Search - Kathy Smith - Great Buns and Thighs Step Workout on DVD

Not much of a STEP workout

Freyja Gabois | Vacationland (Maine) United States | 06/18/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Kathy Smith's Great Buns and Thighs will make you sore the next day and will tone your legs. However, if you are looking for cardio, this is not it. There are 3 segments to "step" to:
Segment 1: 16 minutes long with lots of squats and leg lifts while stepping.
Segment 2: 10 minutes long with squats, squats, squats and some minor stepping.
Segment 3: 10 minutes long with all floor work to tone the legs. You work 1 side then the other then both sides while on your back.

My problem with this video is that it is not a STEP workout really. It just pretends to be one. Overall you get MAYBE 20 minutes of cardio out of it. Your heart rate will not really increase during this video. If you are looking for that, Kathy's other step tapes (see my other reviews) are good for cardio."

Another fantastic step workout!

J. Stevens | Eden Prairie, MN | 02/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Kathy Smith's workouts and this is one of her best. It is a re-release in DVD form of one of her VHS released in the 1990's. The DVD breaks down like this:

- A 9 minute warmup
- Segment 1: 16 minutes of step aerobics
- Segment 2: 10 minutes of step aerobics focusing on the butt and thighs mixed with a standing-routine strength moves
- Segment 3: 10 minutes on the floor of strengthening your butt, inner and outer thighs and leg muscles.
- A 5 minute cool-down.

This is my second favourite stepping DVD (just behind the Kathy Smith step workout that I also reviewed). This one is slightly easier than her other step DVD but a fantastic workout for the lower body. You warmup and spend 16 minutes stepping and then another 10 minutes with a raised heart-rate doing more stepping / strength moves before you continue to floor exercises.

The one really nice aspect about this DVD is that it is not hard to follow. She leads you through the moves without it being to difficult or clumsy to follow. When I do this DVD, I follow it up with her DVD "Lift Weights to Lose Weight Volume 2" and do the 20 minute lower body workout on that to really work my butt / thighs / legs.

Overall, a fantastic workout!"

Surprisingly Fun Cardio and Lower-Body Toning

Solidago | Central NY | 07/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an enjoyable, well-executed intermediate-level workout. I agree with a previous reviewer who indicated that this is not a pure cardio workout (but I'm okay with that). It has quite a bit of lower-body toning, which I consider a bonus because my heart rate is in the zone for most of the 50 minutes. By elevating my step to 8-10 inches and sometimes using the power options (I think she calls them "propulsion"), I get a very good cardio workout. While I rate this as an intermediate workout, Kathy offers easy ways to take it up or down a notch. It's not quite as intense as Karen Voight's Step Curcuit but it's more fun and works the body in different ways (for this routine, the step is positioned vertically rather than the traditional horizontal style).

I was apprehensive about buying this DVD because I feared that Kathy would annoy me. I was wrong - she manages to be entertaining while giving excellent instruction. I find her to be zaney but not over the top. She'll yell out a twangy "uh huh" like she's at a hoedown, making me laugh and enjoy myself. Her cueing is quite good yet personable - she makes a wrong call in the cool down but quickly recovers with humor.

The set and outfits are dated but the soundtrack is better than my other non-dance workouts. The beats are energetic and infused with voice (unfortunately, a rarity in exercise DVDs). Kathy leads a large group but I don't find them distracting. If anything, they motivate me to improve - some work at a more advanced level than Kathy (and me), using higher steps and stronger movements. I think this is a good workout to grow into whether you're a beginner or intermediate. Beginners, can opt for the low step, modified movements, and shorter routine.

The full routine is about 50 minutes long but goes by quickly. The warm-up is very good because it is long but gets my heart rate up. I really like some of the floor exercises. This is a good workout for the price - I tend to buy through amazon or deepdiscountdvd but often view the dvds at collagevideo."

Excellent Lower Body Workout

M. Mis | Massachusetts | 12/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This workout is excellent for intermediate exercisers. It consists of 3 segments: cardio, standing leg/bun work, and floor leg/bun work. Kathy has a great personality, and shows modifications for all fitness levels. A classic."