Tae-Bo Workout

Rating:
Summary: Upgrade to a newer Tae Bo this one has flaws...
Review: These videos are still going strong but I honestly like the 8 min. workout the best in this set. As double time feels stupid and awkward! I, however, can't look over a lot of the mistakes these videos make (mostly the miscounting of reps on each side) and rarely use this set. I will do the 8 min one as it kicks but butt more than the Advanced videos but personally I think the Tae-Bo Live set is much better and also his Tae Bo II Ripped series is excellent. I have the basic and love it. I would recommend upping to a new version of Tae Bo as there are lots out there and skip these originals as they have many flaws.

**One benefit of all the TAE BO workouts is the ab factor. You will find muscles you didn't know you had! Is excellent for that!**

Rating:
Summary: KICKS YOUR BUTT!!!
Review: I am a huge fan of Billy Blanks and all of his videos. I originally started working out with his Crunch kickboxing video a few years ago and immediately got hooked. I lost 40 pounds doing his tape 4 days a week and reducing my calorie intake. Eventually I was ready to start with one of his advanced tapes, which totally kicked my butt! The tape was about an hour long filled with some highly intense moves so I started doing half the workout one day and the other half the next day until I was able to do the entire thing.

Unfortunately, I fell off the weight loss & fitness bandwagon for a couple of years when I got pregnant with my second child. I gained a bunch of weight back after my daughter was born after starting a new office job so I ended up at an all time high. About a month ago I started back on my diet and have a date with Tae Bo Basic 5 days a week. At first it was really hard to keep up with it because even the Basic really kicks your butt and makes you sweat, but now I am really into it and I force myself to spend the half hour with this tape almost every day. So far I've lost 8 lbs, but I still have another 50 or so to go. If you are out of shape like I was, give yourself a couple of weeks to get used to the video and do things at your own pace.

The thing I like most about this video is that the routines only consist of no more than 2-3 steps. I've tried other aerobics and kick boxing videos and the moves were just too complicated so I gave up on them. I am not that coordinated so I need to have things more simple. :) Besides that, Billy is very energetic and the moves are so much fun! Also, I like the fact that you see Billy and his back ups sweating, trying hard, and stopping for water breaks. Also, there is a little girl and an old lady in the video, as well as some heavier set people. This makes the people seem a lot more "real" than the people in the other videos I've tried.

I know some people may complain that the Basic video is only 30 minutes, but when you work a full time job, have 2 kids and a husband, it's really nice to not have to spend hours working out each day to have a fulfilling workout. I don't get home until 6:30 so after doing this workout I'm done by 7:00, which is when I start making dinner. By 8:00-8:30 it's finally time to sit down and relax with my family before we all go to bed around 9 or 10.

As far as the music goes, yes it is kind of cheesy, 80's type music, but at least it's energetic and goes along with the video. Most of the time I put on a Shania Twain CD or some other energetic CD to listen to instead. You can have your CD on a low volume and still hear Billy's instructions.

One thing I wish the Basic video had was a longer cool down. I usually sit and stretch out my arms and legs afterwards for a few minutes so I don't get sore.

Overall, I am very pleased with Billy's workouts and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to get fit and have fun! I am currently shopping Amazon to see what other Tae Bo workouts I can get my hands on. I know he's got a new Boot Camp set out so I think I might try that! I can't wait until I get to where I want to be and see how great my body looks!

Rating:
Summary: The workouts that started it all
Review: Tae Bo was at one time the hottest fitness craze in the country. This DVD has the four workouts that started it all. Tae Bo is effective and fun as are these workouts. However, the way these videos were filmed is awful, which is why this only earns three stars for me. The lighting is either too dim or is dominated by a strobe light. Blanks' cueing is not very good; he directs you to use your right or left arm, for example, based on what he is doing in the studio, not on how you will be mirroring him at home. There are numerous distracting mistakes where either Blanks or one of the other exercisers gets lost. The music is worse than most fitness videos. Blanks' no-nonsense, yet supportive personality, however, shines. I really enjoy him as an instructor.

The Instructional workout is important to do in order to insure that you are completing the moves with the correct form. Do it once and then dive into the Basic workout. If you are new to kickboxing or exercise in general, this will give you a nice workout. I quickly outgrew this workout, however, because it is just too short at less than 30 minutes. The Advanced workout at almost an hour long is VERY advanced. There are times when the kicks are so fast that it is easy to lose proper form. There are twenty tough minutes of floor exercises that target your glutes, hips, and thighs at the end of the kickboxing segment. Blanks includes ab exercises, as well, but I find them to be inadequate. The 8 Minute Workout is actually 14-minutes long when you include the warm-up and cool-down. I found that it was the most useful to do as an addition to the Basic workout to create a more intermediate-level workout.

