DVD Review: Tae Bo® 2004 Capture the Power: Energy

Are you looking for a challenging workout to help burn fat and ramp up your metabolism? Try Tae Bo® Energy from the 2004 Capture the Power series.

I discovered Tae Bo® and Billy Blanks, its creator about ten years ago. Tae Bo® was becoming popular as a new form of fitness tool. Tae Bo® combines aerobics and martial arts to tone like no other workout.

When I first tried it, I wasn't ready for the intensity of the workouts. I used the videos a few times and gave up on them as an exercise option. I rediscovered Tae Bo® a few years ago with the 2004 Capture the Power series.

This series showed a whole new Billy Blanks and a whole new Tae Bo® series. The 2004 series introduced props into the workout. Billy Blanks had developed two half pound weighted balls to enhance the workout routine. The series begins with a foundational DVD and then moves into the first routine DVD-Energy.

Tae Bo® Energy gives you just that: energy. What differs in this series from the previous ones I had tried was that the workout was more versatile. In Tae Bo® Energy, I got used to the techniques first without the weighted balls. Throughout the fitness routine I was constantly moving. If I get winded, I just walked in place until I caught my breath. As I gain stamina and endurance, Billy Blanks challenges me to execute the moves with more precision and force.

The exercise routines are better than ever. In the older Tae Bo® series, I got bored quickly because I as just performing a series of moves multiple times. In Tae Bo® Energy, the routines are fresh, incorporating a group of different moves for a more challenging workout. I have to concentrate to keep up and keep my form. Billy demonstrates each routine slowly to make sure that everybody gets it and then ramps it up to burn the calories.

The motivational level has increased with Tae Bo® Energy. Billy keeps me involved in the workout the entire time. He continues to offer words of encouragement to make me want to do my best. If I need to stop for water or to catch my breath, he says that it's okay. The main thing is that I don't give up.

Tae Bo® Energy features real people. The older videos were rehearsed. The 2004 Capture the Power series is recorded live. It shows real people making real unedited mistakes. The participants are not all a size two, either. There are mothers, fathers, young, and old alike. Billy's gym crew represents a cross-section of America. I can identify more with a program when I see other people who are working hard to achieve cardiovascular fitness and weight loss like me.

I recommend Tae Bo® Energy to anyone looking for a fresh workout that gets results. The workout is awesome. The workout series comes in VHS or DVD. As with any new fitness program, consult your doctor before you start.