Boot camp alumnus Julie Pinson (Billie, DAYS OF OUR LIVES), who slimmed down, toned up and totally transformed her body with the grueling military regimen a few years back, has found a new way to keep herself in tip-top shape.

"I've been doing Tae Bo, which I love, with Billy Blanks," says Pinson, referring to noted the exercise guru. "Missy Reeves (Jennifer) turned me onto it. I noticed that she was looking so hot lately. She looked fit and had this hard, little body. I was like, 'Missy, what are you doing?' She said, 'I've been going to Tae Bo class.' I said, 'Sign me up. What time? I'll meet you there.' "

Pinson attended a few classes with Reeves and loved it, although she is the first to admit that the routine is extremely challenging.

"It's very intense," insists Pinson. "It's an hour of mostly cardio. There's a lot of punching — just punching into the air. You're not punching a bag or anything. It's kind of like boxing. There's a lot of kicking, too. I never knew that my calves could sweat," she adds with a chuckle.

However, there are rewards. "I've been doing Tae Bo for about four months, and I've seen a big difference. There's a change in my whole body shape," says Pinson. "Because you do lots of twisting as you're punching into the air, it really whittles your waist down. That's probably been the biggest thing I've noticed."

Pinson highly recommends her exercise routine. "It works and it's a lot of fun, too. I'm lucky enough to live here in Los Angeles, where I can go to Billy's actual studio and take classes with him." She frequents Billy Blanks' World Training Center in Sherman Oaks, Calif. "If you can't, I'd say get his tapes. They're great, too. I've recommended them to all my friends, and they love them."

Blanks' full line of workout tapes and DVDs are available at billyblanks.com.