CIA 9702: Step, Kickbox and Funk

Janis Saffell
Year Released: 1997

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


One of my favorite CIA's!! I love it! Why do I love it so much? From the warm up to the cool down, is totally fun! Be warned beginner steppers, the stepping is very very complex. Don't even try this workout if you haven't mastered the step and are so used to your step that you are completely skilled at stepping. Meaning: You love step so much that it is like a part of your body. The stepping is 38 minutes and it is filled with lot's of fun complex moves told to a story. Like the step is the hill that Jack runs up and so on. You use all sides of the step which keeps things fresh. It is very dancy too. But not too high impact. Some jumps but mostly the stepping is low impact and high in complexity. Reverse turns and twirls. I can't do the over the top twirl move since I have carpet but it looks fun.

Janis teaches each move slowly so you get a chance to learn the move. I have to be honest when I first tried the step workout for the first time, I was so frustrated but after doing the workout more then once, it's a BLAST! Especially the end when Janis puts the whole step story together to this really upbeat music. The only bad thing about this section is the Ryka add in the back that resembles a Hershey Bar( the same colors) which always makes me crave chocolate! Also the background execisers have these ugly puke green tanks on that make them look like they have saggy old lady breasts! But Janis has a cute light blue two piece on and she has her blond hair pulled into a pony tail. She looks awesome or should I say fierce which she loves to say a dozen times.

The next section is Kickboxing. It is 31 minutes. This section is filled with jabs and punches( some at half time and alot at tempo). She also does lot's of jumping jacks with jabs. She also does shuffles with a kick at the end. She even does a more complex move where you turn and then kick. This is a really fun kickboxing routine!!!! I like it better then any other kickboxing I've tried( besides Janis' CIA 9809 of course). With each time I do the kickboxing, my heartrate gets higher and higher because I concentrate less on the choreography and focus in on the intensity. I punch and kick out the stress to my hearts content!!

Janis looks like a magazine model in her black flared pants and top. Her hair down but she has this red hankerchief tied around her head and she has her hands wrapped in red too. The background exercisers have huge red boxing gloves on and are wearing black tanks and shorts.

The music is the Step Max soundtrack. The next section is the aerobic/funk section. It is 31 minutes. This is mostly low impact with alot of hip swiveling and funky arm movements. If you don't have a chance to get out and go dancing, just do this section and you will get plenty of boogie fever. My heartrate dropped on this section because Janis does alot of marching. Some of the moves are similiar to the step section (Janet Jackson move and so on). One move you do a hop kick front and then turn really fast and cross your arms. It is really fast!!! I think the same camera man from Firm 6 was used. Remember Jayne Poteet's close up hip swivel's?? Well this cameraman loves to do close up on Janis' hips as she is doing this hula type move. I can't think of any other word for it but hula. Janis must be an ex-hula dancer. Whew!!! Her hips sure can move!

Janis looks so gorgeous in this section. She is wearing a black beret, a black tank on (which has no breast support I might add; you know I notice those things!), and her jean cut offs with a black sweatshirt tied around her waist. She looks like she should have Ken next to her if you know what I mean. The other exercisers have jeans on as well. The music is very funky. The cool down is very relaxing Tai Chi moves then she does some hamstring and calf stretches. You get a lot of variety with this video. Even Janis changes clothes for each section to make it different. I just love this workout!

Instructor Comments:
Gorgeous, blonde, tall, perfect. There are not many video instructors that leave me in awe. Janis does. Her beauty and style makes this workout unique and fun. Her cueing needs a little help but once you do this workout over and over, you don't need the perfect cueing. She is definately a dancer. On some of the moves in the funk section she looks like she's taught hula dancing! She has a body that one would kill to have. She looks like a real life Barbie doll. I hope she comes out with more video's. She has star quality. She even sweats with you!

Mandy Lee

10/30/1998