Step Boss - Step Sync: Cathe Friedrich

[Helen]

Step Boss - Step Sync


Equipment:
Step - team are on a 6"

The Set:
Large space with brickwork looking like the paint is wearing off, view of tree covered mountains behind them through the arched windows. Couple of weights racks at the back. No plants other than the picture window. Pale timber-look floor. Bright, light, spacious.

The Team:
With Cathe are Jai, Lise, Jen, and Jen. All have 7/8 tights, two are navy, two are turqoise, Cathe's are navy with side panels in turqoise & ice green. Paired with the navy tights are ice green singlets; with the turqoise tights are navy singlets. Different outfits are worn for the Bonus content (both step & abs) - they have a grey, black & turquoise theme in tights and singlet tops.

The Workout:
After the warmup, the workout has 3 combos. Combo 1 takes over 8min, Combo 2 takes almost 14min, and the third is over 14min. Then all 3 are combined for nearly 9 min of 'Finished Product'; then a brief cooldown & rather quick stretch.

Breakdown: Main Workout
(56:34) Total Duration

(7:31) Warmup
(0:10) Introduction
(45:15) Workout
_____(8:35) Combo 1
_____(13:38) Combo 2
_____(14:07) Combo 3
_____(8:55) Finished Product for Combos 1, 2, & 3
(0:41) Cooldown
(2:26) Stretch

Breakdown: Bonus Intermediate Step
(21:06) Total Duration

(20:42) Workout
_____(10:05) Combo 1
_____(2:13) Combo 1 Finished Product
_____(6:13) Combo 2
_____(2:11) Combo 2 Finished Product
(0:24) Cooldown

Breakdown: Bonus Ab Stacker Abs
(9:29) Total Duration

(8:49) Workout
_____(1:56) Stacking Crunches
_____(1:21) Side to Side Oblique Stacking
_____(1:03) Modified Boat Pose
_____(1:40) Side Oblique Sit Ups with Boat Pose
_____(1:28) Stacking Prone Position
_____(1:19) Superman
(0:40) Ab Stretch

The DVD:
Green is the colour-scheme. The main menu offers
• Getting Started >
Directs you to the location of the downloadable user's guide which includes workout sheets for the Step Boss Set to track your weights & has a link to the equipment list.
• Play (goes right to warmup of the main workout, no verbal introduction - that's done within the workout)
• Chapters >
Warmup; Introduction; Combo 1; Combo 2; Combo 3; Finished Product For Combos 1, 2, & 3; Cool Down; Stretch
• Basic Premixes >
Main Workout + Bonus Ab Stacker Abs (65:37)
Bonus Intermediate Step + Bonus Ab Stacker Abs (40:43)
• Timesaver Premixes >
#1 Warmup + Combos 1 & 2 + Cooldown + Stretch (33:04)
#2 Warmup + Combos 2 & 3 + Cooldown + Stretch (38:26)
#3 Warmup + Combos 1 & 3 + Cooldown + Stretch (33:23)
#4 Warmup + Finished Product x2 + Cooldown + Stretch (28:31)
#5 Warmup + Finished Product x3 + Cooldown + Stretch (37:27)
• Mishmosh Premixes >
Bonus Intermediate Step & Step Sync Mix (53:42)
- Sync Warmup + Bonus Intermediate Step Workout + Main Combos 1 & 2 + Main Cooldown + Main Stretch
All Step Sync Combos + Double the Finished Product (65:04)
- Main workout, but with the Finished Product chapter done twice
• Bonuses >
- Bonus Step > Chapters (after additional introduction, these match the breakdown above)
- Bonu Ab Stackers > Chapters (all exercises in the abs have their own chapter - see breakdown for the specific items)
• Audio Setting >
Normal Mix (Cathe's voice plus music)
Vocals Only Mix (Cathe's voice only and no music)

NOTE: There is no Mix/Match nor Workout Blender on the DVD - these options seem to have stopped being included at some stage. Perhaps use feedback was that people prefer premixes to making their own mixes with those kinds of tools (???) but you certainly could make your own using the chapters approach.
Chapters have titles at the bottom of the screen for about 4 seconds prior to fading out.
__________________

Me: 59, 4'10" (step height really matters), intermediate, enjoy complexity

Review of: Basic Premix (Bonus Intermediate Step + Bonus Ab Stacker Abs)

Breakdown:
(40:43) Total Duration

(7:31) Warmup (from main workout)
(31:04) Workout
_____(21:06) Bonus Intermediate Step
_____(9:58) Bonus Ab Stacker Abs
(2:26) Stretch (from main workout)

Review:
Finished this less than half an hour ago so memory is fresh! The team were on 6", but part of the way through thought the 8" would be fine, and definitely thought so by the end. The choreography was moderately complex - kept up no problem though never done this bonus step section before. When it was over, was a little disappointed as was having such a good time - arms waving around like a tap dancer in 'the zone'. Very little jump work - some hop-turns over the step & some side-ups, but that was it. So if that high-impact athletic drill kind of work puts you off - no problem.

Workout made of 2 sections - Combo 1 & Finished Product, then Combo 2 & Finished Product. No need to remember Combo 1 once the finished product was done. Moves included 6-count-mambos, stomp-around-the-world, figure 8s, shuffle along the step, ... lots of very standard things. No ricochets, no jump up onto the step, no big jumping knees.... this is NOT a high-impact athletic routine - it's one of her lighter workouts, for more doable fun - keep you moving and in a good mood, but not to exhaust you or give any dread factor.

THEN came the abs. They. Were. Hard.
Hardest move was a static v-sit, knees bent, feet off floor - stack of risers to one side. Twist to the side & pick up one riser with both hands & place on the other side. Repeat x4, then move the stack back. The stack is moved in this way more than once. There is also a modified boat pose, which is similar to a Pilates Teaser - yeah, tough. On the upside, no crunches.