where you rest your forearms on the seat of a chair as you lift only your butt up and down), two sets of stationary lunges and a set of one-legged squats. The inner thighs get just one set of lying leg lifts. Calves are worked on the edge of the step, one leg at a time: one set with your leg straight, the next with your knee slightly bent. The front calves (better known as shins) are worked last with a seated toe pull.

The set for this highly edited workout is a dimly-lit studio with a bare wood floor where chairs and mats appear and disappear quickly. Because these exercises are sequenced to fatigue one muscle group at a time you'll get down on your mat and back up again 7 times in this workout. Sometimes those demo reps allow you plenty of maneuvering time. At other times you'll need your remote handy, because the exercises go from standing to floor, or floor to holding the chair, quite quickly. If you work out on a hard floor and need a mat you won't have enough time to set it aside and pull it out again, so you need enough space in your workout area to be able to leave it down and ready. The same thing applies to the chair because you may need it for standing exercises right after you've been on the floor. The music was dubbed in later, so the reps are not in sync with it and Kathy doesn't count the reps aloud, so you need to watch the screen to match her rhythm, or try to find a beat and go at your own speed. Some of instructions are voice-overs, some are live. One class member (the man) demos the exercises with dumbbells or ankle weights, while Kathy and the other women use their body weight.

On Kathy's Super Slimdown Circuit DVD along with Secrets of a Great Upper Body and Peak Fat Burning.

This video targets the abs and legs with an atypical workout format. Each target toning area is worked in three "phases": a Set Up which introduces basic exercises; a Workout which teaches variations for the basics; and a Challenge. In the Set Up phases Kathy kneels next to her students and gives detailed instruction for the exercises, paying close attention to the focal point (where the movement originates), the starting position, and how to use control and pacing during the reps. There are no warm-ups for any phase and only one stretch--after the legs Challenge. The Set Up for abs includes very detailed instructions for three basic ab crunches, upper, oblique and lower but there's no music beat to follow and the reps aren't counted aloud. The ab Workout builds on the basic exercises with six crunches using a variety of positions and tempos and a few back exercises. The ab Challenge is only 7 minutes. It includes new exercises, but here the instructions are not as detailed.

The thighs Set Up is twenty-five-minutes of detailed instructions for basic lying and standing outer thigh, hamstring, quad, glute and inner thigh exercises. The thighs Workout itself is nine minutes of standing leg work. A few Set Up exercises are repeated, and squat and lunge variations are introduced with minimal instruction. The thighs Challenge is nine minutes of high impact leg exercises (jumps, lunges, side taps and hops, double jump plies)--and starts without a warm-up. These more advanced leg moves, which could use detailed instructions, are not well taught. This phase feels like an aerobic routine, not toning. The only cooldown/stretch of the video is at the end of this phase. Using this tape for abs and legs workouts would take a lot of rewinding and fast forwarding. The Set Ups are excellent instructional introductions to the basic exercises, so you may want to rent it. But for advanced leg toning, Kathy has more entertaining workouts available. Try Great Buns & Thighs Step Workout or Functionally Fit Fat Burning.

Now on Kathy's Strong, Sleek & Slim DVD along with Weight Loss Workout and Ultimate Video Workout

Nancy Popp leads the three Firm Buns Quick Fixes, using a variety of moves to isolate the glutes in different positions and introducing many unique multi-move exercises. All three workouts primarily work one side at a time, so even though they use only body weight they are quite effective. All these exercises illustrate that the glutes are worked most effectively when your leg is lifted, pressed or squeezed behind your body. Read about the Quick Fix Series.

Workout 1 starts with a series of one-legged squats, glute lifts and a pivot squat that really targets the buns. It's a pivot move used in kickboxing and many racket sports. Next comes a five part exercise: three leg lifts that squeeze the glutes at different angles, a knee lift for a glute stretch, and a reverse lunge. Glute press outs are alternated with ski squats to finish this segment. Advanced could hold dumbbells by their sides to increase the intensity. Beginners might need to hold onto a chair or dowel because all the exercises require good balance.

For all the exercises in Quick Fix 2 Nancy and her crew hold onto a chair for balance. The first half is a series of 4 exercises for one side at a time: stationary lunges, dips with a knee lift, one-legged squats, and hip rotations (to fine tune the sides of the glutes). Next comes a 5-part exercise that challenges your balancing ability, even while holding onto the chair. The final exercise is a hip rotation with a glute press out. The glutes should be very fatigued after this segment. Advanced could wear ankle weights for more intensity.

The final Quick Fix is done on the floor. First, alternating leg presses are done on hands and knees followed by kneeling pelvic tilts (a unique exercise that could be difficult for those with bad knees). Next you rest on forearms and knees for bent leg glute lifts, and finally you lie on your back for pelvic lifts. (Dumbbells could be placed on the hips.) This workout seems to be the easiest of the three. Advanced may find they need to do all the reps on one side instead of alternating and wear ankle weights in order to fatigue the muscles.

