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     Super Sculpt is a 30 Minutes to Fitness Workout led by Kelly Coffey Meyer. Along with Kelly, there are two other cast members.  Workout 1 is a split workout. The first 15 minutes is sculpting with light weight. The second 15 minutes is step.  Workout 2 and Workout 3 are tabata style workouts done in two groups of three rounds.  The rounds are band work, light dumbbell work and jump and/or step ups.  Within each round there are 8 segments. Usually the last segment, Kelly uses it as a rest cycle. Workout and workout 3 are the same except for the jump/step up rounds.  The DVD Menu Intro Workout 1 Workout 2: w / Step Jumps Workout 3: w/ Step Ups (special premix) Premixes      Drill & Step 1 (20 min)     Drill & Step 2 (20 min)     Quick Fix 1 (15 min)     Quick Fix 2 (15 min)     Quick Fix 3 (15 min)     Drill, Step, Drill (35 min)     Band & Bo...

Step Sync is 56 minute step workout with lots of step choreography.  The step choreography does require a bit of brain work but it is super doable.  There are three combinations.  Cathe teaches the workout with a lot of breakdown; so it takes well over 10-minutes to learn each combination. Cathe does end each combo by doing the whole sequence twice (through both sides). At the end of teaching the three combos, Cathe combines all the combos back to back. Cathe sticks in a power box around the world between the combos. I enjoyed this workout. So many of the step workouts release lately seem to be drill base where you are repeating the same move a gazillion times; or you are using the step just as a prop. I liked the music. One or two times, I thought the music needed a bit more energy, but overall it was solid. The DVD Menu : Getting Started Play Chapters Basic Premixes (There are 2) Timesaver Premixes (There are 5) Mish Mosh Premixes (There are 2) Bonuses...

Imax 4 is a 45-minute step interval workout that is part of Cathe's newest workout series, Step Boss. Imax4 follows the same pattern as the previous Imax workouts in that you have 10 step rounds .  Each round consist of a step combo pattern that you repeat six times and a low impact but high intensity step blast. The blast are more drill like. You repeat the same move for a series of reps -  anywhere between 16 to 32 reps - depending on the exercise.  The blast are : Blast 1- Squat on Squat Off Blast 2- Agility Run across the step Blast 3 - 3 lunges, 1 lunge Blast 4 - Step knee straddle heel clicks Blast 5 - Curtsy Lunge off the step with Arm Circles Blast 6 - Squat Abductions Blast 7 - Swim lunge variations Blast 8 - Squat attacks Blast 9 - Pulsing Line Taps Blast 10 - Over the step, squat thrust I found the workout pretty easy to follow.  Because the combos repeat themselves six times, by the fourth time through, I was able to pick up the combo; and ...

Disc 2 of Jessica Smith's Walk Strong 3 8-Week Program is Cardio Cross Train. This DVD has three workouts. Cardio Step Jam Boogie I.T. Cardio Hit! Cardio Step Jam uses a mini/high step.  This is optional.  This workout is essentially a steady state workout. If you use the step, that will increase the intensity.  Jessica takes you through various patterns up, over and around the step.  The moves are a cross between dance and athletic. The choreography is simple and very easy to follow.  There is some single leg work and a little bit of plyo work. Boogie I.T.(Interval Training) is your higher intensity workout and contains many level changes throughout the workout.  You are walking and/or jogging in parts of the workout  There are coordination style drills and there is a mixture of athletic and dance style moves.  There are intervals where you take  it up a notch. The intervals are: Knee to Elbow Hops Skater Skiers 180 degree t...

Disc 3 Sculpt of Jessica Smith's contains three 30-minute workouts:  Metabolic Conditioning, Cardio Interval Sculpt, and Barre Sculpt.  These workouts are mostly focused on sculpting but there is a cardio factor to each workout. Metabolic Conditioning uses a mini-step (also called a high step), two to three set of dumbbells, a mat and a towel.  The step is optional.  In this workout, Jessica introduces each move slowly and then picks up the pace for the latter reps. The ending stretch is just over 2 minutes. Cardio Interval Sculpt uses a mat and dumbbells.  This workout contains 30-second cardio intervals.  Typically you are doing three compound or multi-joint exercises followed by a cardio interval.  The ending stretch in this workout is around one minute and thirty-five seconds. Barre Sculpt uses a chair, mat, and a set of dumbbells and an optional ball.  This workout is also performed barefoot.  There are several distinct se...

