Step Workout

For those who are new to step and want to buy one video that will teach them the basics and continue to challenge them as they become fitter, this video is a good choice. It's hardly the most exciting video on the market, but it has basic, easy to follow, mostly low-impact choreography, and Kathy's cuing and explanation of moves is first-rate. It has an excellent section on proper technique at the end, which very slowly demonstrates many basic step moves (basic step, tap step, turn step, over the top, hamstring curl, alternating knee up, alternating lunge), telling you exactly how to place your feet for each one. At the very end there is an "Ask the Experts" section, where you can find answers to questions like "is stepping safe for knees?" and why you shouldn't use hand weights during a aerobic step workout.

It has 3 distinct step sections, beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Beginners, for example, would do just the first section, then fast forward to the cool-down. As you become fitter you can continue to the other sections. The video also has lower body toning (squats, abductor moves using the step) as a cooldown, a 5 minute ab section plus upper body toning (push ups, tricep dips off the step, plus lat rows, bicep curls, and lateral raises with dumbells).

Advanced exercisers will, no doubt, be bored with this tape, but for those just starting out with step and those who like their choreography pretty basic, it's an excellent choice.

As for beginner videos, I would suggest Kathy Smith's step video. It is very basic, choreography wise, and is broken up into three step sections, so a beginner can start off doing just the first section, and then add the other two as she advances. The moves get more advanced as the sections progress, though they never get too tough. I bought this video about 4 years ago, and did it while I was pregnant. It was my first step video, and though I was in okay shape before my pregnancy, I had never done step before and it was a good way to learn the moves. I think if you do all three step segments it comes close to 40 minutes of aerobics. I also has an abs section. I haven't done it in a long time, so I don't remember a lot of details, but it is the first tape I would suggest for a beginner.

This tape is excellent for the beginner to intermediate stepper. Advanced steppers will be bored because the choreography is basic. The cardio section is divided into 3 sections; Kathy lets you know when a beginner and an intermediate should stop. The entire stepping section (if you do all of it - you may stop earlier if your a beginner - Kathy gives you that option) lasts for 35 minutes. She does some lower body then upper body sculpting which is actually pretty decent. This is a good overall tape for beginners to intermediates; however, advanced steppers will find it boring because Kathy doesn't do anything choreographically challenging.

I have only used two other step tapes (the Reebok with the tribal band, and the one that came with my first step), and this one is by far my favorite. I started using this tape as a B/I, and now I consider myself to be ready for more of a challenge. Kathy Smith makes everything very easy to follow, and even after using this tape for a long time I still have a lot of fun doing it. The warm up is thorough and interesting, and the three progressive step segments are great, because you can just do the first one for a while and then gradually add in the second and third sections, which have a progressively higher intensity and difficulty level, as your ability to follow along and your cardio fitness level improve. The folowing lower bod, upper bod, and ab sections are great for a beginner, and have gotten me ready (I think) to move on to I/A strength workouts. I highly recommend this tape for B/I level steppers, and although I have always found the choreography to be pretty interesting, I see from the other reviews that not everybody thinks so. Also the advice sections at the end are pretty informative and I really appreciated, as a beginner, learning more about the overall fitness aspects of stepping and not just how to do the basic step, etc.

This was the second step tape I ever purchased, after only having the Jane Fonda Step and Abdominal workout. Since the Jane Fonda tape uses such basic choreography, I considered this tape very tricky. I'd never even done an open turn step at that point, and thought this was hopelessly hard. So, it went into the drawer for years and years. I've since pulled it out, and can get through it without a problem. (Even though the FIRM tapes aren't as aerobic as other videos, I think they helped condition me for doing this tape). Now, I agree that this tape has pretty basic stepping technique. But, it still gives me 35 minutes in my training zone, which is okay for me. This tape has 3 stepping segments for beginner, intermediate and advanced. The step segments are followed by lower body toning, upper body toning, and abdominal toning. I never do any of these segments. All the toning segments use the STEP in some form or another, even making the step slant for the sit-ups. I guess the idea was to show that your step could be your "home gym". Since I didn't have the STEP that she was using, I couldn't do that. Besides, I don't like lying on a step to do sit-ups. Overall, I think this is a good tape for those new to stepping or who like simple steps.

The step routines are very boring. Each combination is repeated ad nauseum. I much prefer progressive small changes to keep me interested. Kathy's flailing arm movements often interfere with the momentum of the leg patterns, and even she looks unco-ordinated doing them. I also dislike the large number of repetitions she does on one lead leg before finally switching to the other leg. I end up feeling lopsided, and my knees don't like it at all. Finally, the music is bland and uninspiring. I need a decent beat to get me moving early in the morning! This video is going back to the store.

The Step Workout tape is one I've had for quite some time now. When I was inspired enough to workout, this tape was the one I reached for. I had been extrememly unfit and the warm-up section was enough to cause me to be winded at first. For someone as out of shape as I've been, with a bad knee, symptoms of carpel tunnel, etc. this tape was what helped me to get back into shape and lose the 20 pounds of excess fat I was carrying around. For being in my 40's, I feel better now than I did all through my 30's and some of my 20's. I still have a bad knee, but since doing this tape at least three times a week, I've advanced to the intermediate and my knee and wrists have greatly improved. The slower, repetitive instruction has helped keep me from messing up my knee further, but I do have to be sure that I don't step wrong and miss the step completely! Call me "Clumsy" or call me "Uncoordinated", but this is the tape I needed!

I love this video since it has a happy medium of everything, cardio, toning, abs, and such. To get the full effect, the video doesn't fit into the "timesaver" category. It is definitely for a long workout day, but it makes efficient use of your time, I think, without spending too much rewinding over missed moves. Definitely a good Beginner-Intermediate video, and challenging enough to keep those ambitious advanced occupied and content!

I love this video since it has a happy medium of everything, cardio, toning, abs, and such. To get the full effect, the video doesn't fit into the "timesaver" category. It is definitely for a long workout day, but it makes efficient use of your time, I think, without spending too much rewinding over missed moves. Definitely a good Beginner-Intermediate video, and challenging enough to keep those ambitious advanced occupied and content!

I just picked up this video (after seeing it recommended at this site), and I like it a lot. I'm a beginner and I've been using Susan Powter's videos, Lean, Strong & Healthy and Burn Fat & Get Fit. I found Step Workout to move faster with steps that are just a bit trickier than Powter's, making it an excellent next video for me. As others have mentioned, the cardio portion is divided in three sections for beginner, intermediate, and advanced, and I only made it through the beginner part my first time out, which was great because now I know I have room to grow with this video. Beginners, I recommend Powter's videos to start, and then when you can keep up pretty well with those, add this one.