Step Reebok: Aerostep

Gin Miller
Year Released: 1994

Categories: Step Aerobics



Video Fitness reviews may not be copied, quoted, or posted elsewhere without the permission of the reviewer

Show oldest reviews first


I really enjoy this video. I am back to exercising after about a year and am at the Intermediate level. I have always enjoyed step aerobics and this was a good tape to get me motivated again - lots of fun!! (I always feel proud when I make it through the last segment which combines the routines.)

There are a few miscues because of editing, as others have mentionned previously, but once you have done the tape a couple of times you can adapt. It is also not too hard on the knees...

I would highly recommend it (and its cost is not prohibitive here in Canada like some videos from the U.S.).

Instructor Comments:
This was my first Gin Miller tape. I think she was great - excellent cueing and cheerful without being over the top.

Jessica

02/25/1999

Even though this video is several years old, I really like it a lot, it doesn't feel as dated as some other "older" vidoes. It is a low int/adv level, less intense than Kari Anderson's Great Moves tapes that are also rated int/adv, maybe on par with Firm Fat Blaster- done without any modification.

Gin takes basic, not too dancey moves and puts together a quick moving, non-repetitive routine. There are not repetitive up-down, up downs that many tapes have. Its mainly a step tape, but does incorporate floor moves. I found it a fun, quick moving tape, almost like an intermediate, non-interval Intense Moves. (If that makes any sense) Anyway for an intermediate or low int/adv, I give it an A. There are some cueing mistakes that appear to have been made in editing, but if you have stepping experience, you can probably overlook them. At the time I reviewed this tape, I was high int/adv. I still use the tape on an 8 inch step and add power to some of the moves. Good for a day where I can't face a superhard workout.

Instructor Comments:
Gin is a great instructor, but there are editing flaws in this tape that can be quite distracting. As was pointed out in another review, on one sequence she cues the move the second or third time she does it, which made me go "huh?". She's more personable in this video than the step and power step tapes.

LynnO

02/23/1999

I am a huge Gin Miller fan. I've loved every video she's ever done... EXCEPT THIS ONE. I was hugely disappointed. In particular, the editing is VERY poor. There are repeated places where the cueing doesn't match what's on the screen. For example, in one section, you are obviously supposed to be on one end of the step, but they've edited the tape in such a manner that Gin is on the other end of the step. Another example is a section where the introduction to a step segment is buried in the MIDDLE of the segment. In other words, you start almost in the middle of a complex step segment, feel totally confused, and then on the 3rd time through you find the cueing introductions that should have come first. I know others have really liked this tape, but even after giving it repeated tries (saying to myself, "but it's Gin Miller, I can't believe it's this poor quality!...), I hate it. My grade: C-

Michelle Clark

02/20/1999

This video is one of my personal "Hall of Famers." It combines floor aerobics with step, giving my knees a break, and it's got an amazing number of combos that keep your brain from getting bored.

It's got everything from simple mambas to something called a "caveman." Most of the moves are done on the step, so there's plenty for those who don't care for floor aerobics.

My biggest complaint would have to be the weird noises Gin's class makes during the workout. I'm not sure how to even describe them...but they are very distracting.

There are also a few spots where it seems the cueing doesn't match what is on the screen - an editing mistake, I'm guessing.

Still, this workout is one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend it.

Instructor Comments:
Gin is the queen of cueing. She hits it right on every single time, and keeps a perfect beat. It's one of the reasons I have almost all of her tapes.

Stacey Thomson

12/23/1998

This video is plain weird. It ought to be called AirheadStep. First, what's good about it: The moves are unique and never boring. They're varied and not monotonous like in the Video. The set is also pretty interesting-- there are spinning discs in the back and simulated waterfalls along the sides.

This video is the antithesis to the Video. Where the Video is dark and serious, this video is really brighly lit and very light-hearted. Too much so. Gin's giddy and instead of her usual athletic crew, she has these two really skinny model-types right behind her with big, corny smiles plastered on their faces all the way through. One of them looks exactly like Celine Dion, and nearly as anorexic. I found them nauseating. I didn't want robotic cheerleaders.