Cathe Greatest Hits Vol 1 Step is another compilation workout.   The DVD contains a lot of material and if you do the whole thing, the run time is one hour and 38 minutes.  This workout is made of up segments from Step, Jump & Pump, Body Max 2, Drill Max, Imax 2, and Athletic Step.  There are segments from Cardio & Weights and XTrain Super Cuts  that are included as Bonus Chapters. Specifically, the warm up and the four step combos of of SJP are included, Body Max 2 step combo #2 and Drill Max cardio #4 are included, Imax 2 intervals 7-10, the finished combos in Athletic step and the stretch segment in Body Max 2 round out the DVD. DVD Menu:    PLAY    CHAPTERS    PREMIXES Premixes are:     Bonus Circuit Workout 44:50     Timesaver 1 (No Athetic Step) 54:40     Timesaver 2 (No Imax 2) 50:17     Timesaver 3 (No Step Combo Body Max 2) 59:23     Times...

Cathe Cardio Fusion is a compilation workout compose of cardio segments from the following DVDs:  Body Max 2, Low Impact Circuit and Drill Max. The DVD offers these menu options: Play Program Chapters Mix & Match Premixes Credits In Cardio Fusion, Cathe uses the warm up in Body Max 2 (9:24), the finish step combo in Body Max 2 (5:51), the bonus step segment in Low Impact Circuit (10:56), the power circuit segments (sans weight) from Body Max 2, cardio drills from drill max (25:26) and stretch segment from Body Max 2 (6:32). The entire workout clocks in at around an hour and 15 minutes. There are three premixes:      All Step Cardio (48 min)      Mix Cardio (41.5 min)      Mix & Max (80 min) Equipment used is a step and stability ball in drill max segments. I have had this workout for sometime but never did it. It has been quite sometime since I did the original workouts that this compilation wa...

Amy Bento Ross's Steplectic is an athletic step DVD that contains two workouts.  Workout one, Amy labels as intermediate and workout two, she labels as advanced. The DVD menu is as follows Intro Play All Chapters Premixes       Mash Up Mix 1 (80 min)       Mash Up Mix 2 (71 min) Credits Workout 1 is around 51 minutes in length and features a warm up, 4 combos and a cool down.  The warm up is around 8 minutes and the cool down is around 3 minutes. In the main part of the workout, Amy teaches Combo 1 and 2. She then combines combos 1 and 2.  She teaches combos 3 and 4 and then she combines 3 & 4 before moving into the cool down. These are athletic step workouts. Amy cuing technique is that she throws it out there. So you get large chunks of choreography at once. Then she repeats it several times (at least three) before moving on. The routine was not hard to pick up.  The first time through I was fo...

Super Fit Bod! is a 60 minute interval workout that alternates total body sculpting sets with cardio intervals. The workout uses a step and a pair of dumbbells. In the total body sculpting segments, Amy uses isolation and compound exercises to work the entire body.  She will start with a single move and then add to the  move making it multi-component.  In many of the exercises, there was a lot going on. In the cardio segments, Amy started off  with a low impact move and quickly ramps up the intensity with high impact moves. There is a modifier in all the segments. The DVD menu offers the following options: Play All Warm Up Total Body Chisel Fat Burning Interval Total Body Sculpt Calorie Torching Interval Total Body Firmer Fat Blasting Interval Cool Down & Stretch Bonus:  Tight & Toned Core While the DVD lets you select individual segments, the segments themselves are really part of one continuous workout and thus are not self-contai...

Low Impact Swea t is the second cardio workout that is part of Cathe's ICE Series.  The workout consist of two low impact workouts and when done in its entirety clocks in at just over 46 minutes. Cardio 1 Workout is floor based and uses a mat as a marker.  Cardio 2 Workout uses the step.  Cathe has two risers on her step and in both workouts for some of the exercises, she uses 3 and 5 lb dumbbells. Also, in both workout you are doing a series of moves; first with the right lead and then with the left lead. For the most part you are doing 16 reps per side for each exercise. There are exercises that have more than 16 reps. Cathe gives you a recovery period between each exercise. I like the step part of this workout more than the floor part. Speaking of which, Cathe does cool you down after the floor part before moving on to the step section. Low Impact Sweat has  seven basic premixes, sixteen timesaver premixes, and ten mishmosh premixes.  The bonuses ...

