Fun, exciting, addicting, and life-changing are just a few of the things we hear our members say about the Black Box VR Fitness experience. Courtney is one of those members. She has found her passion for working out again. She is transforming her life and is excited to share her Black Box VR fitness journey with us.
BBVR: Thank you, Courtney, for taking the time to do a quick interview. We are so happy you are loving your Black Box VR workouts. Tell us a bit of yourself.
Courtney: Of course! It’s my pleasure. So, I’m a software developer as a profession, but I’m a bit of a collector of hobbies. I play video games, I crochet, I’m learning how to sew now, I do West Coast Swing and Blues dancing, I DJ West Coast Swing dance events, and I obsessively watch DIY YouTube videos on home improvement projects that I am in no way qualified to attempt but I try. My partner and I just bought a home together where we live with his 14-year-old son, so there is a lot to do.
BBVR: It sounds like you have your hands full with family and house projects. How did you find out about Black Box VR, and what made you want to try it?
Courtney: I first heard about Black Box VR when I went to Boise CodeWorks to become a software developer, and a couple of the instructors mentioned it. I love the idea of gamifying things like chores and habits, and the concept of gamified fitness is SO appealing to me. I watched the Black Box VR intro video on it and promised myself that I’d get a membership when I wasn’t a broke student anymore. Once I did, I got addicted immediately. The game runs so smoothly and is so immersive. It’s instantly fun and engaging. I can’t stop talking about how much I love it!
BBVR: Had you ever been in Virtual Reality before joining Black Box VR?
Courtney: A couple of times. I played Beat Saber at a friend’s house one night and some archery game where we were trying to defend a fortress. It was a lot of fun, and I saw the appeal immediately. Black Box VR is a lot the same – it’s immediately exciting to be in that world, and it doesn’t even really feel like you’re working out as hard as you are because the gameplay is so entertaining and distracting.
BBVR: How long have you been a member at Black Box VR?
Courtney: I think I started in September of 2020. I injured my back when I was moving into my house in December, so I took two months off to recuperate, but I came back as soon as my body let me. The most frustrating thing about injuring myself was that I couldn’t do my workouts, and it broke my streak!
BBVR: We are so glad you got better and made it back to the gym. What are your favorite features of the Black Box VR fitness experience?
Courtney: SO MANY. I love that we get real swag like different colored headbands for our placement leagues and get pins for leveling up and winning your Boss Battles. Having real-world rewards for in-game accomplishments is so rewarding.
As I’ve said before, the game itself is insanely addicting and helps distract you from how hard you’re working out. The first 10 minutes feel like 5 minutes, and the next 20 minutes also feel like 5 minutes. I love that I can go in, get a solid workout done, and be out in 30 minutes flat, and be shocked that 30 minutes has passed by already. I love being able to see if my lifts are going up and compete with myself to grow and improve. Honestly, it’s the best fitness experience I’ve ever had.
BBVR: How does Black Box VR compare with other workout programs you have done in the past?
Courtney: I used to weightlift pretty intensely – I even participated in some fitness competitions in the past. Over the years, I got out of the habit of working out, and it was hard to find the motivation to start back up. Black Box VR made working out fun again and helped me get my love of strength training back. Having it connected to a game has made the workout exciting and addicting. 30-minutes in the box flies by so fast, and at the end of it, I feel like I’ve gotten a better workout than I would elsewhere. The nature of the box pushes you to your limits and makes you challenge yourself in the best way possible.
BBVR: We understand that sticking to a fitness routine can be a challenge. That’s why we created Black Box VR. To make fitness fun and addicting. You know, part of any healthy routine is a balanced diet. What do you do to eat healthily? Any specific ways you eat?
Courtney: I think I inadvertently do intermittent fasting. I am usually not hungry until around 11:00 or noon, so I skip breakfast most days. I’m not a fan of meat, so I supplement with protein shakes every day and focus on eating whole varied foods. A lot of veggies, eggs, and cottage cheese, though not at the same time. I’m trying to avoid the idea of limiting or barring myself from eating certain foods because that makes me want them even more. So I’m trying this whole “everything in moderation” thing and see how that goes.
BBVR: Do you do any outside activities to boost your Black Box results?
Courtney: I enjoy hiking and taking my dog for meandering walks through my neighborhood. I also do West Coast Swing dancing though I haven’t gotten to dance in over a year because of Covid. I’m just starting to get into yoga as well.
BBVR: You have been working out consistently for a while now. Have you had any positive physical or mental results since you started going to Black Box VR?
Courtney: For sure! I think the pandemic was making me feel helpless, and I hated feeling that way. Along with that, I gained about 20 lbs because of stress and a sedentary job that was made even more sedentary with working from home every day. When I started at Black Box VR, it helped me feel like I was taking control of some small part of my life again. I’m mentally more clear and focused. I have more confidence in myself, I’ve lost 25 lbs so far, and more than that, I feel like I’m getting stronger and more confident. I also can’t express how amazing it is to have my love of strength training reignited again. It feels like I found a part of myself that I lost, and I didn’t know how to get it back until now.
BBVR: Congratulations! We love hearing about our member’s fitness results. Do you have any Black Box VR Achievements that you are most proud of?
Courtney: I recently hit my “Million Lifetime Total Volume” Achievement, which felt pretty awesome.
BBVR: What are your favorite Champions in the game, and how do you like to use them?
Courtney: Right now, I’m all about that Lightning Tiger. The damage it does is fantastic, and I love that my opponent will only get 150 elixir points for it if it gets taken out. I’ll usually send out a Lightning Tiger first and then follow it up with an Aqua Fist. All of my champions right now are low point guys because I want to make sure my opponent has barely any elixir to use, even if they take out everything on the field.
BBVR: What are your favorite exercises?
Courtney: Deadlifts for days, man. Always and forever, deadlifts.
BBVR: All Black Box VR members get access to our fitness app so they can schedule their workouts, view their fitness stats, and more. What are some of your favorite features in the app?
Courtney: The app experience is phenomenal – being able to unlock champions and upgrade them is a lot of fun. I enjoy opening the app every day to get my free gift of upgrades and unlocks. I love the fact that I can see how my lifts are doing after every workout and keeping an eye on the progression of my fitness levels. Every part of the app is like it’s tailor-made to keep me addicted to working out. It’s brilliant!
BBVR: We are constantly asking our members about their Black Box VR experience and how we can make it better. What types of features would you like to see in the future?
Courtney: Having been injured outside of Black Box and not being able to strength train because it bummed me out. I would love to see an “injured mode” or something similar where you can do low-impact workouts that are maybe more cardio-focused, but that will help keep your streak alive. If you guys created an “off day” or “light day” workout, I would be at Black Box gym daily. I’m not even joking.
BBVR: Thank you for that feedback. That’s a great idea, and we will keep it in mind for our new feature list. Do you have any advice for people that are on the fence about trying Black Box VR Fitness?
Courtney: Do it, seriously. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had working out. The VR fitness experience is intuitive, and the first 6 onboarding sessions get you comfortable with the gameplay at a perfect pace. If you stick with it, you will see results.
BBVR: Thank you, Courtney, for taking time out of your busy day to share your experience with Black Box VR. We appreciate you.
Courtney: Absolutely. It has been my pleasure. I can’t say enough great things about Black Box VR and this fitness experience. Thank YOU all for the work you do. It’s life-changing!
If you’re interested in trying Black Box VR for FREE, find a location near you, and unlock fast fitness results!
We’ll see you in the arena soon!
