The FIRM Master Instructor Team

The FIRM has been transforming bodies and lives for nearly three decades with its signature cardio-plus-body-sculpting workout method. The FIRM workouts are fun! And they burn fat, create lean muscle and deliver better results in less time. The FIRM Master Instructors are real women with strong, healthy FIRM physiques because they live and breathe The FIRM method and lifestyle. Join them in The FIRM Believers Club, where they share their experiences, advice, answers, healthy eating tips, favorite recipes, how-to videos and more to help women around the world get in the best shape of their lives.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Kirsten Palmer

Modern life is a balancing act — work and play, family and personal time, spiritual and physical. How important is balance in your body — not just muscle balance but balance during movement?

By The FIRM Master Instructor Annie Lee

Once fitting in a workout has become second nature to you, it’s sort of like brushing your teeth. You know you need it, you do it, and you feel better when it’s done. However, you may be in a place where you want to try something new.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Annie Lee

My philosophy is all about the 3 E’s: effective, efficient exercise. Here’s a quick how-to video of my personal total body workouts that focus on the 3 E’s.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Emily Welsh

You can work out every day or even hours a day and get little benefit if you are not fully engaged in the process. I have found that if I’m not paying attention to what I am doing when I work out, I move mindlessly through each set of exercises, not getting the best benefit from each repetition. I call this being on “auto-pilot.”

By The FIRM Master Instructor Louise Smith

If you’re short on time like I sometimes am, it’s great to have a leg routine that will leave your legs burning and your workout done in a flash. I call this go-to routine my Tri-Set Lower Body Blast. It targets all the muscles of the hip and thigh — the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps — with unilateral, bilateral, single joint and multi-joint exercises. Here’s a quick how-to video we shot at the studio to show you the moves. You’ll need just one heavy set of dumbbells or a sculpting bar.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Kirsten Palmer

Have you heard the awful rumor that clothing manufacturers use “vanity sizing”?  It turns out it’s true. They’ve adjusted their sizes to fit our expanding waistlines. What that means for you is that, without changing your weight or measurements at all, you might suddenly fit into a size 8 when you never could before. Or, you could have gained five or so pounds, but not notice it (or want to notice it) because you can still buy the same size clothes.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Rebekah Sturkie

Which is more effective: A sprint? A marathon? Or is it something else altogether? When plotting your course to weight loss, you can’t help but wonder if you should plan to work out harder or longer. The answer depends on your time and ability.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Rebekah Sturkie

Power moves — exercises that involve high intensity and explosive movement — are extremely beneficial for developing strength and coordination. And we all want to do that, right? This type of training is the way to go if you want to burn major calories in a short amount of time.

By The FIRM Master Instructor Kelly Branning

When I lived in Alaska, I went from my heated house to my heated car to my heated exercise room. Now, in South Carolina, there are days that I go from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned exercise room. If you find yourself gazing out the window mid-workout, lingering just a little longer when you retrieve your morning paper or volunteering to walk the dog … don’t fight it! It’s time to get outside.

By The FIRM nutrition consultant Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or eat more fruits and vegetables, a food journal can be one of the most effective weight loss tools anywhere. Yet while it sounds like a simple task to write down what you eat, these five tips on how to start a food journal, what to write in it, and what to do with what you learn from it can greatly increase your likelihood of success with weight loss and healthier eating.