This is a very good introductory Slide Video. There is a very complete
instructional section at the beginning, teaching all the moves and the
names for them. You are expected to do this, because during the actual
video, she cues by giving the name of the move only, and then gives some
pointers on form. Having said that, I really didn't watch this part of
the video, and was able to pick up the moves by just watching. I should
add that I am a fairly experienced in-line skater, and the movements were
very familiar to me. If you don't have skating experience, it may be
more difficult to pick up the moves.
Basically the moves in this video are sliding with additional arm moves,
or doing a hamstring curl, or touching your toe to the rear or front of
the slide when you get to the bumper. The most unusual moves are "Cross
country wide" where you turn and face the bumper and swing your arms and
move your legs back and forth in a skiing motion, and "Cross Country
Narrow," where you do the same moves with your legs a little closer
together. No wild and exciting moves here, just basic safe Reebok
moves.
The moves are very basic, if you are an advanced slider, skip this
video. This video was too easy for me from the beginning, because I
in-line skate a lot, and also considered myself pretty advanced
aerobically, so 22 minutes of sliding was pretty easy for me. I rewind
the aerobic section usually and do it twice. This however gets pretty
dull (one of the main complaints I've heard about sliding is that it's
boring). However, the woman who talked me into buying this video said
it completely wiped her out, and she was dripping sweat by the time she
was done. I have never worked out with her, but she claims to do the
stairmaster for an hour. So it may just be that, since I am a skater,
the moves were very familiar, and the slide provides less resistance than
concrete, so it wasn't challenging for me. So, in other words, your
mileage may vary. Either way, it is a very good, low (almost no impact)
workout for folks who need it for one reason or another.
Trish Ransom
This is a beginner to intermediate video. The video starts off with a few comments from Dave Johnson an Olympic athlete and then Kathy gives an 8 minute instructional section where she shows you all the moves for the workout. The warm up is 9 minutes and very thorough. I like the neck rolls and shoulder rolls. The cardiovascular workout consists of all 2 count sliding so it is very easy compared to other advanced CIA sliding that has 1 count sprint sliding(very very tough!). Some of the moves are two count slide knee up, two count slide leg back, two count slide leg front. The hardest move is the crosscountry move. The music was really motivating and upbeat so even though the workout was too easy for me, I still had fun. The camera rarely shows the feet because it is always focusing on the women in the back, especially this girl with her hat on backwards. You would think that she was the lead! I've seen her in other Kathy Smith step video's. Her name is Alison. The ab work is a joke. Only 8 oblique reps and a few crunches which did nothing for me. The cool down on the other had is wonderful. It is 9 minutes long and it is done to this really nice relaxing synthesizer music. I liked this part of the workout. Then they don't even show Kathy Stevens talking at the end but focus on all the women again. One is dripping with sweat. One guy is drinking. This is all done in slow motion. Then they freeze the video on a guy, chewing gum and looking out the window. Kinda strange but I'm the kind of person that notices all the strange stuff. I wish Reebok would come out with a harder slide workout. All in all, I thought this was a well put together workout.
Instructor comments: Kathy does a good job on instructing throughout this video. She is more serious then the other Reebok instructors (Nothing like Gin Miller). I am in awe that Kathy has 5 children! She had 4 at the time she made this video but now she has five. She looks so good and it shows you that you don't lose your figure after having babies.:o)))
Mandy Lee
7/12/98
Trish and Mandy sum this video up pretty well in their reviews. This was the first video I did with my slide, and I thought that the long instructional part was good for a brand-new slider. I don't care for the cross counbtry moves or the slide and lunge moves (I keep feeling like that lunging leg is just going to keep on going!)which are in this tape and the Step Co. Slide Training tape, so I'm probably going to work on some modifications for those, as well an alternative to stretching with one foot on the board (which I *HATE* and they do it in both videos).
All in all, I think this is a good tape for newbie sliders, but I think I will outgrow it pretty quickly.
Renee Drellishak
8/19/98
