Work Out Review - T-Tapp "More" Rehab Program

I have had this DVD ... well, for about a month! Yikes - a long time to go without even cracking the seal to look it over. BUT I finally got around to it and here is what I think.

T-Tapp MORE Rehab Program ($56): 

Created for Those Who Have MORE to Lose, MORE Health Issues to Overcome or MORE Birthday Candles on the Cake

The Reason: I bought this DVD to review for others in my life who are struggling to lose "more." Well, that's only partly true - I looked up T-Tapp because of a glowing recommendation on another blog. My fellow stay-at-home-mom blogger really raved about Teresa Tapp's system of strengthening and weight loss. So I looked it up and for a week or so, I followed the try-it-free workout clips she has on her site. Then I bought the "More" DVD to pass on to a friend who is really working hard to get in shape and lost "more."

Let me say that Teresa Tapp is one of those perky, happy people that are irritating - in the same way that Richard Simmons is irritating. Perky but - more importantly - memorable. That is: I remember her face, actions and admonitions, even when I'm not watching her videos. When it comes to overall weight loss, that can be a helpful. And for the record, I am a huge Richard Simmons fan because he has helped so many people in his lifetime!

The Hype: Here is what the little brochure says about the program I purchased:

T-Tapp MORE Rehab Program

• Created for Those Who Have MORE to Lose, MORE Health Issues to Overcome or MORE Birthday Candles on the Cake
• Rebuilds Cardiac Health Without Jumping & Only 20 Minutes or less per Workout! 

•  Helps Rehabilitate Shoulders, Lower Back, Hips & Knees Without Weights.

• Helps Build Better Body Alignment, Neuro-Kinetic Pathway & Lymphatic Function, as Well as Build Muscle Density, Not Bulk, for Body Sculpting Inch Loss. 

My Impression: We'll ignore that her layout designer liked the "shift" key a lot in her type copy (see the quoted material above - those overused capital letters are not because I am that excited about the program, they are directly copied from her little booklet) to say that my overall impression is that this is a very good program. Read on to find out why.

The Details: Though I'm not looking to lose weight, I am looking to be healthier and to bulk up some. Since T-Tapp is designed to make the user leaner without adding bulk, it is not ultimately going to be the program for me. But one thing that I have struggled with for a long time is having good posture - standing up straight. I have tried so many of the different ideas out there for remembering to stand tall and they work for a little while, but not for the long haul. I needed to strengthen my core muscles - the stomach muscles - to pull my back forward and push my chest out. Teresa's perky little face helped with that - right away.

The first thing that users should do when starting the T-Tapp program is watch the video, without trying to follow along, or at least watch movement by movement. Tapp's program is so different from the other programs out there that you're going to be challenged right away. She has combined elements of Pilates and Yoga in with other moves so it will stretch you in ways that other programs might not.  

A couple of things that I really liked about the T-Tapp method is that a) there is no jumpy music to try to keep up to the rhythm of while you're trying to get the moves down well; 

b) the other exercisers seen on the video are overweight themselves - noticeably so. This is not a video that uses a host of people who are done with their weight-loss journeys, this video shows three people: Teresa Tapp, who is thin and fit and wears a one-piece, full-body white outfit that shows off her muscle tone. It is a creepy, not so flattering outfit, really (maybe one of those rubber suits?? I don't know), but it does allow her to show the required positioning of the body parts while doing the exercises. The other two women working out behind Teresa are women who look like they've lost enough weight that they have issues with excess skin, but who still have a ways to go. They wear oversized tee shirts and comfortable pants and look like they are on the weight-loss journey themselves. It's heartening and makes it easy for even the most obese person to think, I can do this too.

c) Teresa keeps the tempo slow and takes care to point out areas that a very heavy person might struggle with - keeping the toes pointed forward, for instance, or keeping the knees bent enough, etc. She seems to have really done her homework on this one and has made the exercises easy enough that large people can handle them. Will a large wo/man work up a sweat? Yes. And they'll be breathing hard too, but the exercises are do-able! And the two women in the back aren't having to do a "modified" version of each exercise - they are doing the exercises as Teresa outlines them. These workouts are designed for people with "more to lose".

d) Teresa takes time to explain the different muscle groups that you're working - lats, glutes, etc, focusing on isometric exercises. She also takes the time to explain why she suggests certain changes to the normal way of doing things. For instance, when walking, she says to keep the toes pointed forward, etc. and then says to keep the palms of your hands pointed forward as well. The reason? To keep the shoulders pronated back and thereby keep your back straighter and use your muscles more efficiently in that area (and trim back fat, she says.)

e) The emphasis is not on meeting weight-loss goals or a BMI count, instead the focus is on better overall health and inches lost. I think this is fabulous because too often as we build muscle, we see the numbers on the scale go up and get discouraged but if your pants are getting looser and you're seeing a need to buy new shirts, you're going to feel like "something" is working and want to continue!

The exercises are also designed to be done with shoes on - that I didn't know until I poked around on the Forums on her website, but there it is. This will come as a comfort to some folks who have trouble putting shoes on and don't like to make that transition until bedtime. 

The DVD also includes workouts that are 

• for folks who have to sit down ("Chair"), 
• Broom (uses only a broom for the work out and is fewer than 7 minutes long), 
• "Step Away" (T-Tapp techniques to apply to walking, to maximize muscle movement as you're walking around in your day-to-day activities. This part is the part I can vouch for - she also talks about the shoes in the first minute or two of this portion. Apparently they use weighted shoes to maximize every movement.)
• "From my home to your home" - this is where she takes it to an increased intensity and doesn't have the other two women there with her.

What you get in the box:

• The More DVD
• a little brochure that purports to be about what to use to optimize your results - and while there is good information in that little tri-fold, it is also a supplement advertisement for other things she sells. 
• a second tri-fold that talks about nutrition ("God made/Man Made dietary guidelines for optimal results".) This second tri-fold looks more like information and less like an advertisement, though it does center around her dietary plan; it is useful by itself without purchasing extra stuff. 
• two exercise/measurement progress booklets - I'll give my thoughts on this in a minute.   

So, overall impression - is it worth the money? 
I would say it is and I can't wait to hear from you if you decide to check it out!