Impressions on Preview:

Chapters:
Intro
Preview-(Very short instruction on 4 of the hardest moves in the workout)
W/U
Combo 1-looked tough to learn because it is done off of the front of the step
Combo 2
Combo 3-probably the least intense of all the combos
Combo 4
CD very short with a couple of standing and hamstring stretches
Powerups- 3 longish intervals with short breaks-very plyoish and very tough looking

Just to give you some backround, for stepping I use mostly Cathe, a few Christi's, a Season tape (RSS) and Kristen Kagen's 2 tapes. I have a couple of CIA's as well but I rarely use them.

This workout is completely different than any workout I own. There is almost NO breakdown of combos which makes it seem to me that once you know the moves, the intensity almost never lets up. I'll know for sure when I do it tomorrow, but the intensity throughout the entire workout looks to be on par with the challenge part of Cathe's Step Blast.

What really makes it look different is the amount of complexity COMBINED with the level of intensity. There are lots of turns, combined with jumps in new and interesting ways. The combos are short, but are repeated a bunch of times, and she puts some plyo moves right in the middle of combos to get your HR up even more.

The music is loud and good (IMO...funky). She has a TON of energy and does whoop it up quite a bit, but as I was watching I was thinking that I would appreciate that kind of encouragement to get through the workout. This is seriously fast stepping with plenty of intensity.

The set is light and bright, and I think it looks great for a first effort.

Impressions after doing workout:

The feel is so different than other workouts because the combos are so short and repeated so often, but the complexity makes the combos so fun. As soon as you have had enough of one combo it's time to move on to the next. Time flew by.

I think if there were 5 combos instead of 4 I would have voted this the all-time perfect step workout. Without the Powerup section which is an add-on of about 5 minutes, the body of the workout is shorter (40min or so??) than what I'm used to doing when I step.

Next time I do this, I'm going to do the Powerup section after each combo. I think that would make it about an hour and probably give someone all the intensity they would ever want from a step workout.

Her terminology is different than other instructors', but once you understand what she is asking for, her cues are enough to get you through, and the repetition is enough to give you plenty of chances to learn it.

I have to give this workout a solid A. It would be an A+ if it was just a little longer.

BTW-The whooping didn't bother me at all, although my 8yr old daughter who has watched me do lots of workouts was watching and said, "I think she talks too much." I didn't notice at all when I was doing the workout itself.

Instructor Comments:
Full of energy, good cueing, whoops more than other instructors

Janet Frost