Gift certificate to Collage--Need Help!

valentine64

Cathlete
Hi, all you educated exercisers!
I recently received a gift certificate to Collage Video for $130, and I would love your input on what to choose. I already own all of the Cathe workouts that Collage offers, so I am trying to find other instructors' workouts that I would enjoy as much as Cathe's. I'm looking for advanced workouts with a great "fun factor"--either cardio alone, cardio/toning combined, or toning only.
How do you rate these workouts according to intensity and fun factor:

1. Any of Jari Love's Get Ripped workouts--which are the most fun?
2. Amy Bento's All Cardio Hi-Low Knockout (I already have her KB Extreme)
3. Any other instructors' workouts that you love that Collage sells

Thanks in advance for any input on these or other workouts!
Have a great day,
Valerie
 
Amy's Hi Lo Knock Out is off the chart fun and challenging! Awesome workout from start to finish from the music to the choreo to the sweat factor to Amy's energy. (Have you seen the preview on Amy's website?)

Some other fun ones by Amy would be: Hi Lo Dome Challenge (50+ min of terrific hi lo, 15 min of bosu work, + abs); Hi Lo Extreme& In The Ring.
If you like complex step, you cannot beat Amy IMO. I love her All Step Challenge 2 and 3.

As far as fun factor goes for Jari Love. Personally I think her GR 1000 is her funnest, but she's no Amy. I think of Jari as warmly encouraging, rather than fun and dynamic.

I really like Kelly Coffey Meyers 2 newest workouts: 30 min Bootcamp and 30 min. Kickboxing. Each one has 2-30 min workouts that you can combine or do separately. Good premixes too.

HTH!
 
Thanks for your input, Jonahnah. One question: How complex is the choreography in Amy's Hi Low Knockout? I like interesting, mildly complex choreography--for example, I love all of Cathe's choreography and find it challenging but very doable. How hard is the choreography on this workout in comparison to Cathe's? Thanks again.
Valerie
 
Valerie,

Amy's choreography is tougher than Cathe's but it's worth it to learn. Hi Lo Knockout isn't as complex as her step workouts so it's not that bad. You might have to do it a few times before you get it. It's a really fun workout. The medicine ball intervals aren't tough choreographically but they do move along quickly.

For Amy's step, I would start with Advanced Step Challenge 3. It is the easiest one to learn the choreography. It's still complex but not as complex as 1 and 2 and she cues better in this one. There is also a tough power up section at the end which is about 5 minutes. I like her stretch at the end of this one.

Amy's really great with hi/lo and I agree with Jonahnah. Her hi/lo choreography is easier than her step and she gets your heart rate up. If you get Hi/Lo Xtreme, it comes with a couple of premixes from All Pump Xtreme.

I've been very happy with all my Amy purchases.

You might also want to try Tracy Staehle. I like her step. I have High Intensity Step Mix, High Intensity Step Mix 2 and Steady State Step. The HISMs have interval blasts like Cathe's IMAXes and are maybe just a tad less intense than Cathe. The intensity is higher on 1 than 2. I loved her Steady State Step. Lots of fun but not too difficult to pick up except there's a couple of places where there are bad camera angles that only focus on her feet or her face which makes it difficult to follow but other than that, I really enjoyed it. (Collage only carries High Intensity Step Mix 2).

Marcy
 
Another vote for Bento's Hi/Lo Knockout and Hi/Lo Extreme. I'm a major-league choreography klutz, so I'm still only slowly attempting the regular choreographed sections, but the intensity intervals are awesome! Cathe-esque, if I may.

A-Jock
 
I like Amy Bento and Kelly Coffey-Meyer. I didnt care much for Jari. You might want to check out Anni Mar's Cardio Force, it's a deceptive sweat fest and Patrick Goudeau's Hard Work Conditioning 2.
 
Thanks so much, everyone, for your input on what to buy at Collage. I'm going to preview the workouts you mentioned right now. My gift certificate is burning a hole in my pocket! Have a great Monday.
Valerie
 

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