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 fun and easy. One of the best elements of this four-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 to Tae-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. Next comes Advanced, a 57-minute workout that will have your heart racing, pulse pounding, and sweat glands working overtime. There's razzmatazz on the moves, with slightly more complicated combinations that should be fairly easy to master if you've completed the first two tapes. This video seriously raises the bar on the difficulty factor.

Must-have introductory package for Tae Bo beginners!

I've been doing Tae Bo for about 15 months, and have dropped 30 pounds (and counting!). I started at a very unhealthy 140 pounds (just for reference, I'm 5'4"), and I'm now down to a lean, mean, fighting-machine 110. I'm in better shape than I've ever been, and I owe it all to Tae Bo!

Before starting Tae Bo, I had tried several other workouts, to no avail. At one point I was working out with Jane Fonda an hour a day, every day, and was actually gaining weight! I bought the Tae Bo original 4-pack on a whim, but it sat on my shelf for years before I finally gave it a go - I had watched my sister do it, and it just looked too hard. Eventually I had trouble squeezing into my fat jeans and, frustrated, I made the commitment to lose some weight and stick with Tae Bo for at least a year.

I began by watching the Instructional video for a week and practicing the moves. Admittedly, this was rather tedious - the pace is very slow and you end up standing around most of the time. However, correct form is essential, both to prevent injury and properly work the targeted muscle groups. Before beginning even a Basic workout, you should definitely run through the Instructional video a few times. You won't regret it!

Once I had the moves down, I went on to the 30-minute Basic workout, and stuck with it for six months. I was so horrendously out of shape that I had to stop for breathers, even though Billy gives you plenty of rest in between exercises. It took quite some time before I was comfortable with the moves, but I did get there. If you're new to Tae Bo (or to exercising in general), you'll probably find even the Basic workout to be challenging. Don't give up, though - it might take some time, but you WILL see improvement. I was very frustrated at first, as I didn't start shedding the pounds right away, and my lack of balance was a significant obstacle. Around the fourth month, though, I noticed some definite improvement, and was confident enough after month six to move on to the Advanced workout.

Initially, I found the Advanced workout to be difficult, but after a few months I had mastered it as well. By this time I had lost about 20 pounds and gained a ton of confidence. I finally retired the original Tae Bo workouts six months ago and moved on to the Get Ripped and Ultimate Abs/Butt series. After seeing how demanding the newer workouts are, I'm extremely glad I started with the original 4-pack - had I overestimated my abilities, I seriously doubt that I would still be doing Tae Bo. I probably would have given up within the first week instead!

The Advanced workout, which runs 55 minutes, is paced more quickly than the Basic workout, though it's much slower than, say, the Get Ripped Advanced workout or the Ultimate Abs/Butt DVD. In addition to the kicking/punching combos that you learn in the Basic workout, you also do some floor work for your abdominals and gluteals. Billy really introduces a wide variety of exercises during this session, many of which you'll see again if you try out other videos. This is a great intermediate workout - it really bridges the gap between the Basic workout and the more intense Advanced workouts that he produced later on.

For anyone who's new to Tae Bo, I'd definitely recommend that you pick up this 4-pack before buying anything else. Each workout builds on the previous one and, when viewed in succession, they offer a great introduction to Tae Bo. If you try to just jump right in with an Advanced workout, you'll not only get discouraged, but you might even hurt yourself. For those of you who are shopping around for a new fitness program, look no further - Tae Bo is fun and effective. Plus, with so many different DVDs available, you'll never get bored or plateau. Should you find your mind wandering or your weight loss stalling, just try another workout.

A word of caution - Tae Bo certainly isn't without its flaws. The production quality isn't the best (this is especially true with the earlier videos). Billy also tends to switch quickly from one move to the next, and to do uneven repetitions on each side (a problem he has yet to resolve). Nonetheless, this is the best workout series I've tried. It's transformed me from a couch potato to a fitness freak!

- Kelly Garbato, Tae Bo "Hero"

Really Worked For Me

I got the VHS set of this several years ago, and reluctantly tried it out one night. Before I knew it, I was hooked!

I went from around 220 down to 165 in my prime in the area of 6 or 7 months just using the beginner and then the intermediate tapes.

The excercises are easy to follow and once you get the hang of it, its quite enjoyable. I used to look forward to doing my workout every weeknight.

If they worked for me, they certainly can work for you!

The ones that started it all!

I have been doing TaeBo faithfully for about 5 years now. This was the first set I bought. I spent about two months on the instructional workout. It was not aerobically challenging for me but I really wanted to have the moves down. I moved on to the Basic Workout, and even though I was already in pretty good shape because I still used my NordicTrak machine while I was learning TaeBo, the Basic workout just about killed me! Once I got going though, I got the "exercise high" the first time ever, and I was hooked! I made my friends crazy talking about TaeBo. I spent a few months on the Basic and then moved on to the Advanced. Once again, it just about killed me! I stuck with it, lost about 15 pounds, and am now in great shape. I continue to use the Advanced along with other TaeBo DVDs and am still losing some weight, even though I'm also addicted to chocolate!

If you want a really hard workout, TaeBo Advanced is it! My advice is to take time to learn the moves properly, so you get the best workout possible and avoid injuries. The better your form is, the better your workout will be. Have fun and get fit!