What a fresh, complex, innovative workout. Don't despair -- just when smoke pours out your ears because of brain cell overload, Tracy and Michelle throw in some athletic moves to keep you on track and get that heart pumping.

I loved this intermediate/advanced level workout. Tracy and Michelle tag-team teach. The choreography is advanced. The intensity is intermediate/advanced level, but there are sections that are pure advanced. Note for intensity junkies: they advised using a "lower" step for this workout. I was in a dare devil mood and kept my step at 8" anyway, figuring I'd drop down to 6" if I felt uncertain about my footing. Eight was very comfortable.

What makes this tape great? The choreography is so original. I think it really does live up to its title of, "Breakthru." At times, it felt like a hi/lo workout using the step as a spring board. Even when Tracy and Michelle use a familiar move, they put it together in a novel way. There's one great move that's a variation of a pendulum, into a knee lunge off the back, straight into a power squat off the side, cha cha cha across the long side of the step and then a double lunge repeater and -- oh never mind. I could go on this way forever. This is an example of a combo with familiar steps. I won't attempt to explain the others. "It was fun," will have to do. Oh -- and expect to be moving all around your step.

Other standouts are the structure of the tape and the excellent, fast-paced instruction. The warm-up section is taught by Michelle. You do it in the warm-up and never again. (I was glad to see the end of it, see "peeves" at the end of this review.) Then Tracy steps in and teaches combo 1. Then Michelle teaches combo 2. Then Tracy reviews 1 and 2 once only and teaches 3. At the end, she puts them all together for a single grand finale. I loved it so much, I had to rewind and go through the entire combo one final time.

Tracy and Michelle cue non-stop. They don't waste much time teaching: they show you once and then it's show time. For those who prefer higher intensity workouts, there may be more basic stepping and side-tapping during teaching transitions than you'll like, but you could adapt the intensity up by substituting some power moves or high jogs on the step.

This is a polished production using the familiar CIA set. The background exercisers are really well-rehearsed. There are two muscle men and a hip-swishing blond. One of the guys turned out to be Jeff Vandiver. The music is loud (I like that) and mostly jazzy-sounding. No vocals. Cute outfits on the women. Tracy and Michelle keep up a friendly banter through the workout.

Tiny Nitpicky Peeves: The cooldown song has this beeping sound that is VERY annoying. I thought my alarm was going off. The warm-up is frustrating. Michelle teaches a straddle move and doesn't really warn you before she cuts it in half. So I have to doubletime to catch up with her and then I muff it and am on the wrong foot. By that time, she's on the other lead and on the halftime. Aargh!

Instructor Comments:
Tracy and Michelle are excellent instructors. They have a great rapport with each other and are completely at ease with the camera. Tracy's style is slightly more athletic, which made it easier for me to mirror her. Michelle moves a little funkier and I had to really watch her closely the first few times. They cue non-stop. Once Tracy asked Michelle to demo a souped-up version of a step and Michelle blew it! Don't ask me why, but this made me happy.

Daphne M