Last Updated on September 7, 2022 by Michael Brockbank
Before I write a full-on review for the Stealth Board, I want to see how much of a difference it makes for planks during a case study. I’ve been a bit excited to do this one since Sam bought it months ago. But alas, here we are…finally.
Perhaps the hardest part about this case study is that planking of any kind is going to be beneficial. This means getting a baseline for how long I can plank today versus what I can do in a month isn’t really going to be a good measure of the device.
So, after careful consideration, I am going to work on a couple of things during this particular case study. Unfortunately, I won’t have the best baseline because of the nature of the unit.
What is This Case Study Tracking?
The idea is to determine whether the Stealth Board is actually something worthwhile when compared to a variety of other products and exercises. As I am not quite at my goal weight or physique, it should be a good test of what I can do and look like by the end.
Of course, a lot of what I’ll look like has more to do with proper eating and maintaining my Net 600 Diet.
Every Day for Four Weeks
This particular case study is going to run for 28 days. Because I am sacrificing some of my favorite exercise machines during this study, I don’t want it to drag on too long.
Besides, it seems like a month is a current favorite among many “influencers” and reviewers for the Stealth Board.
In reality, you probably won’t see results in such a short amount of time. Proper health and fitness is all about the long game and maintaining. Still, I’m kind of eager to see what happens.
After the initial 28 days, perhaps I’ll decide to take it out to 56 just to see what happens in 8 weeks of using the Stealth Board.
Will it Affect My Core Workouts?
For this study, I’m getting a baseline of two exercises: sit-ups and lying leg raises. Theoretically, by performing planks every day for a month, I should be able to handle more reps for a variety of core exercises.
In this case, I’m just going to focus on the two. This means I’ll avoid intense core workouts, such as the ab crunch machine. That’s a bit of a bummer because that’s one of my favorite machines at Planet Fitness.
This just means I’ll either work on a different part of my body during my gym routine or just cut it short for now. Lately, I’ve been adding a 10-minute walk before and after the machines.
What About Weight Loss and Pics?
Unfortunately, trying to gauge the Stealth Board as a weight loss tool is going to be exceptionally difficult at this time. That’s because I intend on keeping with my Net 600 Calorie diet, which means I’m going to lose a lot of fat anyway.
I’ll also continue going to the gym, walking, and riding my bike…so, there are a lot of things that will contribute to my weight loss over time.
As for images, the case study for the Stealth Board probably won’t be a good judge for seeing “abs” in the photos. Again, I’m losing weight due to my diet right off the bat.
This means that my abs should be visible after a month whether I’m using the Stealth Board or not. I still took a set of “before” photos to show the difference. I just don’t see it as a viable method to prove the claims of the Stealth Board.
Too many variables are contributing to both weight loss and pictures.
What’s the Calorie Burn Like?
One of the claims by many is that the Stealth Board can generate some decent calorie burn. Using the Fitbit to track calories, because it’s failure accurate in my case, I want to compare the burn-per-minute against other activities.
Now, I doubt that I’ll rack up some incredible numbers. As it stands, I think my personal record for holding a plank is just over two minutes. And I highly doubt it would compare to 30 minutes of Xbox play.
Can you imagine holding a plank for 30 minutes?
Total Workout Time and Breaks
For this case study, I’ll track the total workout time, which includes a 1-minute break in between each of the three rounds. So, this should result in a 7 to 10-minute workout, depending on how long I can hold a plank.
I’m tracking each of the rounds in the spreadsheet below. Theoretically, I should see a slow increase in how long I can hold the first plank over the next four weeks.
Though, I am excited to see the impact of the final round.
Playing a Particular Game
When you buy and set up your Stealth Board, you get a few free games right off the bat. For this case study, I’m going to use the same game for all 28 days. This is so the data isn’t skewed by any variables other games may introduce.
For example, some games are for more active with side-to-side movements than others.
In this case, I’m sticking with the hang glider game.
Getting the Beginning Stats
Ok, time to start tracking some data. What are my “vitals” before I start the study?
- Weight: 237.2
- Sit-Ups: 15
- Lying Leg Raises: 13
As I said, I’m also taking a “before” pic that I will compare to an “after” image after the four-week stretch. However, I am relatively sure the images are going to be more telling about my diet and carb intake.
Still, it would be interesting to see the results after 28 days.
Data for the Stealth Board Case Study
As I am conducting this little case study, you can follow along by viewing the spreadsheet below. I’m taking note of the days, how long I commit to playing during each session, how many calories I burn according to Fitbit, and the average calorie burn per minute.
I’m going to see if I can do three rounds of playing various games. But no matter what, I’ll at least play with the Stealth Board once every day.
For those interested in cardio, I like tracking burn-per-minute and comparing which activities are the most effective for burning fat. The hardest part is remembering to enable the workout in Fitbit.
Red boxes are days that I forgot to turn the Fitbit on for the exercise.
Results of the Stealth Board Case Study
As I am still working on this case study, the following information isn’t available. But, I will update this post as soon as I’m done on October 4th. You can see my progress in the spreadsheet above.
I just want to keep the list here so I remember it’s what I’m going for.
- Weight:
- Sit-Ups:
- Lying Leg Raises:
What Do You Think of the Stealth Board?
As I haven’t finished this case study yet, I can’t say whether I like the Stealth Board. So far, some of the games have been kind of fun, and I like how it tracks the monthly progress of other players. You can see how you compare with other users.
In any case, it’s an interesting idea, and I am all about gamifying fitness. So, I suspect the month will go by relatively quickly.
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