EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp - Nintendo Wii (Bundle)

Hi everyone. I just got "NFL Training Camp" from Amazon the other day, and I have used it a couple of times now. I wanted to write a really quick review of my initial experience with the product. First off, I will say that the packaging seems really nice. The equipment seems solidly made and it fits really well. It's also comfortable, which was a bit of a surprise. I was half expecting it to dig into my body or slide all around. The arm strap and the leg strap stayed in place throughout all of my workouts and never felt uncomfortable at all. In fact, after a few minutes I didn't even notice that they were on. The only ding I give the equipment is the fact that it's branded "EA Active" and comes with some decals for you to put on them to cover that up with the "NFL Training Camp" logo. Not a big deal, but come on EA...for $100 you couldn't even put the stickers on for us?? Once I got the disc in the Wii, it fires up with the profile setup. I went through all of that and then registered the product with EA and created an online account. The ONLY issue I have with the opening sequence is that it mentions how to set up the sensors, but doesn't really show you how. I thought that I was doing something wrong, and then I realized that you actually set up the sensors AFTER the preliminary video. I wish it would have told me during the video that there would be a detailed setup after the video...then I wouldn't have thought I was doing it incorrectly. Needless to say, I got it working just fine as soon as I realized there is an actual setup screen for the equipment. I launched right into the "game" after that, and I set up my workout days and days off. I then went ahead and just set myself up with some custom drills. I have been mainly using the quarterback challenges. They are an absolute blast. They mainly require you to move your feet to "hold off" a blitz. There is a timer in the corner that shows you how close the rush is getting to you, and if you move your feet faster you make that timer go down slower. You then have to whip the Wii remote forward as if you are throwing a football when your receivers get open. I have to say, I had an absolutely awesome time doing these drills. I was moving my feet and really getting into gaining the yards with the receivers. One really cool feature is that it tracks your scores and then shows you how well you're doing on what is essentially a leader board. It's a GREAT way to get people to keep coming back for more, even when they have already gotten really good at the drill. You can always try and beat your best score...and if you keep coming back for more, then hey, you're still working out which is ultimately the point of the whole product. I must say...I am relatively out of shape. Not really obese, but not really in shape either. In any case, the three QB drills I did really had me working. I was sweating and my heart rate was way up, which is easy to judge because of the excellent heart rate monitor with the system. The best part?? I was burning calories and getting what seemed like a good little workout, but it didn't feel like WORK. It was more like having fun that just has the side effect of burning some calories. I did a few of the other workouts, but I was already pretty tired from my QB drills, so I don't think I did them as well as I should have. I started each workout day with the QB drill, mainly because I'm not quite yet ready to commit to the 60 day challenge, so I've just been doing my own drills at my own pace. Even though I didn't do the other drills as well as I probably should have, they all still seemed to work very well and were also fun. I will probably start the 60 day challenge in the next few days and then if I have to, I will ammend this review. All in all, I'm really happy with the product. If you are the type of person that wants to work out but finds most workout DVDs and programs boring (like me) then you should give this a try. I have tried several workouts in the past and always gave up within about two weeks...and I KNEW I was going to give up because right from the get-go they didn't seem like any fun. This, on the other hand, has given me a completely different initial impression, and I feel that I will be able to stick with it for a good long while.

We ordered this for our son who is 9 and an avid football player. Due to the winter months, and not being able to get out side and be as active as we would like him to be, we wanted something that he could do to help him stay in shape and become more agile and coordinated. I only rated it a "4" for "fun," because, in his words, "this is hard!" it is not a "game," per se, but rather an exercise regimen of sorts. We have modified it to some degree in that he does not use the resistance band, and we let him choose what he wants to work on. He really like the linebacker challenges and the quarterback challenges. He DOES work up a sweat and the heart monitor helps us to see if he is getting any aerobic benefit from it. Also, it gives him a "number of calories burned" at the end, and he has recently been trying to get that number as high as possible -- it has become his score. As a child that teeters on the edge of having a weight problem, this is almost fun to watch -- he is learning the value of eating healthy foods vs. high calorie junk, and what it takes to "use" it. I highly recommend it for anyone that enjoys football and wants to have an extra way to exercise. It is NOT a game, as stated above, but more of a personal challenge type thing.

