I am actually one of those strange people who like to exercise. I was excited to get the new Tae Bo Amped exercise system. It is 5 dvds and a sculpting bar. The dvds include a series of punches and kicks along with some other easy to follow moves that work all your major muscles and provide a good cardio workout. All 5 dvds use the same type moves but in varying length and intensity.
Tae Bo was created by Billy Blanks back in the 1990’s. Blanks is the instructor on the dvds. It is basically a workout that combines martial arts type moves with some boxing. For example there are a lot of front, and side kicks, punches and jabs. He uses high intensity moves then slows down the pace a little to allow you to recover, which makes it a highly effective cardiovascular workout. This new Tae Bo series includes what they call the amplifier sculpting bar. It is a three pound body bar that adds resistance to some of the moves. Three pounds does not sound like much, but when the repetition is high it can get tough.
The 5 dvds are somewhat similar. The shortest one is called Core Express and focuses on moves to tone the abs and butt. I loved this one. The moves were effective and I felt it was a quick, but intense workout. One dvd is a taped class in his Los Angeles studio. The other three tapes are just varying lengths and intensity of the signature Tae Bo moves some with the sculpting bar. He starts each with a warm up and ends with a cool down. All dvds are less than an hour so they are easy to fit into your day.
Billy Blanks does a good job of demonstrating the moves and is easy to follow. There is a fair amount of repetition, which gives a beginner the chance to learn the moves to make them most effective. Billy Blanks is motivational without being annoying.
This program although it adds some resistance work with the body bar will not likely build big muscles. The bar just does not weigh enough to do that. But it does provide toning and increase the intensity of the cardio workout, so I really liked using it.
The moves are easy enough to learn and the combinations are not that difficult but it may be hard for a beginner to keep up, so you will just need to work at your own pace. For someone who has been exercising Tae Bo provides an intense and effective workout. As with the other Tae Bo dvds they really can be used by people of all fitness levels. The great thing about working out at home with dvds like Tae Bo is you can stop and pause or replay segments to learn the moves. It’s not like taking a class and getting lost.
The price is very affordable for 5 dvds and a sculpting bar. You get a good solid cardio workout with some toning. Since there are 5 dvds you can use a different one on different days which helps prevent boredom. You also get the convenience of not having to leave your house. i don’t know how many of us will get as buff as Billy Blanks using Tae Bo.,still it is a good workout for the price.
