We’re all busy people, but there’s no reason we can’t commit to fitness! Fitness is a lifetime pursuit with a long term payoff. No one likes feeling like their body is locked up, or like they are constantly out of breath or short on energy. Fitness helps us sleep better, stay focused and work out our aggression.
Like a reset for the body, fitness is all about building over the old foundations and making something better. With VR, you get the added bonus of in-game strength and bonuses to make you feel stronger.
But I was a new dad once, and I’m a busy professional now. I know how easy it is to tell yourself you have no time to pursue the things you want in life. Here are two mantras I try and hold dear when I hit those walls:
- Whatever goal you want isn’t going to accomplish itself
- You determine your destiny
With that in mind, I’m asking you to commit 20 minutes to this power workout. It’s full body and designed to leave you winded.
Are you up for the challenge?
To complete this challenge, you need the following games:
- Thrill of the Fight
- Hot Squat (Free)
- Any Rhythm Game (We Recommend BoxVR, Beat Saber or Synth Riders)
Thrill of the Fight | Down Two Opponents
Begin with two matches in Thrill of the Fight, taking some time to warm up with the training dummies as needed. This task only requires you beat two opponents, it doesn’t matter if you score a knockout or a three-fall victory. If I score too many knockouts, it’s usually a sign I need to up my difficulty.
Extreme Beast Mode: Try this with ankle weights and a weighted vest.
Hot Squat | Lose Four Times
Wait, what? Lose four times?
Digress with me. In the olden days of arcades, I would be given anywhere from $2 to $5 to play and it had to last all day. So I chose games that let me play for four continues ($.25×4=$1) so I could maximize my game knowledge. Over time, I’d get farther and my money would last longer.
Let’s take that philosophy of incremental improvement and apply it to Hot Squat.
The game gets pretty difficult pretty quickly, especially when you’re asked to hold a pose before you must rapidly squat. And let’s face it, the pacing is just like those twitchy arcade games of old. You need good reaction times, endurance and speed.
Extreme Beast Mode: Ok, hotshot. Now let’s see you do it with a vest on.
Still too easy?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7MYUP_rGWE?start=142&w=560&h=315]
Rhythm Game | Complete Two Songs
We recommend BoxVR for any user. It’s intuitive and doesn’t rely as heavily on hand eye coordination with users switching between targets rapidly. It also forces you to squat and change stance, making users work both sides of the body. Also, BoxVR is highly customizable without a lot of effort. Upload your songs, and BoxVR will generate a course automatically after a brief time reviewing the beats per minute.
Alternatively, you can use Beat Saber or Synth Riders. Out of the box, my preference is Synth Riders. It mimics an aerobics class and will leave any serious player sweating by the end of a two-song session.
Beat Saber offers a great deal of extremely challenging songs through its moddable interface on PC, and PSVR players benefit from new DLC regularly. In terms of content, it’s hard to top what Beat Saber offers.
Extreme Beast Mode: Mostly completing songs on the hardest difficulty is the best way to maximize your fitness with rhythm games. BoxVR users will benefit from lengthier songs they may have in their library, as you can get fit to the tunes you love doing a fun boxing workout. VRFI’s YouTube also has some great footage of BoxVR with a weighted vest.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqk2qWtTL1U?start=142&w=560&h=315]
Let’s Rock!
Are you ready? Go for broke! You can’t give it up! This is going to be a workout to remember! In just 20 minutes, you’ll be feeling energized and fatigued. That euphoric after-gym feeling that fitness heads crave is just within your reach. Make the commitment now and post some motivation in the comments. Let others know that this journey begins with a simple commitment and a plan.
