Over the past few weeks I’ve got plenty of response from this series of articles; from the supportive to the, well, not so supportive. I find that many of the comments revolve around things I’ve stated repeatedly either in my first impressions post or the five other posts I’ve done. So this might seem a bit repetitive but I want to state it in the first paragraph to make sure everyone gets it. Wii Fit is an exercise tool and the balance board is a fancy controller. It’s important to note that they are (a) two separate things and (b) only helpful if you use them correctly. You aren’t going to get in any sort of shape using Wii Fit if you don’t push yourself with it. The same thing goes with buying a pair of dumbells. If you do 12 curls everyday and nothing more nothing is going to happen. Same for Wii Fit, you’ve got to up the ante or you won’t be getting anything out of it.

That is why when people say you can’t get in shape with Wii Fit it’s pretty much a lie. If you can get in shape with a metal bar stuck in coffee cans filled with concrete (my crew team called them ghetto weights) you can get in shape with anything. The key factor here is you, not Wii Fit. So then why is Wii Fit useful at all as a core exercise machine? I’ve landed on two reasons aside from the obvious motivational factors I’ve discussed repeatedly. First is the balance board itself. You don’t realize how much balance comes into play in strengthening your core muscles until you actually have a little dot showing you how much you tip without the core muscles working. It’s just another way to help you get in shape and if it wasn’t attached to the Wii I don’t think there would be so much hate towards it.

Secondly, I find the assumption that everyone can go out and do this on their own a bit arrogant. I know how to work out from years of athletics and so do many other people, but a large chunk of the population doesn’t at all. I know people who can’t even go running well and have never put a group of exercises together. Wii Fit does this in your home, without the cost of hiring a personal trainer. Now, one of the major flaws in the game is that it doesn’t give you an organized routine but just teaches the exercises. For beginners I find this terrible as they’ll simply do one exercise over and over and never see much improvement, but at least their doing that exercise. On the other hand if you know what you’re doing, you can put together a great core exercise routine (I’m working on one now and I’ll present it next week). This brings me back to the point that this is simply another exercising tool that you, the user, make of it what you will. It’s not impossible to get into better shape with Wii Fit but it’s also not the only thing you should be doing in a fitness routine.

But you came here for embarrassing shirtless photos, didn’t you? Here you go. Lost a bit more weight and hopefully by the end of next week once I’ve started my more hardcore core routine I’ll be near my goal weight. Also, I wish there was more of a pectoral workout with the thing. Even the push-ups are geared more towards the triceps since the width of the board isn’t wide enough to really target your chest muscles.

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…)