CIA 7002: The 123 Workout

Christi Taylor
Year Released: 1995

Categories: Floor Aerobics/Hi-Lo/Dance , Sliding, Step Aerobics


TOTAL BLAST is the only phrase that sufficiently describes Junior's high/low workout on this tape. I have such a *great* time doing this. It's a little on the dancy side, set to very good music, and Junior's teaching and personality are the icing on the cake. (Not to mention his good looks.) Even though his choreography is dancier than a lot, he always starts off by showing you a base move that you can keep doing if you want. He then takes the base move and adds tons of turns, fancy arm movements, etc. I usually just do my own arm movements, because I'm not really into "fancy" arms. (Besides, they're too hard to remember!) There is one move in here that I haven't yet had the guts to try. Before he shows it, he says not to do it unless you feel secure. Well, when I see him do it, I immediately become insecure. But it looks so fun, I'm going to try it one of these days. He calls it a double turn. You're simply turning around twice, but it's pretty fast. I can see myself falling on my behind on that one!

Next is step with Sherry Catlin. This is also fun, but lower-key than Junior's high/ low. Sherry is quieter and not as charismatic, but she is still a very good instructor and I like this section, too.

The third part is cardio combat, again with Sherry. I got pretty bored with this. It's not as intense as what I want, so I won't be doing this part anymore.

Finally, there's a short strengthening section with Junior, using an exertube. It's upper body, and it just "flows" so well from one move to the next. It's short, but enjoyable and effective. On the back of the box, it says that this section is 27 minutes and includes abs. But there are no abs, and it's really more like 20 minutes.

I will continue to do this tape for a long time to come, and just fast-forward through the cardio combat section. My grade for this is A.

I enjoyed Christi Taylor's workout on CIA 5004 so much, I bought this video on which she is the only instructor. Christi has a pleasant, girl-next-door personality, cues very well, adds plenty of form and safety tips, and presents some of the danciest, most mind-boggling choreography on video. 1-2-3 is positively NOT for novices, or for persons who want to just coast through a video the first time. But if you're up to the challenge, this video will kick your butt !!

The hi-lo segment is simply the toughest, most awesome floor aerobics I've ever done. I give it a "killer" rating because the steps become so fast and complex, if you lose your wits for a second you'll be tripping all over your feet. There are turning lunges and turning kicks, scissors, mambos and a super-challenging kick/step-hop/turning kick/ball change combination, all in lightning-fast succession. And just when you think it's over, Christi chirps, "One more combo!" Thanks to her thorough instruction, learning the steps isn't hard; it's being able to DO them that is! The step segment is not as intense (a blessing if your brains are already scrambled by the hi-lo) but is still full of interesting new moves such as "running-man", a straddle/floor twirl, and other moves that combine floor with step. The third segment, "Slide n' Pump", combines slide intervals with tube toning. I don't have a slide, but I fake it by doing squats. The sliding is slower and more focused on lower-body toning since the cardio is already taken care of. After the cooldown, there's yet ANOTHER workout, an abs/pushup combo, for total body punishment. Even Christi starts getting giddy with fatigue at this point, while most of her viewers probably pass out upon hitting the floor. My only complaints are that the warmup drags on a little too long - I usually fast-forward after about 7 minutes - and the Step Max soundtrack (also used in CIA 6001 and 6004) is ready for retirement, already.

1-2-3 is currently at the top of my video stack, and I almost have to force myself to do anything else. CIA's production has also improved, with better sound/picture quality and more camera angles. Major bonus: after "testing" 1-2-3 only a few times, I lost 5 pounds! For that alone, it deserves a big A+.

Sue B

05/10/1997