CIA Opinions

[Stacy]

Hi. I just got my Collage magazine and have picked out a few CIA videos I was interested in purchasing just for some variety from Cathe tapes. Right now my only other non-Cathe videos I use with any frequency are Reebok's Intense Moves, KV's Great Weighted Workout and KV's Energy Sprint. Here are the CIA's I've picked (I basically picked ones labelled as "advanced" level). For anyone who has these videos, what do you think of them as far as intensity goes, also I'm really not into dancey moves at all, I'm not the best at choreography (though I've gotten down 99% of Cathe's tapes, I own them all) and I honestly find the too dancey, too funky tapes annoying. Thanks for all of your help!!

1. CIA 9809: Kickbox Express, Janis Saffell
2. CIA 9701: The Step Workout, Donna Read
3. CIA 9702: Step, Kickbox, & Funk; Janis Saffell (how funky?)
4. CIA 9804: All Star, All Step; Joan Pitt, Dawn Pappas, Lori Saitta
5. (non CIA) Body Bar Challenge, Keli Roberts (Would a 10 lb barbell work if I dont own a body bar?, and is this a good tape?)
6. CIA 9902: KickButt Combat, Keli Roberts
7. (non CIA) Christi Taylor's Hi-Lo Heaven
8. (non CIA) Christ Taylor's Step Heaven
9. CIA 2101: Extreme Intervals
10. (non CIA) Body Bar Boot Camp, Andre Houle (again, can I use a 10 lb barbell instead of a body bar?)

I currently am living on the second floor of an apartment complex so any info regarding how soon my neighbor below will want to kick me out for too much jumping with any of the above videos would also be greatly appreciated

Thanks for all of your help!


Counting the days til Cathe's latest releases are available!!

Stacy

 

[ilja]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-01 AT 06:03AM (Est)[/font][p]If you're not into dancy choreography I would not get any video's by Christi Taylor. Especially not the heavens because they are as complex as choreography can get.
The funk part in Janis Saffells 9702 is really not that funky.
Actually, all the tapes you mentioned are moderate to complex choreography wise, except for the body bars. I don't have keli Roberts kickbox tape so I can not commend on that one.

Ilja
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[ErinF]

My 2 cents

Okay, even though Christi Taylor's choreography is very dancy, I think she cues so well that you could get it. Many choroegraphy impaired people have said they did fine with the Heavenlies for the most part. And the music is so amazing that it's worth the effort! They are so much fun!

I have to say that I get choreography pretty well, but I had a really tough time with 9702 Step, Kickbox, and Funk. I think it was the cuing. I just could NOT get either the step or the funk sections.

9701 with Donna Read is great!

Extreme Intervals is wonderful, BUT there is a high neighbor annoyance factor, as there is a lot of jumping and overall high impact.

A friend of mine is about to call Colage and ask if she can return Andre's Body Bar Bootcamp. She hates it. I'm just going to paste in a section from her email: First of all, the workout is anerobic cardio interspersed with body bar segments.
I noticed right away they are working on a 4 inch
step. I don't HAVE a 4 inch step (I have the Reebok
step which will not adjust to 4 inches). There is NO
way you could do this workout on six inches and I
don't WANT to do it on the floor w/o a step. EVERY
last interval is fast footwork. I mean, Mindy
football drill fast. He even does some of them faster
than the football drills. I HATED IT. My knees would
fall off if I tried to do this on a 6 inch
step.....its hard to describe, but trust me, it won't
work.

9902 Kickbut Combat wa a good one, but not really my style. I LIKE choreography.

I haven't done any of the others on your list, so I can't comment. Have you considered any of the Tae Bo Live Advanced videos? Those will really get your heart pumping, if you don't have an aversion to Billy's style.

I'm sure you're going to get lots of helpful ( and conflicting ) opinions on these. Take it or leave it. We just like to talk!

Erin

 

[Dawn W]

Hi Stacy,
The only one of these I have is the Step, Kickbox and Funk by Janis. Like Erin I had a problem with the Step and Funk portion. I agree the cueing was terrible.

This was my first "Complex" cheography tape and it discouraged me from getting Cathe's for a while :'( . What a difference cueing makes. Believe it or not while the funk was hard for me to get down I had a tougher time with the step portion.
Dawn W

 

[murph]

I just gave away keli Roberts 9902. It was okay, but the second half was weights with rubber bands and I, personally, don't like that type of work.

I just am learning Mindy Mylrea's Extreme Intervals/Pump Party: I LOVE THIS TAPE!! I love her and I love her body condition and i love how fun she makes it. It's brutal, but fun. But, yes, it's a jumper!!

 

[SharonH]

Body Bar Challenge is a great tape. You definitely don't need a Body Bar for this workout. A barbell and/or dumbbells work just fine for this video.

 

[susie2]

My Opinions

I enjoyed the CIA 9702 Step, Kickbox, and Funk. Though I never do the Funk section. There is not one funky bone in my body I liked the step section. It took a few tries to get it down pat, Janis cues different than say Cathe but I liked the routine a lot. Its a good mid-impact tape. You can make it hi or keep it low and the kickbox wasnt that bad either. I didnt care for the 9809 Kickbox Express. Maybe because I dont like jump roping. But I thought it had to much learning and not enough lets get down to business. If you can Id suggest Janis's 9907 (?) The Kick It! Workout. Its put togehter much better and has a better routine.

I didnt care for Mindy's Extreme Intervals 2101. Its super hi impact with lots of jarring moves. Not for those with downstairs neighbors. Most of her intervals include some type of Fast Feet movements. A lot different than Cathe's hi intensity intervals

Kick But Combat is a good tape but not for me. More jump roping Donna Reeds step tape is great. Its a really fun routine. And you cant go wrong with Christi's Heavenly series. Fun moves, great music and a great instructor.

One suggestion, if you are looking for advanced step and hi lo try Franny Benedettos tapes. Her step routines are fun mixed impact with fun moves and her hi lo has great individual style. Her mix of hi-lo, kickbox, and choregoraphy is infectious!



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[DaphneM]

Hi Stacy:

I think you would do best to stay away from Janis Saffel. I have her CIA 9907 workout. Janis is good for the real kickboxing lovers, but it's kickboxing with a lot of choreography. It takes a long time to get comfortable with it and during that time, you won't be getting much of a workout. Lots of stops and starts. It's worth persevering if you really like kickboxing, but if you don't, save your money.

Rather than Andre's new body bar tape, I'd recommend the new 2102 release with Shannon (Boyd?)and Allison (Salisbury?) You can do the workout with a body bar, a barbell or dumbbells. You will want to have a barbell for the ab work though -- I don't think anything else will substitute. (You use the barbell like an ab roller.)

I have mixed emotions about Mindy's Extreme Intervals (2104). I just tried it for the first time. As Susie said, rather than adding power and plyometric moves to make something harder, as Cathe usually does, Mindy instead goes for speed. Lots of super fast feet. It felt a little frantic to me this morning. If you have the capability to watch streaming video, Collage has some clips.

I adore Step Heaven and Hi/Lo Heaven. They are great tapes. They are dancier than Cathe, but the music is so great, that you'll love them.

A lot of people think Franny Benedetto's style is similar to Cathe's. Try her old CIA 9704 or her latest 2K05 Cardio Parties. I'm not fond of her 9905.

I also enjoyed the latest release from Gay Gasper -- 2101 I think it is. She is not as intense as Cathe, but her meticulous cueing reminds me of Cathe. Her strength work at the end is great if you already have a resistance ball.

Good luck.

Daphne M