Amazon.com: Billed as the "future of fitness" and hawked by numerous celebrities, Billy Blanks's Tae-Bo actually deserves much of the hype it's receiving. A mixture of boxing punches and martial arts kicks, Tae-Bo is fun and easy. One of the best elements of this four-tape set is that the first tape (which is 40 minutes long), Tae-Bo: Instructional, lays out the movements you need to successfully complete a workout. Once you've mastered the steps, you won't have to fast-forward through half the tape to get to the workout, nor will your workout be slowed down by the repeated lessons. After you feel comfortable with the movements (and they're really quite easy to follow; nothing too complicated to trip you up), you're ready to move on to Tae-Bo: Basics, a 27-minute workout (5 minutes of warm-up, 18 minutes of Tae-Bo, and 4 minutes of cool-down) that will have your heart pounding and your body sweating. Next comes Advanced, a 57-minute workout that will have your heart racing, pulse pounding, and sweat glands working overtime. There's razzmatazz on the moves, with slightly more complicated combinations that should be fairly easy to master if you've completed the first two tapes. This video seriously raises the bar on the difficulty factor.
In addition to the short warm-up, the cool-down, and the 30 minutes of Tae-Bo, Advanced Tae-Bo also includes 18 minutes of muscle-crunching floor work. You know you're in trouble when even the guys in the tape have trouble keeping up. Make sure you have truly mastered the first two tapes before attempting this one. The 8-Minute Workout is a highly compacted workout (actually 14 minutes long when you include warm-up and cool-down) for those days when you're too short on time for Basic or Advanced. While the 8-minute idea is compelling, it's not an adequate substitute for the longer workouts. Blanks, a seven-time World Martial Arts champion, is a superb instructor, providing encouragement and careful instruction (if you don't know by the end of the tape to hold in your stomach, that's no one's fault but your own). The only downside to these tapes is the less-than-exciting music. Not only is Tae-Bo great exercise for all levels, but the punches and kicks are wonderful for working out stress and aggression. This is the aerobics exercise video for people who are bored by aerobics. --Jenny Brown
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Billy Blanks 8 Minute Workout
I have really enjoyed this video. A team of us at work are doing the 8 minute workout during our safety meeting and then at lunch. I have mastered the 8 minute workout and will proceed at home doing the ... Read More
Rating: - Awesome Kick Butt Workout
I get stuck in a rut of routine workouts where I find myself not obtaining results for as much as I work out. I thought I would try kickboxing (something different) and had heard that this particular Tae ... Read More
Rating: - The best workout ever!
I bought this first set of tae-bo when it just came out in 2000, one of my friends who was practicing martial arts recommended it. I was fairely active and athletic, but after my first pregnancy it was so ... Read More
Rating: - Tae Bo Workouts
I have to say how wonderful, motivational and challenging tae bo workouts are. In 2 months I've lost 32 pounds, I do tae bo 6 times per week for about 3 months now. I must share the toning results. I've ... Read More
Rating: - AWESOME!
I love tae-bo! Billy Blanks is awesome and Tae-bo is fun and easy to use. This dvd is great because it has the different workouts so you can choose what level of difficulty you want. The 8 minute workout is ... Read More
- Billy Blanks 8 Minute Workout