I purchased The Firm in 2006, and absolutely fell in love with it. I am an avid exerciser and this program was a excellent change to my daily routine. You have the option of doing just cardio, or you have the option to add strength training to your workout. I love to encorperate both. If you have bad knees tho, I recomend that you stay with a shorter stepper. The Firm step has 3 different size option. A 6" step, a 8" step or put them together for a great butt shaper! You also have the option to incline the step for lunges. Each workout uses different total body moves to encorporate every muscle. If you are a beginner, I recommend you to start with no weights added. Your first week or so, you will be very sore, but stick with it because you will start seeing results in 2 weeks! As with any exercise program, eating a healthy diet is very important. Be sure to drink lots of water during your workout and take it easy for your first few times and work up to the heavier weight.