Can Tae Bo help you lose weight? Sometimes your workout needs a little shake up, and Tae Bo is a fun and affordable way to incorporate new exercises. Read further to learn the answer to the given question, as this article will delve into Tae Bo Workout benefits and intricacies.
What is Tae Bo?
Tae Bo is a comprehensive fitness program that blends martial arts techniques like kicks and punches, rising to prominence in the 1990s. The term “Tae Bo” merges taekwondo and boxing. These programs utilize rapid-paced martial arts movements to boost fitness levels.
Tae Bo incorporates punches and kicks similar to those found in karate but is not designed for combat purposes. Its sole aim is to enhance fitness levels through dynamic movement.
Tae Bo, conceived by tae kwon do expert Billy Blanks, is an aerobic workout regimen that achieved early commercial triumph as one of the pioneering “cardio-boxing” programs. Tae Bo aims to enhance fitness levels by integrating martial arts movements at a swift pace. The name itself, Tae Bo, is a fusion of tae kwon do and boxing. Additionally, Blanks coined a backronym for it: Total Awareness Excellence Body Obedience.
History of Tae Bo:
In 1989, Blanks crafted the routine by blending music with components from his tae kwon do and boxing background, creating a rigorous workout regimen. By the 1990s, notable figures like Paula Abdul sought Blanks as their trainer, leading to mass-marketing workout videos. Consequently, Tae Bo surged into pop culture, becoming a phenomenon. Gyms swiftly adopted kickboxing-based fitness classes like Tae Bo, fueling its widespread popularity. Even today, Tae Bo videos and DVDs remain top sellers in the fitness realm, with derivative classes still prevalent in numerous gyms.
Tae Bo classes are offered globally, featuring punches and kick similar to karate but devoid of any combat or self-defence purposes. Tae Bo excludes throws, grappling, or ground fighting techniques, unlike martial arts. Instead, its primary goal is to enhance health through movement. Additionally, Tae Bo incorporates aerobic exercises with basic choreography to strengthen all muscle groups in the body.
The intense workout enhances cardiovascular fitness, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Recently, Blanks introduced a series of Tae Bo videos called the “Believer’s” series, incorporating Christian elements like prayer. However, his secular workout routines continue to enjoy the highest popularity.
Blanks remains actively engaged in the fitness world. In 2004 and 2005, he launched the successful Billy Blanks BOOTCAMP program, blending original Tae Bo techniques with rigorous training methods acquired during his visits with troops overseas. Following this, Billy’s Bootcamp Elite introduced Bands, providing extra resistance by wrapping them around feet and hands. Additionally, Blanks has introduced a new series of videos titled Tae Bo Amped, incorporating “cardio bursts” for heightened calorie burning and an Amplifier bar to add resistance to the workout routine.
Billy Blanks, the originator of Tae Bo, pioneered the top fitness system in the United States. In 1975, he claimed the title of the first Amateur Athlete Champion of America, a feat he accomplished five times over, attaining the seventh level in Tae Kwon Do black belt and black belts in five additional martial arts styles. With seven world karate championship titles, Blanks also coached the USA karate team, securing 36 gold medals in international competitions. In 1989, he conceived the idea for Tae Bo, envisioning Tae Kwon Do moves synchronized to music. Initially teaching classes in his Los Angeles garage, Blanks’ method rapidly gained global traction, yet he remains committed, conducting four classes daily.
Furthermore, he extends his instruction to tour the US military stationed in various locations worldwide, including Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sarajevo, Greece, Africa, Germany, and Italy. Tae Bo workouts emerged in 1989, initially tailored to enhance muscle strength for boxing fighters. Throughout the 1990s, Tae Bo gained recognition through the distribution of instructional videos, unveiling the comprehensive nature of the training regimen. Concurrently, it gained traction among celebrities, with Paula Abdul being the first to enlist Blanks to uncover the secrets of Tae Bo’s renowned fitness routine.
3 Basic Tae Bo Steps:
Defensive Stance:
Your cardio boxing session starts in a defensive stance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your right foot about a foot ahead of your left (and vice versa after completing combinations on the right side). Remain light on your feet, relax your shoulders, and keep your fists up to protect your face. Throughout the class, maintain a closed fist, with fingers curled in and the thumb resting along your other fingers. Once in position, you’re ready to begin hitting.
Types of Strikes:
In a cardio boxing session, the primary strikes include the jab, punch (also known as a cross), hook, and uppercut. Among these, the jab is the swiftest. To execute a jab, extend your lead arm directly in line with your shoulder, rotating your forearm at the point of contact so that the palm of your fist faces the ground. Quickly retract to your initial position.
For the punch or cross, generate power from your rear leg. Rotate on your rear foot while twisting your rear leg at the hip towards your target. Extend your rear arm fully so that your fist aims towards the target. Retract with precision back to the defensive stance.
