Cathe was my "holy Grail" instructor and PowerMax my Holy Grail tape when I was still a relatively new VFer. At that time my daughter was weaning just before her first birthday and I was struggling just to do intermediate workouts three times a week. Well, behold what a difference three years of consistent effort has made. I have PowerMax in my regular routine--and I CAN ACTUALLY DO THE WHOLE WORKOUT--with a few modifications to lower the impact, of course. (For example, I'm so tired of stepping by the time the coll-down comes on that I just move my step out of the way and do the routine without it. I also leave out the "party arms" while doing the pony on the corner--Cathe looks great doin it--but I, the commoner, just look like I'm trying to shoo away flies!)

Would it surprise any of you longtime VFers here to know that I love this workout and that in Cathe's words, I'm "having a good old time" mastering it? Cathe was worth the wait and the effort! This tape raters 10s all across the board--10 points for fun, 10 for variety, 10 for choreography, 10 for the excellent teaching style, 10 for the great "football stadium" soundtrack, and definitely, 10 for the "sweat factor." When I'm done with this one, my face is as red as Cathe's leotard, and when I go to give my daughter her good morning hug immdeately afterward, she says, "Mommy, you're really SLIMY!" It amazes me, too, how much Cathe packs into 42 minutes of aerobics. There isn't a move here I don't like. I was familiar with the 360 move from doing an almost identical one from CIA 7002 (Christi Taylor) but I've never seen anything like the pendulum or the drop squats. Talk about serious fun! I love all these moves even though I can't squat as deeply as Cathe does--yet:)

The first time I did the routine I noticed three things: 1. When it was time to cool-down, I could tell I'd been doing 40 minutes of aerobics only by my slimy state:) Time flies and so does Cathe! 2. Cathe starts whooping early and often. This bugged me the first day, but by the second time I did the routine I went with the flow and whooped right along with her. It's actually more fun if I do. Don't ask me why--it just is! 3. Cathe does for step what Donna Richardson, Jennifer Mills, and Christi Taylor do for hi-lo routines--she takes the same old basic steps you've done thousands of times and puts a new twist on them.

Now, with all this gushing, I have only one minor complaint. Like Wendy, I wish the stretching part of this one were a little bit longer. (StepFit, her next tape released after this one, shows she listened to customers and fans, because it includes a wonderful, thorough deep stretching routine) But do you think that'll keep me from wanting to reach for this tape every time it's a "cardio" day? Not on your life. I usually finish this tape about the same time that Margaret Richard's "Body Electric" show is cooling down--so I just stretch some mor ewiht her while PowerMax rewinds. Yet another reason I'm glad I made the big switch to morning exercise:)

Grade: A++++

Melissa Cooper