Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes

I bought the book and two DVDs (Instructional #1- Basic Workout Plus and Total Workout) five years ago... I read the book, was inspired by the real, heartfelt, and detailed testimonials, watched the DVDs, and tried the program. I lasted maybe a month doing the 15-minute workout and then I moved on. I never even got familiar with the 45-minute workout. I was interested in tightening up and losing a little weight, but I don't think I "got it" then. I tucked the whole thing on a shelf somewhere.Lately, I've been trying to tackle some health issues and was reading Mary Shomon's book, the latest publication of "The Thyroid Diet Revolution" and lo and behold, she started talking about Teresa Tapp and T-Tapping, saying she recommended the program as especially helpful to thyroid patients. So I dug out my old book and DVDs. As an amateur dancer (ballet, modern, jazz, "clogging") and naturally a small person, I am looking to tighten up more than lose a lot of inches (though the thighs and behind are my trouble areas). I realize that I'm lucky and don't have the hurdle that some do, but still, my body's far from perfect and I am trying not to fall completely apart as I age. I've watched too many around me just rust with age and I want to avoid any atrophy that I can by being proactive with my health.When I reached for the 15-minute workout DVD, I saw that it had a crack in it. I have no idea how that happened, but I figured I could always just do the first 15 minutes of the 45-minute workout and call it a day, since that is all the 15-minute workout is; just the beginning of the 45-minute one. But I ended up doing the whole 45 minutes and enjoying it. To be fair, I think you need both the book and the Instructional #1- Basic Workout Plus DVD in order to get the hang of these exercises. They're just different. I may be a dancer, which helps in picking up the form for the exercises, but I detest "exercise" and find that books never, ever explain moves as well as a written/visual combo does.Anyway, don't be fooled by the low-impact talk. I work up a considerable sweat doing this workout. When she says, "Feel the heat?" I respond- every time- "Yes, I do!" It's a good workout and I want to point out that I feel energized by it and not drained. I love that it stretches me out in ways that I didn't even know I was so tight... The first two weeks of doing the workout, I would groan every time she said, "Okay, now let's do a runner's stretch!" It's not even that long or hard, but something about her method was so hard for me. And here I thought that would be the easiest thing. In fact, all of the exercises seem so simple and easy that you don't even know you're working hard.Because I dance, I am very, very pleased with how much looser my hamstrings and my lower back are since I've been doing the 45-minute workout. It must be the way this program warms up the whole body, because I've never before been able to get those two areas to have lasting results from my stretching, but now they feel far better. They were both such tight areas for me and after less than a month, they feel great and relaxed. My arms are more toned, my waist is tighter, and my legs look more sculpted than a month ago. All this in just a month of a simple, not- exhausting program. I feel great, I don't dread exercising, and I've lost some inches, just as promised. Like I said, I'm small, but small doesn't mean tight, so I'm working to tighten my trouble areas and haven't bothered to weigh myself. I just like the way I look and feel.Awesome workout. Take your first couple of days to read about it and watch the Instructional #1- Basic Workout Plus DVD. I wouldn't say this is basic calisthenics and I find the main website confusing, but whatever. It's working.Just get started. I'm really pleased because I can see and feel the results and after every workout, I feel even better. No kidding.Pros-I feel great, physically and mentallyI can clearly see the results in my bodyI don't dread doing the 45-minute workoutIt's not hard or humiliatingIt's not exhaustingNo impact and no running or jumping, thank GodAs you continue to do it, you get better form and can feel the results improvingCons-It's different and a bit confusing at first- a little awkward to figure outThe visuals of the book and main site are datedThe main site is kind of baffling- just get the basic stuff and start

