photo credit: billsoPHOTO ~ Keerasel asked a question about safety in step class when a participant came in wearing Five Fingers athletic shoes. I  responded to the shoe situation on the original post but, in that there were several facets to the situation, I decided to address them here in a new post.  Here’s her question:

A woman came to my class yesterday wearing the running “shoes” that look like gloves for your feet- each toe is separate. Additionally, she had three risers under the step (she was maybe 5’6″) and since I was unfamiliar with her skill level, I asked her to remove one set of risers, which she did. I’m very safety conscious, and continuously remind my participants to be sure to place their foot completely on the bench, and put their heels down (except during lunges and repeaters). This woman (I’ll call her ‘Jo’) was bouncing a lot, obviously trying to make up for the missing risers. At one point, she grabbed a pair of hand weights, and I had to ask her to put them back ~ using them on the step at the Y is not allowed during a regular step class.

My question ~ should I allow those shoes to be worn in class? (another participant told me she wore Crocs to a class, and the instructor didn’t say a word…. I wouldn’t have let her continue). She’s very fit, but I’m uncomfortable with the three risers at her height, and concerned that she’s going to hurt herself – I’m all too familiar with the cumulative damage that can happen over time. What options can I give her to make her workout challenging for her fitness level, without injuring herself?

I really appreciate the fact that you are safety conscious and aware of proper step technique.  You mentioned that your club does not allow the use of hand weights in a regular step class.  For years now, we have been recommending that clubs develop standards for their own facility based on industry guidelines with their own clientele in mind. 

With regard to injury and cases of negligence, liability can be found in either what was done or not done. If there are known risks and the instructor does what is against the club standards, liability can be found.  Likewise, if the instructor does not do what is expected of them, liability can also be found. 

To that end, the question should be addressed with your group fitness director or club management to determine if this is a risk that needs to be defined.  When management defines the standards, it puts all instructors on the same page and reduces the club’s liability.  If they don’t define it as a specific risk, as a fitness professional, you may still decide, based on your assessment of the specific situation, to act or not act.

Specific to this situation, you assessed her to be ‘very fit’, but knowing the ‘cumulative damage over time’ you had her lower her step height. One factor that you didn’t mention was step speed.  If you teach a slower step class, a fit participant may feel the need to have a higher step height to get what they need out of the class.  IF your club has defined those standards, you were correct in having the participant lower the step height.  But, if your club leaves it up to you as the instructor, based on the other factors of intensity relative to your format, then making a pre-class announcement would have likely covered any liability. 

In this case, I might have said:  “If you are new to my class, I teach at a tempo of ??? bpms.  Beyond 128 bpms, a lower step height of 6 or 8 inches max is recommended.  If you find that you are having difficulty maintaining proper form at your selected step height, you should stop and adjust the height to ensure a safe and effective workout.”  This statement should cover you in the event of an actual injury. 

Remember, Jo had not yet taken your class so she did not know the variables that you control, which is speed and choreography.  Also, keep in mind that your concern of risk is one that is ‘cumulative’.  If she did come back to your class, you could then discuss your concerns with her one on one.  By making the general disclaimer first, you can then watch to see if her form is compromised at the height that you have identified as risky, and express your concern direct with her upon her return.  But in that she has personally elected to ignore your stated guidelines, she is assuming the risk.  If indeed she did injure herself, which is less likely with a fit participant, you would then file an incident report and have witnesses from the class attest to your warning.

Now, if you had not assessed her to be fit, or you were unsure, you may indeed handle it in a different way.  For instance, is she was wearing Keds or Crocs, you would certainly be more direct - under the assumption that risk of injury may be increased or even an imminent possibility. 

If you do deem it necessary and choose to be direct, prefacing your comments with a positive statement like “You look like you are in excellent shape” or “You look like you know what you’re doing” can help diffuse what can potentially be a contentious conversation.

I’m not saying that you were wrong in the way you handled the sitution, because you were the one who was there.  I have the luxury of thinking about it long and hard in order to decide what I would do in the given circumstances. In the short and often hectic moments that precede a class, such unexpected situations can pop up and it can be difficult to determine how to handle them in the moment.  You made a decision to act on the side of safety and you really can’t go wrong there if safety and liability is your concern.

