Video Fitness

CIA 2302: Amazing Step Styles

with Rob Glick

For reference I am a low advanced exerciser--I can do Cathe but modify her moves somewhat. I pick up complex choreography easily.

This is now my new favorite step video. It consists of eight full combinations of choreography all of which are quite complex. Rob breaks things down just the right amount; I was able to get everything down the second time through.

The choreography is really what makes this tape shine. The moves are very dancy and flow together beautifully. The end result is that you feel like you are flying. There are many twirling moves and mambo based moves. I personally found it very knee friendly because it's also low impact. If turning moves bother your knees this may not be for you. There are several truly innovative and fun moves which have unique names--crab walk, gutter march, fly, and the Elvis.

The music is the same as the step music in the CIA 2200 series. I personally like it and think that Rob's choreography fits the music better than any other routine that has it. It's all instrumental and the only recognizable song is "Sweet Dreams."

Impact is minimal although there are some leaps. It requires a fair amount of space all around the step, particularly in front. I have only a moderate workout space and was able to fit although I had to modify slightly.

Intensity level for me was similar to Christi Taylor's step tapes. I used my heart rate monitor the first time through and it was in the similar range for Christi's tapes and I thought in places more intense. This is a good cardio workout but not killer. I personally was drenched by the end both times I've done this workout.

Rob is very charismatic and handsome. I have a crush. And I don't see myself getting bored with this one. If you like Christi Taylor, Franny Benedetto or Andre Houle I think you'll really like this workout.

Instructor comments: Charming, encouraging and a great cuer!

MickiV

4/13/03

Can you say FUN? This is a brain-burner workout meant only for those who enjoy complex choreography. While the intensity ranges from intermediate to advanced, the choreography is advanced throughout. Rob does lots of turns, ending up on all sides of the step, and lots of mambo variations and “quick-feet” variations. Even with the non-stop complexity, I found myself able to make it through the first time with minimal problems. I do think many of the moves could have been explained better (cueing left, right, front, back, etc.), but overall, Rob’s cueing has tremendously improved since the G-Force videos. If this is a good example of his solo step workouts, I hope he makes a lot more. One lingering question I have, though, is that this is supposed to be 3 different step styles – however, I still have no clue what they are! Grade A+. Annie S.

4-13-2003

This is a terrific step workout from Rob Glick. There are 8 different combos, and all are pretty dancy and complex. The workout is mostly low impact, although there are a few jumps and leaps, but most could be modified. There are lots of mambo variations, box steps, scoops and straddles, and quite a few moves that have you twirling off your step in various directions, so you definitely need room all around your step for this workout.

The music is okay, not terrific, but I think it goes along well with the choreography. Rob has 4 women as background exercisers, the two in the back row usually demonstrate slightly less complex options.

The step segment of the workout is about 50 minutes long. Combos 1 through 5 make up the first half hour of the workout, and Rob gives you the option to stop after combo 5 if you are pressed for time. However, I found the last 3 combos to be the most fun, with moves like the Guttermarch, the Crab, and my personal favorite, the Fly. This DVD version also includes a bonus section that allows you to TIFT all 8 combos, and is programmable to allow you to choose the sections you want to do.

Rob's cueing and teaching is much better than in the G-Force videos, where it seemed as if he kept you in a basic holding pattern for a long time while he taught the combo. Here, he's much more quick about it. He cues the basic moves, then says "watch me" as he layers. I suspect that some people may want more cueing than this, but I was able to pick up the moves by the third go with this workout, and I'm not the quickest learner of choreography.

Intensity wise, I'd call it intermediate/advanced, similar to Christi Taylor's workouts, and I reached my target heart rate with no problem.

Instructor comments: Rob really shines on this solo effort. His choreography seems much more innovative and creative than before, and again, his teaching has improved so much. He has a very easygoing and charming manner, he's handsome and comes across as a genuinely nice guy. I'd love to see him make more workouts with Patrick and Darrin, but if he continues to make solo workouts of this caliber I will be content.

Mary K.

7-8-03


The first half of this video was fairly easy to follow and pick up. I managed to follow along on the first viewing without too much trouble. The second half and last four combos are a little more complicated and I had to follow one or two of them in slow motion to pick up the moves. The music is average. It keeps the tempo of the steps going, but is otherwise nothing to sing along to. The two back exercisers that are supposed to show the simpler steps don't always do so. However, they have far better form and personality than the front two. In fact, I found the front left exerciser (Hibba) distracting and consistently stepping with bad form and posture. Rob has a fantastic personality and a good teaching style. There are a couple of combos that I wish he would have given more break down to, but that might make the workout a little boring once it's been mastered.
All in All, I really enjoy this workout and can see myself doing it for a long time to come without getting bored.

Instructor comments: Rob has a great personality and teaching style. A couple of his exercisers could work on their form and posture, but the back two have good form, personality, and energy.

Julie E.

26, October 2003



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