CIA 8005: Major League Moves

Denise Tucker
Year Released: 1996

Categories: Step Aerobics


I found the step portion of this video to be a good intermediate level 40-minute workout. I combined it with a 30-minute heavy strength workout from another tape (PS Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, but I skipped the shoulders section) and I really like this combination.

All of the steps are sports-inspired, although with some I was kind of giggling -- they are not too close to the original sport. She starts with a boxing and karate kick section, which is fun, but don't get too excited, all you kickboxing fans ... for instance, the kicks are all side kicks and she does them in conjunction with a step up onto the step. It would be very hard to rip off an intense Tae Kwon Do-style kick. But it's fun to be silly and pretend. Her boxing move is an "upper-cut," which is really a double-lunge on the floor while you're punching up with your arms. Some other sections are skating and skiing (bunny hops both on and off the step, propulsion squats on the floor, back lunges on the step, a step with the back leg doing a glute lift for the skating moves.) Let's see, then there's the football section where you pretend to "fade" and "shuffle across the board," and then you get to do "cheerleader arms" knee-ups and V-steps and then you hop across the step and "catch the ball." Silly, silly, but I found myself grinning while I was doing it. There's also a speed skating section which is mostly repeat lunges off the side of the step and a knee-up on the step with a back-kick on the floor combo.

Denise introduces each section, breaks down the moves to teach them and you then run through the complete section 3 or 4 times. Each section is fairly short and not too tough to learn once you adapt to her style of cuing. A couple of the moves I fumbled on, but next time I think I'll get them with no problem. At the very end, she puts all the sections together and you do the whole thing 4 times from the top.

The sports-inspired moves are a nice concept. I really liked the format and I enjoyed the stepping. There was a lot of variety and the workout went by very quickly. I bought this tape months ago when CIA was having one of its rock bottom sales and just never got around to trying it. Now I am looking forward to doing it again. I intend to continue to combine it with strength training tapes, because it's a nice, fairly short intermediate level workout that will get me nicely warmed up and energized, without exhausting me. (I am advanced cardio, intermediate strength.)

Instructor Comments:
For some reason, Denise reminded me of my high school PE teachers. She is tall (on video anyway) and lean. Like her workout, she is "sporty" in her short hairstyle and the way she moves. I had to adjust to her cuing, since she cues a little late for me and she uses some different terms for some basic stepping moves. (A back-lunge off the step was a "cross-country ski," and so on.)

Daphne M

03/25/1999