I picked this up yesterday for Kinect. The heart rate monitor won’t sync to my 360S. All my plastic instruments and other controllers sync fine, but not this piece of crap, so it’s back to the store I go. EA tech support by phone blamed it on my Xbox.
The game lets you play without the monitor, so I tried a little bit. The interface is so painful with arm waving that the game seems to assume you’ve got a controller, which of course works fine. The music is horrible, which doesn’t matter because I had my custom music playing in a few seconds. The graphics are Wii/Xbox 1 quality, or slightly worse, but who really cares, because it’s an exercise game.
The warm ups don’t track your body in any way. It’s like watching a workout video on VHS. I tried just standing in place and got credit for eight stretches. Once the real workout starts, you get an on-screen avatar. I can’t imagine why they couldn’t have done the same thing for the warm ups. I played the mountain biking game, which was OK. I certainly ended up sweating.
Does anyone with better luck with the heart rate monitor have any impressions?
Alright, this should probably go in the tech and hardware part of the forum, but I exchanged the game, and the new heart rate monitor will sync, but only for a few seconds, or until I back away from the console a few feet, at which point it loses the connection. Meanwhile, my other controllers work as far away as the next room in the house. Anyone have any suggestions? Xbox support asked me to get a third one from the store before they will escalate this to the hardware unit.
I exchanged my second for a third, which doesn’t work either. EA’s forum is filled with people with the same problem, on Wii and PS3 as well as 360. I would recommend staying away from this.
If only there was another forum thread to discuss this game.
Sorry, just had to throw that out there since I created one Tuesday for this title.
Anyway, I have the game for the Kinect, and so far I have not had any problems. I like how this tracks the whole body and I don’t have to wear the nunchuk on my leg like I did on the Wii version. This is not a replacement for a true physical trainer, but as a way to motivate, track activities and generate an interesting workout, I like it. I love the fact that I can now use either dumbbells or the resistance band for the weight sections as I am always nervous using the big rubber bands.
The box includes the game, a resistance band (I actually ordered real ones from Amazon for the Wii version. For the Kinect one I just use dumbbells.), and the wireless heart rate monitor, which I guess is where the cost comes into play.
The first game on the Wii was a travesty, both in the sense of not being accurate due to the limitations of the Wii and their programming and in the sense that those limitations clearly drove the design of their fitness program, which is somewhat irresponsible if inevitable in the big picture. My impression was that it also made it relatively easy to get injured, since the more effective exercises could easily be done in unhealthy ways and have the false security of the game’s “tracking” lull you into complacency. Video based workout stuff moved far ahead of what EA had on offer then, and it did so years ago with programs like p90x. I would have to hear some pretty compelling reviews from people that already know how to exercise beforehand and were criticizing it primarily on whether it offers a quality fitness product over the long run to take a new offering from them seriously. I want to believe, because the ability to track results alone would be incredibly valuable if implemented correctly, but a lot of the details would take some careful design (eg the likelihood that a pullup bar should be involved) to integrate, and I don’t trust New Year’s Resolution software to do it.
Also, bands are really useful and safe if you have good ones and good instructions. The yoga style bands in the first one were wholly inadequate and possibly dangerous for anyone of even modest strength.
Picked up a new xbox360 and EA Active 2 yesterday. Had issues syncing the heart rate monitor as well. Took it back to the shop today. They tested with a new xbox, no luck. Got a new EA active 2 box off the shelf, still no luck syncing. The staff at the shop tried for around 20mins to get it going. Hopefully this will be resolved soon as the game looks great.
Sorry about creating a new thread – I didn’t see the other one. I should have searched first.
Anyway, I exchanged it for yet another copy, and this one worked. In fact, the monitor stayed synced when I walked all the way across the house to get a glass of water. Weird stuff.
I like the game itself a lot. I know nothing about working out, but it seems to be a good mix of aerobics and working the various groups of muscles. You only ever stay on one activity for a minute or two, so it kept me interested for the whole workout. The warm-ups and cool-downs seemed to work for me too. Because the game takes place in a cartoon-y canyon, I keep expecting to see a roadrunner and coyote run by. The big rubber band provides more resistance that I thought it would. Having some of the menus voice controlled is a nice touch, as is letting you use the regular controller instead of motion controls if you want.
