Customer Reviews

Reebok: Extreme Step [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was not crazy about this video. She seems more into dancing around on a step instead of providing an intense workout. It may be good for a coordinated person who is trying step for the first time. She spends a lot of time piecing routines together. I don't want to be taught everyday when I watch the tape. I was looking for something that will keep my heart rate up for 30 minutes or longer and this one doesn't provide that. If you like random intensity instead of constant, you may like it.

I've been working out with videos for years, and Gin Miller provides the best workout by far! Her cuing is flawless, her energy contagious, her patterns on the step are interesting, and her interval toning is very challenging. This is one tough and innovative tape. You will definitely sweat buckets, but have fun doing it. Gin Miller is superb; I highly recommend this video.

I love all of Gin Miller's step videos, but I was a little disappointed in the level of this one. I expected it to be a more difficult workout that "The Video" and "The Power Workout", but it really isn't. There are variations presented to increase the difficulty level, but it just wasn't as fun or as challenging. I can do airborne jumps without needing them in the middle of a step routine. ("Intense Moves" is another matter entirley! Wow.) It almost seems as if this video is more to show off Gin's awesome physical conditioning than anything else. The power turn sequence is practically impossible (and dangerous) to do on a carpeted area, so I substituted jump squats. If you have difficulty with two-footed jumping from a standstill, this video will give you plenty of practice at it, and I noticed an improvement as I learned to use different muscles in a better way. The short weight workout at the end really doesn't add much; you don't need a step to do the few simple exercises that are shown, and would probably benefit more from using slightly heavier weights and a regular bench.

I hated this video. Half the time you're doing push-ups,jumping jacks or power jumps in the air, not actually stepping very much. If you've done alot of step videos and want something different and varied, then this is for you. I'm almost 6 feet tall, so there's no way I can do the push-ups at the end of my step or the one-arm push-ups in the space I have. Also, the toning really breaks up the aerobic workout. Then there's this subjective scale from 1-10 that you're supposed to gage your workout intensity on, which doesn't even include a heart rate check. What an awful video!

Bottom line is that if you have marginal space to workout in, don't buy this video. It's fine until she has you sprawled out on the edge of your step doing pushups! I felt very limited in the amount of the workout I could do because of the size of my living room.

Also, she spends a lot of time teaching you these lengthy routines and then you only wind up doing them 2 or 3 times before you're onto something else. Then she throws in these sort of random moves taught by the people behind her. I don't recommend buying this tape. It is a good workout but the frustration far outweighs the sweat!

This is for people who are already in good shape. It's not your typical step workout. There are upper body exercises involved in the step patterns, which is really nice, and I always finish this tape feeling like I have truly worked my body.

At first I was disappointed in this video. The box states it is "interval circuit training", so I thought it would be like the Reebok Circuit Challenge (my favorite step video). Whereas, Circuit Challenge alternated between aerobics and weight training throughout the workout, Extreme Step, like most videos, builds up a step combination one part at a time with many repetitions, and then includes some training with dumbbells after the cool down. As other reviewers have noted, you need plenty of room to do this workout. The bench is in a horizontal position and, during one of the intervals, you do a one-armed push up on the end of the bench. That requires several feet clearance on each end of the step depending on how long your legs are. Other than that annoyance, the step portion is pretty good. Advanced steppers will enjoy the challenge of some of the moves. There is a spinning squat combination where you do a quarter turn, half turn, three-quarters turn and then a complete turn in between. The step portion lasts 36 minutes followed by a 4 minute cool down. The weight lifting part is only 5 minutes long and I was not very impressed with it. Most of it has you laying on your back on the bench, raising one leg at a time while doing chest flies. It didn't seem very effective to me. Finally, it ends with a three-minute stretch, for a total workout of 48 minutes. Gin Miller leads this workout and is excellent as always. It still has that Reebok "coolness" that is very motivating. It is not as good as Circuit Challenge but it is still a nice, challenging workout.

This video is for serious steppers. It is a great tape and I really enjoy Reebok videos. They tone your body and keep you in shape if you are a veteran stepper. The movements are fun and keep you focused on your goal of keeping in shape. A must have if you are serious about staying in shape. I have tried numerous other tapes and instructors and now only do Reebok tapes because they are the best.

This interval training step workout is different from any others that I've tried in that it incorporates upper body resistance training right into the cardio intervals. The first time through, some of the footwork is a little tricky, but after that the variety keeps it interesting and fun. You do need a lot of room around your step, especially off the ends. Gin Miller explains the moves clearly. Her video "Intense Moves" is more aerobically intense than this one, but this one strengthens the arms more.
One thing that annoys me about all my Gin Miller tapes is the frequent subjective "energy checks" in which you decide how hard you're working. It's not clear which part of the subjective scale you should be in. It would be better to have heart rate checks instead. Also, the sets are not very attractive -- dark, warehouse-looking places. But the quality of the workouts is so good that these minor problems can be overlooked.

This was not aerobically challenging enough for any serious exercisers. The strength work was o.k. I found Gin Miller to be particularly annoying in this video. Too sappy! It is good for those of you who like to hoot while you work out. I really liked Gin Miller's Reebok,"The Power Workout". I felt very let down by this one!