Advantages: The ultimate in aerobics with attitude
Disadvantages: Billy Blanks keeps telling you to do just "one more". He lies.

...Tae Bo moves have an element of "in your face" tank-girl style jabs, kicks and punches. Perfect for PMT! If you've had a really bad day at the office/with the kids/with your partner, then Tae Bo Advanced may be the choice for you. It's the best video I've ever used to give a high impact, knackering, de-stressing (but not distressing) workout. However, don't be duped! It's not for the faint-hearted, that's for certain. Within 10 minutes, you'll be working up a sweat. It's not for the vain "I want to look good when I exercise" either. By 50 minutes, you will probably be looking like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards. It's a video which some people will call knackering. Other's may call it character building, not least because when Billy Blanks says "one more time", nine times out of ten he ignores himself... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: will make you sweat, quite easy to understand
Disadvantages: looking at tv as his left is your right

...Have been wanting to try billy blanks workout dvd's for a long time so decided to look on amazon and got it for 3.95. I thought since so cheap might aswell give it a go. Tae bo blends your own hidden strength with moves from self-defence, dance and boxing. This dvd contains two parts, instructional and tae bo basics. The best way is do the instructional part first for a few times to get use to the moves which are quite hard to master. Billy is a good instructor and you warm to his personality very quickly, he shows you the best way to stand, how to position your arms to punch and legs to kick correctly so you do not hurt yourself. The main part of the dvd is only about 20 minutes long but my god you sweat it combines what you have learnt from the instructional part of this dvd with fast moves. I find trying to copy Billy... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fun, Lively and Inspiring
Disadvantages: Can be awkward to follow

...I have really enjoyed using Billy Banks Tae-Bo DVD. The 4th DVD is really good fun, and although I'm already quite fit it pushes me physically, unlike some other exercise videos. The abs and bums one is also a really hard work out, and I cant' help but think it must be quite effective. However, you are actally only really getting 3 DVDs for you money, and the 2nd and 4th DVDs are the same (except for the addition of an 8-minute workout on the 4th). There is a chapter on each disc about how to do Tae-Bo correctly, and prevent injury. This takes about 40 minutes to go through the first time, but you only need to do it once. It shows you how to correctly throw a punch, stand, and protect yourself from injury. It's all well explained. Billy Banks starts each DVD with a warm up section to get the body moving, before progressing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Comprehensive, Exciting, Burns calories, Builds Muscle
Disadvantages: A Bit Cheesey, High Impact, Not Joint Friendly

...Tae-Bo is an at home fitness system mixing kick boxing, dance, resistance training, tae kwon do and stretching which promises to promote general cardio strength, muscle endurance and flexibility. In the late 90's Tae Bo burst into people's home as one of the first (and most enduring) cardio boxing classes and has continued to sell well ever since. It has seen many transformations; from purely cardio, to boot-camp style and from Christian based (with prayer and praising galore!) to the newest Amped series using a weighted bar for resistance. But in whatever guise, it proves to be one of the most comprehensive, sweat inducing, fat burning, muscle toning and laughter inducing (although not always intentionally) way of staying fit within your home. It's compelling mix of high kicks and heart pumping cardio always leaves me energised... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Tone Up! Loose Weight, Different from other exercise vids
Disadvantages: Very few available in the UK

...Many people today are looking for the next keep fit trend. The one I’m about to introduce you to, today isn’t quite so new but… It’s supprizing how many people have not heard of it. A huge majority of people are trying to diet and follow a fitness plan and more often than not we give up because we get bored or were not seeing the benefit from doing so. ---------- Tae Bo ---------- Tae Bo was established in a Californian basement 29 years ago (1975). But what is it I hear you ask? Tae Bo is a Martial Art combined with Aerobics, dance moves and weight training. ------------------------ Tae Bo stands for? ------------------------ T.otal A.wareness E.xcellence B.ody O.bedience. ------------------------ Billy Blanks, who? ------------------------ Billy Blanks the brains behind Tae Bo, born 1st September... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Fun, lose weight, get fit, increase flexibility and balance
Disadvantages: American motivation can get a bit much

...How many of you have exercise videos sitting at home that are never used? I’ve just counted mine and I have 10, but the collection does include one video that I regularly use – Tae-Bo. WHAT IS IT? The video caption is ‘get fit, lose weight, have fun, be strong’ and also claims that millions of people describe tae-bo as ‘energising, explosive, powerful and uplifting’. I would have to agree. Tao-bo is basically solo martial arts to music. You do a series of co-ordinated punches, leg raises and kicks to music – aerobics with a kick! The video says ‘it blends your own hidden strength with moves from self-defence, dance and music’. Tae-bo originated in America (where else?) and the originator was (supposedly) Billy Blank who made this video. Billy Blank is a seven times world... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: These tapes fit into anyone’s workout.
Disadvantages: none

...Billy Blanks Tae-Bo Home Workout Tapes When I was in my twenties and thirties, I practiced Martial Arts. I lived near this little Korean guy named Chang Hi Choi. Mr. Choi attempted to teach me everything he knew. He held class 6 days a week in his basement and had about forty students. I trained nonstop for about 7 years. In total it took me 6 years to achieve a black belt. I loved the energy that all of the kicking, blocking and punching gave me. I had confidence to deal with people, when they deserved to be dealt with. When I trained in the 60’s, nobody had a clue what martial arts was all about. Most people thought it was an ancient art form that was no longer practiced. So, just imagine when some idiot started shooting his mouth off towards me in the middle of the 1960’s, I would start off with a palm strike to the temple... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: fun, motivating, works.
Disadvantages: Takes lots of motivation to exercise alone at home.

...Long ago, a few years anyway, a friend and I bought several Tae Bo videos, copied them onto one video together and then lost the originals, maybe I gave them to my friend. Anyway, on and off I have played and joined in with Billy Blanks while he kicks and punches his way across my TV screen. Then one time, I realised that the one I enjoyed doing most was somewhere in the middle of the tape and it took time to find it and continued rewinding would eventually destroy the tape so I thought I would buy it on DVD. I went to eBay and bought a 'buy now' copy which arrived within a couple of days and only cost me £13.59 plus a bit of postage, not sure how much though, it was last summer. So what is this? Tae Bo was described to me as a cross between kick boxing and dance. I have had a look on Billy's website and the official description... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: very thorough workout
Disadvantages: very american and cheesy

...I bought this video after seeing an advert on cable TV and it looked really American and cheesy but a friend I spoke to said she had done it before and found it really good. Billy Blank who is also the trainer on the video designed the tae bo moves. Tae bo consists of moves created from boxing, dance and self-defence and this creates a really exiting and fast 30-minute routine. The moves are designed to give you a complete all over cardiovascular workout; your stomach, legs, arms and bum are all given the once over. I must say thoug