Video Fitness

CherFitness: A New Attitude

This video has 3 sections: Step Class(38 min), Abs/back(10), and Lower Body (32 min).

It probably should be classified as a Keli Roberts video, she teaches the class, not Cher, though Cher is a real 'prescence' in the class. If you hate Cher, you won't like this video. She cracks a lot of jokes, some of them are a little funny the FIRST time you do the video. Another item worth mentioning is the outfits she wears. The whole class is wearing black, but Cher is wearing a weird little outfit, with fishnet hose.

The cueing is okay, but not great. This video feels more like a dress rehearsal than a final production. Cher and Keli joke around, Cher teases Keli about how strict Keli was on form when learning the routine. When it's time to switch legs while stepping, for the first three or four times Keli will say "It's time for a transition", but never teaches the transition (it is the same transition each time they switch lead legs) Finally in in a voice over Cher comments that the transitions "are a little tricky, but you'll get it" Now I didn't find the transitions at all difficult, but it would have been nice if Keli had said at the beginning, "when I say transition, do this..." Another item worth mentioning is that during a straddle section, Keli cues left leg/right leg, and she is not doing mirror image, she is cueing to the class, not you, so if you are mirroring her, and she says left, you will be doing the "wrong" leg. It really doesn't matter whether you mirror her or not, the choreography is simple, it's just a little confusing, you have to decide whether to mirror her moves or follow her verbal cues. I think Keli would do a much better job cuing without Cher distracting her, but I still don't find the tape hard to follow (or remember it being hard to learn, when I first got it).

I would classify this as an intermediate video. The choreography is pretty basic, athletic moves, no complex combos. Despite the above criticisms, this is my favorite intermediate step video. I think this is mostly because of the music, it has remakes of songs like "Born to Be Wild", "Missionary Man", that "Addicted to Love" and others you'll recognize, plus an original Cher song "Not enough Love"??

I'm not sure I'd still be exercising regularly if I hadn't bought this video. I do not get bored with it as fast as other videos. It was a great transitional video between my more basic Kathy Smith Step video and the more advanced Energy Sprint.

I really like the ab section of this video. It is really tough, I think it maybe the toughest ab section of all the videos I have (and I have about 20). Keli does variations of basic crunches, but for some reason she seems to isolate the muscles better than most of the videos I have done. I can especially feel the work in the upper section of my abs. Also included in the ab section is a short back strengthening section. Cher is quieter during this section, and so the cueing is much better.

Leg and Butt section: Once again, Cher is more quiet so Keli's cueing and tips on form are much better. This section has a short warm up and stretch, this video is structured so that you can do the step class one day, and the legs section the next. I used to do both the same day fast forward through the abs, and the warm-up for the legs, and do the legs as a cool-down.

In this section, they do the traditional squats, plies, lunges and dips. It is almost all standing work, any work on the inner and outer thighs is done standing also, either by moving side to side doing skating type moves, or by standing on one leg and lifting the other. The tougher moves, are demonstrated using three levels, beginning, intermediate and advanced. This section helped prepare me to do the tougher (using weights) leg work in Firm videos. I learned the correct form with this video, so I was ready to add weights later when I started doing Firm workouts.

Trish Ransom

There are three segments: step, abs, and hips/buns/thighs. I do the entire thing all at once (1 hr, 20 mins), but you can break it up if you don't have enough time.

The first part, step aerobics, is an intermediate-level class with fantastic music. The choreography is easy to follow -- nothing dancy -- but you'll find yourself really getting into the music and wanting to dance! It includes songs like Born to be Wild and other great rock. Some of Cher's music is included, too -- all with a great beat that motivates you to move.

The next section, abs, is about 10 minutes and is one of the best ab workouts I've seen. Keli herself has abs to die for. (If I had Keli Roberts' abs, Karen Voight's legs, and Jane Fonda's arms, I'd have it made.)

Finally, the hips/buns/thighs section is 32 minutes and is TOUGH. It's all done standing, except for a short inner-thigh segment at the end. You don't use any weights, but you *will* feel it, especially during the beginning plie section. Excellent. The great music continues here, too, and even into the final stretch.

Although the tape is intermediate, I would recommend it to anyone. Advanced exercisers will be challenged by the toning sections and will have a blast with the step part because of the music. Beginners will find the entire routine challenging, but since the steps aren't complicated, it can be learned using a lower-height step and moving up to higher heights as their cardio capacity increases. I rate this one an A+.

Annie S.
4/97


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