I like this video, and this in spite of the silly costumes (everything is in a car race theme, and the leotards even have checkered and green flag motifs!), strange set (it looks like Charlene cleared out her daughter Xanna's bedroom of all furniture and conducted the taping there!), and music (she uses the same music in all her tapes!). But don't let that put you off. This tape delivers what it promises: high intensity low-impact aerobics. You will burn fat, and you will feel super afterwards. After a four-minute warm-up, it's off to the races with 46 minutes of tough floor aerobics. If you want higher impact, there are some places where you could add plyo movements, but believe me, you'll get a pretty good workout just by sticking to the script. This is not dance choreography, but pure athletic moves, such as lunges and knees and leg lifts and squats. In this video, Charlene has developed new, different, more interesting arm movements. But nothing she does is difficult to learn, and she cues very well. There are periods of higher intensity interspersed throughout, and periods of somewhat lesser intensity in which to catch your breath. After a five-minute cooldown, there's a five-minute stretch. However, you'll still be so hot, it's a good time to pop in a stretch tape (Charlene's Homestretch or Karen Voight's Pure and Simple Stretch) and enjoy.

Instructor Comments:
As always, the Queen of Chat, though less so in this video because she needs to suck serious air, particularly toward the end of the video when the intensity is at its highest. She has an excellent rapport with her fellow team members, Renee and Christine. They are working their butts off, but they are having a good time, and their smiles and laughter are infectious.

Paula Weber