Tae Bo: A revolutionary training method

I vividly remember my first encounter with the Tae Bo workout series.

For the record, I do NOT have any business relationship with Billy Blanks or Tae Bo; I am neither an affiliate, nor a promoter of the brand. Whatever I tell you is as a result of my personal experience and is not intended to promote or induce purchase of the product.

Now back to my Story...

It was a Saturday morning, and I had just returned from a grueling 2 mile run that morning; my cousin had borrowed a copy of the workout with the intention of burning off some fat and building strength and endurance. The tape was promptly inserted into the VCR ( those were the days before DVD became the main deal) and my introduction to Tae Bo commenced.

It's time for y'all to put some gas in your tanks," shouts Billy Blanks. He cranks up the volume on the stereo and I'm watching about 15 men and women jumping around like they were on a high sugar diet. 

The session begins with a motivational speech by Billy Blanks, the originator of Tae Bo himself. He states that his Tae Bo workouts can improve balance, coordination, flexibility, and will tone

and define muscles.  Blanks encourages his clients to work on their bodies from the inside out; he claims: "results are imminent from the very first Tae Bo workout, as completing it makes you feel great about yourself." He informs us that an hour long Tae Bo workout will burn 500 to 800 calories compared with the 300 to 400 calories burned with a more conventional aerobics class.

 

The workout began with some dynamic stretches, lunges, squats, and other warm up exercises (no biggie, I was a pro!). Then the session progressed to some punch - jab combinations and kicking moves. My cousin soon dropped out and decided to watch from the couch. Within 10 minutes I was exhausted, every muscle in my body screamed for respite (remember, I had already gone for a run that morning), my arms and shoulders felt like lead, while my feet felt like they were attached to concrete. I then realized that if I was tired, being one who worked out for hours at a time 7 days a week, I was definitely onto something. I was determined to complete the workout; if Billy could do it at his age, I could also do it.

The workout lasted for almost an hour, by which time my body had given up on trying to make me quit and had decided to come along for the ride, little aware of the soreness that would inflame my muscles by the next morning. I succeeded in riding out the effects of the workout, and marveled at the beneficial effects of the workout. Since then, I have incorporated elements of Tae Bo into my workout regime.

The world wide web is full of glowing recommendations from faithful Tae Bo users. Although the workout seems to be most popular with women in their twenties and early thirties, Blanks claims that Tae Bo is a great workout for males and females of all ages. However caution should be exercised when incorporating Tae Bo into your exercise regimen. Tae Bo newcomers often start out too hard and too fast, putting too much stress on their joints and surrounding tissue which can lead to injuries. Experts caution that those who have been sedentary, especially if they're over 30 or overweight, should proceed slowly for at least eight weeks. If done incorrectly, Tae Bo can produce extensive long lasting muscle damage, by proceeding slowly and focusing on technique however, these effects can be minimized and fitness gains maximized.

Tae Bo® Fitness is a program that combines the best of a variety of different exercise disciplines to provide an overall workout. It is the combination of the self-awareness and control of martial arts, the focus and strength of boxing, and the grace and rhythm of dance. Although the martial art undertones are what help make Tae Bo such an effective cardiovascular workout, this leads many people to falsely assume that they are learning a martial art. Nothing could be further from the truth; Tae Bo is not a self-defense course and practitioners should not attempt to use the techniques outside of their workouts.It is meant for solely recreational purposes and any attempt to use the moves in a serious fight without prior martial art training will likely get you badly hurt.

Tae Bo is not something you do every day, it could simply be done on a day when you don't feel like going through your normal training or are feeling like challenging yourself with something new.  As your will is tested, it is also strengthened. When you push your body to the next level, you will gradually build it to the level of ultimate fitness.

 

 Get a copy of the Tae Bo program and push your fitness to a whole new level. Enjoy the video I put up for you.