The SWTOR Workout

[DemonLlamas]

TL;DR: Skip to the part below the red text.

 

 

Hello all. I figured I would share something I came up with that is working pretty well for me, my wife and everyone else in our guild.

 

My wife and I used to work out regularly, but since playing SWTOR we just couldn't find the motivation to get up off our asses and work out. So I decided to come up with a way to incorporate both. No sense in sitting around getting fat when you can get fit and play at the same time.

 

 

 

Here's how the workout works. (Feel free to modify the numbers below based on your own personal fitness level. You may need to increase or decrease the numbers to start, then hopefully you'll slowly increase as time goes by.)

Also, a small list of equipment needed is listed at the bottom of this post.

 

First, you need to choose a set of workouts that will work for you. Here is the list I have chosen:

Push-ups

Pull-ups

Squats

Wall Squats

Dips

Bicep Curls

Abs (I prefer to use P90X's Ab Ribber workouts)

Jumping Jacks

 

Now, you need to set an attainable number for each of these workouts per rotation. Here is what I started with:

Push-ups: 20

Pull-ups: 10

Squats: 20

Wall Squats: 1 min

Dips: 20

Bicep Curls: 10 (with enough weight for failure at 10)

Abs (25)

Jumping Jacks (75)

 

 

You choose one of the above workouts and do that workout when you:

• 
  Complete a mission objective (When you see the yellow COMPLETE text on the center of your screen)

• Each time one of your companions returns from crafting an item or completing a mission.

• Leveling up (You do 3 of the above workouts)

• Discovering a codex item (You do 2 of the above workouts)

 

You keep doing this until you hit 600 total reps. If you count the wall squats as 20, then you have to go through the list 3 times, which basically means 24 objectives (companion or otherwise) completed. As time goes by, you need to up your base numbers per workout and your total reps to completion. Here is my suggested progression:

 

 

Month One:

• 
  Push-ups: 20
  Pull-ups: 10
  Squats: 20
  Wall Squats: 1 min
  Dips: 20
  Bicep Curls: 10 (with enough weight for failure at 10)
  Abs (25)
  Jumping Jacks (75)
   
  Total Reps: 600

 

Month Two:

• 
  Push-ups: 30
  Pull-ups: 20
  Squats: 30
  Wall Squats: 1.5 min
  Dips: 30
  Bicep Curls: 10 (with enough weight for failure at 10)
  Abs (25)
  Jumping Jacks (125)
   
  Total Reps: ~800

 

Month Three:

• 
  Push-ups: 50
  Pull-ups: 25
  Squats: 30
  Wall Squats: 2 min
  Dips: 40
  Bicep Curls: 10 (with enough weight for failure at 10)
  Abs (25)
  Jumping Jacks (150)
   
  Total Reps: ~1000

 

 

Equipment List:

• Pull-up bar (Target carries a cheap one that works great.)
  

http://www.target.com/p/Iron-Gym-Total-Upper-Body-Workout-Bar/-/A-11079385

 

• Weights
  Target and Wal-Mart both carry weights that are inexpensive up to 25 lbs. If you have never worked out, I'd suggest getting 15, 20 and 25 to start (Unless you're stronger naturally, then start bigger.)

 

 

We've been doing the workout for 3 days now, and are already just as sore as we used to get doing P90X everyday. Obviously this workout can easily be modified to your personal fitness levels and preferences. Some people prefer more cardio or more lifting... and if that's what you like, then do it! The whole point is to turn SWTOR into a workout and enjoy doing both. Think about how many hours we put into this game in a week. If you spend just a portion of that time working out at the same time... that's a huge improvement over just sitting on your butt!

 

Hopefully this helps motivate someone to improve their personal fitness level. If it reaches just one person, I'd say it was well worth it. I'm still tweaking it as we go along, so the values may change, but it's a place to start!

Edited February 26, 2012 by DemonLlamas

[Dezzi]

Very cool! I might give this a try! Thanks for sharing!

[DemonLlamas]

Very cool! I might give this a try! Thanks for sharing!

If you happen to do it, post back here how it's going for you.

[DemonLlamas]

Perhaps I should have titled this thread "How to lose your virginity."

 

Anyone out there giving this a try? It's working great for my wife and I, so I was curious if anyone else has tried it.

[Blotter]

Where does my poopsock fit in?

[DemonLlamas]

Where does my poopsock fit in?

haha, it allows you to never have to use it again.

[Icebaron]

It would of been more fun if you made it into a drinking game.

[archifikoss]

This is a fun way to combine fitness and gaming, thanks for sharing your idea! I'm currently doing other stuff for my fitness but I think it's worth the bump

[MrSchmo]

I got married so I wouldn't have to work out any more.

[Artharin]

I just finished my first p90x cycle last week. I was taking a break to get more gaming in, but I'll try this tonight.

[stagwalker]

well played sir this is a good idea so you don't turn into a seed bag playing swtor for endless hours

[Mirdthestrill]

Abs (I prefer to use P90X's Ab Ribber workouts)

 

It has begun. Tony Horton will conquer the universe, one gamer at a time...

[Lunazen]

Awesome lol

 

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I have a bad back due to shortened psoas hip flexors (due to sitting for long periods, entirely my fault). When I was in my late 20's, sitting for hours at a time didn't have immediate effects (though paying for it now). Approaching 40, whole different story.

 

Love this so much. The great thing is, it might actually become a part of that risk v reward cycle we so crave. Brilliant, really I think I will alter it to include some yoga and stretching too.