There are several combinations of moves which are put together at the end, and each set has a theme. The music is okay, too.

This tape has an overall alien feel. I don't know how else to describe it-- it's pretty surreal. It's a good intermediate workout and the moves are genuinely fun. However, I really couldn't stand the two supermodels behind Gin. They even have their hair loose and in perfect, sculpted ringlets. Sickening.

Even though I broke a good sweat with this video, it didn't leave me feeling like I'd accomplished much. I'll use this video once in awhile, but overall I'd give it a C. If you're thinking about buying this, I'd recommend Intense Moves. That video is a serious workout-- no frills, fluff or dancing bimbos.

Instructor Comments:
I love Gin Miller-- her Intense Moves video hooked me. However, in Aerostep she's a little too giddy and enthusiastic. She's less of a serious athlete and more of a giggly aerobics instructor. Ugh.

Sara Whitney

07/16/1998

I really like this one a lot. It's a good Intermediate tape. Gin Miller is really peppy and cues well. The choreography is at a moderate level, and I'm starting to get it all after 4 or 5 tried (I'm not the quickest). However, I got the main bulk of it right off so I was able to keep my heart rate up from the first time through. Also, a bonus for me was that there isn't too much high impact, and when it's there, it can easily be modified to reduce stress on the knees. I don't mind the tape quality. It's different but certainly fine. I like the music, and I think the choreography is fun. There is an 8 minute warm up and a short cool down and stretch at the end. It's a good tape, it does the trick, and I give it a thumbs up.

Abby

03/12/1998

This is a new, refreshing Reebok approach; stepping is blended with floor aerobics to give you your target heartrate while taking it easy on your knees. 40-minute workout is divided into five segments, with the ending segment being a run-through of all the previous combos. Easy, basic moves like grapevines and A-steps, as well as a few cutesy ones like "caveman". The music is more melodic, the set is more cheerful, and Gin looks better than ever, now that she's ditched the big hair and tacky outfits. I would like to see other instructors make more videos like this one.
Grade: A

Sue B

11/30/-0001

I also enjoyed this video, and love the concept. Mixing floor aerobics with step moves is a cool concept. Gin Miller is appealing in this video without being too annoying. She queues very well, and is an excellent instructor, but sometimes she is a bit too annoying. I recommend this tape.
Grade: A

Kathy Lapinski

11/30/-0001

This is a fun video, although Gin is a bit to chatty for my taste. I enjoy much of the choreography, but I do think that the difficulty levels vary and awful lot between sequences. I, too, like the idea of mixing floor and step work, but I don't know if I agree with its rating as an Intermediate/ Advanced tape. This was my second tape, and I did not find it very challenging.

Robin Mordfin

11/30/-0001

This is one of my favorites. It combines step and floor aerobics. It's mostly (probably 80% or more) step, and just a little bit of floor. All the routines are fun and the choreography keeps you interested. It's at an intermediate to advanced level, both choreography-wise and intensity-wise. There are 5 different routines, about 8 minutes each, that you learn and then repeat once or twice after you learn them. Then, at the end, as is typical with other Gin Miller videos, you put them all together. It's really fun, and you're at the end before you realize it.

Gin's cueing is better than anyone's! I remember the first time I did one of her workouts -- I was *so* impressed with her cueing. You could probably do her workouts with the sound only; she's that good. She's also fun. This is not like her original video, where a TV picture did the talking. She leads the class herself, and her personality really comes out. Very friendly and motivating.

Annie S.

11/30/-0001

Gin Miller's AeroStep was a big disappointment to me. After reading the breakdown, I believed it was a full 40 minutes of stepping. It's actually a short 32 minutes. I consider the tape intermediate. It's too easy for any Cathe Friedrich fan. Gin's cueing is excellent but the moves are fairly simple. I added my own jumps to it, and also added an additional 15 minutes of aerobics when the 32 minutes was up. The tape quality is poor, looks like it was filmed instead of video-taped. I have Gin Miller's Power Step, which is much more advanced. But in my opinion, the best step tapes you can buy are Cathe Friedrich and Tim Culwell.

maryann parker

11/30/-0001