Taebo - Ultimate Upper/Lower Body

Rating:
Summary: Great compilation workout will get you sweating
Review: Both the upper and lower workouts in this DVD will get your heart rate going and the sweat flowing.

The snippets of workouts are from various other tapes that Billy has already produced, which is why I gave it only 4 stars. With a lot of the snippets coming from "Get Ripped" and "Live". I own both of those series so it was a little disappointing to be seeing the same routines, however, it did give me assurance that both of those series are a great workout.

The leg workout is a killer while the upper body will leave your arms and shoulders screaming for aspirin.

Overall a great addition to my ever growing library of Taebo!

Rating:
Summary: Sweating a lot!
Review: I actually like to do the upper body more. Both workouts are equally intense and you work up a sweat within the first 10 mins or so. Even if you don't have any taebo experience previously (I didn't), you can still keep up, just give it a few days and you'll get used to it! :)

Rating:
Summary: for those looking for a serious workout
Review: If you are someone who runs regularly and is looking to stay challenged, the Ultimate Lower Body Solution is going to take you to the next level. I am someone who does not want to waste time & money on a workout video that won't challenge my body, so I highly recommend this particular workout from Billy Banks.

Rating:
Summary: GOOD workouts!
Review: So I bought this 6 months ago, after already been used to Tae Bo, and I must say the Lower Body is my favorite! It definatley makes me sweat, the moves are fast, and I am not standing still at any time. I want to be able to keep moving and this workout provides just that! And targets really good ares of the lower and upper body, especially the hips!. The moves are also not that hard- a lot of moves are the same as from the "Get Ripped" series. These are each 45 min long- so shorter than the other Tae Bo workouts which are usually about an hour. I rarely do the Upper Body because I dont sweat as much ( I dont know why but if I dont sweat I am turned off easily, that is why I have never purchased yoga or pilates! lol)
I definatley recommend this to anyone!

Rating:
Summary: Great workout!!
Review: This is a really great DVD. There are 2 workouts which are both really good and challenging. I would compare it to the level of the Tae-Bo 2 videos. You will really work both your upper and lower body with this video.

Rating:
Summary: Focus On Punches / Kicks While You Burn Fat & Tone Muscles
Review: Workout Description: 2 workouts (one focused on upper body, one on lower body) of 35-40 minutes of aerobics w/ some toning mixed in with 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute cool-down / stretch for a total of 45-50 minutes
Workout Level: mid-intermediate to low advanced; moderate impact; fairly basic choreography
Instructor: Billy Blanks (Creator of TaeBo; 5-time Karate Champion and captain of the 1980 US Olympic Karate team; has a 7th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.). Billy is very enthusiastic and encouraging, although he's a bit much for me. He does not work each side equally or always give you enough warning of his intention to change moves. (I know this just isn't me because his assistants even stop a couple of times to see exactly what Billy is doing.)
Class: mostly women with some men of various ages and sizes. Classes range from 12 to 40+ people. Several people toward the front count by 8, and there is a projected image in the back of someone doing the moves.
Music / Set: The beat-driven instrumental music varies. The set is a large, brightly colored and lit room that is obviously the TaeBo studio.
Equipment Needed: sneakers, optional weighted gloves for additional toning if advanced
Caveats: Be careful with pivoting or shuffling moves if you work out on carpet. Pay attention to your form. Familiarity with TaeBo, kickboxing, or other martial arts is necessary, as Billy doesn't give enough explanation for beginners. I find that I need to do a little bit more of a warm-up than Billy provides. His Tai Chi-based cool down has never done much for me, so I cool down on my own and then do my own stretch.
Additional Comments: You will need a bit of space for this workout. You should be able to take a small step and kick to each side and to the front plus take a step or two to the back.
These workouts are actually edited segments of TaeBo Live workouts that are available on VHS but not yet on DVD. The editing is decent, but sometimes you get the tail end of one segment and sometimes you jump right into another segment.
I use the Upper Body workout much more than the Lower Body since I have so many fewer videos that work my upper body. The Upper Body focuses almost exclusively on punches and bean bags with some non-weight toning for the arms and, of course, push ups. The Lower Body focuses almost exclusively on knee raises and kicks.
The DVD allows you to select your workout, though not your chapter, and offers "bonuses" that include brief segments of the Ultimate Abs / Buns programs and infomercials for TaeBo Get Ripped series, TaeBo active wear, and Malibu Naturals (nutritional supplements of some kind).