This is an older tape, made in 1992, but it has stood the test of time. I was very surprised to find no reviews of this tape in the VF Reviews Section. Unlike many of Gilad's tapes, this one was never sold in retail stores and it had a $29.95 price tag in the Collage catalog limiting it's appeal. Fortunately, it has now dropped to a more reasonable $19.95.

The tape has all the trademarks of a Gilad tape: a gorgeous Hawaiian beach setting, a diverse cast fanned out behind a charismatic instructor, and simple straightforward choreography that still manages to keep your interest. Gilad has found an approach that works and he sticks to it. His steps are always basic and his settings are natural so his tapes don't have the dated look that they might otherwise have.

The aerobic portion of the tape (which is the bulk of it) is 40 minutes long and divided into four 10 minutes sections. In the beginning the moves are very basic and the intensity is low. Gilad does each move eight times to each side, then four, then two. He adds in the arms as he goes along. After he teaches a sequence, he goes onto the next and then combines them before closing that section of the workout.

The intensity remains low until the third section when he introduces crossovers and then propulsion moves. Once they are introduced, the intensity really turns up a notch and the tape is no longer just a beginning step tape. I'm a high intermediate and I found this section quite challenging. Gilad never repeats a move too many times, he always seems to know when it's time to learn something new. At the end of this sequence he introduces a series of jumping jack moves on the floor in addition to the step propulsions, and my heartrate always climbs right up there. In the fourth and final section, he takes it from the very top and you do each of the moves over again in sequence three times, making the tape a very solid intermediate workout. The moves are demonstrated on a smaller step surface so you don't have to have a full size step to do this workout.

It's an excellent tape to use to learn propulsion moves because they are taught sequentially with no distracting choreography. It's also easily modified to low impact because the propulsion moves contain no directional changes. This makes the tape very versatile. Beginners can do the first two sections, intermediates the whole tape without propulsions, and high intermediates can do it as demonstrated. Advanced exercisers who dislike dancy choreography would also enjoy it.

After a quick cooldown, the tape has a short abdominal workout and stretch which, if not exactly memorable, gets the job done. I rate this tape A for beginners and A+ for intermediates.

Instructor Comments:
Gilad has a lot of charm and enthusiasm as well as a natural sex appeal which is never forced. I also like the fact that he presents the cast members at the end and lets us know their names. This is the only video I've ever seen that includes an older male exerciser in the cast.

Jane P