New Gamepad Designed To Build Muscles?

Robmonster writes "The BBC are reporting a story about a product designed to address both exercise and videogaming in one fell swoop. According to the piece: 'A new type of gamepad from a US fitness equipment company aims to turn the couch potato gamer stereotype on its head. The Kilowatt controller by Powergrid Fitness is designed to build up muscle while playing a PlayStation 2, Xbox or PC game." The article explains: "In a racing game like Gran Turismo, the harder you push on the joystick, the faster a car goes, while pulling back slows down the vehicle."

This would be more helpful

[grasshoppa]

This would be more helpful if worked with my everyday system taskes ( build, check logs, ect.. ).

The faster I ran on this thing, the faster my compile would go. I'd buy it.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Please...

[WIAKywbfatw]

This is just a gimmick to sell stuff. If you're serious about getting (and staying) fit, put down the controller for half an hour a day (or every other day) and do a physical activity.

You don't have to go to the gym and work out - you could do a sports activity or even just jog down to the shops and back to get some milk - but it'll be ten times better for you than twiddling your already overdeveloped thumbs.

Oh, and while you're at it, replace every other can of Coke/Mountain Dew/whatever with a glass of water. Your body will thank you for it.

As a computer user

[Anonymous Coward]

What I'd like is some small device that I can put under my desk and pedal, with my pedaling going into a battery which can then be used by my electronics. I'll save money and build muscle!

This is silly

[Schlemphfer]

You buy a game controller for one reason: to have maximum control in a videogame. Anything that interferes with that, including having to exert unnecessary muscle power, makes for a sucky controller.

As Butt Head once put it so well, "If I wanted to read, I'd go to school."

And if I wanted to exercise, I'd go outdoors.

Mudcycle

[Godeke]

Best encouragment I made for myself to exercise was attaching a low power (386) computer with a terminal program to a stationary bike. Strap the keyboard in an accessable place and play muds for a while... amazing what motivation to not die in a dungeon will do for you.

What's the point?

[HungWeiLo]

It's $700. Case closed. Put down the joypad for 1/2 hr and walk around in circles if you must.

Seriously, I know this chick that disconnected the power steering cable from her car so she can work out her arms while she's driving. It works - her arm muscles are spectacular, but I guess safety issues be damned.

isometric training != fitness/strength

[teneighty]

This controller does not involve a significant range of motion - essentially the controller involves isometric holds. This is just a $10 word word meaning that you push against a static object as hard as you can (e.g pushing against a wall - it doesn't move, but it still requires effort on your part). Isometric training is sometimes incorporated as part of a controversial training style known as "super slow" (I can't say if it works or not - I get the impression that the evidence is that at best, it's not an efficient way to train). In short - sure, it's better than nothing, but it's a LONG way from being a device that seriously combines gaming and fitness. For years, I have dreamed of combining fitness and gaming (particuly for FPS games and side-scrolling arcade games). I believe it can be done, and have some strong ideas to make it work. PS: Does anyone know who might be hiring in this field? (I'm a software guy - I need to work with mechanical engineers and EE guys - building these devices is very much a multi-discplinary team effort)

The fundamental problem with this

[Illissius]

is that your average gamer doesn't neglect exercise because he can't exercise, but rather because he doesn't *want* to exercise. If he does, then in that case he'll use equipment specially designed for such, but no one will want to use an almost certainly inferior gamepad just because it happens to also be almost certainly inferior exercise equipment as well. (The traditional "do one thing, but do it well", argument... whose applicability is debatable in the case of closely related and easily combined electronics stuff, but not in the gamepad + exercise equipment case. What's next, an all-in-one flat panel LCD + screwdriver? :/)

Re:Please...

[WinterSolstice]

Actually, when I am on my cycling trainer, I am playing a game on my PS2 :)
Check it out:
The ultimate training accessory [branfordbike.com]
This way, I get my needed cycling in during the rain, and I can play too.
-WS

Must Move!

[DumbSwede]

Call me a snob, but I work out often, and I don't believe this isometric system will do much for overall health.

I do three types of exercise:
Free Weights
Machine (Nautilus)
Aerobic

Now I'm not saying isometric is bad for you, just that I've never seen anyone build muscle with or or get good cardio vascular from it. It can provide toning when used in conjunction with other exercise types.

