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Fun & motivating, perfect for beginners & intermediates

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: June 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

As a mom of two small children, I was excited about Yourself Fitness. Gym memberships are expensive, and it's hard to squeeze a run in after a hectic day. TaeBo - which I'd used with fantastic results for over 3 years - had gotten a little boring, and I was looking for something different.

Yourself Fitness features Maya, an interactive "personal trainer." Having done a bit of personal training myself, I'll admit that Maya is fairly typical of trainer-client interaction. She's encouraging when you need it, and admonishing when you need it. Example: if you skip a few workouts, Maya will remind you that consistency is necessary to achieve your goals!

The first time you work out, Maya takes you through a brief workout designed to measure your fitness level. After keying in your height/weight/etc., she takes your resting heart rate. Then she has you do jumping jacks for 2 min and takes your heart rate again, to measure your intensity levels. She then tests you on lower body strength (bodyweight squats, up to 40), upper body strength (modified pushups) and core strength (crunches). Based on the measurements, Maya will recommend a focus - upper body, lower body, cardio, etc. Whatever focus you choose will be incorporated into each workout (for example, if your focus is cardio, every workout will have some cardio; if your focus is flexibility, every workout will have a little bit of yoga).

The workouts are fairly basic moves, nothing too complicated or fancy, but also fairly effective. If you're confused about how to perform a move, you can click a button to get a model illustration (this pauses your workout). The illustrations are useful (I've been weight training for 2 years and it was interesting to see a different perspective on things like plie squats). Some of the weight training seems to move a bit fast: Maya tells you to go "slow and controlled" on a bicep curl, but she's curling faster than frizzy hair on a humid day. The rest times between sets are good (and necessary - don't skip those rest times, your body needs them). One note on the cardio/weight loss: they're fairly interchangeable, but the cardio is superior and incorporates cardio weight training at the end (weighted lunges, etc.). Both work for weight loss but in my opinion, the cardio option gives a better workout. You can raise or lower the intensity for just about any exercise with the click of a button.

At the beginning of your workout, Maya asks how you're feeling (not too good, okay, great) and incorporates your mood into the work - if you're feeling great, she might amp it up a bit. After each section of your workout, she asks how that section felt to you (too hard, working it, no sweat) - and adjusts future workouts based on your answer. About every 10 workouts, you will do the "Fitness Challenge" - a repeat of the first workout you did to test your progress. The results are measured in the progress section, which shows your weight, strength, heart rate, etc. on line graphs. You will also be given the option to change your daily focus at the Fitness Challenge based on Maya's recommendation.

Some other things:
*meal plans & recipes (didn't use them, they looked pretty lame to me)
*meditation garden
*times offered are 15 min, 30, 45 and 1 hour
*equipment options are ball, heart rate monitor, step and weights - your equipment is incorporated into the workout. I have a weights and a ball; the weights are almost always used, the ball occasionally

The music .... well, the music. It's OK, nothing special. At different levels (depending on your workout consistency), you're awarded new music preferences. I like Techno and House, but the salsa and 80s sets are fun, too.

The settings are interesting: a dojo, an urban gym (complete with helicopters flying around outside the high-rise windows, occasionally pausing to apparently watch Maya in action), an alpine retreat - outdoors in what looks like a Colorado lodge, a desert retreat, and the beach retreat - outdoors under a huge thatched umbrella next to the beach (this is the last one you "earn" and is definitely my favorite).

If you're just starting out in fitness, Yourself is fantastic. I wish I'd one when I first started out - probably would have saved myself some injuries! Intermediates will enjoy the change of pace YF offers. If you're an advanced lifter or cardio junkie, YF will work as a good motivator. Remember to increase the weights as you get stronger; if you're always using 10lb weights, your progress will be limited. Lifting heavier *will not* bulk you up; it will make you stronger and leaner. The cardio is not high intensity, it's more like low- to medium-intensity for a longer duration. I prefer high-intensity cardio, so I generally use YF for weight training and core work, and then do HIIT (high intensity interval training) on my own.

Overall, it's a great program and a wonderful idea!

Great program

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: September 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for a great, easy, customizable aerobic workout system, this is what you've been waiting for. As other reviews have indicated, this isn't a game, but a digital personal trainer.