I actually bought this product a long time ago, and only recently finally got it out to try it. This "game" will actually give you a decent workout, but like any workout, you'll only get out of it what you put into it. If you don't take the exercises seriously and try to push yourself with them, you'll probably find this to be a bust. I'm not quite in the best shape I've ever been, but I'm not out of shape or overweight by any means. I've been using this program for a couple weeks and I'll work up a pretty decent sweat and, occasionally, even need to stop for a few moments. Note that I am doing the "Hard" level for my workouts, as I didn't feel like I was really being pushed at the Medium level. By the end of the week, I've been pretty sore and ready to have a break. Note that you can set the days you would like to work out. My schedule is Monday through Thursday, with Friday-Sunday off. If it works better for you to do Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday you can do that. There is an option to do missed exercises if you miss a day or decide to "move" a workout to another day. You cannot set it to do anymore than 4 workouts a week though, at least as far as I can tell. The sensors, unfortunately, do not work as well as they could or should. This is quite noticable on the conditioning (jog/run) exercises. I'll be doing a light jog and my guy on screen will break out into a practically a dead sprint. They should just have "jog" be run, since that is what it amounts to being. Also, as others have noted, some exercises don't pick up correctly on the sensors, if at all. You will struggle with this pretty much no matter what you do for some exercises. I have noticed in my experience though that sensor placement plays a fairly significant factor in whether or not my movements are detected. For example, one time I was doing the workout and for one of the exercise (I think it was the bent arm side plank) I absolutely could not get my motion to detect. My leg sensor had been facing outward on my leg (on the right side of my leg) instead facing forward toward the TV. I moved the sensor and the game started picking up my movements better. I would actually recommend almost setting it slightly more toward your inner thigh, as it seems to work better for me at least. I am also unsure if the location of your Wii or sensor bar can make a difference with this, since I don't know if the USB connector used with this assists in detecting movement. My Wii sits below my TV, so everything is in front of me while I'm using this. ----------- UPDATE: Sensor placement, again, does make an impact. However, if you find that the Wii still isn't picking up movement, you may want to try restarting the current exercise as well and be sure you are in the correct starting position BEFORE the exercise "starts". The game seems to set a starting position, then track movement from there, so if you aren't in the correct starting position before it decides to begin the exercise, it'll be messed up from there forward. ----------- This may also just be me, but Training Camp seems to also be much more intensive on the legs than the arms. Even on "upper body" workout days, my legs seem to get a pretty good workout while my upper body doesn't seem to get much. I question if the game accurately gauges calorie burn. I may or may not skip a stretch occasionally (but still let it run on the screen), and the calorie burn seems to clock based on the movement of trainer you are working with. I suspect that the calorie burn calculation is more based on some combination of your heart rate, entered weight, and the movements the game is expecting, and not actual tracking of your movement. Pros: - For a video game controlled workout, it can give a pretty solid workout. - Fairly easy setup, with some character customization if you really care about having an on-screen person that looks like you - Some incentives for workouts, like earning points to unlock NFL gear that you can use on your on-screen person. - Everything you "need" is in the package, so no additional purchases are necessary. Cons: - Sensors occasionally don't pick up your movements, which can kill the pace of a workout and be really frustrating - The included resistance band included can get the job done, but I wasn't particularly challenged by it. If you have done any strength training in the past at all, you'll probably want either some free weights or a better resistance band. - Occasionally the announcer guy doesn't say anything when you need to start another rep or come down from the middle of one. Makes things difficult when you are lying on the ground and have to stretch your neck to look at the TV to see what you should be doing. And the announcer gets all upset that you aren't moving, which gets grating after awhile. I cannot comment on the online component of the game, as I haven't set that up to check it out. If I get it setup, I will come back and comment on it.

We have had Wii Fit Plus and other "workout" titles in the house since we first got the Wii two years ago. They have been used from time to time, but not on a regular-enough basis to feel like they are making a difference. This title (EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp) is totally different. I am a little over a week into the 60-day program and am loving it! Each workout session is different and is automatically generated for me, keeping things interesting and different. The way the system tracks areas of the body for workouts and progress toward goals is great and really shows how you are doing - creates a sense of accomplishment. The workouts are tough, I'm breaking a sweat and feeling it the next day which is good! The dialogue is fun and motivating, and the options to change stadiums/workout partners is fun for this NFL fan. Cost less than one month of a cheap gym membership, and feels like this will have staying power and ultimately benefits to my health. For all these reasons, this was a STEAL at less than $15 shipped via Amazon, and one of the best reasons for having the Wii today, two years later. Highly recommended if it sounds at all motivating and helpful to you and your goals!

