(Intermediate/Advanced - Hi/Lo Floor
Aerobics, Step/Weight Interval, Step)
This is the best video I've gotten in a long time. It
features 4 instructors doing 3 separate half-hour
workouts. The set is the same one used for Candice
Copeland's "Step Ahead", and some of the songs
(funky/club type) are also the same.
Greg Twombly kicks off with an intense warmup that
even includes some pushups. Baillie Rechin, who leads the
next hi/lo section, is a real gem - an excellent dancer
and the best cuer on this tape. She begins with very
funky, dancy moves, carefully breaking them down so you
learn them. Just as I started thinking, "Eh, this
isn't that tough", Baillie suddenly cranked up the
tempo and launched into even dancier hi-impact sprints
and leaps that had me gasping for air. Someone give this
gal her own series!!
The next segment, a step/dumbbell interval workout
with Suzanne Olson, I didn't like as much as the rest of
the video, but that's mainly because I'm not an interval
fan. The step moves are pretty basic and non-dancy.
Suzanne is a competent if not real exciting instructor
(granted, Ballie's a hard act to follow). The excitement
returns with the last segment, Donna Richardson's
ultra-funky step routine that's somewhat less intense
than the rest of the tape. Donna's cueing isn't as
polished as it is now, but she more than makes up in
enthusiasm and attitude. Greg Twombly then returns for a
cooldown.
I REALLY like this tape! Doing just one segment, plus
warm-up and cooldown, would make a fine workout for
challenge-seeking intermediates; doing the whole thing
should satisfy many advanced persons. 3 workouts for the
price of 1 ($20) make this an excellent value, and if you
can't stand one instructor, maybe one of the others will
appeal to you. This is still available from Collage
although no longer listed in their catalog. Grade: A+
Sue Bryant
Back when this was put out, I'm sure it would
have been very good. But in 1998, it's kinda
like "been there, done that."
Greg Twombly starts the workout with a fun
warmup and stretch, and then Baile Renchin
teaches the first segment, which is high/low.
This could be a very decent workout, but she
takes *forever* to teach combos, and it gets
monotonous. Even a pivot step is broken down
and repeated over and over. Once the routine
is put together, it's very high-energy and
high-impact, which I like. But it just takes
too long to get there.
Next Suzanne Olson teaches a circuit workout
using the step and dumbbells. I do like this,
but not enough to keep the tape. The step
segments are fairly long, and then you stop
and do some brief toning segments. I think
this would be likeable for an intermediate
exerciser.
Finally, there is Donna Richardson with a
funky step workout. I wish I could do funk,
but I can't, so there's no hope for me with
this. But it looks fun. It's also more of
an intermediate level intensity-wise.
My final grade for this tape is a B-.
Instructor comments:
Annie S.
2-16-98