For those who are new to step and want to buy one
video that will teach them the basics and continue to
challenge them as they become fitter, this video is a
good choice. It's hardly the most exciting video on the
market, but it has basic, easy to follow, mostly
low-impact choreography, and Kathy's cuing and
explanation of moves is first-rate. It has an excellent
section on proper technique at the end, which very slowly
demonstrates many basic step moves (basic step, tap step,
turn step, over the top, hamstring curl, alternating knee
up, alternating lunge), telling you exactly how to place
your feet for each one. At the very end there is an
"Ask the Experts" section, where you can find
answers to questions like "is stepping safe for
knees?" and why you shouldn't use hand weights
during a aerobic step workout.
It has 3 distinct step
sections, beginning, intermediate, and advanced.
Beginners, for example, would do just the first section,
then fast forward to the cool-down. As you become fitter
you can continue to the other sections. The video also
has lower body toning (squats, abductor moves using the
step) as a cooldown, a 5 minute ab section plus upper
body toning (push ups, tricep dips off the step, plus lat
rows, bicep curls, and lateral raises with dumbells).
Advanced exercisers will, no doubt, be bored with
this tape, but for those just starting out with step and
those who like their choreography pretty basic, it's an
excellent choice.
Wendy Niemi
Kremer
As for beginner videos, I would suggest Kathy Smith's
step video. It is very basic, choreography wise, and is
broken up into three step sections, so a beginner can
start off doing just the first section, and then add the
other two as she advances. The moves get more advanced as
the sections progress, though they never get too tough. I
bought this video about 4 years ago, and did it while I
was pregnant. It was my first step video, and though I
was in okay shape before my pregnancy, I had never done
step before and it was a good way to learn the moves. I
think if you do all three step segments it comes close to
40 minutes of aerobics. I also has an abs section. I
haven't done it in a long time, so I don't remember a lot
of details, but it is the first tape I would suggest for
a beginner.
Trish
Ransom
This tape is excellent for the beginner to intermediate
stepper. Advanced steppers will be bored because the
choreography is basic. The cardio section is divided into
3 sections; Kathy lets you know when a beginner and an
intermediate should stop. The entire stepping section (if
you do all of it - you may stop earlier if your a
beginner - Kathy gives you that option) lasts for 35
minutes. She does some lower body then upper body
sculpting which is actually pretty decent. This is a good
overall tape for beginners to intermediates; however,
advanced steppers will find it boring because Kathy
doesn't do anything choreographically challenging.
Kathy Lapinski
I have only used two other step tapes (the Reebok with
the tribal band, and the one that came with my first
step), and this one is by far my favorite. I started
using this tape as a B/I, and now I consider myself to be
ready for more of a challenge. Kathy Smith makes
everything very easy to follow, and even after using this
tape for a long time I still have a lot of fun doing it.
The warm up is thorough and interesting, and the three
progressive step segments are great, because you can just
do the first one for a while and then gradually add in
the second and third sections, which have a progressively
higher intensity and difficulty level, as your ability to
follow along and your cardio fitness level improve. The
folowing lower bod, upper bod, and ab sections are great
for a beginner, and have gotten me ready (I think) to
move on to I/A strength workouts. I highly recommend this
tape for B/I level steppers, and although I have always
found the choreography to be pretty interesting, I see
from the other reviews that not everybody thinks so. Also
the advice sections at the end are pretty informative and
I really appreciated, as a beginner, learning more about
the overall fitness aspects of stepping and not just how
to do the basic step, etc.
Melissa Dewey
This was the second step tape I ever purchased, after
only having the Jane Fonda Step and Abdominal workout.
Since the Jane Fonda tape uses such basic choreography, I
considered this tape very tricky. I'd never even done an
open turn step at that point, and thought this was
hopelessly hard. So, it went into the drawer for years
and years. I've since pulled it out, and can get through
it without a problem. (Even though the FIRM tapes aren't
as aerobic as other videos, I think they helped condition
me for doing this tape). Now, I agree that this tape has
pretty basic stepping technique. But, it still gives me
35 minutes in my training zone, which is okay for me.
