Rating: 
Summary: 1 hr of horrible 50's clothes and 80's stuff...Yuck!!
Review: I bought this video because I believed Kathy Smith to be an expert. I have read her advice in Self magazine many times and it seemed she knew what she was talking about. This video was horrible! The sets were cheesy and they seemed to care more about special effects than exercising. It was distracting to see them exercising in one set of clothes and in one setting then flash mid step to another set up. I am completely angry that I wasted my hard earned money on this one.
Rating:
Summary: I Thought Kathy Smith Could Do No Wrong But...
Review: I Thought Kathy Could Do No Wrong But...
I am a huge Kathy Smith follower, but this video was a waste of money! It's not only because of the fact that the settings were extra cheesy, but the weight segments were way too easy and there were not enough of them. If you want a good aerobic workout this is the video for you (minus the horrible clothes and music), but for serious areo toning this is not a good workout. I think this video should have been discontinued in the late 1980s!!
Rating: 
Summary: My all time favorite
Review: I love this video! 5 years ago, I lost 90 pounds and I attribute a lot of my success to this tape. It's tough, but it covers all the bases. The length is right for weight loss, since you have to work longer at a lower intensity to burn fat. It may not be the most exciting tape on the market, but it's a workhorse and I'd recommend it for anyone who truly wants to lose pounds and get in shape!
Rating: 
Summary: An oldie but still a goodie, as they used to say:)
Review: Fitness level: Intermediate. Composition: 5 minute warm-up; 8 minutes arm and upper body toning; 35 minutes floor aerobics; 8 minutes lower body toning; 5 minute cool-down Equipment: one-to-five-pound dumbbells; can do toning without weights if you're just starting out. Heart Rate Checks: 2 Music: ranges from funk to traditional aerobic-style to Caribbean to 50's rock Impact: Mixed, but low-impact modifiers shown for most routines Choreography: moderate Settings: gym and studio. The settings and decor change with each section. Whenever the music changes, you'll see the song title, and section (warm-up, toning, aerobics, cool-down) displayed in the lower left hand corner of the screen, like MTV. She produced this tape after giving birth to her first child and filming her Pregnancy Workout, and some may think it shows its age, but it still is one of the most solid workouts on the market for intermediates and those new to weight work. Kathy Smith opens with her usual low-key but friendly, informative introduction that belies the energetic routine ahead. I don't know if this is the program that got her looking so great after her pregnancy, but she definitely looks wonderful in this video. Kathy has always advertised this as the follow-up to her Fat Burning Workout video. It's definitely on the next level--steps that are "aerobic" in that video are "warm-ups" here, and the first few times I did this workout I was grateful for the nutritional lecture at the end. Not because I needed it--although I probably did--but because all I could do after completing the cool-down was lie on the floor and pant! However, I persevered and I'm glad I did. I felt results in a few weeks, and saw them in the second month. At the risk of sounding like a FIRM testimonial, I looked better at age 37 than I had at 21! My arms and upper body were toned for the first time in my life. By the fourth month, I had tons of energy, and I looked great in my jeans. Then came pregnancy, and it wasn't until my daughter was weaned that I could once again exercise this intensely. When I returned to intermediate level, it was good to have this tape in my collection. This was the first time I'd ever used weights in an aerobic routine--maybe some wouldn't rate the weight work for "Weight Loss Workout" as "aerobic" but it sure kept my heart rate in the target zone--especially the lower body work. Kathy suggests that neophytes do the tape the first time without weights--and one exerciser demonstrates the toning that way. (Another exerciser has wristband weights--the rest use dumbbells) I ignored her and started with 1-pound weights, and had no problems. Two things I loved about the toning: it was "choreographed" so you keep moving instead of sitting or, Heaven forbid, lying on the floor. (At my 9:00pm exercise time, a prone position is an invitation to slumber!) Arms and upper body work follows the warm-up; the lower body work follows the aerobics. If they'd been lumped together, I'd have just skipped them and done only the aerobics, which to me is always the fun part. Also, when I was new to using weights like this, I don't think I could have done all 16 minutes consecutively--the division gave me a chance to get my second wind, which usually happens 20 minutes into the aerobics section. That reminds me. . . I haven't said much about the aerobics yet--which is why I bought the tape in the first place. I love aerobics the way a dog loves bones. Enjoyable routines and great music are part of what I live for, and this program has both. It's a faster pace and a little trickier than her beginner workouts, but Kathy is a master at teaching through "add-ons" and combinations. She also includes modifiers for people who are intermediate level but don't want to do "power moves." I especially enjoy the Caribbean and 50's segments--the crew has *almost* as much fun as the one in "Donna-Mite Workout." The only problem I have with this workout is that the toning is wonderful, but doesn't include work for abs and back. Kathy implies in her intro that she geared this video in part toward new mothers. But she left out exercises for their most common trouble spots! Had she included them, this would be the perfect routine for intermediates, in my book. But since I now rotate videos rather than stick with just one, I can include that work on a "strength day" instead. Or I can supplement on the same day with one of the FIRM's "More 5-Day Abs" routine. It's a good tape nonetheless, that fell just a little short of being great.