My energy and my mood have sky-rocketed! After years of extreme, undiagnosed fatigue and steady weight gain, I suddenly feel great. I am playful instead of dutiful with my children, I am dancing and singing along with the music station instead of slogging through my day listening to monotonous talk radio, and my husband and I are experiencing something akin to a renaissance. And I am loving my snug clothes getting loose and my loose clothes hitting the Goodwill box.T-Tapp is the real deal. It really works, and works quickly. But be forewarned: it isn't without effort. It is completely unlike getting on a treadmill and zoning out for thirty minutes. Learning T-Tapp is more like learning to play an instrument. It requires thought, concentration, application, and practice.For example, after doing Organs in Place all week, I suddenly felt a real, physical shift occur while I was doing "tighten, release, tighten, release" the other day. I had been thinking of that part as just strengthening muscles after organs were in place, but no--it is a huge part of the actual "putting organs in place" part! A week of going through the motions, and then sudden insight and a new level of effectiveness. This new understanding has changed the way I do that move a bit. Now, I was already seeing great progress before I *got* this fine point, but getting it really made a difference. In other words, faking it till you make it is okay, in fact, vital, as long as you keep trying to perfect your technique.I am generally pleased with the book itself. Unfortunately, it can't download the information directly into my brain, but it does give detailed, well-illustrated instructions for each posture and movement, including the whys and the most common mistakes. It is written clearly, although the complexity of the subject is bound to make even the clearest writing overwhelm at first. I loved the index, and find it and excellent crib-sheet for navigating the website. While I enjoyed all the success stories, I did find the way they are inserted into the text distracting. I also found myself a little unsure a couple of times if a photo was illustrating good form or a common mistake, due to lack of clear captions.Though I've never met her, I adore Teresa Tapp, and feel indebted to her for the years of work that she poured into developing the T-Tapp system, testing and documenting it's effectiveness, and bringing it to the public. She is not afraid of scientific studies! I perceive her as educated, knowledgeable and honest, and bought some things from her website I would never have believed were anything but a rip-off from any other source. (Think "cellulite.") But I'd like to see T-Tapp made more "user friendly." I think this book is a great step in that direction, but I hope there is a restructuring of the website in the works.The T-Tapp website is a wonderful resource, and I spend a lot of time there these days, surfing for free, looking for inspiration as well as information. But is so difficult to navigate.For example, I ordered several items from the site--which arrived promptly and were a real treat to get. But the ordering process was a real pain. I had to locate products by wading through categories clicking through several different pages, then check the boxes of products I wanted. So far, not too bad, but when I tried to check out, only the last couple of item appeared in my cart. I finally figured out that after selecting items you have to click on a *check out* link at the bottom of the page to put the checked items in your cart, or you lose the items when you move on to continue shopping. And the system times you out really quickly if you step away to get your purse or change a diaper. With all my bumbling, I had to start from scratch a couple of times. (I really wanted the stuff...I'd never have persevered for a more casual interest.)I'd love to see website that's more intuitive to navigate, with a checkout system as easy as Amazon's.It's sort of a metaphor for the beauty and frustration of T-Tapp itself, now that I think about it. It is more complex and requires more of us mentally than we expect from exercise, but we stick with it because the payoff is so huge. T-Tapp may get refined and more accessible, as the years pass, but until then, it's worth the effort. If it were the same old same old that fit our comfort level, it wouldn't be revolutionary, or worth your money.

The book is an excellent resource as a reference. However, I would not recommend it alone. The DVD is necessary to learn the workout. The DVD that is included with the book is NOT the DVD you need! It is an extra one that might be helpful someday when you get through the total workout. However, the book is worth the price because there is a 30% coupon and the workout itself is excellent. I use the book as a reference to make sure I am doing the workout correctly. It is also inspiring for the stories of the people who have improved from doing T-Tapp.The T-Tapp workout has been great for me. It helped me with my posture, I feel I have really built my core muscles, and I have not hurt myself doing it. I tried to do the workout using the book and I found it much to complicated. I gave up. Then I decided to try the exercises on her website. I was able to do a little, but I could only hold the stance for a minute or two. I bought the DVD and very gradually built up, one minute at a time, until I could do the 15 minute workout. I noticed a lot of improvement in my posture. After a year, I started doing the Total Workout. Now I am able to do 45 minutes. I still don't do one of the moves because it causes pain for me. From my experience, I recommend starting slowly and watching the DVD's a few times before you begin any of the exercises. Yes, it is complicated and not for everyone, but I like it and find it very effective and efficient.