Product Details

• Actors: Billy Blanks, Martine Aubry, Claude Imbert
• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 4
• Studio: Ventura Distribution
• VHS Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Run Time: 170 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004Y9PQ
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,111 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This four-pack of videos is enough Tae-Bo to keep your moves exploding without getting bored or plateauing. The first 60-minute video, Instructional, is a prerequisite for the others; it demonstrates how to do the fundamental movements, one by one. Beginning with a flexibility routine, instructor Billy Blanks demonstrates plenty of modifications for less flexible exercisers. Next he teaches punches and kicks that you'll be using in the workouts, with plenty of attention to technique and injury prevention, including effective demonstrations of the wrong way to do each move. He is patient and thorough. It is surprising, however, that with all the videos he's sold, he doesn't realize that he's miscuing the directions constantly--his left and right directions match the people behind him, not the viewer facing him.

The 34-minute Basic video is next, but with Blanks, basic doesn't mean easy. The moves are tough, physically and mentally, put together in a fast-paced routine that will keep you sweating. A large class does the workout in the background.

Next is the Advanced workout. Don't even think of doing this until you can do the Basic in your sleep. After the Tae-Bo workout, Blank sends you to the floor for endless sets of a killer ab and hips routine. You'll feel every minute of this video's 60-minute running time.

The final workout is an 8-minute blast, a short but killer total-body workout for those times when you have just a few minutes to work out.

Blanks is a seven-time World Martial Arts Champion, creator of the original Tae-Bo that set aerobics rooms on fire. He's motivating, personable, and an excellent instructor. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

294 of 301 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LIVE verses Original, July 24, 2000

By	iansomniak (USA, Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

Tae-Bo LIVE seems to have been designed mostly for experiencedTae-Bo enthusiasts rather than beginners, because it's a bit morechallenging that the Original version. The basic moves are the same, but many of the new moves require more balance and coordination than anything found on the Original tapes. For that reason, newcomers may want to try the Original version first. Others will find some improvements in LIVE, along with a few drawbacks. The Instructional LIVE tape is far superior to its Original counterpart (it's also almost twice as long). On it, Billy gives you several helpful safety tips and pointers to make you a better Tae-Boer -- like how to kick over the seat of a chair to keep from overextending your knees. Unfortunately, on the tape I have, the sound fluctuates erratically and continuously, forcing me to constantly adjust it with the TV remote. Then, we move from the slow and careful Instructional tape, to the fast and furious Basic tape. The Original Basic may have been too easy, but the LIVE Basic is too hard! Billy throws new moves at you so quickly, that by the time you get in the correct position to execute one move (making sure your knees aren't over your toes), he's on to the next move! I eventually got used to it after doing it several times, and pausing the VCR a lot, but I still mess up some of the steps. Another frustrating sound problem: at the end of my Basic tape, the sound drops to a whisper during Billy's closing speech. Now on to the LIVE Advanced tape, which is especially grueling, mostly due to the agonizing floor work midway through. Billy Blanks proves one thing here: you don't need to buy any of those gimmicky machines to exercise your abdominal muscles! Once you get used to doing the LIVE Advanced workout, you'll be ready for almost anything! I didn't notice any sound problems on this tape, except that some of the music used is extremely irritating -- to MY ears anyway. I like the fact that Billy includes more warm up and cool down exercises this time (the Original Advanced tape lacks these), and I like how he admits at the end of the tape that it's a tough workout (really! ). Plus, LIVE's "double times" seem a bit more realistic than the ones on the Original tape. Also included in the set is an 8-Minute Workout tape (I never used this because I don't believe 8 minutes of exercise is long enough to do much good -- just my opinion). Overall, Tae-Bo LIVE is a pretty good follow-up to Original, but the technical aspects could stand some improvement. I think LIVE works best if you buy "Tae-Bo Gold" (sold separately here at Amazon) and use that tape after the Instructional tape, and then go to the Basic and Advanced tapes. Also recommended: Billy Blanks' Tae-Bo guidebook entitled, "The Tae-Bo Way."

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fitness Motivator, February 19, 2001

By	"kdms" (Billings, MT USA) - See all my reviews

I love Tae-Bo. I have been doing it for a couple of years now. I bought this series because a friend told me it was a great workout. That was an UNDERSTATEMENT!! this is the best workout I have ever done. I have watched all four tapes, although I have only actually done the intro, and the basic. In just 4 weeks since I purchased them, my stomach has shrunk considerably, I can see definition in my muscles, and I feel great all the time. I would definetley recommend this to ANYONE!!

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tae Bo Live 2000 - WOW, February 28, 2001

By	"mannysdoll" (Londonderry, NH United States) - See all my reviews

I have owned the older Tae Bo series for a few years now. They were getting a bit repetitive, so I bought the new Tae Bo Live series. WOW!!!! I was doing the advanced on the older series, so I plopped the advanced in and assumed I'd be able to do it. No way, it is total boot camp !! So, I've been using the beginner tape and it is fabulous. It will be some time before I can build up to the advanced, but I am sure the beginner workout will get me into great shape in the meantime. You would think that a beginner workout would be a bit on the easy side, but this one is quite challenging. I definitely recommend this tape to EVERYONE!! It is the BEST total body work out I have ever done.