But, the result of your decision to be direct and have her lower her platform height set up a new challenge – that of the ‘aerobic heckler’.  I’ll cover that in the next post!

photo credit: billsoPHOTO  Question posted by User Keerasel:  I found this site because I need information ~ I’ve been teaching exercise classes for over 30 years; and step for the last 15.  A woman came to my class yesterday wearing the running “shoes” that look like gloves for your feet- each toe is separate. Additionally, she had three risers under the step (she was maybe 5’6″) and since I was unfamiliar with her skill level, I asked her to remove one set of risers, which she did. I’m very safety conscious, and continuously remind my participants to be sure to place their foot completely on the bench, and put their heels down (except during lunges and repeaters). This woman (I’ll call her ‘Jo’) was bouncing a lot, obviously trying to make up for the missing risers. At one point, she grabbed a pair of hand weights, and I had to ask her to put them back ~ using them on the step at the Y is not allowed during a regular step class.

My question ~ should I allow those shoes to be worn in class? (another participant told me she wore Crocs to a class, and the instructor didn’t say a word…. I wouldn’t have let her continue). She’s very fit, but I’m uncomfortable with the three risers at her height, and concerned that she’s going to hurt herself – I’m all too familiar with the cumulative damage that can happen over time. What options can I give her to make her workout challenging for her fitness level, without injuring herself?

For the last decade – at the very least - we’ve been contacted by frustrated instructors and program directors for information on the issue of step speed.  (You can read the archive article about the evolution of step or the pages about step speed that start here.)  Truth is, while Gin Miller is well-known as the creator of step, she doesn’t exactly considered herself as the arbiter of what’s ‘right’ or that the final word belongs to her, even though she’s deemed to be the expert who started it all.

Step grew way beyond Gin - and way beyond the purview of Reebok.  Reebok University, who first commissioned the research and set the initial guidelines, last weighed in on the issue in 1997 pushing the top limit to 128 bpms, up from 126 bpms.  And then Reebok University quietly dissolved.

My recent conversation with Julie Upton (stepgirl4fr – see her post) covered several aspects of the topic.  What prompted the discussion was that she had been told that AFAA had upped the high end speed of step to 135 bpms, a fact that I have since confirmed with Kathy Stevens (former Reebok Master Trainer, now associated with AFAA, pictured above w/ Gin):

Based on research provided over the past decade, here are the recommendations AFAA has listed in their updated training materials:

Step aerobics: 118–128 bpm (up to 135 for advanced, highly-skilled participants)

The original guidelines were developed when step was a vertical climbing activity and typically performed at a much slower pace than today’s classes – relatively speaking, alot slower.  Intensity was provided by step height (participant controlled), levers and range of motion (participant controlled), power options (participant controlled), sequential patterning (instructor controlled), and music cadence or tempo (instructor controlled). 

Thru adaptation and evolution, step height came down as music tempo increased – or vice versa.  Whichever was the cause and effect, step became less of a vertical climbing activity as step height decreased and tempo increased beyond 128 bpms – the speed that had been determined in the original guidelines to be the threshold between low impact and high impact.

No doubt the AFAA materials will cite sources for the research, but I decided to do a little of my own with a recently discovered tool called “Google Scholar“.  By using the terms “step aerobics speed“, I reviewed articles on at least 10 pages of results.  The frustrating thing about trying to research something on your own is that many of the results require you to sign up or pay to read much more than a brief summary on a paper.  Understandable, of course, but it takes time to find anything that is accessible to the average inquisitive instructor.  Second challenge, if you do find a full article,  is trying to understand what it means!

Here’s what I found. 

First, you can read the first page of an article Michele Scharff Olson, Ph.D. and Henry Williford, Ed.D., FACSM did for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal back in 1998, where they cite the 1993 study about the expenditure and impact levels associated with various step heights and the increase in expenditure with the addition of arms.  (Content is clearly labeled as ‘not for reuse’ so I’m being vague here.)  One can safely assume, based on the date, that the study is the same one done at the aforementioned slower speed.  Nevertheless, the information about impact associated with various step heights is good foundational knowledge.

