@TheBigG753

Oh I may have to try that for myself then to double-check. I know that the dance mode doesn't add but I'm not so sure about Custom now.

@TriforceBun

I did do the same custom workout twice, though, so it's possible that it doesn't carry over from one custom workout to the other. I assume it would, but I'm not sure.

fwi you can add pretty much any exercises in your custom list, including the dances and free running tracks. I still have a way to go to finish Adventure mode, but I've found Custom to be very useful when I want to get into the workout quicker, get less forced down time or, like TheBigG, when the workout routine I want doesn't match where I'm at in Adventure.

Has anyone ever run into a problem with the Leg Raise ab/core exercise not detecting properly? This has been pretty consistent over my last few core workouts. I'll lift my legs up at least as far as Tipp does in the preview pane, but my guy is lifting his legs maybe an inch or two off the ground.

I don't personally care about getting a bad grade as long as I'm doing the exercise effectively, but sometimes I'll have to do a few reps over again because it doesn't think I raised my legs up at all.

Any thoughts? I feel like it could be calibration or Joycon-related, but it's strange that this is the only exercise I've had any issues with the accuracy (Knee-to-Chest and Plank have been fine). Next time I'll try a few things like swapping the Joycon pair, facing the opposite direction, etc. to see if that helps. I don't think it's where I have it strapped on my thigh, as I've already varied that up a bit and it hasn't made a difference.

@TheBigG753

I don't actually have this issue with Leg Raise so much as the Planks and Mountain Climber. I think the root of all of them might be that the leg strap's Joy-Con is not quite as accurate as the one in the Ring-Con. Maybe due to everyone's thigh being different sizes/shapes, the way the strap can move and adjust while working out, etc.

Wondering if turning on the Assist for leg exercises would help with that.

I actually don't know what the Assists do.

I think, with the leg stuff, it's better to put the leg strap lower on your thigh. It slides down easier, but it reads the motion better.

Thanks for the feedback guys, and it's what @Anand suggested. I did Leg Raise as my final exercise today, and moved the strap down to just above my knee, and the results were a lot more accurate. It wasn't perfect - I still felt like I was needing to raise my legs a bit higher than necessary to get a 100 - but it was much better than before.

EDIT: By the way, I did my first Pendulum Bend today, and boy I felt some burning in my lower/side abs that I haven't felt in a while.

I'm really enjoying coming to this game every day and doing something new & different, mixing up the Adventure and Custom workouts. I find myself really looking forward to my next workout because of it.

@TheBigG753
Yeah, stuff like Pendulum Bend and the twisty exercises shouldn't be that bad... unless you're completely inflexible and seldom stretch, like me. I like the exercises that make you conscious of muscles which you hardly use, normally.

What are the most taxing exercises for everyone, btw? Mine are Squats and Tree Pose III. Leg Raise makes me a bit weak in the knees, as well.

@Anand

I am also completely inflexible and seldom stretch as well, though hopefully the game is helping in that regard. Even when I've been in really "good shape" before, I didn't have good balance or posture or flexibility.

Squats are tough, definitely. I did a serious cardio/leg workout on Friday with a number of the different squat exercises, and I'm still hurting a bit today. Planks are always tough, both in and outside of the game, but so worth doing even though I hate doing them. And really anything that requires any degree of hip flexibility, like Fan Pose and Tree Pose, are brutal right now.

@TheBigG753

Yeah, I think this game is excellent in the variety it throws at you. I think the hardest part of working out is knowing what to do; when you're just starting, it's easy, do Starting Strength for a few months and you're good. But once you're done with that, you have a million different people telling you a million different things you need to keep track of, and it's tough to make sure that you're training and stretching your body in such a way that there are no imbalances going on! So I love that I can kinda just trust Ring Fit Adventure to make that routine for me.

@Anand

As someone who already has bad knees, I have lots of trouble with squats. I'll try a few of them per session but will have to defer to raising my leg after a while to "cheat" them. Overhead Squats are the worst for me.

As for the toughest non-squat exercise, probably Planks. But Planks are good for me so I try to fit at least one set of them in per play session.

I'd bet most of us have really tight hips and struggle with squatting because of all the time we spend sitting at keyboards! This is a topic I really delved into with some massage therapists about six months ago; I found that stretching my hamstrings often and putting a plank under my heels when I squatted really helped me loosen up and built up strength without causing any knee pain.