I personally think people will be bored with isometric exercise, because you don't feel any movement (granted here you have game feedback). But motion is what really gets you the next immersion level. I used to do computerized rowing machine, and I really enjoyed chasing my computer opponent in the other boat.

Isometric won't condition you for real athletic performance in the real world. The same reason I use a mix of machine and free weights. The free weights train your body for how to lift against real mass in the real world, and though you may not realize it, you will be be adapted to say helping your significant other move the couch around the room a dozen times until its "Fung Shui"

I suppose its possible to get the heart rate up for cardio with isometric, but it seems unlikely for most. Again, motion is the key to health. Get moving until you work up a moderate sweat and maintain for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to really get cardio benefits.

I like the idea of linking computer games and workouts, I have a friend that is hooked on Dance-Dance-Revolution and it works well for him. I just don't think this cheap-o scheme of isometric will catch on, or more importantly really give the advertised benefits.

BULLSHIT

[Anonymous Coward]

The US government doesn't care about obecity, and it is apparent to anyone who pays attention. Recently on C-SPAN there were lots of experts discussing it intelligently, while the FDA was absent. Actually, they sent someone there to share "his own" opinions, which translate to "obecity is a result of progress, therefore good". At one point he actually said something like "my argument sounds right because it is" and everybody laughed (including me) because it seemed like he was joking. He wasn't. The FDA represents lots of people with deep pockets, making tons of money off food that is little more than flavored wheat starch and sugar. They will continue to do so as long as possible.

I want Prop Cycle!

[kisrael]

Prop Cycle was a cool looking game that had a built in exercise bike...you're onscreen character was a flying bicycle glider thingy and you had to burst balloons. I was always surprised there wasn't a home console game that had hardware to connect to an exercise bike, seems like a decently written game could be pretty engaging, like Pilot Wings on the N64... ...better for people than the Donkey Konga hardware...

Is it really $700?

[The I Shing]

Oh, man, for $700 you can go to a place like Sears and get a nice little corner workout center, or, even better, you can join a friggin' gym.

Your whole body needs a whole-body workout. Working out your upper arms and your wrists just exercises your upper arms and your wrists. Don't count on that to reduce your pants size anytime soon.

If this idea is going to succeed, what they need to do is build the videogame into the exercise machine, not the other way around.

I'm picturing it... like a wall-sized screen that has orcs coming at you and you have to defeat them by lifting a 120-lb weight in three 12-rep sets. After the first wave is complete, you have to win a Nascar race by running on a treadmill for twenty minutes, followed by destroying the One Ring by enduring two gruelling sets of inverted crunches.

The gym that installs that system will have a loyal membership of fit and healthy nerds as its reward.

Re:We need a total body workout

[Anonymous Coward]

There's an open-source clone of DDR called stepmania [stepmania.com] that also supports EZ2Dancer. I don't know for sure if it supports Para Para Paradise in the latest version, but I think they're trying to work most of the other music-game formats into it.

Re:If you want a workout

[jellomizer]

I had a friend who is a professional fighter try that. He punched so fast that it registered it as a slow one. I think it needs to be upgraded to 128bit so it can record punches faster the 90miles per hour.

A PC version would be better...

[thatguywhoiam]

I don't see this working out for a gamer that wants to perform well. Obviously you can twitch your thumbs a lot faster than you can push whatever weighted system they have implemented.

Now on the other hand... I've always been surprised that no one had implemented a stationary-bike kind of setup for a PC workstation (that I've seen anyways - feel free to add links). It wouldn't even been that hard; off the top of my head, you could hook the mouse wheel to a sensor on the bike wheel, so you had to pedal to scroll while browsing. Backwards and forwards. Imagine you'd burn a few calories that way...

Anyways, the invention is a compelling idea, but they should have bundled specific games with it... a MechWarrior kind of thing would be neat...

Re:We need a total body workout

[GTRacer]

Or even better, set up a nonstop course of low-difficulty songs with alternating footsteps, and then "box" while holding hand weights. As long as the steps are fairly alternated, you can get a pretty smooth workout top and bottom.

Trying to mix in uppercuts however, tends to cause misses because of the vertical weight shift.

GTRacer
- Hey Yo Captain Jack!

Re:If you want a workout

[milkman_matt]

Funny as this may be, has anyone actually tried one of those arcade boxing games, where you have to duck and weave and you hold onto 'gloves' and actually punch? What a workout.

