10 years after its release, this is a dated workout. You have to endure the lame generic music that reminds me of old CIA workouts. And then there is Cathe in a headband working out in one of her old sets. This is the oldest workout of Cathe's that I still use. Since Cathe is so prolific, I usually move on to the newer and better and let the old ones go. Although there are two newer IMax workouts with better music and more fun choreography, I still like to do this one on occasion.

Interval Max (the original) is a little easier than #2 and #3, I think. When #2 was released, some said the original was harder. But this one has longer rests and shorter blasts, so it feels much easier to me.

I like that the intervals are consistently timed, which is a quality that went away with the newer releases. There are few that a bit longer than a minute, but for the most part, Cathe kept to a fairly strict schedule of keeping each step-blast-rest section timed the same per interval. Depending on your fitness level, you could skip the blasts, for an easier interval workout, or skip the rests, for a tougher one. Both could still be true intervals with easy hard parts.

So, despite its age, I would still recommend this to someone who is looking for an interval workout. It is more approachable than IMax 2 or 3 for people who are new to Cathe. (However, if you haven't done Cathe before, the step sections could take a little time to master.)

Instructor Comments:
Cathe was a better cuer when this was released. She is always encouraging, but especially so in this workout.

Lisa C