I still had two problems. When you have to get on the floor for an exercise, the game tracks you fine, but Kinect forgets who you are and makes you stand up to be recognized, then sit back down. Also, you’re supposed to be able to post your results online, join workout groups, track your friends and other stuff, but what actually happens is you get an error message saying something like “we can’t get the servers working; thanks for your $100”.
I really liked Sports Active, for the variety of exercises, for the feedback and progress tracking, for how you could configure it to whatever kind of routine you wanted to do, and for how clearly it explained and demonstrated the exercises. I agree that the motion tracking stuff was sometimes frustrating, but compared to other exercise games, it seemed to do a great job. And it’s not nearly as married to the motion tracker as, say, Wii Fitness is married to that stupid balance board.
Have you tried any of the other exercise games, LK? I’m no fitness expert and I figure anyone who’s been through boot camp is about 100x more qualified than me to comment on them, so I’d be curious to hear if there’s a videogame/fitnress program you like better. I guess when these things are bundled with a particular console system or gimmick – the Wiimote, Kinect, that pedometer in Ubisoft’s DS fitness game – it’s going to compromise the experience to varying degrees.
And I agree that the included band seemed really flimsy, but after three weeks of heavy use, mine didn’t seem any nearer to breaking. Not that three weeks means much in the overall scheme of how these programs should be used. Now that the band has been sitting in a closet for a year, I can imagine that thing snapping and popping me in the face. Particularly if the quality of heart-rate monitors in Sports Active 2 is any indication. From a few posts here, it sounds like they’re having problems with that, which is killing my curiosity to try Sports Active 2.
Off the top of my head, basic arm motions like the curls where it actually worked better if you were flailing rather than retaining decent form, and the more strenuous exercises which relied on a lot of repetition without much warmup, stretching, or cooldown. I did have a fairly positive impression of the trainer her/himself in terms of how they explained things, but that may be because my exposure to what straight videos had to offer was relatively limited. They can actually get you to do fairly complex things well these days, not just whatever the current controller trends demand.
Have you tried any of the other exercise games, LK? I’m no fitness expert and I figure anyone who’s been through boot camp is about 100x more qualified than me to comment on them, so I’d be curious to hear if there’s a videogame/fitnress program you like better. I guess when these things are bundled with a particular console system or gimmick – the Wiimote, Kinect, that pedometer in Ubisoft’s DS fitness game – it’s going to compromise the experience to varying degrees.
I have not tried anything other than EA’s offering simply because it got such relatively good reviews and I was looking for a home option for days in between other types of exercise. My main point of contrast is with p90x, which while being a straight exercise video series does an excellent job of pacing, diversity, workout explanation, adapting to the home environment, and even includes a progress bar so you can always know how close you are to finishing. There are others that are similarly well regarded with proven results, and if any of those were the starting point for one of these products I’d be a lot more inclined to take them seriously (especially if they ditch the bundled exer-crap). It seems like a great idea for brands on both sides of the table, so I have to wonder if it simply can’t be done that well at this point. As an aside, boot camp is probably the least healthy I’ve been in recent memory, and certainly the weakest physically (I went in at a lean 170lbs and left at a skeletal 150), and I don’t want to create the impression that my knowledge on the topic is at anything but the interested amateur level.
And I agree that the included band seemed really flimsy, but after three weeks of heavy use, mine didn’t seem any nearer to breaking. Not that three weeks means much in the overall scheme of how these programs should be used. Now that the band has been sitting in a closet for a year, I can imagine that thing snapping and popping me in the face. Particularly if the quality of heart-rate monitors in Sports Active 2 is any indication. From a few posts here, it sounds like they’re having problems with that, which is killing my curiosity to try Sports Active 2.
The biggest thing is that for band workouts to be effective, you need a range of them and they ought to have handles at the very least. The mid range ones run at about 100$ for a two person simultaneous set, and provide you with a degree of progression that one band a little more vigorously from workout to workout can’t replicate. They are also designed (with a nylon loop or a velcro attachment) to be combined with a pullup bar or other solid mount so that you can build pullup/pulldown strength or supplement pullups when you reach the point of exhaustion.
