I am really curious to know if the Wii Fit could actually be used as an exercise tool, or if it is just a device to make parents feel less guilty about abandoning their children in front of the TV.

Luckily, I was able to get a hold of a Wii Fit this week (Thank you ToysRUs.com).  The Balance Board and Wii Fit game has been a new fun toy to play with on my breaks from studying for the Bar.  When you first sign-in to Wii Fit, you select a Mii to represent you and then you begin a body test.  The body test involves getting your height, weight and age, and then having you perform a balance test.  The results produce your “Wii Fit Age” as well as providing you with your BMI and weight.  The scale was accurate, but sadly the Balance Board is not able to calculate your muscle mass.  My dad registered as obese.  Dad is not obese.  He can bench press two of me and his biceps are thicker than my head.  Big he is, but not obese.

I however, measured overweight.  Not a shocker as I know I am heavy for my height.  Wii Fit gives you the option to set BMI/Weight goals after telling you how big you are.  It was a pleasant surprise to see that they recommend you not try and lose too much weight too fast.  Overall, I have found that the Wii Fit provides some really great fitness advice.  Plus, they re-enforce the game aspect by providing you with a FitBank that stores all of your FitCredits.  You earn credits for training.  The more credits you earn, the more games you unlock.

Speaking of training, you have four training options: Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics and Balance Games.  I will not lie, I love the Balance Games.  I have unlocked them all already.  You are still using your body, although not to the extent you do in the other training areas.  But the four training areas give you a well-rounded approach to fitness.

So will Wii Fit help you lose weight?  I don’t have an answer for you after 4 days of fun.  I can tell you that I have worked up a a sweat more than once.  I have had a sore bottom and sore legs the following day.  I have been down right WORN OUT!  But I will have to get back to you on the weight loss part.

I started my first day of training to reach 100 push ups in a row and it was a rough day!  I was able to complete all the push ups required, but I felt like it was a bit more difficult than it should have been.  If you are training too, check out the Week 1 Chart over at One Hundred Push Ups to see what you should be doing.  I am in the middle column so I did 7 + 7 + 5 + 4 + MAX (8).  I guess I shouldn’t complain too much because my max was greater than any one set.  However, when I got out of my shower, I had great difficulty fixing my hair.  My arms didn’t want to reach above my head at all!

Now there has been some chatter on the web about how this training program might not be good for you because all it focuses on is your upper body - mainly chest with some shoulders, back and upper arms.  I understand these concerns, which is why I will point out that I do exercise other areas of my body.  This morning I ran 4.5 miles in 60 minutes.  Slower than what I was doing 6 weeks ago, but that happens when you take an extended break.  I also do yoga and strength training for all of my body parts. 

So if you are going to do this challenge, don’t neglect the rest of your body.  I know everyone out there has seen one of those guys who only do bench presses and curls but never do a squat.  Big chest with chicken legs.  They make me laugh.  Don’t look like a chicken - remember your other body parts.

I know I have been posting a lot about my running lately, but I don’t want to neglect another important aspect of my fitness routine: Strength Training!

There are many benefits to strength training. Besides the fact that muscle looks better than fat, more muscle also makes for faster an longer runs. Strength training not only works on your muscles, but also improves your blood pressure (by strengthening your heart) and you bones! Weight-bearing exercises help keep your bones healthy and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. And those are just some of the benefits.

So what do I do when I strength train? First I will say that I vary it depending on what cardio I am doing for the day. If I am running and strength training, then I will usually skip leg exercises. Otherwise, I like to do a total body session 2 - 3 times a week. I aim for 3 and usually only get in 2. I know I should be doing more… But on to my workout:

All exercises are done three times (sets) at 12 - 15 repetitions (reps) with enough weight to make the last couple of reps feel difficult.

Exercises (links take you to examples on YouTube):

Upper Body: Bicep Curl, Tricep Extensions, Hammer Curls, Overhead Tricep Extensions, Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Dumbell Fly, Reverse Dumbbell Fly, Lateral Dumbbell Raise, Overhead Press, One Arm Dumbbell Row, Back Extensions(no weight)

Lower Body: Squats, Lunges, Calf Raises

Abdominals: Crunches (25 reps x 3 sets), Bicycle Crunches (20 reps x 3 sets), V Crunches (10 reps x 3 sets)

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