STEALTH Core Trainer REVIEW | MacSources
Work your abs while playing challenging games
When I was younger I had a very strict workout regimen. I was well-trained in Tae Kwon Do and even taught younger students. In recent years, I’ve let some of the discipline lapse and have been looking for a way to get back into the swing of things. I recently saw information about the Stealth core trainer and thought, “That looks like fun!” So, I gave it a try.
DETAILS
Stealth is an articulating planking board that utilizes video game ab workouts to make exercise fun. The planking movement targets a total of 29 different muscles including your abs, obliques, and lower back. Stealth uses your core strength to control the action on your mobile phone screen so that your workout is more engaging. The board is designed to hold any size smartphone and features urethane arm pads. The app is available for Android and iOS operating systems and the board is priced at $149 (on sale for $99 at the time of publishing this article).
FEATURES
- Provides core training in the privacy of your own home
- App is free and includes 2 games — “Stealth Speed Gliding” and “Galaxy Adventure”
- App tracks daily progress and includes a worldwide leaderboard. Users can create challenges with family and friends
- Stealth provides a superior multi-directional dynamic exercise with proprietary 360º motion
- Sessions last 3 minutes.
- Item Weight: 9.92 pounds
- iOS Requirements: iOS version 7 and above Hardware: iPhone 5s and better
- Android Requirements: Android 6 and above Hardware: Samsung Note 4 and better (accelerometer & gyroscope required)
USER EXPERIENCE
The Stealth arrived in a pretty basic box with no real information included. I was able to find the iOS app easily in the App Store. It is free to download but it offers in-app purchases. The app (for iOS at least) takes up 402.5MB, which means that you’ll need to be on WiFi to download. Additionally, you only get two games with the download. There are additional games available, but only if you pay the Stealth Premium Subscription of $1.99 per month or $19.99 yearly. That’s not something I was anticipating when I got the Stealth. The two games that come with the app aren’t bad — they are actually quite enjoyable. But I can see them getting old pretty quickly.
When I first saw the Stealth I thought it would be an interesting way to lose weight and build up my core. I was excited to get my hands on it and start using it. After a few days of using it, I noticed my stomach started to hurt more than average for ab exercises. Knowing that I am the unfortunate owner of a Hiatal Hernia I thought I should ask a medical professional if doing this would upset it more. The answer was yes. This was a major let down for me but my daughter, on the other hand, loved the news. That meant in her mind she could use the Stealth without having to fight with me for time on it. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose but for her, it was a win.
For me, using the Stealth was harder then it should have been because of my condition. My daughter has been able to enjoy using it and is having fun with the games. There is one downside to her. She is competitive so when she starts to mess up on the games she wants to slip out of the planking position and just move the Stealth so she can win whatever she’s playing. After using the Stealth for a couple of days, she said she noticed her ab muscles more than she has ever in her life. In fact, it was a shock to her that she could feel these since she had never before in her life. She says it’s an interesting concept but the subscription plan to the games is not something she was fond of. “It’s a big downside to me. I feel that if you are paying for the device you should get basic games for free or at least more of an option to them.” I tend to agree with her on this as with how tight money is around the world at this time, that adding any sort of non-essential subscription can be hard.
On a side note, you don’t have to sign up for the subscription to use the Stealth since they do provide you with two free games. One of the times I used it before I found out that I shouldn’t be, I was just using it without the games trying to get a good feel for the device and I really like the movements. If you just wanted to use the Stealth to help balance while planking, it’s really good for that.
CONCLUSION
All in all it’s an interesting way to help build your core and to get moving. Stealth has a nice Facebook community and the incorporation of gameplay into exercise really helps to draw in people that may be resistant to working out. Stealth has made it pretty motivating to get off your butt and start using it.
Originally published at https://macsources.com on April 29, 2020.
