I play a lot of different Virtual Reality fitness games. My go-to for a major sweat session has to be The Thrill of the Fight VR Boxing. This game pushes you harder than any other VR experience. I find that it is quite the struggle to go longer than 45 minutes in this intense workout.
On the surface, the game is designed as a boxing simulation in VR, but really it is an exercise in pure endurance. There are various opponents that you square off against each with their own strengths and abilities. Some of the fighters fall with relative ease, but even the “easy” fighters require a lot of timing, accuracy, and strength. Playing the base game is a great way to get an intense cardio workout, however, we here at Virtual Reality Fitness insider we want to push those boundaries. Here are some ways that you can get the most out of Thrill of the Fight, VR Boxing.
Go the Distance
The Thrill of the Fight starts you off fighting shorter rounds, with a limit of 3 rounds. So when you first go against a fighter you will have parameters set for you. Your first opponent will be a sparring partner. This helps you get familiar with what the game expects from you. Once you defeat this partner you start your “career” as an amateur fighter.
The first time you go against an “actual” fighter the rounds will last 2 minutes and you will have to slug through 3 rounds. When you pass that fight with a win the real workout for you begins. You can unlock the ability to change the parameters of the fight.
Now you can change the amount of time each round and how many rounds will take place during your fight. You can also change the fighter and make them tougher, stronger, and have more endurance. You can also change the amount of time between rounds that you rest. I generally leave this the default of 60 seconds.
To start, I change the rounds to 3 minutes long (Which is how long a real fight would last per round) and I change the number of rounds from 3, to 12. This is when the workout becomes a lot more effort. As you duck, dodge, and throw punches you will soon find yourself out of breath, and at times you might even develop a stitch in your side. Hearing the bell ring will become a very welcome sound.
300 Seconds of Effort
Now going the distance for 12 rounds eats up a lot of time. Not everyone wants to commit to playing against one fighter for close to an hour (36 minutes of fighting with 12 mins of rest). So what I like to do when my time is limited is up the round time. Instead of 2 or 3 minute rounds up it to a full max of 5 minutes. Keep it at 3 rounds and give yourself a good 20 min sweat.
300 seconds never seemed so long. I promise you that. Fight hard and push through while you protect yourself and you will feel the results. Using the YUR Fitness Tracker you can measure your effort. If you start to notice your heart rate is going down you might be slacking in your effort. That is what I enjoy about going this route, you can see when you are falling short and pick up the pace.
Outmatched, Outclassed
Putting your opponent at a higher difficulty level, such as Outclassed is a great way to push your limits. They will hit harder and have a lot more steam than they normally would. This requires you to be a little more tactical in your approach. Putting you on the defense more means that you keep your hands up with your feet and head in constant motion. The punches you land will require you to swing your arms harder and with more accuracy. For me, this turns a boxing match into a major endurance test.
When playing in this mode it feels like you are in an actual fight. I noticed that as I went through the rounds at this level I gained a new respect for real boxers. It was a lot of effort, sweat, and digging deep. When you consider the fact that real boxers are doing what you are doing while taking hits to their face and body it really puts things in perspective.
Bring me, EVERYONE!
Another great way to approach The Thrill of the Fight is going through the base game as your workout. This puts you against every different fighter in the game for 3 rounds each. As you progress through this mode it unlocks the fighters and gives you the ability to make those changes to the parameters.
This is a great way to get a lot of variety while pushing your limits. The fighters become faster, stronger, and harder to defeat. Over time the first two fighters will seem like baby town frolics and you may even score a TKO (three knockdowns in one round) or even a KO (Knockout). The next series of fighters will not go down so easily. Not only are you tired, but they are also rested and stronger than the previous ones.
Going through each fighter takes nearly an hour and it will push you. If you can do this every day then you have excellent stamina. I have seen professional fighters and amateurs alike refer to Thrill of the Fight as an excellent workout when played this way.
Combined Effort
I find that what I enjoy the most is combining a lot of the above strategies to get the most out of my workout. I will make the rounds last longer, sometimes I skip the rest period and try and push through 3 rounds as fast as I can. Other times I will make the fighter outclass me, and try to see if I can win after 12 rounds. There is no limit to how many different ways you can approach The Thrill of the Fight to get more out of your workout. I assure you in the end you will be a tired, sweaty mess. Feeling like you just fought for your life will destroy those calories.
Often at the end of my workout, I will have to wring out the sweat from my VR cover as well as my T-shirt. It feels great and seeing the calorie counter clocking in at 700 – 800 calories burned in one 12 round fight is a good feeling.