This tape has 3 stepping segments for beginner,
intermediate and advanced. The step segments are followed
by lower body toning, upper body toning, and abdominal
toning. I never do any of these segments. All the toning
segments use the STEP in some form or another, even
making the step slant for the sit-ups. I guess the idea
was to show that your step could be your "home
gym". Since I didn't have the STEP that she was
using, I couldn't do that. Besides, I don't like lying on
a step to do sit-ups. Overall, I think this is a good
tape for those new to stepping or who like simple steps.
Lucy Loftin
4/97
I just picked up this video (after seeing it
recommended at this site), and I like it a lot. I'm a
beginner and I've been using Susan Powter's videos, Lean,
Strong & Healthy and Burn Fat & Get Fit. I found
Step Workout to move faster with steps that are just a
bit trickier than Powter's, making it an excellent next
video for me. As others have mentioned, the cardio
portion is divided in three sections for beginner,
intermediate, and advanced, and I only made it through
the beginner part my first time out, which was great
because now I know I have room to grow with this video.
Beginners, I recommend Powter's videos to start, and then
when you can keep up pretty well with those, add this
one.
Lisa Speckhardt
7/22/97
The step routines are very boring. Each combination is repeated ad nauseum. I much prefer progressive small changes to keep me interested. Kathy's flailing arm movements often interfere with the momentum of the leg patterns, and even she looks unco-ordinated doing them. I also dislike the large number of repetitions she does on one lead leg before finally switching to the other leg. I end up feeling lopsided, and my knees don't like it at all. Finally, the music is bland and uninspiring. I need a decent beat to get me moving early in the morning!
This video is going back to the store.
Instructor comments: Kathy doesn't cue on time or descriptively enough to enable me to make the transitions between combinations without missing a few steps. I don't find her very motivating, either.
Serena Schlueter
March 24/98
I love this video since it has a happy medium of everything, cardio, toning, abs, and such. To get the full effect, the video doesn't fit into the "timesaver" category. It is definitely for a long workout day, but it makes efficient use of your time, I think, without spending too much rewinding over missed moves. Definitely a good Beginner-Intermediate video, and challenging enough to keep those ambitious advanced occupied and content!
Instructor comments: I personally like Kathy Smith, as she's not annoying, and she's very easy to follow. Also, she never makes you feel silly if you miss a move (but you shouldn't since the video is relatively self-explanatory.)
Jill
jms8ru@virginia.edu
3/16/99
I love this video since it has a happy medium of everything, cardio, toning, abs, and such. To get the full effect, the video doesn't fit into the "timesaver" category. It is definitely for a long workout day, but it makes efficient use of your time, I think, without spending too much rewinding over missed moves. Definitely a good Beginner-Intermediate video, and challenging enough to keep those ambitious advanced occupied and content!
Instructor comments: I personally like Kathy Smith, as she's not annoying, and she's very easy to follow. Also, she never makes you feel silly if you miss a move (but you shouldn't since the video is relatively self-explanatory.)
Jill
jms8ru@virginia.edu
3/16/99
The Step Workout tape is one I've had for quite some time now. When I was inspired enough to workout, this tape was the one I reached for. I had been extrememly unfit and the warm-up section was enough to cause me to be winded at first. For someone as out of shape as I've been, with a bad knee, symptoms of carpel tunnel, etc. this tape was what helped me to get back into shape and lose the 20 pounds of excess fat I was carrying around. For being in my 40's, I feel better now than I did all through my 30's and some of my 20's. I still have a bad knee, but since doing this tape at least three times a week, I've advanced to the intermediate and my knee and wrists have greatly improved. The slower, repetitive instruction has helped keep me from messing up my knee further, but I do have to be sure that I don't step wrong and miss the step completely! Call me "Clumsy" or call me "Uncoordinated", but this is the tape I needed!
Instructor comments: I really enjoy Kathy Smith as an instructor. I haven't tried too many others, but those I did, I couldn't follow worth a darn! I may just be uncoordinated, but I couldn't follow others as well as her instructions, which were to my speed.
Donna
4/6/99