How David Scott Misplaced 10 Kilos Utilizing VR

David Scott, owner of Cool Beans Studios and developer of the VR game Project Shield, is the perfect example of a person who uses VR to do a fun daily exercise and lose weight as a result. Losing a pound is hard enough, but losing ten with VR? That is an achievement.

He said VR fitness insider the game like Sound boxes, a kickboxing game combined with YouTube music videos, helped him lose weight. VRFI interviewed him to learn about the type of gear he uses for VR, the games and programs he used to lose weight, and other helpful tips he learned on his virtual fitness journey.

VRFI: How long have you been in the gaming industry?

DS: I’ve been developing since 2014 after doing the Oculus DK2. I own Cool Beans Studios, developed the Project Shield game, and am currently working on an exciting project with Elemental Sparks.

VRFI: That’s great. What VR gear and games do you use to exercise that also helped you lose weight?

DS: I used an Oculus DK2 and played Soundboxing and The Lab (Longbow) the most. I have 20 hours of soundboxing and over 100 hours of The Lab.

VRFI: That’s a lot of hours of play. What made sound boxes so funny?

DS: The funniest aspect of soundboxing is that it allows you to get up and be active, but it also gets people (developers) to create beatmaps that go with the song.

DS: Sure, other games use an algorithm to try to sync the music to the beats, but custom beatmaps allow for a more accurate representation of the music and rhythm. To be able to just play any song you like with the flawed YouTube search feature is great and allows me to enjoy the music I like rather than being forced to listen to the other’s music to like.

VRFI: You have hundreds of VR gameplay under your belt, how long have you been or have you been playing?

DS: At the moment I play 1-2 hours a day, 5 times a week. I’ve been doing this for about 15 days.

VRFI: That is phenomenal. 10 kilos in 15 days? How intense is soundboxing for people who want to use it?

DS: This game is an adrenaline rush. The intensity results from the rapid rhythmic movement into which you are thrown. But the great thing about this game is that you can choose your own intensity. There are a number of ways in which you can play a song with fewer beats or just create your own beatmap.

I play about 20 songs that are about 3-5 minutes long. I also only play songs over 800 beats, this allows me to get the most out of my playing time. There are some songs that I play that stay over 1500 beats per song. This depends on your stamina, so don’t overdo this part. This is simply because your punches at the end of the song aren’t full punches and don’t mean much.

VRFI: Great that there are adjustments for music and the number of beats per song. The higher the beats, the more difficult it becomes and vice versa.

VRFI: When did you realize that these VR games made you lose weight?

DS: The results were insanely quick. After the first two sessions, I noticed that I had already lost 4 pounds, although it was probably water weight, but it was weight nonetheless. I started at 196 pounds to the point and weighed 9/11 this morning at 186.7 pounds.

VRFI: Do you have any plans to help you lose weight?

DS: I started the weight loss plan on August 26th, so it’s about 15 days. If you are really trying to lose weight while playing, you can definitely do it a lot faster than if you were also playing the game normally.

VRFI: Do you have any tips for VR trainers out there who want maximum fat burning?

DS: I don’t just swing my arms or do lazy punches, I put my full strength into every shot. I also keep moving my body and exaggerating my movements for better calorie burning.

VRFI: Did you keep track of how many calories were burned during the game? If so, which device did you use?

DS: I tracked calories burned with a Fitbit Flex. It is a little tricky at times as it relies on your heart rate to determine how many calories have been burned. But I burn around 600-800 calories in an hour-long session.

VRFI: Do you have any other fitness games for VR and if so, what are your favorites?

DS: I’ve played a couple of different games that I would probably consider fitness games like Holopoint, Thrill of the Fight, and Knockout League. But overall, soundboxing is just my favorite game to train with. Although Holopoint and Thrill of the Fight are realistically much more intense workouts, I don’t enjoy them as much and I don’t lose track of time as I do with soundboxes.

VRFI: Do you have any helpful nutrition tips for gamers or people who, like you, want to lose weight and train with VR?

DS: I’ve made some healthier choices in my life such as skipping all sodas and just watching out for my candy consumption. I eat normally, I eat pizza and tacos and whatever I want. I only exercise to burn off the excess calories and that has worked wonders for me. But if someone ate properly and a healthier diet during this workout, I can bet they would lose weight faster and more efficiently than me. Also, cardio doesn’t put a lot of stress on the body and can lead to a great result in weight loss. Do as many days as your body allows you.

VR fitness to take away

It takes no more than 30 minutes a day to get better results in your mind and body. All you need is the will to step onto the platform, strap on your headset, and box and blow bubbles to the beat.

Enhance and increase your weight loss potential by wearing a heart monitor so you can see how many calories you are burning and whether or not you are burning the maximum possible fat per game.

Stories like David Scott’s are motivational and inspirational for those looking to lose weight and improve their overall health. Take a bold move, you may find that playing VR games like Soundboxing or The Lab (Longbow) will keep you entertained for hours.

Have fun and keep playing.