Party Rockin Step #2

I love this workout! Party Rockin Step #2 is Cathe‘s best step workout to date and she has a lot of great ones! I put off doing her two new step workouts because, if you’ve followed my blog reviews, you’ll know that I am afraid of her complex step choreography. I used to shy away from all of her step workouts, but then I slowly began trying them and then catching on so that I can do almost all of them with little or no problem. However there are still two (so far) that still make me nervous about trying any Cathe step workout (see Step Blast and Low Impact Challenge). I must also note that I own almost all of her step workouts available on DVD–including 7 oldies. But I still haven’t tried those oldies due to this fear of her complex choreography.

The two new step workouts she just released are Party Rockin Step #1 and Party Rockin Step #2. I started with #2 because it is described as having intensity blasts and less dance appeal whereas #1 is described as having “creative footwork,” which to me, translates to complex choreography. I still haven’t tried #1, but I will. Party Rockin Step #2 is a steady state cardio step workout but since it does have cardio blasts, it ups the intensity and makes this a pretty intense little step workout. And it is fun! Her most fun workout yet. Let me say that her blasts are not of the Intensity or Imax variety and certainly not HIITs. But they still boost the intensity of the workout sufficiently.

Let’s talk choreography now. Very doable. There are some moderately complex steps, but she teaches the combos in layers and gives you sufficient time to learn the steps before combining the steps into a finished combo. I was able to follow the choreogrpahy with little problem. It did take me a few tries to catch on to a few of the steps, but I caught on to every one of them before they were put together in their finished combos. And then I followed the finished combos without a problem. So not only was it fun, it was doable and a great workout. I can’t wait to do it again!

I do not do a lot to break down on a straight step cardio workout like this one, but here goes. It is 54 minutes long; 6 minute warm up, 42 minute training period and 6 minute stretch. Cathe uses a 6 inch step. The workout consists of 6 step combos, each is taught in layers before putting the steps together into finished combos. The workout ends by going through all 6 finished combos one more time, one right after the other. Most of the steps are familiar ones (if you’ve done Cathe step workouts before) though many have a new creative spin. But there are some new ones, too, that I really liked. One was a “power box” and it was jumping in a box formation but one foot was always on the step. Which leads me to the impact level. This workout is high impact with lots of jumping: jumping jacks, power 7’s, power 3’s and power 15’s, jumping on and off step–even a burpee on the step, among other high impact moves. No plyometrics, tho–so nothing explosive, but you will be jumping. I loved the music and it fit the choreogrpahy perfectly. This workout is a major winner! I adore it!

Oh, it also contains the new triple tracks. You can play the workout with Cathe’s instructions only, with Cathe’s voice plus vocal music and, finally with Cathe’s voice with instrumental music only. The default is Cathe’s voice plus vocal music and that’s how I played it.

Let’s talk about the premixes. I am not ready to try these yet. Timesaver #1 is just a shorter version of the main workout. The remainder of the premixes contain “bonus combos.” Normally, if a workout has a bonus, I try it before posting a review so that I can comment on the bonus. However, these aren’t real bonuses. Party Rockin Step #1 contains them as well–in fact, other than Timesaver #1 on both workouts being a shorter version of the main workout, they both have the same premixes. The “bonus combos” are just using combos from the other workout. (So the bonuses on Party Rockin Step #1 are combos from Party Rockin Step 2 and vise versa.) Confusing? Not really when you think about it. They are two separate workouts, but she combines them to create new and longer workouts. Pretty neat.

Timesaver #1 (no finished product): warm up, Step Combo #1 + Step Combo #4, Step Combo #5, Step Combo #6 + Stretch 35 minutes

Timesaver #2 (Workout #1 & 2 Mix): warm up, Step Combo #1 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 3 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 6 + Step Combo #3 + Stretch 28 minutes

Step Mix: warm Up + Step Combo #1 + Step Combo #5 + Step Combo #6 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 2 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 3 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 4 + Finished Product +  Stretch 61 minutes

Party Rockin Step Extreme (10 Combos): warm up + Step Combo #1 + Step Combo #2 + Step Combo #3 + Step Combo #4 + Step Combo #5 + Step Combo #6 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 2 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 3 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 4 + Step Combo #2 + Step Combo #3 + Bonus Step #2 Combo 6 + Bonus Step #2 Stretch 74 minutes

Party Rockin Step Extreme (8 Combos + Finished Product): Warm Up + Step Combo #1 + Step Combo #2 + Step Combo #3 + Step Combo #4 + Step Combo #5 + Step Combo #6 + Bonus Step #2 Combo #3 + Bonus Step #2 Combo #4 + Finished Product + Stretch 66 minutes