Hi Poppy, I have been doing tae-bo since it first came out, mostly the Tae-bo Advanced tapes. I absolutely love it. I got off it for a while and started doing other tapes but I always go back to tae-bo. When I first started Atkins Dec 29th I knew that I had to go back to doing tae-bo for my cardio work. I use hand weights with the tape. Not only does it help cardio wise but it really does help with muscle tone. I've noticed that the most improvements are in my hips and thighs and arm definition. I also have the ripped tapes but I have to admit I always go back to the Advanced tapes because it's a little shorter in length than the ripped tapes. I hope you give it a try. I swear I don't work for the company I just absolutely love it and recommend it.