Great Buns and Thighs Workout

There are several reviews so I'll be brief. This is an old workout now, mine has been converted to DVD and did it from the dust bunny list. I think it stands the test if time if you can ignore the leotards with G-strings on the outside. Simple moves, enough cardio to keep your heart rate up a bit. She gives harder (add air) and easier options (no step) to modify to suit you. I used an 8" step and felt the leg work well but without getting the shakes. Hooting by Kathy is there but not so much as to be a problem.

(9) Warmup

(38) Workout

--- (16) Segment 1 - simple step with squats, uneven static lunges, and rear & side leg raises

--- (11) Segment 2 - as above but add air, uneven squats, 1-leg squats

--- (11) Segment 3 - floor work for inner thighs, outer thighs, flutes and hamstrings

(3) Stretch

Total 50min

I liked this 50 minute video. It goes after what the title implies, buns and thighs. I am an adv beginner to intermediate exerciser. I found I could finish this but I got DOMS for 2 days afterward.

She does a nice warm up and then 3 segments. The first segment is very well cued step. This tape is definately for us folks who have two left feet. I got it the first time. Segment 2 is working the buns and thighs, 10 minutes. Segment 3 is on the floor. I did not find this piece very challenging. I may skip that next time and add a little ab piece of my own.

I like the video but I think the cardio is to short. I see sometime down the road I will be looking for longer step cardio...for now this does fill my bill.

I have been wanting to review GB&T for a while. Many VFers recommend this one yet there aren't that many reviews. Others have done the video breakdown. I'll just give my thoughts.

This is the perfect tape for a choreo-challenged intermediate like myself. I never dread doing it, yet it is a tough workout. Especially when done on a 6" step. The moves are simple and demanding at the same time. She starts out slowly and adds on. You can add power moves if you wish. I really like the music. More than any of the 70+ videos I own. It's catchy club style. It's great to have a challenging tape that doesn't make me feel stupid or klutzy. The combo of step aerobics and floor work give a pleasant lower body soreness the next day.

A tough workout with basic steps is worth it's weight in gold to me!

Better than Kathy's first step video, "GB&T"'s best asset is its catchy club/rap music; I even catch myself humming it after the workout! The vid starts with a warmup and cardio session focusing on lower-body exercises (lots of leg lifts, squats and kicks). Then there's a less-aerobic squat/lunge session, and finally the obligatory useless "spot-reducing" floor routine. (Maybe instructors are afraid videos won't sell unless they include floor exercises?) This is otherwise an enjoyable cardio-plus-toning bun blaster, and thank goodness for the fast-forward button. Kathy's cueing is great as always.
Grade: B+

I really enjoyed this video. After warmup, the next 16 minutes elevates your heart rate with stepping moves that target the legs. Kathy finishes the tape with some floor work for the thighs and the butt. The video is a full 60 minutes geared toward the lower body. My only comment is that I wish the stepping section would have been longer than 16 minutes; 30 would have been good. With a 30 minute step section I wouldn't have to do any additional cardio work; 16 minutes does not do much to burn fat. However, if you want a tape that targets your lower body and keeps you interested for the whole hour, then this tape would be a good choice.

This was my third step video, preceded only by Kathy Smith Step and Jane Fonda Step. It consists of 3 step segments which emphasize leg toning, plus warm-up and cool-down. The first is a step segment (16 minutes) with lots of lateral leg raises, rear leg raises, and tap up tap downs, etc. The second segment (10 minutes) consists of squats, dips, and leg raises, which surprisingly keep me in my training zone. The second segment really gets the legs and buns burning. The third segment (10 minutes), is lower body floor work. I have to admit I can't remember the last time I did the third segment. Being a FIRM fan, I usually don't do the "toning" work included in aerobic videos. As usual, this is followed by a good cool-down and stretch. And as usual Kathy Smith gives lots of good form pointers and adjustments for beginners. Thankfully, there are only a *few* of her "Ah-Ahs", which irritate me, but I've learned to ignore. If I want floor toning, I follow this video with FIRM Floor Legs (AKA Lower Body Sculpting), which is why I skip the third segment. I like this video if I want to get a short (25 minutes) of aerobics before doing a FIRM Parts video. If I am just doing an aerobics day, then I don't pick this video, because the aerobics are too short.

Kathy has more personality and more energy than I have seen in any of her other videos. This is a fun workout, although a bit short. The music is really nice to workout to, and my thighs always remind me that I have worked them the next day.

This is a great video, a tough workout that produces good results. The timeline on the back of the box is quite accurate, there is a 9 minute warm-up, and I'm in the low end of my target heartrate zone by the end of the warmup and ready to go. Then there is a 16 minute aerobic step segment in which Kathy begins to specifically work your buns and thighs. The second segment is more focused on toning, doing all standing large muscle exercises that still keep your heart rate aerobic, at least if you are an intermediate or intermediate/advanced exerciser, perhaps that might not be the case for the super-advanced folks. Segment three is a short (10 minute) but fairly intense set of isolations. Another reviewer called them "useless", I've never heard of anyone thinking isolations are useless before! Segment three is all floorwork and the hamstring work in particular is quite intense. Cooldown is a nice set of lying stretches. I am an intermediate exerciser right now but have been challenged by this even when I considered myself fairly advanced (a couple babies ago!). If you do this tape all the way through, you will DEFINITELY feel it in your butt and legs unless you are used to doing superadvanced stuff. This is a great workout for the other 99% of us! I am in my target heart rate zone for about 30 minutes (last half of warmup, plus sections one and two), and working on strength at the same time. It's an extremely efficient workout timewise because it combines the two. The music is pretty good, Kathy's personality is a nice middle ground between too much and too little. A definite keeper in my book!

I've never been a Kathy Smith fan, and I'm still not. But this was offered to me through the exchange, and I thought it would be good to give it a shot. This is only the second KS video I've ever tried, and I really can't get too excited about it. It's designed to work your buns and legs, as the name implies. You use the step for the first two segments, and then you go to the floor. I didn't think the step portions were all that intense for me, but I have been doing this for many years, so beginners and intermediates would have different opinions. I did like the floor work, but only because I added ankle weights (she didn't). This is not a *bad* workout by any means, just not challenging enough for an advanced exerciser.

This video promises to reshape your butt and thighs. It features step aerobics and floorwork. It is well-produced in a well-lit, sunny windowed studio and features a nice assortment of exercisers. They are a variety of ages, sizes and shapes, use varying step heights, and yes, sometimes work off the step. Smith instructs well, and motivates. I like that fact she encourages you to focus on the muscles being worked. The workout contains a number of butt shaping moves throughout the aerobics, and there are impact options for some of the moves. Her gang really seems to be having fun. The steps are largely straight forward, although an occassional more-dancy rocking horse or can-can sneaks in. The music is fun, especially in the warm-up. That techno-inspired song really jams. I was surprised the workout didn't include plies, which are great for butts and thighs. The drawback to this workout is repetition. There just aren't many ways to challenge yourself as you progress. You can add impact at some points and extend your range of motion but largely it won't grow with you. Also, after a few time of doing this tape, Smith really got on my nerves. Maybe it is because she is less natural and seems more rehearsed, but I find it very easy to get tired of her. She makes great tapes, though, especially for beginners to intermediates. Her form is good, her videos are well-produced and thank goodness, she's not annoyingly shrill like a person with the initials DA. This video is a good choice for intermediates looking for something that will work the lower bod and provide cardio work, that will allow them to become better conditioned and stronger for other challenges, but will largely become a video they will out grow with time. Its a fine workout I ocassionally do still, but its not the first one I grab.