PowerMax

Cathe Friedrich
Year Released: 1996

Categories: Step Aerobics


PowerMax has now become my all-time favorite step video, eclipsing even Cathe's "Step Max" and Karen Voight's "Energy Sprint." Cathe has another hit on her hands--PowerMax is her most original and intense video to date. Those who like Cathe's dancier side will love it, though the less coordinated may be better off with Cathe's Step Max.

If you just can't get enough of power stepping, PowerMax is for you. If you can't handle high impact videos, you might as well stop reading now. As its name implies, this video is power-packed, with few low impact recovery moves in a long, 45 minute aerobic section. I think that as a whole this video is even tougher than Cathe's "Step Max." On my second time through I was able to go all out since I'd learned the moves, and I was as tired after the first 2 aerobic sections as I usually am after all three of the Step Max sections.

PowerMax is extremely challenging from start to finish. It's packed with the most original choreography I've ever seen. You will see some of her old favorite steps, but she combines them all in fresh, unique ways. There are so many different steps in her combos that it will take most people a few run-throughs (or rewinds) to master them, but once you've mastered them you won't have to slow down for excessive instruction.

Cathe is really developing a distinctive style. Though her combos and style are different than Kari Anderson's, Cathe is throwing more little "extras" that give combinations more pizazz, like Kari does. Cathe throws in a scissor step transition on the floor or a hip flexor tuck on a repeater, for example. Interesting steps include the "360" (as in 360 degrees), which is sort of like Cathe's "ricochet," but instead of reversing your ricochet you hop turn again in the *same* direction to end up back where you started; pony steps and hop kicks on the step; "power L's", with huge reaching arm movements that increase the intensity; a great drop squat combo and a pendulum move that I really like. In every instance Cathe makes very complex combos look effortless, and by my second time through I'd mastered the choreography. This is a credit to Cathe's teaching skills. Though I tend to catch onto routines quickly, there are so many different steps I couldn't believe how quickly I caught on.

The music on this tape is less melodic and more percussive than her other tapes' soundtracks. I enjoy the driving beat and find it very motivating. The warm up and cool down are quite different from (and even better than) those on her other tapes, though the end stretch is similar. The warm up is very thorough, using squats, abductions and other challenging no-impact moves to get your heart pumping and your leg muscles warm. It reminded me at bit of the warm up style in the FIRM's StrongBody and StrongHeart. She does a "mambo" cooldown with a 4" step that manages to be fun and not too corny, though there's a little backwards hop turn that's tricky to catch on to right away. Cathe's stretches are good, but I wish she held each one longer--I really need extra long stretches after such an intense workout.

PowerMax is a must for every Cathe Friedrich fan, with the possible exception of those who detest any and all dancy moves.

WWWendy

11/30/-0001