A few weeks ago I weighed in at just shy of 200 pounds (or 90kg), then we got the Wii Fit. After playing it for a combined 100 minutes (about 3-4 nights) I unlocked the basic Rhythm Boxing exercise.
Rhythm Boxing is not unlike Step Boxing. Lots of stepping and punching, and stepping back & blocking (hold both Wiimote & Nunchuk together in front of your face), in different combinations, for three minutes. After doing the Basic level a few times you unlock the Advanced level (or maybe it's Expert) which is more of the same, just with some slightly trickier combinations, repeated for 6 minutes.
Do that a few times and you unlock the Expert (or maybe it's Advanced) level, which is even trickier combinations repeated for 10 minutes. The Wii actually credits you with 13 minutes played for the highest level, so it's obviously counting the down-time between each combination when your Trainer shows you the next combination.
Your Trainer is a standing Heavy Bag (or maybe it's the Boxer who demonstrates each Combo prior to you doing it), and after each routine, i.e., 13 minutes for the highest level, you're given 15 seconds to throw as many punches as fast as you can, which can really tire you out if you throw serious punches.
Once I unlocked Rhythm Boxing it was pretty much all I did. Ok, I did trounce the High Score tables on Ski Jump, Slalom, Soccer, etc, but that was playing. For pure exercise, nothing beats the Rhythm Boxing if you do it properly and force yourself to actually work out. My daily routine is two sets at the highest level for 26 minutes, followed by a couple of Yoga/stretching routines for a couple more minutes. That's 30 minutes, daily, of aerobic exercise and stretching. Not too bad, really.
As I said earlier, prior to getting the Wii Fit I weighed in at approx. 200 pounds, but last night the Wii calculated my weight at 191. Admittedly I've been trying to eat a little healthier, such as no pastries when I get my daily Soy Latte. I used to get at least one Latte per day, if not two, but most days I can resist the urge and I'll have brewed coffee from the breakroom, which is not only less calories, but cheaper, too. If I get a snack from the cafeteria I resist the fatty snacks and get a bag of nuts or some fruit. But the Wii Fit still deserves a lot of credit.
It's convenient. It's right there in the family room. It takes just a minute or two to put on a pair of shorts and start working out, as opposed to getting my gym kit ready, getting into the car, driving 10 minutes to the gym, etc, etc.
It's also fun and interactive, a lot more so than an exercise DVD or a treadmill. With Rhythm Boxing if you get the timing of your punches spot on, the explosion from your glove hitting the bag is a lot bigger and louder, and you get extra points. Your Trainer also eggs you on, "Nice Punch! Nice Block! Watch your footwork!"
At 5'11 and 191 pounds, I'm still in the archaic BMI's "Overweight" category with a score of 26.6, but considering I'd need to drop to 178 pounds, or 80kg, just to have a high but Normal BMI, I'm not too fussed by that. Where the archaic BMI really falls on its face is thinking I'd need to get down to 160 pounds, or 72kg, to be in the middle of the Normal range. I think if I were to get down to 160 pounds, my family would probably start planning my funeral. Even in High School when I rode my bicycle everywhere I weighed 180 pounds, and I looked skinny at that weight. Well, more trim than skinny. If I can get back down to even just 185, I'll be happy.
Finally, remember in my initial review how I said the Wii Fit can be insulting? The bunny played it the other night, and when you start each session it sometimes asks you how another registered User is looking, and in this case it asked my daughter how I was looking.
One of the choices was "Toned", so I selected that.
The Wii Fit's response was one of disbelief. "Oh? Toned? Well, I...guess that's possible."
For a lump of plastic and circuit board, it sure can be sarcastic.
*EDIT - Cooling down from my Workout last night I did a couple of Ski Jumps. On one set of jumps I landed a 180+m jump.
"Don't mess up the second jump," I told myself, but of course I choked and finished with a combined score of barely 310 metres.
At the High Score screen Liz asked me who had the Top Score.
I do, I said, scrolling up...and my jaw dropped when I saw my wife's name was in the number one spot. She'd pipped me by about 3 metres.
Well done, dear :)
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5 comments:
One thing my friend found about the wii fit is that it is incredibly inaccurate when being used on carpet. He tried using it on the living room floor (carpet) and found that from one day to the next his weight would fluctuate by 3-7 lbs, whereas when being used on a solid surface, the machine was accurate. Something to take into account.
The whole BMI thing is total bupkis! What if you're in good shape with muscles and stuff? You'd be considered overweight. Sure, some people who are overweight by the BMI really are overweight, but % body fat would be way more useful.
I finally got around to getting some life insurance the other day. My wife qualifies for the best possible rates. I on the other hand settle for the next step down. Why? Because I'm too tall or too skinny, whichever you prefer. WTF!
We have a hardwood floor, so that's not an issue, but another problem I have with the Wii is it acknowledges that your weight can fluctuate by 2 lbs (or more) in a 24-hour period. It actually tells you this.
If you've "gained" 2 pounds since yesterday's weigh in, the Wii asks you to think of the reason for the weight gain. Oddly enough, "daily weight fluctuation" is not listed as a choice. "I don't know" is there, however, which you choose because every other choice is a negative (snacking, over eating, not working out, etc) but the Wii gives you a lecture anyway.
Bughunter, I agree 100% the BMI is ridiculous, and someone with more money (& better attorneys) than me needs to take the Life Insurance companies to court over them using it.
Fortunately I have an electronic set of scales which measures my Body Fat percentage. Last time I actually used it (Lord knows how long ago that was) I was at about 23%, I think. Maybe I should check it tonight.
Body weight could fluctuate by 2lbs could be caused by ummmm errrr bodily functions? ;-) lol
My wife's a PhD candidate in nutrition, and mentioned that BMI was developed, as someone else mentioned, by the insurance companies back in the 20th century. Michael Jordan, at his playing peak, would be considered obese on the BMI scale.
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