I’ve had this for a few years and love it still.
One big reason I like it is that it comes with two sturdy step benches (one is 8 inches and the other is 6 inches). As I’ve said before, I love step aerobics so I’m able to use this for more than just the DVDs that come with it. Not only is it great for aerobics, but I can also use the steps for strength training, depending on how they’re stacked. The steps are plastic, well built, with rubber grips on the bottom to prevent slipping.
Transfirmer Benches
They can be stacked three ways. There are grooves on the blue step that secure the green step during the inclines position.
Other equipment you’ll need are three sets of weights (if you’re new to working out you can probably omit these) and possibly a yoga mat for situps/crunches. You’ll also need to have a decent size area to workout in. I personally have to move my coffee table to do mine.
Rubber stoppers on the bottom for added safety
Grooves on top of blue bench ensure the green bench fits securely when in an incline position
Anyway, on to the DVDs. There are three of them and they are 35 minutes, 45 minutes, and 55 minutes long.There are “quick” workouts at the end of each DVD, like an abs or stretching workout. I rarely use these, but I can see someone finding it useful if they only have 10-15 minutes to workout.
The DVD I’ve probably gotten the most use out of was the Supercharged Sculpting. Aside from the warm up, it’s just weight lifting and other strength exercises. I used it a lot during my triathlon training when I was getting in plenty of cardio, but needed some non-cardio activity.
Still from the video, benches at incline
Close up of benches in incline position. I know it looks scary, but when they are fitted properly, they don't move.
Another still shot
There is a lot of great lower body and core work. They have you stack the steps directly on top of each other and then do repeated steps up with weights in your hands! This is killer to me! My butt and hamstrings are killing me after doing that.
Ok, here are my complaints. During the workout, they ask you to move and readjust the steps often. This is fine. They are not that heavy and it’s fun to switch it up. However, give me enough time to move it, for crying out loud! Sometimes I have to run and pause the DVD long enough for me to move the things and make sure they’re stable.
I didn’t really care for the Ultimate Calorie Blaster. That ish was hard to follow and would frustrate me to no end. I can follow it okay now, but I still don’t really care for it.
If you are new to step, these workouts may take sometime to get used to. However, they always have that one person who modifies the moves for less experienced peeps. They use step terminology, so that may take some time to get use to. It also can kind of be face paced, just FYI. Don’t be frustrated if you don’t get into the groove right away.
This is the killer move I was talking about!
Overall, I like it! It’s one of my favorite workouts!
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