I was *SO* disappointed in this workout the first time I did it. The music does not compare well with Christi's last several workouts. The teaching/cueing seems not as good. I had visions of the world ending because Christi had put out a bad workout. But . . . after the hour was over, I realized that I had done the whole thing without watching the clock and the time had flown by. So, was it really so bad? I knew if it had been bad, I would have stopped after 15-20 minutes, cuz that's what I do when I'm not having fun.

I let it sit in my "new" pile for another week or so and tried it again. Some of my disappointment had worn off and I was more open to giving it a fair shot. Well, lo and behold, I had a blast. I don't deny that one's initial impression might be the same as mine, but even if this is not in the same fun-field as Step Heaven, Still Steppin', etc., it is an awesome workout in its own right. If this had been the first Christi step workout I'd ever done, I'd have been ecstatic -- it just goes to show what effect your expectations can have on you.

As for the workout itself, it is high-intermediate/advanced in intensity and advanced in choreography. The first section is horizontal step with 4 different combos. The second section is vertical step, also with 4 different combos. The time absolutely flies. The music, which I think where my major disappointment came from, is not nearly as good as Christi's past offerings, but still much better than the majority of stuff out there. The cooldown is basically standing and shaking your hips back and forth -- a little boring.

If you get the DVD version as I did, you'll also get some bonus workouts such as abs, Pilates, squats. These are nice little extras, but there was nothing particularly special or outstanding about them; they were so-so. To sum all this up, this is one of the best and most fun step workouts ever made. It's definitely an A+ offering, despite it not being equal with her others.

Annie S.

08/03/2003