Tae-Bo

I don't have to tell anyone in the TV-speaking universe that Billy Blanks is hot snot, and until this kickboxing thing is history and Billy becomes cold boogers, this guy is the man. Talk about a phenomenal success. Blanks hasn't re-invented the exercise wheel, he's just re-purposed it into a sexy-cool-MTV kind of workout for hard-bodies. In Basic, the first tape in this two-tape set, Blanks leads a pack of svelte and sweaty yuppies through a gruesome workout that claims to burn 800 calories per hour (you could eat a candy bar during the workout and break even!) Of course, this aerobic kickboxing, dance grooving, martial arts punching, self-defense-style calorie burner has some fitness specialists jumping up and down, wondering how safe these workouts are for regular folks who usually can't kick their way out of a paper bag. And you've got to ignore the testimonials on the box (these exercises do not prepare people for combat; they will not make you faster than speeding bullets like Keanu Reeves). It's only an exercise regiment, and it's kick-butt, but only on the exercise floor not the street. The other tape in the set is called Tae-Bo: Instructional. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)