@Anand

I don't really pay attention to the names of the exercises so I'm having a hard time with your question, haha.

I've gotten used fairly quickly to the exercises where you press the ring, to the point where I wonder if I'm doing them right. For instance when you hold it in front of you horizontally, waist high, to exercise your pectorals. Am I using my pectorals, or mostly just my arms? No real idea!

I end up raising the difficulty because they're the exercices I do the most and eventually it feels like I'm not doing much at all. I'm all the way up to 27/30! But then the game hits me with an "overhead arm rotation" or whatever it's called, and I end up having to do it 56 times, and my arms feel like they'll fall off after 20.


One thing I wish is that the game changed the attack value for exercises every other session. Because as it is now, some exercises are simply more powerful against enemies, you've got no reason to switch them out for another exercise that you might get more out of, but is weaker in-game. Some exercises I've never even tried because they were outclassed even when I got them, or they recover hearts and I don't need that.

@Guillaume
Yeah, I agree. I tried to go heavy on cardio, but it just became bad strategy after a while. One nice thing is that you do unlock stronger versions of the same exercise. But I'm hoping that you can eventually just power-up your favorites.

I haven't played in a couple of weeks, though. I've been taking long, post-apocalyptic jogs through the park, instead. Spiced up with disc golf interludes!

BTW, does jogging on the road cause pain to anyone else? It's freaking excruciating for me, so I usually stick to grassy areas.

@Anand

I haven't experienced any pain, but I'm about to order a pair of barefoot running shoes to keep on top of it before I do. I don't know if there are any studies to back it up, but the logic makes sense to me; why would running injuries be so prevalent in a species that evolved to run long distances? The big common unnatural variable are people's shoes causing them to strike the ground with their heels first, rather than the balls of their feet.

I'm sure part of the issue comes from our sedentary lifestyles and worse posture too!

Jogging has always caused me knee pain/inflammation, whether outside or on a treadmill. I've been an elliptical/bike guy for cardio ever since.

I've been doing a lot more Custom mode than the Adventure mode, lately. Sometimes the next quest is just jogging and breaking a bunch of boxes, and I don't feel I've done a whole lot, so I'll go spend another 10-15 minutes in custom.
I get what you are saying @Guillaume about sometimes not knowing if you're doing the exercise effectively. I usually just listen to the little hints they give and adjust accordingly ("Engage your abs! You should feel it in your back!" etc.). I've had that issue with all of the abdominal press holds. It doesn't say "flex your abs" while you're holding the ring-con in, but you kinda have to to get the desired benefit of that workout.

@Secret_Tunnel

No doubt that is a big part of it.

I should also mention that my running posture is freaking terrible. I guess normal people run from heel to toe? But I pretty much run on my toes. That heel-toe thing feels so unnatural.

Running on pavement seems horrible, though. So much impact.

@Anand

Yeah, I've recently taken up jogging, and I don't have a lot of options other than run on pavement. I tried running every other day earlier this week, but the second time I started running I could feel my knees were sensitive, and the third time, right away, it was downright painful. So obviously I stopped, and the plan is to take two days off between runs.

Is this just what it's like when you start, or do I have particularly sensitive knees? I should probably look that up.

Anand said:

I should also mention that my running posture is freaking terrible. I guess normal people run from heel to toe? But I pretty much run on my toes. That heel-toe thing feels so unnatural.

No, you're right, it is unnatural! Running on your toes is what you should do! (Apparently!)

Guillaume said:

Is this just what it's like when you start, or do I have particularly sensitive knees?

It could be either, or both. My understanding is that knee pain is often caused not by an issue in the knee, but by a strength or flexibility imbalance somewhere else in the leg, since all those muscles connect around your knee. What helped me was taking my squat progression really slowly, making sure to stretch often, putting plates under my heels to make the movement a little easier; lots of little tweaks that are kind of a pain to think about when you just wanna exercise, haha. I would think that Ring Fit Adventure's bodyweight and flexibility stuff would be good for improving all that.

On the other hand, my dad's been having knee issues lately because he doesn't have any cartilage anymore, and I believe the only way to fix that is surgery. That's worst-case scenario though, I wouldn't worry about that yet. For now I'd stick with what you're doing but be really careful about it, run less often than you'd like to, and get lots of rest. But I also have no idea what I'm talking about!