The more recent Tae Bo workouts are far better produced and Blanks has much improved his cueing. Buy this DVD on the strength of the workouts, but don't expect much in terms of the appearance of the set, cueing, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Everyone!
Review: This original TaeBo series is the best. The 30 minute workout is great for beginners. After just 3 weeks I was ready to move up to the 1hr Advanced workout. The Advanced workout is tough but definitely worth it. The floor exercises are perfect for people wanting to trim the fat from their butt and thighs. The workouts are fun and work every muscle group. One word of caution: if you have bad knees, TaeBo is not for you. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: BILLY BANK'S TAE BO WILL MAKE YOU LOVE EXERCISE
Review: I am a TAE BO fanatic. I have been an athlete all my life and preferably doing team sports (volleyball, basketball etc). Once I started professional life, long hours at the office and other daily obligations minimized the time I had left to exercise close to zero. From exercising 8 hours a week, I came down to zero - except the occasional trip to the gym - for many years. You can understand that my body was not as toned as it has been throughout my life. Then I discovered home videos. Not that they gave me the athletic body I once had, but at least they helped maintained some low level of fitness. I have a huge collection and have not used any tape/dvd more than once. They are all extremely boring except a few exceptions that work the bottocks area - but they also end up being boring.
Then I came across Tae Bo. I have almost all Billy Bank's tae bo dvd. I have become a tae bo addict and I am loving it. What is more, Tae Bo has helped me to gain my exercising routine back, get back into shape even if I have to do it alone. The most important thing it did, is that it gave me the confidence that I can do it. I can exercise again. Tae bo as my basic exercise routine really boosted my self confidence. It made my visits to the gym more frequent, especially for tae bo classes.
Since it has allowed me to enjoy exercise on my own, I now have taken up running and I am ready to take-up marathon training. Tae Bo is more an exercise routine, it is a whole philosophy behind it, and Billy Banks is now one of my most trusted friends. He can be yours too if you let him. I strongly recommend also to read his book. As far as his tapes are concerned, all his tapes are well produced, executed, the instructional videos are a must and the results, are amazing. Even after the 2nd or 3rd time you will do them, you can start feeling results (provided that there is only a day or two elapse time between the sessions)
I guarrantee that if you include tae bo in your daily schedule your quality of life will improve dramatically. (Tip: For those who are heavy smokers and do not feel they have the cardio endurance to keep up with the training regime, I strongly recommend Alen Carr's quit smoking series)


Rating:
Summary: Not for a true beginner
Review: after reading the reviews here, I decide to purchase these tapes, thinking that they would be what I needed to help get me back in shape. Now I am a true beginner, I have not for years been on any kind of exercise routine, nor do I exercise everyday. I found the insrtucional tape hard to follow, and I could not keep up with the beginner tape, so I would say that these tapes are not for a true beginner, but for someone who exercises already everyday and is just looking for something new.

Rating:
Summary: A good workout, at least for beginners
Review: I am a pretty lazy exerciser--I will get into it for a few weeks and then get bored and give it up. With this 4pack of Taebo DVDs, I have been able to stick with it. It is a pretty good deal to get all four of them in one. The first one is pretty boring, with instructions on how to do each move. If you have every done a Billy Blanks video before, you probably know 95% of the moves already anyway. I am still working my way through the Basic video, which gets me working up a pretty good sweat. It would be nice, though, if it was a little longer. With the warm-up and cool-down, it is probably 30 minutes long. But the 4pack also includes a more high energy 8 minute workout, which I have been trying to do in addition to the Basic so I feel like I have exercised enough. I briefly scanned the Advanced workout and am pretty sure that I am NOT ready for it yet. But hopefully I will get there soon.
So I can say that the Basic workout is great for beginners, and the 8 minute workout is a good addition to it. But beware--the music is awful.


Rating:
Summary: They could have picked better music!!!
Review: I love TaeBo, but it's a little difficult to get pumped up to elevator hiphop! Please! Overall, the workout is awesome. I saw results in 2 weeks, and it makes me feel strong, sexy, and empowered (I just picture kicking and punching my ex-husband in the face when I need that extra boost! LOL). This is worth the money. Maybe when you get the moves down, you could crank up some real music to kick-butt to!

Rating:
Summary: Not bad...but...
Review: There are some good points about the video. It accomodates most fitness levels, starting off with beginners and working up to advanced. You do sweat and get a good heart rate going. It's not a bad video, but, I would rather go to the kickboxing classes at the local gym. I find it more challenging and the teaching methods are much better. I would caution for those who have weak knees.