Now on the Quick Fix Total Mix DVD along with Quick Fix Abs and Quick Fix Arms & Legs

Three workouts, each targeting a different lower body muscle group, are designed so you can do one section at a time and leave the tape cued up for a different toning focus next time. Each workout includes a three-minute warm-up and two-minute final stretch, specific to the lower body muscles being targeted. This leaves about ten minutes of toning in each workout, so with some fast forwarding you could do all three in 35 minutes. Each workout has three exercises that are done for 2 sets of 8 for each leg. Tamilee uses an unusual piece of equipment: a "slider." If you're on a rug, you need a zip-lock bag. On a wood or tile floor, you need a washcloth. If the slider has too much drag it's very difficult to do the slide as smoothly and as easily as Tamilee demonstrates.

In the Buns workout the slider is placed under the back foot for dips. The Thighs workout concentrates on inner and outer thighs, so the slide here is to the side. The Legs workout focuses on quads and hamstrings with the slider under the front foot during a lunge, and under one heel for a lying hamstring slide. Although Tamilee makes the sliding exercises look very easy, the sliding dips and lunges were more stressful on my knees than standard ones. If this workout is done with standard lunges and dips and without the sliding, it's an intermediate level workout. It has variety but not too much intensity. However, if the sliding exercises are included, this tape is best used by very advanced exercisers with strong legs and good knees.

Tamilee has designed two very different workouts will strengthen your buns and thigh muscles and test your balance and stamina. A more traditional squat-lunge circuit is followed by a series of unusual exercises that work one side at a time. The video cover for this workout doesn't mention fitness level, but you need good balance and strong legs to do most of the exercises presented in either program.

Program 1, a strength and stamina routine, crams a lot of intense work into a short amount of time: 16 sets of lunges, 12 of squats. Two types of squats, regular and sumo (plie), are mixed in with three different lunges: pulsing stationary lunges with a knee lift, alternating forward lunges, and a lunge-kick-lunge combo. Squats get two or three 8-rep sets back-to-back while lunges alternate 8 reps on each leg. Tamilee moves quickly from one exercise to the next without a break for three circuits. You'll be panting and sweating by the end! Even more so if you use weights.

Program 2 focuses on overloading one side at a time with three one-legged squat exercises. First you balance on one leg, in a shallow squat position, while you tap the other foot front-side-back-side, then you quickly do a set of one-legged squats. Next you bend forward and hold onto the seat of a chair as you balance on one leg and do two sets of kickbacks (leg presses) with the other leg. The support leg does a mini-squat after each kickback. The final exercise is done in a runner's lunge position. For this unusual exercise you crouch down as if you're ready to take off in a race, but instead of pushing off forward, you push backward, lifting your front toe off the ground and straightening that leg (as if you're doing a hamstring stretch--which you are!). After doing a set that way you do another set where you tap forward and back with the back foot, then you quickly stand up for one-legged squats, using the same leg. You'll do fourteen 12-rep sets in the first round, ten 8-rep sets the second time through.

Now on the I Want that Body, DVD, along with I Want Those Arms and I Want those Abs.

The video cover makes The Method sound so easy-- you won't do strenuous sit-ups or crunches, lunges, squats or high-impact aerobics to achieve "flat, firm abs; defined steel buns; lean, sculpted legs and thighs." You'll do "simple deep muscle toning techniques and exercises." They'll be performed lying down "and can be done by people of all ages and fitness levels." As they say, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Maybe Jennifer's right when she says these Pilates exercises are simple to learn. She certainly makes them look simple. Trained dancers and gymnasts will make them look easy too. But she also adds that "each exercise is a technical challenge." And they're not "easy to master" unless you're strong and flexible when you start. An inexperienced, untrained exerciser looking for the abs and lower body described on the jacket will not find this workout an easy way to achieve them. Even advanced may have trouble, because every exercise requires very strong abs.

After a brief posture check (that's the easy part), you lie on a mat for both workouts. In Toning Essentials, a 15-minute introduction to the basics, you learn ab roll-ups with bent knees; straight-leg sit-ups (starting with arms stretched above your head and ending with your wrists touching your toes); and double leg lifts. You "roll in a ball" and balance on your glutes in a V position (as shown on the cover). Many of these exercises can be very stressful for the untrained lower back (straight-leg sit-ups are not recommended these days).

In the first ten minutes of the second workout, Total Toning, these Toning Essentials are repeated in the same order, with less instruction. Next, back exercises, various V balances on your glutes, full sit-ups, forward spine stretches and "roll in a ball" variations are introduced. Challenging variations of familiar floor leg exercises are taught too. The floor workout closes with the Teaser-- a series of progressively more challenging sit-ups. This workout has no music track, but you need to concentrate so hard on the continuous detailed instruction that you don't notice that for a while. Jennifer is incredibly lean, strong and flexible and she's an excellent instructor, giving frequent cues for breathing, posture, and correct form. Occasionally she even shows modifications for beginners, but her idea of a beginner and mine are totally different. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this video, but this workout is not as simple as described on the cover. And the cover's wrong about the sit-ups too. They are strenuous!

Paired with The New Method Precision Sculpting (which uses light dumbbells) on The New Method Pilates Precision Toning & Sculpting DVD .