I also ran across an article published by American Fitness (AFAA’s magazine) in 2001 written by Jonna Hayden Robinson called “Speed Demons – Step Aerobics“ :  

“Excuse me … Please stop teaching this step aerobics class right now!” I demand from the doorway of the gym, official badge in hand. The instructor and her students look at me with puzzlement as the music pounds in the background. She asks, “Who are you? And what is my offense?” I reply, “I am a member of the Step Speed Patrol–and you were speeding! My job is to ferret out step aerobics instructors who are conducting classes at speeds faster than the recommended industry standard of 128 BPM.” The step aerobics instructor frowns and says, “But my students are demanding a better workout! I have to speed up the tempo to give them what they need.”

Yes indeed, that article is a classic.  So now, in that AFAA has officially given instructors permission to up their speed, let me skip the research stuff and just talk some common sense.

Provide variety: If your step classes are all the same or perhaps the numbers are dwindling, consider that new members may find it difficult to learn step at today’s faster speeds.  Think about providing a variety of types of step and clarify the classes for the potential participants.  Since few want to be considered ‘beginners’ and everyone wants to be ‘advanced’ or at least attempt the ‘hard’ class, try labeling classes by types such as ’basic, athletic or vertical step’, ‘moderate choreographed hi/low step’, or ‘fast & fancy high impact step’.

You can’t be all things to all people:  If you have someone who is complaining or rudely hinting that you need to pick up the pace, make your general recommendations for how the individual can increase their intensity with step height, impact or levers, and from there, focus on the rest of the people who are there because your class fits their needs.  Same goes for program directors.  Thank the complainer for their input and kindly suggest a different class or instructor.

Have the courage of your convictions: For the last decade, we’ve tried to encourage program directors to consider who they have as members and determine their needs.  Everyone wants to know the final word on what is right, but you have to look at your demographics to determine what is right for your club. If you have predominantly young 20-somethings, your program offerings will likely differ from a club with an older population or mixed membership.  The same goes for individual instructors.  Assess, determine and decide – YOU are the expert!

To summarize, arm yourself with knowledge, apply good common sense, stick to your guns - but keep in mind WHO the workout is for… or perhaps who most NEEDS to be participating.  If they are not, don’t be afraid to ask why.  The answer may surprise you.

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Below, I’ve listed some articles to save you some time in clicking the same links that I visited – although you may wish to try some different keywords in your own research - some are full articles, and others you can glean at least a little insight:

Metabolic Cost of Aerobic Dance Bench Stepping at Varying Cadences and Bench Heights - Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  2002.  This may be worth paying for access – abstract says:

In conclusion, it appears that bench height is more of a factor than cadence in increasing metabolic cost of ADBS. Results from this study provide information about the energy cost of ADBS at the common bench heights and cadences used in this study and, therefore, may be used to help aerobic participants select the proper bench height and cadence combination to control body weight and develop cardiorespiratory fitness safely and effectively.

Efficiency of Walking and Stepping: Relationaship to Body Fatness- Obesity Research (2004): Especially good if you want to target the market that needs help the most – lots of letters and numbers in this full research article pdf!

Effects of Ballates, Step Aerobics, and Walking on Balance in Women Aged 50-75 Years- full pdf article from the Journal of Sports Medicine and Science (2006).  (Especially good if your class members tend to be of an older population.)

International Journal for Consumer perceptions of injuries sustained in aerobic classes: “The conclusion of the study is that the intensity or nature of step classes may be contributing to overuse symptoms. Beginners may have to be monitored so that they progress gradually in program frequency.”  Australia, published 1996 (Interesting because this is about the time that step height started to come down.)

Osteogenic index of step exercise depending on choreographic movements, session duration, and stepping rate – July 2006 - Just the abstract, but you have options to investigate further.

If you run into other research articles using different keywords, please let us know by making a comment below – and as always, your comments are appreciated!

Talk about being WAY FLATTERED!   Step IS my passion and has been for 14 years.  I can honestly say it is one of the best things that has ever come into my life and that is why I am so adamant about keeping step alive in the fitness industry and trying to keep it alive in the manner that it SHOULD be taught, not the way that it has become in the industry. 

