Billy Blanks created the Tae Bo concept in the mid-1980s – it is a total
body workout that combines Tae Kwon Do, aerobics, dance, kickboxing, self
defense and yoga.
Each of his routines, which can run anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour –
challenges the participating individual to complete every punch, kick and
muscle-burning strength move all while never standing in one place too long.
All of these moves help a person increase their flexibility, build muscle
and burn calories – you can’t beat that for just an hour out of your day.
The Workouts
Billy Blanks has several Tae Bo collections all aimed for beginner,
intermediate and pro skill levels.
I strongly suggest a person to start off with the “Capture the Power”
collection – a 2-DVD set. It gives you four great workouts – the first workout
provides you with the foundation moves of Tae Bo, the second workout focuses on
energy, the third helps you find the Tae Bo strength and the fourth focuses on
power.
The foundation workout teaches you the basic kicks and punches that make up
a Tae Bo routine. It is very low impact and is basically a “how to” of Tae Bo.
The great thing about having the foundation workout is it allows you to move at
your own speed – once you have the moves down, you are ready for the Energy
workout.
The energy workout is just that – high energy and a lot of fun. Billy and
his crew incorporate all the foundation moves into a cardio workout. You will
find yourself constantly moving while throwing punches and kicks throughout the
exercise routine.
The Strength workout focuses on toning your muscles while keeping that heart
rate up in cardio mode. There is a lot of squeezing, flexing and balance
techniques that, once you have it down, make you feel strong and ready to take
on the world.
The Power workout combines all of the previous workouts into an optimum
training experience. You are building muscle, burning calories and focusing on
your balance for a non-stop 46 minute interval.
After you have these workouts down, you’ll definitely want to move on to
bigger and better things. Billy Blanks has several other collections that keep
you upbeat while increasing your Tae Bo skill level.