Tae Bo creator Billy Blanks
Tae Bo is an aerobic exercise routine created by Billy Blanks in 1976, but didn’t really become popular until the 1990s. During the 1990s, it was the first successful “cardio-boxing” routine to take over commercially with over 1.5 million copies of Blanks’ DVDs sold.
The combination of dance and mixture of martial arts and boxing took the world by surprise. After the craze of Tae Bo; health and fitness clubs started offering cardio-kickboxing classes (similar to Tae Bo) to their members. Cardio kickboxing has been extremely popular ever since, because with its mix of intense cardio and fun moves, it’s hard not to see results. An hour of Tae Bo or cardio-kickboxing will burn between 600 and 800 calories. Check below to see the benefits of these two aerobic programs.
Who Is Billy Blanks?
Billy Blanks is a taekwondo practitioner and fitness guru from Pennsylvania. He was born with an anomaly in his hips that impaired his movements. Doctors and coaches believed that he would not accomplish much, but not to be discouraged, Billy decided to try martial arts at the age of 11. The discipline of martial arts transformed Billy’s body and he won five Amateur Athletic Union Championships. Later in his career, he led the U.S. karate team to thirty-six gold medals and was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame. After moving to Massachusetts, he ran a karate studio and from there his Tae Bo phenomenon flourished.
Benefits of Tae Bo And Cardio-Kickboxing:
- Improves cardiovascular endurance
- Improves speed and agility
- Reduces body fat
- Improves stamina
- Improve core strength and endurance
- Tones arms
- Improves mental strength
- Improves self-esteem and self-confidence
- Fun and enjoyable