I've put on a lot of weight after a few karate injuries, and this is a great way for me to lose it all back. Some of the features are wonderful.

1) You pick the type of workout you want (weight loss, cardio, muscle building, etc).

2) The trainer regularly asks how you're doing, so you can give feedback; if she's killing you, or if it's way to easy, you have several chances per workout to let her know. She adjusts on the fly to match your needs.

3) If you have workout equipment like small weights, a stair step, excercise ball, etc, she'll incorporate them into your workout.

4) Setting up the workout regime is a breeze. Let her know what days you can work out, how long each day, and she'll be expecting you (ready to give you a guilt trip next time you log in after you skipped a session!).

5) The user profiles are nice. You spend about thirty minutes the first time you log on setting up your profile. Weight, range of motion, goals, equipment, etc. This way, the system know what you need and who you are, and the work outs are designed with you in mind. Great feature.

There are a few downsides to the program, however.

1) This is not a video game. I knew that going into it, and so do you probably. I've heard people complain, though, because they thought this was some sort of excercise sim. What a thought. Virtual excercise. It may work for San Andreas, but I'd rather get out there and sweat...

2) Often, the trainer will fix on a single excercise for far too long. There is no way to skip past an excercise you're tired of. My injuries may start to bother me after I've done one routine too long, and I can't get her to skip to another move. Jumping jacks were really hurting my injured shoulder during one workout, and she kept them them coming for about four minutes. I was very frustrated and just started improvising until she changed her mind. I wanted a button that let the program know I was tired of jacks and ready to move on...

3) There is a "comprehensive diet" included, but in fact it's quite lame. I'm a bit of a cook, and the recipes here are so basic and boring I'd never fix them. It's things like "turkey sandwhich" or "veggie wrap" that even the most kitchen challenged individuals could already figure out. The developers should have died in with a real cookbook out there and set up a nice diet that was tasty, easy, and interesting.

4) The sound track gets really boring. I hate going to real gyms because the music is so dreadful, and this program is the same. They have categories like "latin" and "80's," but they're all just crappy disco/house tunes like you get at any cattle call fitness center out there. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for the programmers to allow us to use music we've saved on our xbox hard drive. Enjoyable music during a workout? What a concept! I know the trainer would have a hard time "finding the beat" to music we import, but I'd rather have to find my own beat than listen to more of that crap when I work out.

5) I've tried for a couple of months to delete an oboslite user profile I used as a test when I first go the game, and I can't get rid of it! This should be an easier process...

All in all, the cons are all minor, and the pros are rock solid. This is a great way to get back in shape, and it's a great idea whose time has come. I use it, I love it. I live in a desert, so it's always 110 degrees outside, and there's nothing nicer than getting my cardio in my living room, away from heat, cold, rain, and muggings. If you're hoping to get your cardio on, this is the way to do it. I hope the next generation of this type of software comes out soon. This is rich with possiblities.

Great for the sedentary

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

After months (years?) of ignoring the need for working out, I decided to start working out again and was intrigued by the concept of an Xbox-driven fitness program. So, I bought Dance Dance Revolution, and this. And while DDR is more of a game - i.e., you're competing against other players or the Xbox - Yourself Fitness is surprisingly engaging, motivational, and fun. And the only person you're really competing against is yourself.

What's great is that the virtual trainer, Maya, adjusts the workouts according to how you feel that day, and how you're doing during the workout. It's been just 2 weeks and I've found that it's easy for me to keep coming back to it. I'm up to 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times per week, and I think I may actually be enjoying myself.

Often she'll throw in a move that I haven't seen yet, or something that is yoga or pilates related, and all I do is press a button on my controller, and a tutorial model leads me through the move. Then I go back to the workout and try it myself.

The only problem I've seen with this is that you can't adjust the exercises Maya's telling you to do based on any injuries you might have. (For example, a bad knee keeps me from doing the lunges.) There are no alternatives presented, so I've gotten creative and either repeated other exercises or made something up. Hey, at least I'm up and moving again.

Yourself! Rocks

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: January 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Cancel your gym membership, fire your over-priced personal trainer and get into Yourself! Fitness.

