by A. South

Created on: March 15, 2009

Punch, jab, kick, repeat. It sounds easy enough, but just 10 minutes of the routine will get your heart pumping and muscles burning. It's called Tae Bo and it's an internationally successful workout series created by Billy Blanks. The system combines aerobic exercise, dynamic moves and self-awareness for a challenging, body-changing workout.

"Tae Bo is so successful because it is not about the person who created it, but about teaching people how to change their mindset from the inside out which, in turn, changes the body," says Blanks.

Punch, jab, kick, repeat. Still too easy? Now try it at Billy Blanks speed: double time.
The newest Tae Bo series, T3 Total Transformation Training, is a three-part system that engages the body, mind and will. The system comes together to change your body and change the way you think about fitness.

"It will take you to the level that you always wanted to go in your fitness life," Blanks explains.

During T3 workouts, participants connect with Blanks as a mentor through focused instruction designed to build confidence, dedication and focus. The series comes with three different workouts, a guide to the moves, weight-loss and healthy eating guides and one-pound weights.

"It's more than a workout, it's a way to regain control of your body, your mind and your life," says Blanks.

Through Tae Bo, Blanks has helped people change their lives since 1989. Combining his martial arts background and dance moves, he created Tae Bo and taught the first Tae Bo classes in his garage. Initially, the Tae Bo craze spread through word of mouth. When celebrities caught on to the dramatic results Tae Bo renders, the work out became a rapid success.

Physical fitness is important to the entire Blanks family. His wife Gayle is Blanks's Tae Bo partner, his daughter Shellie is an instructor and is featured in many of his videos and his son Billy Jr. also teaches.

"My favorite part of Tae Bo is watching people change, helping them reach their goals, learn and grow," Blanks says.

Working hard isn't just Blanks' fitness philosophy; as the fourth of fifteen children growing up in a bad neighborhood in Eerie, Penn. Blanks learned to value hard work and dedication.

As a child, Blanks struggled with dyslexia and a problem in his hip joints that impaired his movement. After struggling in other sports, he enrolled in his first martial arts class at age 11 and quickly mastered the sport. As a result of his dedication, Blanks earned a seventh-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do

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