Zumba Step It UP High-Intensity Training uses the Zumba Rizer. It is led by Marcie Benavides and it is 34 minutes in length. Joining Marcie, is Nick and Ricardo.  Nick is the modifier.  He shows less intense moves throughout the workout. The segments are : Party (Everybody Dance) No Te Soporto (Merenegue) Hasta Amanecer (Cumbia) Pablito Robafaldas (Salsa) Alegria Esta No Ar (Calyspo-Samba) Rockin With the Best (Reggaton) Marcha Back In Action Bailando Te Quiero Ver I liked this workout well enough.  I felt it was more athletic base than dance based. The only thing that annoyed me was the cuing (combining the visual with voice over).  There were more than a few times when Marcie called  the move late  None of the moves were hard or moves I hadn't seen before but I was tripping all over the place. We would do a straddle with a side kick or a side tap step but she wouldn't call it until after the first rep. Other than that annoyance, it's a g...

Can I just say that I don't miss the VHS workout.  Seriously, it takes so long to rewind these things. Anyway, Jane Fonda Step and Stretch Workout features a 45 minute step workout and a 15 minutes stretch workout. The 45 minute step workout is led by four different instructors this time.   Laurel, Linda, Michelle, and Jay each alternate teaching a combinations. The format is pretty much the same as the other Jane Fonda step workout I reviewed.  The routines started off slow and would gradually build.  Expect lots of repetition.The sound track is not as good in this workout as it was in her other two step workouts I did. Along with the instructors there are around 8 other cast members who show various levels and modifications of different moves. The stretch routine is led by Jane Fonda and it uses the step as well plus a towel.  It is a full body stretch that focuses on holding the stretch with each stretch being slow and methodical.  Mos...

Jane Fonda Step Aerobics and Abdominal Workout video contains a 45 minute step workout led by Laurel, Jeanne and Mark and a 10 minute abdominal workout led by Jane Fonda. The step aerobics workout is an easy to follow workout with simple combinations.  The workout starts off slow (half time) and gradually builds up as you proceed from combo to combo. Mark, Jeanne and Laurel take turns teaching a combination that it set to a particular tune. As you are doing the workout they will call your attention to particular side of the room. The people on the right were doing low impact moves (arms lower, not jumping) and the people on the left were doing high impact moves (more are moves, adding jumps to some of the combos). Love, love, love the soundtrack.  Each tune feature high energy music and - variety too - jazz, dance, country are some of the genres featured in this workout. The second workout is abdominals and it is all done on the floor. This segment uses the step as w...

Jane Fonda Lower Body Solution Step workout is an older workout that came out on VHS. I don't think that Jane Fonda has ever release this workout on DVD.   Although, she has for some of her other workouts. There are two workouts on this tape. The first is a 35 minute step workout and the second is a 25 minute lower body workout led by Jane Fonda. I just did the step workout which was led by a trio of instructors: Mark, Janie, and Laurel.  Each of them takes turns teaching a segment. Along with the three instructors, there are around 6 other cast members. Half the cast members work on the step and the other half do not use a step.  Two of the cast members show low impact modifications. This step workout is really good old-fashioned steady state cardio. The combinations are fun, slightly repetitive but easy to do.  The choreography is more dance based than athletic based.  The instructors interact well together to make the workout fun and the music ...

Ultimate Cardio Core Workout is a step med (sculpting) ball workout that is 60 minutes in length. I like working out with Christi.  Her step combos are fun and intricate enough so that you are not bored but not so intricate that the combos are difficult to pick up. There are 5 step combos with an dance and athletic feel and they all used the ball.   During the combos, Christi gives you advanced options in which she and the two ladies in front show. There are two ladies in back that continue with the standard option. After the step combos with the ball, Christi has you release the ball and continue with the step combos with impact giving you an additional cardio burn. After the Cardio Burn segment, you go in to the Core Conditioning segment which include isolation work for the core.  There is also upper body work in the form up triceps dips and push ups.  This segment uses both the ball and the step. The DVD gives you the following options: Intro Cardio...

