Tae Bo Gold

Billy Blanks
Year Released: 2000

Categories: Boxing/Kickboxing/Martial Arts


Although I'm only 36, I decided to try this workout as my first Tae Bo video because I'm still fairly new to kickboxing. Taught by Tae Bo instructor Billy Blanks, this workout is extremely low-impact yet also surprisingly tough at the same time. Billy leads a class of mostly middle-aged participants, but they are all in very good shape, including the 70-year old woman who can kick MUCH higher than I can!
After a few minutes of warm-up stretches, Billy begins an easy to follow kickboxing routine. He emphasizes punches more than kicks, although some kicks as well as quite a few knee lifts are included. Unlike other kickboxing workouts I have tried, there are few combination routines; instead, Billy teaches in an 8-count style, often repeating the same movement for several sets. Following the 25-minute aerobic segment, you hold a static squat for 1 minute, and then you move to a hands and knees position for about 3 minutes of work on the butt area. The workout ends with a 5 minutes stretch: 4-minutes of yoga-like stretches in a seated position and then a final 1-minute of standing stretches, making the total workout time about 34 minutes.

In addition to Billy's counting inaccuracies, the Motown music used for this workout is quite loud, making Billy's instructions a bit difficult to hear at times, and the transitions from song-to-song did not flow smoothly with the workout. If you can overlook these minor flaws, this is a fun workout for anyone who is already in fairly good shape but looking to give Tae Bo a try.

Instructor Comments:
Billy Blanks is very likeable and extremely enthusiastic. Plus, he offers many modifications in this workout, even showing how some of the kicks can be done seated in a chair. However, his counting is not always accurate, and he frequently completes an uneven number of sets from one side of the body to the other.

Beth C (aka toaster)

05/09/2004