Tae-Bo: Basic and Instructional (Tae-Bo: The Ultimate Total Body Workout for Men & Women) [VHS]
Billed as the "future of fitness" and hawked by numerous celebrities, Billy Blanks's Tae-Bo actually deserves much of the hype it's receiving. A mixture of boxing punches and martial arts kicks, Tae-Bo is funandeasy. One of the best elements of this two-tape set is that the first tape (which is 40 minutes long),Tae-Bo: Instructional, lays out the movements you need to successfully complete a workout. Once you've mastered the steps, you won't have to fast-forward through half the tape to get to the workout, nor will your workout be slowed down by the repeated lessons. After you feel comfortable with the movements (and they're really quite easy to follow; nothing too complicated to trip you up), you're ready to move on toTae-Bo: Basics, a 27-minute workout (5 minutes of warm-up, 18 minutes of Tae-Bo, and 4 minutes of cool-down) that will have your heart pounding and your body sweating. The only downside to this tape is the less-than-exciting music. Blanks, a seven-time World Martial Arts champion, is a superb instructor, providing encouragement and careful instruction (if you don't know by the end of the tape to hold in your stomach, that's no one's fault but your own). Not only is Tae-Bo great exercise for all levels, but the punches and kicks are wonderful for working out stress and aggression. This istheaerobics exercise video for people who are bored by aerobics.--Jenny Brown