Tae Bo Believer's Workout: Power Within

Type: kickboxing

Level: Low intermediate

Music: nondescript

Length: 45 minutes

Background exercisers: Shelly and other familiar faces

Set: typical Taebo

The workout:

I have the other Believer's workout (Strength within) and this one is not as intense, imo. The intensity is at the beginner level until after about 15-20 minutes. There are no kicks in the first 15 minutes. Throughout, Billy challanges you to draw on your Higher Power to get you to a new fitness level. He relates to several Scripture passages during the workout. After 15 minutes there are a few kick combinations, but not many. This whole workout does not seem to be as well done as Strength is. There is a short lower body segment in the middle, done on the floor that is quite challenging. Then back up for a little more cardio. I'd have preferred the floor work to be at the end.

I was able to up the intensity by adding hops and using 1 pound hand weights, but this a much easier Taebo than I am used to.

There is no prayer at the end, but a motivational talk by Billy. Overall a B+ workout for an easy day where you want some Christian motivation to get you through.

Tae Bo The Power Within is part of The Believer's Series, which means there is a strong Christian component to the workout. Billy begins the workout with a prayer, and throughout, he makes frequent references to drawing your power from Jesus. I am not a religious person, but I didn't mind the religious references and in fact liked the more general emphasis on on drawing your power from within.

The workout itself begins with 20 minutes of standing kickboxing moves. The pace of the workout is less frenetic than some of the other Tae Bo videos: for virtually every move, Billy does several sets at a slow pace first before moving up the pace. This is nice for beginners following along, but those monitoring their heart rate might not appreciate the fluctuations. The punches include jabs, upper cuts, and hooks, and although there are lots of knee lifts, there are only a few sets of kicks, including just the front kick and the roundhouse.

Next comes 8 minutes of floor work--the first half is tough glute work from a hands and knees position, and the second half is abs work from a seated position. Then it's back to standing for an additional 7 minutes of cardio. There is also a much longer cool-down than what Billy usually includes, with about 7 minutes of Tai Chi type moves. Overall, this would be a good video for those wanting a more inspirational workout or for others looking for a more slower-paced Tae Bo workout.