Billy’s Boot Camp
(Gaiam Americas)
2005
What is it?
An intense workout series from Billy Blanks that uses his “Billy Bands” — rubber exercise tubing with handles on one end and loops on the other that you pull over your athletic shoes. There are 4 workouts in the set — a 55-minute “Basic Training” workout, a half-hour “Ab Boot Camp,” a 30-minute “Cardio Boot Camp Live” and a 55-minute “Ultimate BootCamp” workout.
Who is it for?
Intermediate exercisers. These workouts are too intense for beginners; those who already have some cardio conditioning will get the most out of them. If you’re familiar with Blank’s Tae Bo workouts, all the better. The “Billy Bands” come with the kit; other than that you may want a mat for the floor exercises if you’re working out on a hard surface.
What to expect:
If you’re familiar with Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo workouts,
you already have an idea of what’s coming — an intense, sweat-inducing kickbox-influenced cardio session and lots of motivation courtesy of Blanks. This set of workouts takes Tae Bo a step further with the use of the bands for targeted toning and to ramp up the cardio. Think those fast-paced kicks were tough? Try ‘em with the bands on. The bands also serve as resistance for some traditional exercises. None of the 4 workouts is easy, not even “Basic Training” — each one compels you to give 100 percent and then some. Exercise beginners should work up to this system — you need a certain amount of strength and endurance to do the workouts properly. Blanks is an inspiring and energetic instructor and the group countdowns by his team keep the energy up. Blanks’ only flaw is that he doesn’t always count off the same number of reps on each side, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you alternate the Boot Camp workouts with other exercise DVDs, or work out on your own — you’ll balance out eventually. That said, you do get results from these workouts — they are great at increasing your energy level and endurance. They are definitely demanding, but in the end you get even more out of them than what you put in.
you already have an idea of what’s coming — an intense, sweat-inducing kickbox-influenced cardio session and lots of motivation courtesy of Blanks. This set of workouts takes Tae Bo a step further with the use of the bands for targeted toning and to ramp up the cardio. Think those fast-paced kicks were tough? Try ‘em with the bands on. The bands also serve as resistance for some traditional exercises. None of the 4 workouts is easy, not even “Basic Training” — each one compels you to give 100 percent and then some. Exercise beginners should work up to this system — you need a certain amount of strength and endurance to do the workouts properly. Blanks is an inspiring and energetic instructor and the group countdowns by his team keep the energy up. Blanks’ only flaw is that he doesn’t always count off the same number of reps on each side, but this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you alternate the Boot Camp workouts with other exercise DVDs, or work out on your own — you’ll balance out eventually. That said, you do get results from these workouts — they are great at increasing your energy level and endurance. They are definitely demanding, but in the end you get even more out of them than what you put in.
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