The Reebok "Classic" Workouts - Still Here!

Reebok has decided to allow the license holder to distribute these titles through 2008!

When step was first "the rage", Reebok spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Step Reebok Series. The titles which featured Gin, grew to become all-time favorites - in part it was Gin's appeal as the instructor, but it was mainly the high production value of these workouts.

People liked the quality, with the live African band providing a motivating beat, done at a pace that was doable - easy for learning, or for a return to Step after other pursuits. Many have appreciated the results provided by true vertical step training, and some still rate Intense Moves as one of the best workouts ever made.

After several years of fielding questions about converting the classics from VHS to DVD, we were finally relieved when 5 of these titles actually made the conversion.

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According to the Reebok history, they began their transition in 1992 from a company largely identified with fitness and exercise into one "equally" identified with sports.

In the years to follow, Reebok signed deals with the NFL, NBA and several pro athletes, including Allen Iverson and Venus Williams, to represent the Reebok brand. Today, their casual "RBK" line boasts an even higher profile with Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson.

Gone is Reebok University, Reebok Master Trainers, Reebok programming and it's become evident that the classic Step Reebok titles will soon become a thing of the distant past.

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But rest assured, Reebok has not fully forgotten their roots. Their original aerobic shoe stands alone as what remains of their classic past. 

Celebrating 25 years, the "Freestyle" - yes, the high top version of the classic princess shoe - is still available. Boasting bright new colors and designs, the shoe is basically the same - the narrow-soled, double-velcro-strapped high top with a super-soft upper.

It's the shoe that real fitness buffs came to avoid for real workouts, as it became standard attire for waitresses across the land - no doubt, it's been Reebok's best selling shoe ever. 

It's nice to know that with the return of leg warmers, leggings and stove-pipe, high-waist "mom" jeans, you can still get the total flashback look with a pair of "Freestyles".

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While Gin parted ways with Reebok several years ago, in so many ways she retained loyalty to the brand.  Perhaps it was with respect for that which she helped to create - a research based team that took the lead in setting industry standards - or because "Reebok" and her name became so closely identified.

Gin has never been able to forget her roots - not only does it include a significant portion of her videography, it represents years of commitment that took precendence over everything else in her life.  All that remains is an honorable mention of Gin Miller's part in the history of Rebook as the innovator of step, and for the time-being, these great workouts.

But for many fans who are now on second, even third, copies of these classics, they just don't make them like it anymore.

Overview of the Classics

Step Reebok The Video - features a live African drum band, and Gin cuing from monitors overhead. Referred to as the "MTV-like" or "talking head" workout, this title continues to be a best seller. This is still included as the in-box free workout (plain cover DVD) with the purchase of a Step Reebok Platform..

Step Reebok The Power Workout - along the same line as The Video, with a similar live African drum soundtrack, Power is sometimes referred to as the "sign language" workout. Gin voice cues the workout, but her lips never move - instead, she uses lots of hand signals. This is the workout that introduced the higher impact "power" moves - hops, leaps and jumps, but it's slower in tempos compared to today's releases. Still, it's one "powerful" workout.

Step Reebok Circuit Challenge - This one introduced the concept of alternating step for cardio with weight training. Sometimes people recall the intro portion where the cast runs up a mountain and enters some netherworld location. It's got the same dark, intense industrial setting of the 2 preceding workouts.

Aerostep - demonstrated yet another format for step, that of combining step patterns with floor aerobic patterns. This title is no longer available and was never converted to DVD.

Step Reebok Intense Moves - with a lighter looking set, the only intensity here is in the workout itself. Gin shot the entire workout in one take - anyone who's every done Intense Moves would be in awe to know that as it's perhaps one of the toughest workouts of all time.

Step Reebok Extreme Step - the last of Gin's Reebok workouts, this one attempted to return to the industrial days and was shot on location in an empty Boston warehouse. Extreme was as it is named <extreme>! The workout mixes interval with strength - one arm side push ups, plyo jumps and athletic drills - not quite as "in demand" as Intense Moves, but it lived up to its name!

Best of Step Reebok TV - ahhhh, the glory days when you could find a Reebok Master trainer teaching from some exotic location in the world. People often ask about the old Fit TV days... this used to be as close as you can get, although the segments were from the European shows. Some say Gin's humor really comes out in these workouts - one might assume that production days were verrrry long!

This one was never converted to DVD.