It was back in August last year that we first brought you details of the connection between former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and virtual reality (VR) with the then announcement that Mayweather was planning to open up several gyms and fitness centres, as well as that he was planing the launch of a Mayweather Boxing & Fitness VR experience that would, it was said, allow people at home to follow along with Mayweather’s workout routine. Allowing you to feel the burn alongside “Money” Mayweather himself.
The VR experience and its accompanying mobile app, were to be part of an initiative to maximise the number of people who could access a high-quality training experience and also be assistance to those who do not have access to traditional gyms, for whatever reason. Today that proposal has become a reality, and it has become so at the 2018 edition of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Coming to Mayweather Boxing + Fitness locations individual users will be able to virtually train one-on-one with the undisputed champion.
Available at Mayweather Boxing + Fitness tech-enabled gym locations, the flagship location of which will be opening later this month in Los Angeles, the virtual workout is just one mere session but spans a full twelve week program of sessions which feature Mayweather as your coach. These are in addition to the standard boxing workouts available at the gyms.
“Boxing gave me a platform to become a world-class athlete, and I’m using those skills to build a global fitness platform that will help people to train better and smarter,” explains Mayweather, who will be demonstrating the app at a press event later today and even challenging some of the press to see if they’ve got what it takes to be a boxer. “I’ve seen how the fitness industry has evolved; and now we’re taking it to the next level, not only by incorporating the workouts that I used throughout my career, but also by investing in cutting-edge technology and making that a core part of our offering.”
Mayweather will be joined at the event by James Williams, the CEO of Mayweather Boxing + Fitness. Speaking on the launch he said, “The fitness industry is evolving quickly, and consumers are increasingly demanding more effective ways to train, many of which incorporate new forms of technology. With our flagship gym location set to open this month, we’re creating a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that combines the most effective programming in the industry with fully immersive tech experiences – all tailored to the everyday fitness consumer.”
The VR fitness program covers a variety of workouts that will increase in difficult as the weeks progress, provides both high intensity cardio training and boxing skill-based workouts with the headset, an HTC Vive and its controllers, tracking movements and allowing the calculation of punch intensity and tracking the number of calories burned.
VRFocus will be bringing you more details on the VR training on offer as we get them. For more stories about VR, sport and fitness check out most recent edition of This Week In VR Sport.