I have used this for 3 weeks and have dropped 10 pounds! I always felt going to the gym was a chore, but I kept dragging myself there and hating it. Now I have my best friend hooked on it, my sister, my mom, and now hopefully you.

If you're tired of failing at fitness...BUY THIS GAME...

If you want to keep overpaying for a gym membership and be embarassed in downward dog while doing yoga with 20 folks then don't buy the game.

Great product!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am VERY pleased with Yourself Fitness! My strength has definitely increased since I began using it. I don't use it for cardio, just leg/arm/core strength training.

What I like:
- Personalized sessions
- Ability to make workouts harder/easier (they get super hard!)
- Easy, comfortable, able to use it ANYWHERE & ANYTIME

What I don't like:
- With the amount of rest allowed in between each set, a workout isn't actually 45 minutes.. but I'm still pleased.
- Since it's a computer, she can't adapt/remember everything.
- Not enough stretching at the end of sessions (easily fixed though)

No More Excuses! Lose Weight, Get Fit, in Your Own Home

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For those who'd rather not join or gym, or simply cannot, Yourself!Fitness is the perfect solution. It's not perfect--a software personal trainer will never be all things to all people--but most people will absolutely love training with Maya.

Best of all they have an active online community for posting questions and getting ideas.

If you already have a computer, PlayStation or XBox, you have all you need except the game. Equipment isn't necessary although as you progress, you'll likely want a bench or ball, etc.

Between Yourself!Fitness and Dance, Dance, Revolution, we have all the makings of a new industry: Fitness Software.

Pretty Good Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I purchased Yourself Fitness this January after my son got an x-box for Christmas. Overall a good fitness video game, but I do have a few problems with it. The trainer asks you what home equipment you have - and I don't have a step - but her cardio routines seem to be suited for the step. I do find most of her cardio warmups somewhat repetative and boring. She should work in some kickboxing type moves to get your heart rate up, but instead it is a lot of marching and side stepping.

The second issue is the whole rewards thing. I use this video to supplement my routine- it is not my regular thing. I have done many, many workouts, but because I don't schedule them I have never gotten a new workout space or new music. It would have been nice if you could have chosen a way to earn your rewards. So a good game if you use the whole package, not so great if you are looking for a supplemental video.

This actually works

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

My husband and I bought this after reading about it, only because it was on sale after christmas. In the back of my mind I thought it would probably end up in the garbage but whatever, it was cheap. We have now been using this product for 6 months and I have lost 12 pounds, doing this for 3 to 5 times a week and eating everthing I like in moderation. The 5 different workouts focusing on different areas of the body help keep it varied. You don't need to own any equipment for it to work, but as we realized we were really into it, we have gradually bought the recommended equipment, and this helps to vary the workouts and keep things interesting. The music gets old after a while, but now that we know the workouts and don't need the verbal intstructions from Maya, we do picture on picture on our tv and do the workout while we watch our favorite shows. The fact that the software keeps track of how many workouts you have done and if you have skept any helps motivate us to be consistent. I highly recommend this and can't wait for a new version.

Different kind of fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Looks interesting so far... Kids had fun starting it up on "guest pass" and doing 15 min of cardio work -- situps, pushups, jumping jacks. We grownups have done the initial fitness evaluation -- felt harder than "she" rated it. Menu choices seem reasonable at 2000 calorie level, at least. Variety of exercises is commendable. Customizations of daily time allotment, etc., are ample. Wouldn't pay $50 for it, but Amazon's price is good. Overall, another way to "use" the video game system without being sedentary -- always a good thing! We'll see if we grownups succeed in using the program to actually get fit... As for common complaint on reviews about music, you **CAN** turn down/off the volume of it.

Simpy Amazing! My $35.00 Gym

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

One word describes this program--- awesome!! I love everything about this "game"--really not a game, I'd rather call it a program. Maya is incredible and the workouts are never boring. It is so cool to be able to workout at home to your television, but not have the repetitiveness of a DVD. I look forward to my meetings with Maya everyday. It is so nice to have structure and to feel more accountable for your activity levels. A DVD never tells you that you skipped a workout. Maya hasn't told me I've skipped a workout either...because its so fun I haven't skipped one. I hope this review was helpful.

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