Executing a Hook involves initiating a circular motion with your lead hand. Ensure that the bottom (palm) of your fist and your forearm are parallel to the floor at the point of contact. Conclude the motion with a swift recoil.
Similarly to the punch, the uppercut leverages power from your rear leg. Employ the same pivot as you would for the punch, but execute a circular motion with your shoulder joint this time. Draw your fist behind your body along your side, culminating with your fingers and knuckles facing upward, simulating a strike under an opponent’s chin. Like all punches, promptly retract to your starting stance.
Kicks:
In cardio boxing, kicks engage the major muscle groups in your legs, effectively elevating your heart rate while enhancing strength. The primary kicks include front and side kicks. To perform a front kick, start in the defensive stance. Transfer your weight to your lead foot, engage your core by drawing your navel towards your spine, and execute a forward kick with your rear leg in a knee-heel motion. Aim to kick out as if making contact with an opponent, ensuring the heel leads the strike.
For a sidekick, position yourself facing a mirror. Shift your weight to your left foot and lean your upper body to the left like a pendulum. Simultaneously, bend your right knee, bringing your outer thigh parallel to the ceiling. Extend your leg outward towards your right side in a knee-heel motion.
Tae Bo Workout Benefits:
Tae Bo has been around for several years now. Created by martial artist-turned-fitness trainer Billy Blanks, Tae Bo is a combination of kick-boxing martial art style moves and aerobics. The workouts, which are available on videos for people at all levels of fitness, combine strength moves and cardiovascular training in a fun, high-intensity workout.
Boosts Confidence:
Taebo, like other cardiovascular exercises, triggers inducing the release of endorphins in the brain, which encourage emotions of happiness and self-assurance. Increased body strength and weight loss also contribute to overall confidence.
Enhances Flexibility:
Taebo’s dance-like movements and kicks help improve flexibility over time, facilitating more accessible and fluid movement. Strengthening muscles ensures a gradual increase in flexibility.
Improves Cardiovascular Health:
Taebo’s high-intensity nature ensures a robust cardiovascular workout, stimulating heart function, blood circulation, and energy expenditure. It proves to be a beneficial form of cardiovascular workout.
Tae Bo is widely regarded as an exceptional cardiovascular exercise with engaging routines. Tae Bo effectively tones and shapes the body’s muscles through dynamic movements. It also enhances balance, flexibility, coordination, and cardiovascular advantages.
Strengthens Muscles:
Taebo engages various muscle groups, including hamstrings, glutes, thighs, chest, shoulders, and arms, through kicking and punching movements. Consistent practice leads to increased overall muscle strength.
Facilitates Weight Loss:
Taebo’s intense cardiovascular nature assists in calorie burning, rendering it an efficient aid for weight loss. Studies indicate significant calorie burn during aerobic workouts like Taebo. For optimal results, regular practice alongside a balanced diet is recommended.
Tae Bo is generally an excellent way to lose weight. Along with covering four of the five components of fitness, this form of exercise hits all of the ways that your body loses weight with exercise. Not only do you burn a lot of calories during the workout, but your metabolism will stay raised for a few hours post-workout. Your muscle mass will also increase with Tae Bo workouts, raising your overall metabolism over time.
- When done to a high intensity, Tae Bo burns a lot of calories. A 150-pound person doing 60 minutes of high-intensity Tae Bo will burn approximately 690 calories.
- Tae Bo is, by its nature, an interval training workout. It also combines both cardiovascular fitness and strength training. This type of workout has proven to be very effective in weight loss.
- Tae Bo helps to increase strength, muscle mass, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness.
- The videos are quite affordable and minimal equipment is required.
- There are several different Tae Bo workout DVDs and programs to choose from.
- The DVD workouts are easy to follow and take you step-by-step through new moves.
- You can do Tae Bo workouts at home.
There are a few caveats to all of this, however.
- In order for the Tae Bo workout to be an effective part of your weight loss regimen, the intensity of the workout is extremely important. When doing Tae Bo, it is important that you work at the highest level of intensity of which you are capable in order to maximize your weight loss benefits.
- Like any weight loss program, exercise alone isn’t enough. You also need to combine your Tae Bo workouts with a program of healthy eating. Select a diet plan that will work for you.
- Not only is the intensity of your workouts important, but frequency and duration are, as well. Plan a 30 to 60 minute workout about three to four times a week.
- Adequate rest is also important. Allow yourself one to two days a week of some other type of low intensity exercise such as walking in place of Tae Bo, and schedule adequate rest, as well.
- If you are new to working out, work your way up to high intensity workouts slowly in order to minimize the chance of injury or overtraining.
Conclusion:
Can Tae Bo help you lose weight? The answer is a qualified yes, provided you do the workouts at an intensity, frequency and duration consistent with weight loss.