Anyway, I’ve broken bands, my wife’s broken bands, it’s just the nature of the beast. But those handle-less yoga style bands are great for intensifying stretches, and sub-par for everything the original asked you to do with them. It’s understandable given the price point of the first, but it’s not a useful compromise to me. It just reflects the broader plan behind these programs, which seem less lifestyle focused than the more professional video options and more “New Years Resolution-ware”. In that sense, you and I may have actually reflected the outer tolerances of the program, which I doubt went past a couple of weeks for most people.
I’m thinking of picking this up for my wife’s birthday. For someone who is a beginner at those fitness programs, would you recommend sticking with the resistance band or getting some dumbbells? What would give the most satisfying type of workout?
Also, if dumbbells, what weight should I go for to get her started? 2lbs? 5lbs?
She is in her early 30ies and in good shape. But she mainly talks about exercising, instead of doing it. :)
I think the general principle is to use heavier weights /fewer reps if you want to gain muscle mass. If you wish to focus on stamina and weight loss (or non-gain…) you should use lighter weights and more reps.
Thanks. That’s a start. So I could look at a pair of 2lbs dumbbells to get started (assuming it makes more sense than resistance bands) and go from there depending on how she wants to work out in the future…
It’s really one of those things you have to try out in order to see what works for you, and for some exercises dumbbells or bands may be superior. I actually prefer most shoulder and back exercises with bands usually, but there are a number of bicep and chest exercises that I wish I had a full set of weights for.
So the good part of that answer is a lot has to do with whichever you get used to first, so you can’t really go wrong. I started with a basic set of three non-adjustable Harbinger bands (light, med, heavy), never used the first and mostly the second two until the medium broke. Since then I upgraded to this, which allows me to clip on additional light bands or divide up into two bands the ones I find challenging already so that I’m not just jumping forward to the next band (for instance, on pull downs the orange bands overcome my body weight and I slide forward and up). That plus the diversity of attachment methods makes it comparatively useful; my wife still has 3lb weights for certain of the more strenuous exercises that she prefers to do with those, and there’s at least one p90x exercise I skip completely b/c of lack of dumbbells (a strange chair thing that doesn’t work for me at all).
Also, if dumbbells, what weight should I go for to get her started? 2lbs? 5lbs?
She is in her early 30ies and in good shape. But she mainly talks about exercising, instead of doing it. :)
You’ll find that generic metal dumbbells are really very affordable. With most home exercise systems, you’re going to be doing at least 8 all the way through exhaustion reps, so it’s good to have a small variety (say 2.5, 5, 7.5) to start.
Anyway, the main thing is to have some sort of scheduled plan, whether with gym or an exercise program at home, which allows for the occasional failures and lapses in exercise and lets you re-set without feeling like you’ve “lost” all your progress by skipping a week and feeling like a blob. Weight training is very forgiving and durable for people who aren’t perfect. I use a cutoff day of the week that if I haven’t done an exercise session yet then I am condemned to either the plyometrics video or my bjj class, which both go a long way to making me feel like I’m back in the game.
Has anyone tried both Sports Active and Your Shape Fitness? I bought the latter, since I liked Yourself Fitness a lot. In some ways Your Shape is a step backwards – in particular, as far as I can tell there aren’t any on-the-floor exercises (sit-ups, push-ups), probably because the kinect doesn’t recognize them so well.
If there’s a better offering out there, I’d be interested to hear about it.
I’m going to go with a slight compromise. Got 2 lighter pairs of dumbbells (1Kg and 2Kg) to get her working with those weights on some exercises and we’ll live with the included resistance band at least for a few days. That way, she can decide whether she would like to get a better set of bands to complement the weights.
Your point about a plan is well taken. I’ll stress that too. Doesn’t EA Active 2 encourage you to get into a daily (or not) routine? I’ll just have to make sure she has the time to do it.
Beats me, but I do know the number one way to motivate another person is for them to have someone to train with and even compete with in terms of progress made. It’s one of those compromises I’m usually terrible at making, so I understand if your mileage varies.