  Zumba Step features the Zumba Rizer which a round 4 in high platform.  This workout is lead by the Zumba creator Beto Perez and the workout is 45 minutes.  The Zumba Rizer comes with the Incredible Results System.  There is just one workout that uses the Step Rizer. The Tracks are: Bem Vindos I Came Here to Party Boogaloo De Paris Love On Me Chande Papa Dio Tanguajira La Aguafiesta (Water Party) Pam Param Pam Pam I Want Your Love Tempo Zumba Viento I don't really care for Zumba Toning and so much of this workout was toning moves as oppose to dance move. It is not like they alternated with a toning track and a dance track. It would be like they would start with one - usually dance and switch to toning a quarter of the way through - then switch back to dance, then toning etc.  The toning moves just really interrupted the flow of the workout. Love On Me is the track where the toning didn't bother me and that is because of the way it was incor...

So I decided to review these two workouts together because I purposely waited to write the review for Workout 1 until after I had done Workout 2. I think Cathe could have called these workouts Power 7 Stepping because that "Power 7" move or the "Sculpt 7" move showed up consistently throughout both works.  Take that move out or even just the over use of the move in its many variations (i.e Power 3s, Power 15s etc)- once okay but three and four times, doing this move practically in every combo, I started to get annoyed. But going back to what I started to say, take that move out and I quite like the combos.  They were all fairly easy to learn. Cathe does use quite a bit of her previous choreography but I like the way she put the combos together. It is just different enough to make you think.  Many times I thought I knew what was coming next based on how she incorporated a move in a previous video and I would be wrong.  But by the second or third time through I ...

Advanced Step Challenge 5 is Amy Bento's latest step workout in the ASC series.  This workout features five combinations plus a warm up and cool down.  The workout clocks in at just over 60 minutes. This is athletic style stepping and the workout contains quite a bit of jumping and other high impact moves. Like most of Amy's ASC workouts this does feature a preview section that breaks down the five combos. When learning the workout, I learned a combo at a time. I would start by viewing the preview for a particular combo and then I would go and run through that combo several times.  I learned a combo a day before doing the whole workout. The preview section is not chaptered which was a pain once you got beyond the first combo because you had to scroll/fast forward through to get to the combo you wanted to learn. I found the combos fairly easy to learn.  There were two areas where I had a little trouble and any time Amy was jumping completely over the ste...

Les Mills Pump Step Workout is disc 8 in the Beachbody workout systems.  This disc is part of the add-ons and does not come with the basic set. The workout is thirty minutes and it uses a step and an optional weighted plate. The workout breaks down into the following tracks: warm up - 4:25 Basic Stepping - 4:05 Interval Training - 5:51 Circuit Training - 6:15 Peak Circuit - 4:55 Lower Body/Balance Work - 4:15 There are five instructors/cast members.  The instructors swap in and out each teaching a segment or part of a segment.  There is an instructor showing modification moves. The step is used in both the horizontal and in the vertical positions.   There is lots of drill base leg work some of which contain power or plyometric moves The interval training track does contain a series of burpees.  The optional weight is used in the Circuit Training segment. The workout is very basic in that all the moves are easy to follow.  It does not ...

Step My Way is a step workout featuring Patrick Goudeau and it is 57 minutes in length.  Along with Patrick there are two other cast members. There is not a beginner modifier. Step My Way contains four combinations that are a mixture of both dance and athletic style stepping.. Each of the combinations starts off with a basic step pattern or group of moves.  As Patrick repeats the pattern, he changes it up by adding more complex moves such a turns, twist and pattern changes so that by the end of the combination you are presented with a challenging step combination. The complexity level I felt was intermediate to advance. Several times I stayed with the more basic move when Patrick added on. Generally, Patrick would show you a new move twice and then the third time through, he wants you to join in with him. The DVD is chaptered and you can select the following chapter points by selecting the Personalized Workout Option: Warm up Combo 1 Combo 2 Combo 3 Bonus Combo ...