EA Sports NFL Training Camp: Report 3, Day 14

60 Day Challenge Day 14, Workout #8
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Trainer: Joseph Addai
Time: 28:34
Calories Burned: 174.9
Avg. Heart Rate: 104 bpm

Got up nice and early this morning (6:15) to get my week going with an NFL workout. Check out the screenshot below that I grabbed from the EA Sports Active website, which shows the details of the workout:

Today's workout summary graph (click to enlarge)

The black line shows calories burned, while the white line shows your heart rate. If you put your mouse over and of the dots, it shows you the details of that exercise (Stride Jumps in the screetshot). I'm about 90% sure my heart rate monitor was not registering properly during a few of the workouts which you can see in the middle. I haven't had this problem before, but I doubt that my heart rate fell below 100 while I was running around in the WR obstacle course.

Overall today's workout felt a lot more challenging than Saturday's. It focused on the lower body, so there were a lot of squat and lunge type of exercises. My legs felt pretty weak walking up the stairs to the shower.

Well, there's one more in the books. I'm still feeling really positive about this workout program. Saturday seemed a little too easy, but today had me sweating and struggling again (in a good way). Off day tomorrow and then my back to back days Wednesday and Thursday!

EA Sports NFL Training Camp: Report 2 (Day 12)

60 Day Challenge Day 12, Workout #7
LP Stadium, Tennessee, Trainer: Vince Young
Time: 25:59
Calories Burned: 151.3
Avg. Heart Rate: 104 bpm

I've got to be honest, today really didn't challenge me much. I feel like I've been getting in better shape, so that might explain it a little bit, but my previous workout on Thursday left me out of breath a lot more and my average heart rate was around 112 if I recall and calories burned was over 190.

Summary of the exercises: 3 stretching exercises, shoulder presses, jump squats, foot fires, bent over rows, jump squats, lateral shoulder raises, QB obstacle course, bent arm side planks, reverse crunches, push ups, foot fires, jump squats, single arm bent over rows, foot fires, overhead tricep extensions, field goal challenge, bent arm side planks, reverse crunches, then four stretching exercises.

My impressions of the workout:

UFC Personal Trainer coming to Wii/Kinect/Move in April 2011

Well, today is a scheduled rest day in my NFL Training Camp 60 day challenge. Its a welcome rest day since I was definitely feeling the effect of all those jump squats while I was coming down the stairs in my house this morning. I wanted to make a quick post about a new fitness game coming out in a few months. There isn't a lot of info available, but THQ is releasing a UFC themed fitness game on the Wii, Kinect, and Move called UFC Personal Trainer in April of this year.

Details are sparse at this point, so I'll have to reserve any sort of judgment until I can find out more or maybe see some clips of the game in action, but I'm tentatively excited to see another fitness game that has a decidely "male" appeal to it. There certainly aren't a shortage of fitness type games on the market, but so many of them seem targeted at females. Obviously a guy can still do these workouts, but something about having a more masculine theme seems more appealing to me, which probably explains why I'm so far sticking with NFL Training Camp, whereas the generic themes of EA Sports Active and Wii Fit didn't keep me drawn in. If I see a dance workout game, or something with Jillian Michaels on the cover I'll pass, thanks.

Do other guys out there feel the same way? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I don't want to feel embarassed by the workout I'm doing. I'd feel kind of emasculated to admit I'm doing an aerobics routine with a virtual Jenny McCarthy. [Okay, there is not supposed to be any innuendo in that last sentence. There really is a family-friendly Wii workout game that features Jenny McCarthy]

I'll be sure to post more about the UFC title when more info becomes available, and I'm always keeping an eye out for news on any other upcoming Wii exercise titles. Back to the NFL workouts tomorrow. I'll post a detailed recap of my workout tomorrow so people can get a good idea of what a typical workout is like.

EDIT: Just read this article on Joystiq: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/02/ufc-trainer-grappling-with-delays-launching-in-june/

Looks like it'll be out in June... maybe.

EA Sports NFL Training Camp: Review & Report 1

As a pretty serious NFL fan, I was definitely intrigued when I heard about EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp for the Wii. I have worked out with EA Sports Active 2 before, and while I felt like it provided a good workout, it was BOOORING. It just felt really generic, it had no personality and nothing really kept me coming back to it. I have now had NFL Training Camp for a week and a half and I haven't missed a workout in the 60 challenge. I actually found myself wanting to do a workout yesterday even though it was a designated rest day per the program.



Here's what comes in the box



Lets start out with some of the basics about NFL Training Camp. It retails for around $100 (though I have seen it on sale for much less) [EDIT: Just noticed the regular price seems to have dropped to $60. Nice!], includes the game, manual, arm sensor w/heart rate monitor, leg sensor, and a resistance band. The game features a collection of different exercises, many of which are NFL themed. They range from yoga-type stretches/poses to resistance band exercises to obstacle courses and several football skills workouts that simulate things like throwing passes, tackling dummies, kicking field goals, and making interceptions. Its a good variety, and you can either choose from workouts that have been created from these exercises by stipulating the intensity, time, and type of workout you'd like, or you can create a custom workout by simply selecting which exercises you would like to perform. There is also the 60 day challenge, which is really what I will be writing the most about to begin with.

The 60 day challenge first requires you to determine a workout schedule - you pick four days of the week you'd like to work out and the other three days are to be rest days. If you need to adjust your workout days, there is an option to do so, but it does not take effect until the following week. I began the challenge last Tuesday (1/18/11) and have so far completed six workouts as of this morning. I haven't missed any of my scheduled workouts yet. Here are my initial impressions of the game:

Welcome to my blog!

Can a 26 year old with a desk job and an extra 20 pounds accumulated since high school turn things around by working out with a Wii? We'll see...

Growing up, it was always easy to stay in shape. I ate whatever I wanted, ran around outside all day, rain or shine, life was good. Next thing you know, running around isn't so much a leisure activity - its something you do if you see your bus speeding away from you or if you feel you might be in mortal danger. Exercise is the last thing on your brain after spending a ten hour day sitting in a chair at the office. Maybe you'll just have a seat in front of the television or go have a beer or three to unwind with your friends. Then one day you happen to catch an unflattering glimpse of yourself in the mirror coming out of the shower, or god forbid you step on a scale. It hits you - what happened here?

I'm a 26 year old male, not in the worst of shape, but my figure has certainly evolved to reflect my more sedentary office job lifestyle. I'm a good 15 to 20 pounds heavier than I was in high school a mere 8 years ago. In the last few years I've joined a gym, bought an exercise bike, taken up actual cycling, bought a set of dumb bells, and attempted to go for a jog more than once, just to name a few of my attempts to get back in shape. Well... I've also quit the gym I joined, didn't ride my bike more than five or six times last year, probably about the same can be said for my stationary bike, and the dumb bells are more or less gathering dust. Oh, and don't ask about the jogging...

I've got all the excuses too - It's raining outside, what if I look stupid and run into someone I know, the gym is closed, this workout bores me to death... Well, what excuses do I have to not try working out with my Wii? Its in the privacy of my own home, I own the required equipment, less any software I'd like to try, and it seems like it can be engaging.