Denise Austin - Power Kickboxing

There are two 20 minute workouts and an instructional segment. Even if you are a Tae Bo pro, don't skip the demonstrations! I have been doing Tae-Bo for some time. I thought I knew what I was doing! But Denise's demonstrations taught me a few ways to improve!

The first workout is basic. But you will still burn some calories and tone up. It is easy to follow, no impossibly complicated moves to figure out.

The second workout is awesome! Its pace is faster. You'll do jabs, hooks, side kicks, back kicks, everything you do in Tae Bo. But Denise makes it go by a lot faster. And the drills don't drag on. So you don't get bored or overworked on one area. She also threads the "bob and weave" through the workout. Great for the legs! I have been sore for days now. There is some jumping around though, (mock jumproping and jumping jacks) so if you can't do high impact, I would stick with the basic workout.

Denise is painfully perky. She really likes to motivate, and say things like "burn that butter." (? ) I suppose that this might irritate some. If so, just hit the mute button.

Bottomline, if you want a great workout, or just a change from Tae Bo, buy this video. And if you are weighing this video versus Tae Bo, I recommend this one. Denise provides better instruction, and an overall better workout.

Buy it! You won't be sorry!


GREAT! VERY SIMILAR TO TAE BO BUT BETTER!   July 15, 1999
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

I am a teenager who is very active and in good shape, but after doing both workouts I did work up a good sweat. Denise Austin is much more encouraging in her videos than Billy Blanks, and has put together a better/less expensive video that offers a variety so that beginners and advanced can benefit. The only problem I have is that the length of the tape is shorter than Id hope-the workouts themselves are actually a little less than twenty minutes because of stretching and cool downs, but if you do both in sequence, the workout you obtain is a reasonable 35 minutes ( meaning 35 minutes that your heart rate is up). If you already own Tae Bo Basics, I wouldnt suggest purchasing this tape because many of the moves are almost identical to Billy Blanks....but I definately think that this tape is better and more effective-so if you are making the choice between the two, Id choose this one.


Is this the missing Intermediate Tae-Bo tape?   July 28, 2001
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

I am a fitness video junkie so I have lots of tapes, even several kickboxing tapes that you would think would be all the same, but they aren't. Although I find Denise Austin kind of annoying, I own a lot of her tapes because she does give me a good workout. When I bought this tape I also bought Tae-bo Basic and Tae-bo Advanced. While I enjoy Tae-bo Basic, and it really works my muscles, I feel that Power Kickboxing gives me a better aerobic workout. There are two workouts on this tape. I thought the first one, which is called "Skills" would be very easy since I did Tae-bo several weeks before I started this. Boy, was I surprise to discover it wasn't really that easy and it worked my body in a completely different way. After I got good at both "Skills" and Tae-bo Basic I decided to move up to the next level. I did Tae-bo Advanced first. There is a HUGE jump in skill levels between the basic and advanced tape. I couldn't keep up at all and actually twisted my knee. After I recovered, I went back to Denise and tried "Drills." This was just perfect for me. It was just hard enough that I felt challenged, but I could still get through it. So, while I still enjoy Tae-Bo Basic and consider it a good toning and sculping workout, I prefer Power Kickboxing for it's challenging but do-able aerobic effects. And you get used to all that perkiness eventually.


Energizing, Fun & Easy To Follow   October 18, 1999
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

Denise Austin is motivating, fun, and encouraging. This video is a terrific workout. It leaves me feeling confident and stronger everytime. It is easy-to-follow and the more you workout with the video, the more effective the exercises become--you can really feel the burn on your body. Denise Austin works you into the video at a great pace--the first 20 minutes are basic, but at the same time very challenging. She then moves you into the "Drills" section which is the best part. Overall, this is a workout you don't want to miss!

I originally checked this video out at the library, but because I love it so much, I've decided to buy it.


A decent workout...   June 26, 2001
K. Melissa Galyon (Rockwall, Texas)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

I have several Denise Austin tapes and enjoy them all. Her talking doesn't bother me, but it certainly bothers my husband, so I try to work-out before he gets home!

In this Power Kickboxing routine, you're basically getting a Tae-Bo work-out for a third of the going rate. Denise gives instructions on all of the basic moves during the first work-out. I think her kicks are slightly different than Billy Blanks, so be careful when doing the combinations.

The first work-out will definitely increase your heart rate, so you're getting the benefit of a cardio work-out but also learning some kickboxing moves at the same time. I think this one is more intense on the cardio side than the second session. The second session is slightly more advanced with several drills involved. There are also targeted ab exercises, which is a definite plus. I have a small area to exercise in, but I'm able to do both work-outs without knocking any furniture over!

Overall, I think this is a great cardio work-out for people of medium to high levels of skill. It'll be tough at first, but after a week or so, you'll know the exercises by heart. I'd also suggest alternating this tape with an abs video and regular aerobics tapes. The music is not the best by any means, so you may want to mute and/or use the radio instead. Enjoy!