What? No Jane Fonda?

I dug through the box of workout videos last night. It's like a fitness-tape time-machine in there. Abs of steel, buns of steel, some fancy beach workouts with bikinis and speedos. I'm not sure how motivated I would be watching some guy jump around in his skivvies, or a girl wearing barely-a-suit telling me to keep going. One would gross me out, one would cause a slew of unnecessary comparisons. There's no Richard Simmons in the box, but there's a whole SET of Billy Blanks' Tae Bo! I might not to get to whip out my drill sergeant prostrations, but there's lots of punching and kicking!
I decided that after my pilates, bootcamp, pilates, then teaching spinning/core yesterday morning, maybe staying home, cleaning my kitchen, and working out in my living room would be a good idea (did not anticipate scaring the bejeezus out of the cat, however).

I went looking for photos to accompany this blog post, and it seems that Mr. Billy Blanks is still producing videos, and now has a new & improved (if it's new, how can it be improved?) videos: Tae Bo AMPED. I guess this is how he's keepin' it real. There's a Q&A on the website that includes this Q:
How does Tae Bo AMPED help me lose weight and get fit?
and this A:
TAE BO AMPED is the fastest, most effective TAE BO workout ever created. My brand new workout is so powerful, you’ll feel the difference within 24 hours and start to see the results in just 7 days!

Now that's quite a promise -- and made without ever answering the question! You'll feel a difference in 24 hours? What does this mean for the old tae-bo methods? It's a lousy workout that 'might' create change if you pay close attention? I wonder how long and how often you have to kick and punch and get AMPED to feel a difference in 24 hours and see a difference in 7 days.

Either way -- I'm not buying the new ones because 1) I don't need to spend a bunch of money on fitness tapes (they're probably DVDs now) when I have the [incomplete] history of fitness in my living room (though, if I were going to buy one, it would be one of these) and 2) he talks about God and the Lord too much on his website. Makes me nervous. Although, I did find myself praying a bit during that second pilates class this week. Maybe I'm just still mad at churches in general (except the Episcopalians -- my mom wants to the world to know that Episcopalians [at least not the ones who branched off so they could go be conservative on their own] are friendly and welcoming and deserving of my not being mad at them).

In another question, someone basically says, "I've been trying to stick with a program, but I don't -- how is this different?" Billy Blanks channels Yoda and says, more or less, "Do or don't do. There is no try."

Okay, focus. Last night I did the 'instructional video' in Tae Bo where Billy Blanks walks through how to do the moves and lets the viewer practice a bit.
Billy is wearing leg warmers and has his hands wrapped as though he's ready to get into a boxing ring. Leg warmers. And his group of girls that are also doing this instructional class look like they go from freshly made up (including jewelry and make up and manicures) to sweating profusely (nothing smears, though) in about 4 minutes. I felt underdressed. And futuristic, what with no leg warmers or headbands.
I got to punch and kick and say things like "pow pow pow" [I added that bit; it's not in the video] as I squatted and balanced and squeezed my glutes and triceps while protecting my face (I'm not sure from what, but I'm ready).

Today I'm thinking of going to spinning at the gym (but not zumba) because it's the instructor's last night. I might choose kicking and punching at home though because I taught spinning this morning and I'm not sure I want to go back for more. Maybe it's just time to call upon all that motivation I'm growing.

p.s. Legwarmers are back. Get yours now.