A review for UFC?s Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System
WARNING!!! If you have a history of health problems, please consult your doctor before you start using UFC Personal Trainer.
There?s a myriad of fitness games and all of them are designed to help you get in shape, lose weight, and/or build a muscular tone. With so many out there, what is the point in picking up a new fitness game? This is the question I asked myself when I picked up UFC?s Personal Trainer. Well, I?m here to challenge this new fitness game and report my finding to all the video game fans out there.
I?ve tried a series of fitness games over the years and very few have yielded results. Fewer have left me with the proper motivation to get fit. The Wii Fit Board will ask you to ?Step on? when you want to start an exercise and ?great? when you step on the board. BUT when I ?Step On? during any exercise, I am met with an ?Oh?? response. The last thing anyone needs, before an exercise is a condescending response from an electronic device.
If you can sense my skepticism and cynical behavior to fitness games, then you?ll understand when I say I?m going to carefully analyze and measure UFC? trainer game.
First off, you need to have a lot of space when using this game. If you are using the bare minimum space for the PS MOVE or KINECT, you are going to have a tough time using this game. I had to move some furniture around before I started. The series of: push-ups, jumping jacks, sit-ups, bicycle curls, etc. will most likely break any fragile items that aren?t properly secured. I broke two super hero busts and a Solid Snake bust while trying to perform 50 jumping jacks in a minute. Learn from my mistake if you buy this game or any other fitness game.
After you have moved all your furniture and fragile possessions, you must now configure the Move controller to have your PS3 measure your workout. This is easier said then done. I had to calibrate the controller at least 4 times just so I can operate the MOVE comtroller through the Menu screen. My advice is to have the orb on the MOVE controller pointing toward the camera slightly above your belly button. It also helps to have two MOVE controllers for the game.
Once you feng shui your place for an optimal workout and calibrate your controller(s), the game starts measuring your fitness. You?ll start off by entering your age, height, weight, blood pressure, and conduct a fitness test (a series of push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks in a timed session).
Once this is set up, the game sets you up with detailed information about your health and makes recommendations for healthy activities and calorie intake. My program has set me up for 1,975 calorie intake on a daily basis. There?s a series of different workout programs (30-60 day programs) based on your choice of: strength training, weight loss or endurance.
Once you select a 30 or 60 day program, the computer maps out your program in the UFC calendar mode and monitors your progress through every one of your exercises. You?re scored based on how well you perform in each exercise, but the grading system and awards leave some confusion at the end. I don?t understand how I can receive A+ on four different exercises, but I received 3 bronze awards and 1 silver awards from those exercises. The criteria for gold, silver, and bronze awards is a mystery to me.
The most annoying feature is the constant repetition of comments made by the fighters/trainers that are helping you in your fitness program. I heard the Greg Jackson repeat the phrase, ?We?re priming ourselves for a great workout? at least 15 times in a one minute exercise ( sometimes 2-3 times in a row).
After you get past moving all your furniture around, repetitive phrases, and multiple controller configurations, the workouts are actually engaging and motivating. I needed to complete 10 leg lunges in under a minute, but once I hit that requirement (in 45 seconds) the computer encourage me to go beyond the 10 lunges. I was able to do 13 leg lunges the first day and the computer encouraged me to go beyond the 13 on the next day.
One incredible feature is the game?s ability to stop, after a series of exercises, to make sure I slow my heart rate or prevent dehydration. This is a feature I haven?t seen in the other fitness games. This is a plus in my mind since one can easily be swept away in multiple exercises and do more damage to one?s health. There?s the ability to create a custom workout, but I chose to follow the game?s exercise layout.
Unlocking the UFC videos provides helpful information and tips. There?s an impressive introduction video on motivating yourself with a mirror that helped me get into UFC trainer.
There?s a fun series of exercises you can do with different UFC fighters (i.e. Jon Jones, Forest Griffin, Calin Velasquez, etc.), but I discovered some exercises are a little more effective with two MOVE controllers. When the controllers work, you can get caught up in a series of quick workouts. You can plan to do a simple 20 minute workout, but get caught up doing 40-50 minutes of exercises.
The game provides a multiplayer mode where you can compete (side by side) with a friend or send a challenge (through the PSN message board) to someone on your friends list. I sent a challenge to TrickyMic, but I don?t think he?ll accept the challenge.
I?d love to tell you that the game produces results, but I only started this game on a June 16, 2011. It?s hard to measure any weight loss or muscle accumulation after one day. In order to test out UFC Personal Trainer, I have chosen a 30 day workout program and will report my progress (through weekly comments) for you to read. I have also decided to post my appearance in this article and I will post another image, after 30 days, so you can compare the ?before? and ?after? pictures. This is a tough thing for me to do since I don?t like to have my picture taken, but I?m doing this to help you see if UFC Personal Trainer works.
To prove that I will dedicate myself to this 30 day program, I?ve decided to share my average workout routine to prove that I won?t give up after two days:
6-8 mile jog/walks (5-6 days a week).
A set of 15 push ups for every mile I jog/walk (90-120 push ups).
Perform 200 jumping jacks a day (7days a week).
A set of 10 sit ups for every mile I jog/walk (60-80 sit ups).
A set of 10 arm curls with 25 pound dumbbells (six times) every other day
7-9 glasses of water a day (based on how the length of my runs).
A bowl of cheerios in the morning.
Diet of yogurt, low sodium pretzels, and crackers throughout the day.
Occasionally 2-3 glasses of iced tea throughout the day.
My workout has helped me go from 210 pounds to 180 pounds. I will reduce my normal exercise routine and combine it with UFC Personal Trainer (so I don?t put myself in any danger). I will also follow UFC Personal Trainer?s advice on BMR formula (Basal Metabolic Rate formula = 1975 calories daily) to help optimize my progress. After 30 days, I will report my progress to you and you can decide for yourself. See you in 30 days.
**Sigh** My doughy physique as of July 15, 2011
Source: http://provengamer.com/2011/07/17/putting-ufc-personal-trainer-to-the-test/
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