 The passion I have for step led me to contact Gin Miller’s website and I had a conversation with Mary Griffin.  I wanted to know about current step guidelines….why not go as close to the source of the creator of step as I can???  I told Mary that I had heard through a friend that one of our certifying organizations is now promoting step speed at 130 and a high BPM to 135 for advanced classes.  I have had to up my BPM because of all the other instructors in my area teaching at 135 and above…even up to 145 and 150….can you say OMG??? 

So Mary and I had a very interesting conversation about the evolution of step and why Gin had created it.  Some of it I knew and some I did not.   The conversation brought a lot of things about step back into focus for me.  I have tried very hard over the years to inform my participants and new instructors that I have come across on the step guidelines and how we as instructors should be setting the tone of the class with proper instruction.  I think the members have a right to expect that their instructor in any class is certified and knowledgeable about what they are about to teach.  But as a lot of you probably know, many gyms do not even require certifications anymore or that the instructors have CPR.  Again can you say OMG???

But the point of my first blog post is that, tonight as I taught a step class, I was trying to impart to my class about step speed and how we create intensity in the workout.  I had a new member to my class (not to step) who normally attends another instructor’s class at the club.  I have taken this other instructor’s class, although it has been many years ago.  I let her know that my class may be a little different because I do step at a slower speed.  But I encouraged her and the other members in the class that if they felt at a slower speed they were not getting the workout they felt they should be getting, then to raise their step up a level…which I actually did myself this evening.  I had not done that ever…I have always taught on a 6-inch step.  But again, after my conversation with Mary I decided I needed to practice what I preach as they say….so up to an 8-inch step I went!!!

This particular new member to my class throughout the entire class kept adding in lots of jacks and power moves and lots of other things that I believe would not have been needed ( I guess she didn’t like my choreography!!!) if she had raised her step height up a level.  I actually said that three different times during class….I had one taker, but not her.

I was somewhat annoyed that this particular member didn’t feel the need/desire to try what I had recommended as the instructor.  However, that will not deter me from always encouraging my members to strive for their best workout.  Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one out there trying to do this right but to no avail.  I have heard many times my class is too slow….but I actually like hearing that.  I want to be the class that is “too slow.”  To me that means I’m doing SOMETHING right and that puts a smile on my face.

Because isn’t that what we as instructors are there to do???  In my opinion we are there to lead the members through a SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND FUN WORKOUT.  It is NOT about us….it is about the members.   I think I have achieved that.  What about you?

Contributed by Julie Upton - aka: stepgirl4efr

Really? Seriously?

32 Count Self Reversing Step Combinations by Melissa Layne

Melissa Layne resides in the outreaches of Metro Atlanta, where she is a College Professor. Melissa has had a long and diverse career in fitness and has quite the reputation as a choreography queen.

Gin will be presenting at this year’s IDEA World Fitness Convention at the Nokia Plaza in L.A, offering over 350 sessions by 150 industry experts.  Special guests at this years event include Mario Lopez (hosting the IDEA World Fitness Awards Show at the Nokia Theatre), Andre Agassi (Lifetime Achievement), and the US Surgeon General, Dr Regina Benjamin (Leadership Award). 

IDEA has extended their early bird registration thru June 2, or you can get a 10% discount using the code CA10PRES. 

Gin’s Sessions:

#132 – Thursday, Time Block D: 8:00-9:30 am — Empower Stepping 
EMPOWER your stepping workout with the use of soft, easy-grip resistance and Gin Miller’s new STEPLIFT workout! Come and experience an upper-body toning alternative that will raise energy expenditure, tone and shape the upper body and improve posture. The results are empowering!

#435 – Friday, Time Block N: 4:50 – 6:00pm — Empower Mind-Body
EMPOWER yourself by enriching your mind and body with Gin Miller’s new CIRCLEE’ workout. Learn all-new innovative sequences that will leave you inspired and energized. Completely original and liberating, this collection of movement patterns will enhance your understanding of how to transform the body through visualization, awareness and creativity.

