"Whether you are a new or seasoned stepper, this program has been designed for anyone looking to achieve real results."

Pros:
- Movements are not difficult to follow & gave me a good workout even at my very first use.

- Absolute beginners can benefit from one step model who is right at front & demonstrates simpler moves
- It's not boring & most of the steppers look enthusiastic enough
- Broken up into 12-14 minutes sections so you can customize your workout (when I started, I was only able to do segment#1, so I skipped to the cool-down section immediately. Now I can do all 3 aerobic segments).
- Has cool-down segments & toning segments as well
- Kathy Smith has fairly good cuing in this video (2 or 3 slip-ups, but it doesn't bother me anymore) & straight-forward instructions
- Good intro at the beginning to give you safety tips for your workout. However, this is also a drawback since I don't need to watch this part anymore & have to fast-forward everytime I use the video

Cons:
- Movements may be too simple/boring for intermediate-advanced steppers or those who like a lot of dancy movements
- The intro at the beginning of the tape is kind of long & you'll have to fast-forward through it to get to the warm-up segment

Bottom line:
This video is a good workout for beginners, beginner-intermediate, and for people who don't want to deal with complicated dancy moves. Combined with a low-fat, sensible & balanced diet, you can start losing that extra weight!

130 of 132 found the following review helpful:


Excellent Total Body Workout!  Feb 11, 2002 By mwreview "mwreview"
I work out every day and use a step aerobics tape between 4-7 days a week. This one is one of my favorites in a rotation of 13 videos I currently use. Kathy Smith is one of the best instructors. Her directions are so good that, after using this tape a few times, one can actually complete the moves without having to watch the screen (which makes it easier to maintain proper body alignment). She mirrors her instructions (when she says "left" she means YOUR "left") and it's very fun. Smith and her crew seem to have a great time which, to me, rubs off on the viewer! The video starts with an 8-minute warm-up and follows with three step segments from beginning level to advanced (12, 13, and 10 minutes respectively). One can fast-foward to the 5-minute cool down after the first or second segments if they are just beginning step aerobics or if they are hard-pressed for time). After aerobics, there is a 5-minute ab toning segment which utilizes the inclined function of the Original Step. Finally, there is an 8-minute upper body toning segment using hand-weights (one can probably improvise with cans of veggies, etc.) Finally, you cool down with a 5-minute stretching segment. Few videos are as well-rounded as this one and, although it's about an hour and ten minutes long, it's over before you know it because it is so fun!

88 of 88 found the following review helpful:


A fantastic step workout  Feb 12, 2008 By J. Stevens
This is a re-release of one of Kathy Smith's VHS workouts from around 2003. It is my all-time favourite step workout ever, from any instructor. It breaks down like this:

- An 8 minute warmup
- A 12 minute step routine (beginners) but is great for all levels!
- A 13 minute intermediate step routine but is also great for all levels.
- A 10 minute advanced step routine.
- A 5 minute lower body cool down
- A 5 minute abdominal toning session
- 8 minutes of upper body
- 5 minutes of a cool down and stretch.

The biggest asset to Kathy's DVD's is that it is suitable for all levels. She classifies parts of her DVD as beginner / intermediate / advanced but it is more so that beginners can just do 12 minutes of stepping, etc. The whole workout is fantastic and is not too hard to follow. I am not the most co-ordinated person in the world and I can do her workout without stumbling around like an idiot (which trust me, I would do if it contained a lot of dancey-steps).

I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone that is interested in step aerobics. It's a great workout and you won't be disappointed!

31 of 32 found the following review helpful:


From a clumsy girls point of view  Jan 28, 2006 By Karma wilson "wilsonbrood"
Okay, so I'm not a gazelle. I'm not graceful and I'm not light on my feet. We have an eliptical which is probably best suited to my skill level. It's hard to fall off of one. :-) But I hate it. I mean, I devise ways of not looking at the clock and the minutes just drag on and on and on. So I bought a step and I bought this workout as my introduction to stepping based on the stellar reviews here at Amazon.

I love it! Stepping is really much less boring than the "eviliptical". Okay, so I fell down on my #@%#$% the first time I followed this tape. I would chalk that up to me, not the tape. As a child my grandmother put me in ballet. After two lessons the instructor met her at the door and told her I'd be better of in tap. The fact that I only fell once and didn't kill myself is actually a testimonial for Kathy Smith!

I would advise anybody who is new to stepping and coordination-challenged like me to skip doing the arms when first starting. Just look at the feet and do those. Add in arms slowly over time. I still do just feet in some things. And be careful with the move "over the top" because that's the move that sent my feet "over the top" of my head.

The ab section is short, but a killer. Don't start on the incline! Just start flat.

Kathy is fairly easy to follow, the music is cheeful, and the moves are challenging enough to keep you from thinking about how much it sucks to actually do them. All in all a great workout for me! The only annoying thing is Kathy does let off a high pitched "drill team" squeal once in a while and say things like, "Now that you've got that down let's pick up the pace" (Uh, wait, I don't got that down!) Thank God for rewind. But all in all she's a lot less "chipper" than some other aerobics tapes, so it's not bad. And Kathy doesn't have an annoying voice either--a big plus! She's also older. I find it easier to take instruction from somebody who isn't carded when the buy booze.

21 of 21 found the following review helpful:


Fine work!  Feb 13, 2008 By Jessica Du Bois
I had this video some years back, and loved it so much that when I decided to go back to step aerobics a few weeks ago, the first video I bought was this one. Kathy Smith is one kick-butt aerobics instructor! She puts you through your paces, while seemingly effortlessly, keeps you entertained. There is a beginner's section (12 minutes of step aerobics), followed by an intermediate section (another 13 minutes), then finally, an advanced step aerobics section (12 minutes) then of course, a really good cool down/abdominal workout. You can stop the video after part one, two, or do all three sections, depending on your fitness level.

Her crew consists of about ten 20 and 30-something people, three of which take over parts of the video in part one--keeping it mixed up and interesting. There is no silly chatting to get through; all participants are professional and really look like they know what they're doing. This video isn't difficult to follow at all, has great step-by step intructions of each new move, and there is plenty of repitition so that the participant can catch on to the moves, and actually enjoy the workout. By the end of your video, I promise, you will feel like you had one hell of a workout.

See all 146 customer reviews on Amazon.com