Tai-bo: non-contact fitness for weight loss and endurance

What is tai-bo?

Tai-bo is a group fitness program that combines taekwondo, karate and boxing punches with elements of aerobics and hip-hop.

The creator of the technique - seven-time world champion in karate and black belt in taekwondo Billy Blanks - called the program based on the first syllables of two martial arts: taekwondo ("tae" - tae kwon do) and boxing ("bo" - boxing).

Tai-bo classes are held in the format of an intensive cardio session for 30-60 minutes. These include easy-to-learn combinations of steps, punches, and power movements. All this is accompanied by incendiary music and instructor's comments.

Do you need to fight in tai-bo classes?

Tai-bo is a non-contact form of fitness. There is no sparring or punching and bagging. All movements from martial arts act as elements of choreography, and not fighting techniques.

You can freely splash negativity in training without risking leaving the class with bruises or getting injured.

On the other hand, if you hope tai-bo will help you learn self-defense techniques, look elsewhere.

Can you lose weight with tai-bo?

Classes involve movement without interruption and almost constant work at a pulse of 150-160 beats per minute. For an hour of such training, the body spends about 400 kilocalories.

In one study, 2.5 months of training, three times a week, helped participants lose 4 pounds and decrease waist circumference by 6 centimeters without dieting. However, obese women were observed in this experiment. If your weight is within the normal range, it may take longer to lose fat.

In any case, intense training will increase the waste of energy, so if you do not gorge on after exercise, excess weight will begin to go away. And if you supplement exercise with proper nutrition without excess calories, extra pounds will leave you even faster.

Can you build muscle with tai-bo?

This is unlikely. Strength training is needed to build muscle, and tai-bo is a cardio exercise.

Squats and lunges without weight, punches and kicks, steps and jumps are all light movements that will not provide the muscles with sufficient stimulus to grow.

In tai-bo there are also more difficult workouts - with the use of resistance bands for fitness. In such exercises, elastic bands are worn on the arms or legs and create additional resistance during work. Muscle fatigue will be greater than after similar movements without equipment, but this is not enough for the appearance of a noticeable relief.

This is not to say that tai-bo will not affect the muscles at all. Classes will strengthen them and slightly increase in volume, especially if you have not been engaged in physical activity for a long time.

But for further growth and noticeable relief, you will have to add strength training: with a barbell and dumbbells, on simulators or with your own weight.

How often should you practice tai bo?

In studies on the benefits of tai-bo, participants exercised three times a week. This is enough to meet the WHO standard of physical activity to maintain health.

If you have not been involved in sports for a long time, it is worth starting with short sessions of 20-30 minutes. When the muscles stop hurting from the unusual load, and you can move without stopping and severe shortness of breath, increase the training time to 45-60 minutes.

If you want to burn more calories, you can exercise more often - five times a week for 60 minutes. Since tai-bo is not a strength sport, your muscles don't need long rest, and 300 minutes of medium-intensity cardio per week will only improve your health and shape.

Who is not allowed to do tai-bo?

Tai-bo is a pretty gentle kind of fitness. It is practiced by both overweight people and the elderly with osteoporosis.

The only thing is that you should be careful about training if you have problems with the cardiovascular system.

High intensity sessions can trigger a heart attack, so before starting a session, consult with your cardiologist and report your concerns to the trainer.

Do you have to do tai-bo in the gym?

Since tai-bo is a group program, it is worth going to a fitness club at least once. The company of other athletes, loud energetic music and coach commands will help you to give your best and still have fun.

If you do not have the opportunity or do not want to study in a group, you can successfully master the direction at home. The tai-bo movements are simple, require little experience, and are unlikely to cause injury if performed incorrectly. Plus, you don't need any equipment to train.

A little free space, comfortable clothes and sneakers - that's all you need for a full cardio session. If you want to increase the load on the muscles, you can buy elastic bands at any sports store and work out with them.

Finding an exercise program is also easy. Tai-bo has been around for over 30 years, and during this time, a huge number of training videos have accumulated, many of which are freely available.

Where to find tai-bo training programs?

If you want to train with certified instructors and do the latest exercise options, buy a subscription from the official tai-bo website. It costs $ 30 and provides access to over 150 workout streams and online classes with Billy Blanks at Zoom.

You can also practice for free on YouTube videos. There is a huge amount of workout there, from short snippets to full hour sessions with warm-ups at the start and stretching at the end. The best way to start your immersion in the world of tai-bo is through the official channel.