#525 – Saturday, Time Block P:  7:30-11:50am (this is an extended session):  Starter Secrets to Becoming a Video Star! Gin with Christi Taylor and Tammilee Webb, MA
Explore your dream of becoming a fitness video star! You will learn how to develop the product itself, as well as pre-marketing, pre-production, production day, post-production and post-marketing. Furthermore, you will develop your own task list and timeline to keep you on task. Along the way, you will acquire valuable resources and professional contacts from each stage of the process. With this information, you will move swiftly and successfully toward your goal of becoming a video star! (Additional fee required for this extended session – see p. 42 of the brochure for more info.)

If you miss the early bird registration, don’t forget to use the coupon code for 10% off.  Also, there’s a $50 rebate if you refer a friend!

Link to Info
Link to Brochure PDF

Gin shot this short 35 minute step workout as a learning tool for her classes at Kaiser Permenente.  With many first time steppers, she selected music with a slow tempo of 110 beats per minute.  To provide a gradual progression, the workout was increased in speed by 5% in the 3 additional versions of the workout.  While we considered fully packaging this for retail, this workout confirmed that it was time to invest in a new camera! (The set was also in transition with a makeover for new dvds that we recently shot for Fitness Em – which we will also offer in the coming weeks!). 

So we decided to replicate this only on a disc and ship in a plain sleeve – and we’re offering it as a FREE BONUS (use the code ‘freebie’) with the purchase of select DVDs from the following categories:  New Workouts / Simply Series / Strength Workouts / Other Workouts.

Recognizing that many fans have ALL of Gin’s titles, you can also order this fun workout, for only $3.99 - with FREE shipping!  (US orders only. Please read the note on the product page regarding International shipping.) If you’d like to print your own cover, download it on pdf  - to print, select 100% instead of scale to fit.

Back Cover:

Have you ever attempted a step workout and ended up feeling totally uncoordinated – like you have 2 left feet?  Unless you started stepping back in the early 90’s, it can be difficult to jump right into a step workout and feel successful.  The good news is, it’s not necessarily you!  It’s more than likely just a matter of REACTION time.

With stepping typically performed at higher rates of speed today, there’s little time to mentally process and react without feeling like you’re tripping over your own feet. In learning any new activity, your brain has to process what may be unfamiliar  terminology and then send a message to your working muscles to execute the patterns.  

Gin Miller’s Step Reaction gives you a chance to get up to speed and feel like you can succeed!   This 35 minute* workout offers 4 different beats per minute (BPMs) to allow you to start slow as you learn, then gradually increase in music tempo over time. 

In fitness progression, it is recommended that you adjust one variable at a time – the variables for increasing intensity are range of motion, step height and speed.

At slower speeds, you should first increase range of motion and then increase step height.   When you advance in speed, you may need to lower the step height and decrease range of motion initially – but as you adjust to the new tempo, you can again increase range of motion followed by an increase in step height.

Workout 1 – 110 bpms   Novice
Workout 2 – 116 bpms   Beginner
Workout 3 – 122 bpms   Intermediate
Workout 4 – 128 bpms   Advanced

*Workout times & BPMs are approximate

Gin’s best selling and fun step training workout, Simply Step Classic Moves, is now available to rent thru You Tube!   Prior to renting, watch the pre-class guidelines posted below the preview clip.

Simply Step Preview:

Simply Step Pre-Class Guidelines

Rent Simply Step Classic Moves on You Tube

OR Buy Simply Step Classic Moves on DVD – ginmillerdvds.com

Note:  To share this page, SCROLL down the page until the share button is at the top of the window to allow script to pop below the share icon.   If the share link is at the bottom of the window, it will pop up under the You Tube clip. 

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We are pleased to announce that a select few favorites of Gin’s workouts are now available to rent on You Tube! First up is Gin’s “how-to” step workout – a top seller – for learning the basic patterns of step training. Gin, known as the creative force behind the step revolution, teaches most of the patterns used in step aerobics.

Preview Clip:

Everybody Steps is now available to rent - prior to renting, you need to watch the pre-class guidelines:

Rent Everybody Steps - thru You Tube

OR Buy Everybody Steps by Gin Miller on DVD – www.ginmillerdvds.com

Note:  To share this page, SCROLL down the page until the share button is at the top of the window to allow script to pop below the share icon.   If the share link is at the bottom of the window, it will pop up under the You Tube clip. 

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