Yeah, that game is great, although it doesn't record your movement fast enough all the time.. and you kinda gotta slow down a bit and match the pace of the game. On that note, though, Ever seen the Eye Toy for PS2 [eyetoy.com]? My girlfriend's Aunt showed us that thing, it's effin' great, it's got it's own disc o' games that comes with it, nothing special, boxing, a soccer 'bounce the ball on your head' game, a game where you wash windows, a couple dancing games.. but damn it's fun, and you'll catch a good workout from it after playing a few games. I got one for my parents for Xmas this year and they absolutely love it. That thing will actually give you a little bit of a workout by the time you're done as well.

-matt

Re:Not really

[djeaux]

One thing to think about - look at sprinters and look at marathon runners. Sprinters are lean and mean. They train for explosive power. Marathon runners on the other hand, while skinny, are rather flabby...

Actually, there's a genetic difference between sprinters & distance runners, which is why very, very few people successfully crossover between the two sports. And the difference in appearance betweens sprinters & marathoners is the difference between someone who can focus on "bulking up" muscles for a short-duration activity and someone who focusses on oxygen transport & nutrient loading for a long haul. (I might also point out that those "flabby" distance runners can't afford to haul a lot of extra mass.)

Sprinters have a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, while distance runners have a higher proportion of slow-twitch fibers. Muscle tissue of an "average male" is about 55% fast-twitch. Sprinters are about 63% fast twitch, and marathon runners are about 18% fast twitch. The distance runner doesn't need to "bulk up," because his/her slow twitch ratio is already so high. A sprinter bulks up to increase the fast twitch mass.

The difference is hereditary. Elite athletes are "freaks" compared with average people. I might also add that anabolic steroids are popular with sprinters, while they are actually detrimental to distance runners because they increase the runner's weight.

Fast twitch fibers supply their energy anaerobically (mainly through glycolysis), because during very fast exercise, there's little time for complete aerobic cellular respiration. After exercise, they have to pay off oxygen debt. Slow twitch fibers have a rich blood supply & rely on aerobic respiration for their energy.

Depending on the game, a presssure-sensitive game controller might require fast action, but I rather doubt that there would be enough sustained "exercise" involved to do much to build up either fast or slow twitch fibers.

whatever...

[supabeast!]

How do the guys who sell this junk even manage to get the product to market without dying from laughter as they bilk stupid investors out of millions of dollars? And why is it that investors still haven't caught on that specialty video game controllers without mainstream game support-lightgun games, ddr, steering wheels-don't make money?

Funk dat!

And people wonder why I refuse to invest in stocks...

Re:White House Approved Lifestyle

[beguyld]

Until it can be proven that overeating is caused by the food itself, and not just pure western pigginess, it's only safe to say that the WHO's dietary guidelines were right, *not* their legal recommendations.

The food itself certainly can cause overeating. The food that does that is carbohydrate foods which over-stimulate insulin production. Most sugars for sure, and for many people, fruit, potatoes and grain products. Insulin causes fat storage and also tends to create more appetite. This is an evolutionary development that allows the rapid storage of fat during times when a lot of food is available, such as during the short season of fruit, honey, etc. Excess insulin causes blood sugar yo-yo effect, and cravings for more sugar.

Some of us are quite sensitive to this, thus the popularity of the Atkins Diet. It may be extreme, but the low-carb approach in general (hopefully one a little more moderate) does in fact work for many people.

But it does not work for everyone! We have genetic differences. Eskimos do not eat the same as Iranians, and each probably would not do well on each other's diets. But on their own traditional diets they do very well indeed. That is a major problem with most diet recommendations: They want to recommend One Diet to Rule Them ALL. No can do. Does not fit the real world of different genetics.

However, guzzling Big Gulps is not good for anyone, regardless of genetic makeup. Natural, healthy, fat is just fine, and some of us need a large amount of it in our diets to stay healthy. To insist that everyone must eat little fat is crazy, as I have found for myself. There is only fat or carbs as a reasonable fuel source, and I can't handle many carbs, thus fat is where I get most of my fuel calories.

The Low-Fat mantra has been accepted by nearly everyone as THE TRUTH, when in fact it is mostly used to promote Low-Fat commercial trash foods. Some fats, such as vegetable oils that have been bleached, over-refined, and over-heated until they resemble plastic more than any actual food are dangerous in any amount. But fat as it exists in nature is necessary for good health. That's why they call them Essential Fatty Acids.

If humans are not designed to use fat for fuel, why we do store our excess fuel as fat?