When I first saw the commercial for this "game", I originally thought my husband would love it. He's a former DI college football player, who still thinks he could walk on the field and compete. Paid about 1/2 the original price here on Amazon. However, my eight year old son has taken over this game. We keep him active in sports programs year round. He is on the heavier side and needs to be kept active and moving. Winter season = wrestling season, trains 2 nights per week, and competes on the weekends. On his off days, he trains with this game, completely on his own. This not a weight bearing exercise routine. Uses body resistance, squats, lunges, pushups, etc. I am sure this game would give any athlete a competative edge, but it's also a great tool for the rest of us to get in shape. We've had no problems with the leg and arm sensors. Worth every penny.

The sending and receiving units do not work. When they do work the game is a lot of fun and does constitute a real workout. But the arm and leg units do not communicate with the WII box consistently. Thus, the game cannot tell when you are moving. Over and over I received the coach's command to move while I was not only moving but jumping all over the place. I synchronized the arm and leg and sending units many times, but they continued to fail. The workouts themselves are great! Much better than the dance moves, what I call them, on most workout tapes. Now its in the trash after a week. Worthless. Great game plan, poor execution. December 31, 2012 Update: I really wish this program had worked. I bought My Fitness Coach and it is mostly dance (aerobic) steps whereas the workouts on this program were football oriented. The dance workouts are geared for women, while the workouts on NFL Training Camp were male all the way. I liked these workouts MUCH better, but the hardware failure killed the deal. They need to put this program out more in the format of the Fitness Coach; that is, get rid of the leg and wrist detectors and just have the user go through the workout following the instructions. That way, hardware failure isn't a problem. AD2

I bought this game package intending it to be for my husband who is a huge NFL fan. I tried it out on my own one day, needless to say in two weeks I lost almost 10 pounds. It is a good way to lose weight even if you are not a NFL fan. I happen to be a fan of football so the exercise routines are fun to follow. I found you get faster results if you trade the workout bands with real hand weights and try using light leg weights to add to the workout. I also increased my workouts to "hard" so it resembles more of a real workout than just a game. I also workout 5 to 6 times a week. The exercises don't seem to be gender based, but I have always been fit for a female. The football drills use many different muscles groups other workouts overstep. Overall I was surprised that a video game would help me get into better shape, my muscle tone has increased and my body fat has dropped. Females shouldn't bypass this game just because it looks to be geared towards men, its an excellent workout tool it you don't cheat the workouts and watch what you eat.

I am not a football fan; I watch it because my husband does. I bought this game to get an extra set of sensors. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by how much I like this game. I completed the punting today and that was loads of fun. Who knew acting like you are kicking a football would be fun? The quarterback challenge was fun too. I have to say that I think this game is much tougher than EASA2. I am using both right now, and I use EASA2 on the hard level, which is difficult, but it gives me a good workout. I tried NFL Training Camp on the hard level and I thought I was going to die! I had to tone it down and do the workouts on the medium level. It doesn't get me sweating like EASA2, but I know that using NFL Training Camp is causing me to use muscles I would not normally use. I think a football fan would love this game, but I really think an open-minded non-football lover could also find this game useful and fun.

Game is very fun especially kick offs. Good workout. Arm and leg accessories don’t usually cut out unlike the Velcro leg strap on some games. Always worth it. The arm and leg accessories work with some other workout games. Seller was great communication, tracking, item arrived earlier than expected. Very happy!

I started the 60 day challenge and I really like the work outs and the challenges - makes it interesting. My problem with it though is how it seems it isn't registering my movements correctly. It wasn't bad at first, but now every workout there is at least one time when I'll move, but the character on screen won't and then the narrator is going on about how I need to get moving or to lower into the start position. It got so annoying the other day I gave up and shut the machine off in frustration.

Great workout. Can get intense. But also fun

Je m'en suis servi 3 fois, et après quelque mois d'inutilisation, il ne fonctionnait plus. (ne détecte plus les capteurs et le jeu devient inutilisable)

The exercises are awesome you will get a good workout. But the sensors are poor and don't like to work when doing squatting type movements