Rating:
Summary: 80"s Stuff - cover misleading
Review: I was very disappointed when I bought this tape. It seems like Kathy Smith compiled several clips of her workout tapes all of them in the 80's and made it into 1 hr tape.. I felt really disappointed since it is 2001 - why would I want old stuff give use something new to work with. I wish Kathy Smith would have been more honest to her consumers. I feel it's a waste of my money.
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Summary: Great all-around workout
Review: I got this because I needed a good cardio workout and was drawn to it because it had muscle-toning sections, too. I have also enjoyed the other Kathy Smith tapes I own (Aerobox and Time-Saver Lift Weights to Lose Weight). The tape lasts just over an hour. Normally I have trouble keeping up any workout that lasts more than 20 minutes--but I can get through this one completely. AND I do it every day, and even follow it up with a short ab workout (Abs of Steel with Tamilee Webb)! I have been doing this for a few weeks and feel better than I have in years! It's probably a little advanced if you're an absolute beginner, but even if you can't get through the whole tape or need to take breaks, it is a fabulous workout and well worth the effort!
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't love it
Review: I liked the duration of this workout--I was definitely tired at the end. However, I found most of the music and the workout partners uninspiring. I could also live without the cutouts of Kathy "bloopers" (I think?). Generally, I had a tough time following a lot of the moves too. The last number was a ton of fun--I expect it to grow on me more when I learn the steps better.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me fit for 6 years!
Review: I love this video> I first bought it 6 years ago and loved the results I got. I now have three children and this video is my secret to staying in great shape. My first video broke from overuse and I searched my city to get another one!! I find the workout gets my heart rate up, tones my arms, legs and bottom and makes me feel great for the rest of the day. The only reason I wouldn't give it 5 stars because it is a long workout which can be inconvenient, and it doesn't have an ab workout. Otherwise if you want to lose weight this video will definitly give you fast results!
Rating:
Summary: Good Intermediate Level Video
Review: This is one of the first exercise videos I bought, it was combined with Ultimate Stomach and Thighs (don't bother with that one). It really got me hooked on Kathy and she is one of my favorite instructors. The aerobics in this tape are really fun. They are broken down into several segments with different flavors. The 50's Dance and the Hawaiian were my favorite. Beware though, this workout is very long. I broke down the segments and only did a couple when I did this tape, you may not want to do it all at once, especially if you are a beginner. But this workout is fun.
Rating:
Summary: Not her best video
Review: Although this is very dated it does elevate the heart rate and make you sweat. I consider myself to be at the intermediate level and I can go through the entire routine. I am not particularly fond of using weights while doing the aerobics because I like to focus on one or the other. The workout is fun especially the last section which is more dance oriented. I really prefer her step workouts which, for me, seem to work the legs a lot more. Although this is not my favorite it still gives me a fair workout.
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