Hardcore: Low Max

Cathe Friedrich
Year Released: 2005

Categories: Step Aerobics


I’m reviewing this video after doing the whole thing twice.

I’m with the crowd that ended up liking the idea more than the actual workout itself. I find myself agreeing with many of the points mentioned already, especially Kickdancer’s, although since I had read these before picking it up I knew what to expect.

I actually don’t dislike this workout. I’m working my way up to more complex choreography on the step, and this fit the bill for the stage where I’m currently at in that regards – that is, making the transition between more straightforward moderately complex workouts and trickier moderately complex workouts (if that makes sense).
It took me two times through to get all of the choreography down, but when I did I found similar moves in other videos (Katina Hunter used an almost identical mambo off the step with back to the TV in her new Vertical Step Party 2) much easier to pick up.
I consider myself an int./adv. in cardio level, although maybe more of an int.+ when it comes to step, and I found this a suitable challenge for me on a 6” step. I could definitely have grown with this workout by putting more effort into the drills to make them more anaerobic and, if I had an extra set of risers, using those.
When I was working on lower body endurance for a long distance hike this was a decent choice to fit that bill.

That said, the drills have enough of a dread factor for me that, when combined with the fact that I have other step workouts of similar complexity in choreography that I enjoy a little more for whatever reason (e.g. Petra Kolber’s offerings), means I’ve passed this one on in one of those shelf space clearing sprees. (So, yeah, if I didn’t already have so many workouts, especially step workouts, that I have a hard time working in I might have kept it.)

I had the Fit TV version (which was sold at Discovery stores until they went kaput), and apart from a different cover, different menu font and colors, and different intro the workout is exactly the same as the official Cathe.com production; it even had the same menu options, including all of the same premixes.

Instructor Comments:

KathAL79

09/27/2008