This is two half-hour workouts. The first is low-impact floor and the second is step. Many of the moves in the floor section can be changed to high impact if you want. I don't think this workout is as good as her high-impact workouts, but it's not bad. She does some interesting things -- one of which appears toward the end and is designed to work on your balance. It's still aerobic, and it's fun (and challenging to keep your balance).

The step section has a lot more variety than her older step tapes. I used to get irritated at spending a half-hour or so straddling the step with my side to the TV. She seems to have gotten over that, if this tape is any indication of her newer workouts. There are straddle moves, but you don't stay there forever. With this one, you change around a lot more. She does one really neat step that's not hard, but it's different. She calls it a U-Turn, but what you're doing is walking around the side of the bench facing the bench in a U-shaped pattern. So you do a couple of knee-ups on the side, walk around the back in a U, do knee-ups on that side, and walk back around.

Both sections are done in different outdoor settings, and I really like that. It adds color and scenery, and is just more pleasant to look at that boring gym walls. On the step section, the day is really dreary, misty, and foggy. The first time I did this tape, that's *exactly* what the weather looked like here. I thought that was pretty cool. (Okay,I'm easily amused.)

I got this through the exchange, so I didn't have to cough up the current price of $29.95. I think it is coming down to $19.95 in the very near future, if not already, because I heard Charlene's company is having a sale. So it should drop in the Collage catalog too. I wouldn't recommend paying $29.95, but for $19.95, it's a good workout for Charlene fans.

I've always liked Charlene for her high-intensity workouts, but I found her step routines a little on the boring side. In this tape, it's not boring at all. She's added some new moves and changes them more often. I hope this is a trend!

Annie S.

06/03/1998