Why are all American holidays based around stuffing our faces full of food? You ever wonder that? I mean it’s awesome and I enjoyed the hell out of my Fourth of July grilling but it really through off my weighing for today. Of course it didn’t help that this was my worst week yet for keeping in shape and eating well since I started my Wii Fit regime. With E3 planning and getting ready to take a week off my other job, getting in a full workout fell by the wayside a few times this week and sadly I paid for it by gaining weight. But onwards and upwards.

Last week I said I was going to start a new core program based around Wii Fit and now I have, so I’ll present it here to you. It’s been kicking my ass when I get all the way through it and my abs and back have been soar (in the good way) for a few days. Before I present it though, I just want to stress that I am not a doctor or a trainer nor do I have a background in physical therapy or physical education. This workout is based strictly on my eight years of rowing training and a year and a half of physical therapy for my back, so I’m not entirely in the dark but I wouldn’t call it doctor recommended. I’m not recommending this to anyone I’m just telling you what I’ve been doing. So here it is:

1. Single-Leg Extension (20 reps): There are a few workouts in Wii Fit that don’t really work you out. They do minor things and would be great in an aerobics class but don’t do much otherwise. This is one of them. Still, I put in here first because if you haven’t done any other workouts it at least warms you up easily, and if you actually squeeze your abs when doing it, it can still prove to be beneficial to the core. Make sure you bend your knee like they say in the directions.

2. Jackknife (30 reps): This workout is centered around the Jackknife because it is a simple and effective way to get your abs in shape. You’ll be doing it five times. This time you do 30 reps. The trick to the Jackknife is getting your shoulders off the ground; it isn’t enough to just lift your arms up. Also lower your shoulders, arms and legs slowly with the on screen trainer, lowering them quickly doesn’t train your abs or back at all and completely misses the lower abdominal muscles that leg lifts are so great at hitting.

3. Push-up and Side Plank (20 reps): Despite having a push-up in it, this exercise pretty much works anything but you’re pectorals. Because of the width of the balance board, the push-up part targets your triceps more than your pectorals, and side planks work your obliques. That being said, this is a great core workout since you’re basically doing a bridge while performing the push-ups. The slow pace the trainer goes at also makes this an endurance workout.

4. Jackknife (20 reps): Taking it down a few reps. Don’t worry, we’re going back up.

5. Plank (1 minute): Plank is one of my favorite core workouts. It seems like it should be so easy and yet it works you pretty hard. Plus it’s one of the few workouts that gets the back muscles just as well as the ab muscles if you’re doing it right. Keep your back straight, head down and try not to move you’re feet.

6. Jackknife (10 reps): Seeing a pattern?

7. Choice: You can do any of the workouts that aren’t listed here at this point. People’s bodies are different so something that targets me really well wouldn’t work as well on someone else so I figured I’d leave this open. It should probably be lunges, but I hate lunges.

8. Jackknife (20 reps): Back up we go.

9. Arm and Leg Lift (10 reps): This is one of the exercises that looks and sometimes feels like it’s absolutely useless, but it is actually one of the best ones in the bunch. Arm and leg lifts are great for aligning your spine, balancing out your core muscles and, much like planks, tone both the back muscles and the core muscles equally.

10. Jackknife (30 reps): And thus the circle is complete.

Obviously, reps can be changed and messed with to better suit a person’s fitness level and this is just what I’ve come up with. Always be careful when doing core exercises of any sort. Trust me, messing up your back is not fun. If this comes off as too easy or if you want to shake it up, try putting planks in place of Jackknifes. You can also do this pretty much just as easily without a balance board and Wii Fit but it is nice to have something keeping track of everything and for some reason I’ve started to actually care about my Fit Points. I guess I know what Achievement whores feel like now.

Stats - Beginning
Age: 25
Height: 6'0
BMI: 25.62 (Overweight)
Weight: 189.2 pounds
Wii Fit Age: 33


Stats - Week One
Age: 25
Height: 6'0
BMI: 25.86 (Overweight)
Weight: 190.9 pounds
Wii Fit Age:28


Stats - Week Two
Age: 25
Height: 6'0
BMI: 25.74 (Overweight)
Weight: 190.0 pounds
Wii Fit Age:26


Stats - Week Three
Age: 25
Height: 6′0
BMI: 24.84 (Normal)
Weight: 183.4 pounds
Wii Fit Age:35


Stats - Week Four
Age: 25
Height: 6?0
BMI: 24.87 (Normal)
Weight: 183.6 pounds
Wii Fit Age:24 (I’m younger than my actual age. If I hit 17 and then spend some quality time with myself does that make it illegal?)


Stats - Week Five
Age: 25
Height: 6′0
BMI: 24.58 (Normal)
Weight: 181.4 pounds
Wii Fit Age: 46 (I stepped off the stupid platform by accident. I hate Wii Fit age…)


Stats - Week Seven
Age: 25
Height: 6?0
BMI: 24.84 (Normal)
Weight: 183.4 pounds
Wii Fit Age: 26