Zig Zag Step

Although I have to agree that the productin quality isn't the greatest, the exercises I think are very good. If you can get past the "flying carpet" and annoying music. Since I know the routine pretty well I usually turn down the sound and up the radio.
There's a warm up, 2 sessions of ab work and a cool down. Each session lasts about 15 minutes. The first is done with feet elevated on a chair, the second session is with knees bent and feet on the floor. Both sessions include basic crunches, reverse curls, oblique exercises, etc.
I think this is one of the best ab videos I've done. I try to do it about once a week, alternating with other ab videos (Firm parts, Abs of Steel). I definitely feel my muscles working.

ZigZag Step was created and developed by Mary Griffin. She uses 2 steps to create a VERY FUN and choreographically challenging workout! You will need 2 Steps and a space of approximately 11ft x 6ft (regular Step takes about 8ft x 5ft). The idea is to be able to set your steps up at about a 90 degree angle with a walk through at the apex. You will move all around, through and over them so it's important to have enough space.

The video starts with an introduction by Gin Miller which lasts about 1 1/2 minutes.

Mary then explains what Zig Zag Step is about, how to set up the room, tempo of the music, and other instructor stuff. It's good to watch this through once or twice but after that you don't need it. This lasts about 8 1/2 minutes.

Mary teaches this at a bit of an angled actual image. There is a nice little warm up and she previews some moves you'll be doing later on in the workout just to get you familiar with it. There is no stretching, she just starts the workout. The warm up lasts about 5 minutes.

The workout is a series of mostly 32 count self reversing fun combinations (I think she throws in a 64 count combo at the end) using Zig and Zag (Zig is the step on the left and Zag is the step on the right). Mary will cue something like "revolve on Zig" or "travel Zag Zig", "kick on Zag, mambo on floor"... The whole left/right thing can be confusing so by her cueing Zig and Zag it does make it easier.

There is no tapping (which takes a while to get use to) and you are always moving. As far as impact, I think it is very low. She does some jacks, leaps and hops but you don't have to do these if you don't want to and it takes nothing away from the workout at all. The intensity is really in the distance you travel from step to step... It's a very laid back FUN 40 minutes!

There is no cool down (she was on a roll and ran out of tape).

At the very end, she very briefly shows 2 stretches I think but again, she was out of tape so that was it. This took about 2 minutes.

Mary did the workout in one take so there are parts where she does mess up but gets right back on. After doing it several times you will be able to follow her and you'll also know where not to follow her :^D I suggest watching it at least once all the way through before you try it (it took several for me). I first tried to just jump in there and do it and got very frustrated (I'm choreographically challenged and can't easily tell here from there, left from right or Zig from Zag! :^D).

The production quality is like the other instructor videos at GMF. It's a living room, not a studio which doesn't matter to me at all. My only complaint is that I did not like the music. I do wish she would make a Zig Zag Step video that is not geared toward instructors so it would flow a little better. She does talk alot during this to instructors about how to teach it and what they can expect their participants to do and that kind of thing (but she keeps right on with the workout while she talks).

(I have been doing videos for about 7 years)

One more time, I LOVE Zig Zag Step!