The Next Level Up

The video is something else. I did not expect the whole tape to be just 1 block. He teases about doing the same steps so many times, but I could'nt believe it was so easy. I am very disappointed in the tape and suggest you need not buy it. I'm going to try to get my money back.

This is a 45-minute step workout by Pepper Von, formerly one of the ESPN Fitness Pros. Pepper is *totally* cool, but this workout leaves a lot to be desired. You do about 5-7 minutes of warmup, then you start on the routine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the routine -- I liked it just fine. I especially love the way he raps the cues sometimes; it's really neat. And I adore the funky-style options he shows. However, here is the problem with this workout. At 22 minutes into the tape, you are finished learning the entire routine. Then he says something to the effect that "I hope you're comfortable with this, we're going to do it 24, 32, 112 more times." Naturally, you think it's a joke. Well, he's not kidding! From 22 minutes on, till 36 minutes into the tape, you repeat the same routine over and over (with a few basics and other things thrown in now and then for a break). The routine is probably about 1 minute long. I didn't time that, so that's just a guess. So it's not like you have a lot to keep you occupied for the 14 minutes while you keep repeating it. Oops, now I'm going to have to backtrack. The routine has to be less than a minute, because I know for sure it's repeated more than 14 times. I had high hopes for this workout, because Pepper is great, but this is very disappointing. I don't know if he planned it that way, or if the producer (Sara's City Workout) had some say in it. I think at one point, Pepper even gets bored himself. He says, "You wanna do this for 3 more days?" Pause. "I'M JOKING!" I believe even he realizes it's getting monotonous.

This could have been a really great tape, if there was just more choreography. I give Pepper's personality an A+, but I give the workout a D.