Biohacking with JohnXD: Virtual Reality

March has arrived, and spring is approaching fast. As someone who thrives outdoors, I’m genuinely excited for the warmer weather ahead.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who continues to read these articles and finds real value in them. Over the past year, we’ve explored a wide range of powerful devices and modalities. One of the core principles of biohacking is thinking outside the box, experimenting with approaches that most people overlook. That mindset defines me completely. I’m always searching for fresh ways to train, recover, or perform, and I love stacking modalities whenever it makes sense.

This month, I want to share something I’ve been doing for quite a while now. It rarely gets mentioned in biohacking circles and isn’t widely recognized as a “biohack.” Yet I consider it one of the most effective tools in my personal journey, and I know it has played a major role in my progress.

I’m talking about virtual reality (VR).

It all began when I was experimenting with creative ways to use my B3 BFR (blood flow restriction) bands. I’ve always believed workouts should be enjoyable, so one day I strapped on the bands, put on my VR headset, and jumped into a game. The results were immediate and surprising: I could still achieve that deep muscular burn, but the time flew by. The combination was perfect for me.

Next, I added wrist weights to increase the challenge. Still, I felt there was more potential. That’s when I brought in a full-body vibration plate. I realized I could stand on the plate during VR sessions because most games don’t require significant leg movement, only upper-body action. With BFR bands already on my arms and legs, everything became amplified. Now I had VR + BFR + vibration + added weights working together.

The impact was clear: my legs and arms grew stronger, my overall movement intensity increased, and I started dropping body fat thanks to the elevated effort. 

Throughout these sessions, I tracked everything with my Whoop strap. Some of the strain scores I achieved during VR workouts were genuinely impressive. I’ve never felt better physically, and I’ve never had more fun exercising.

The single most important factor in any workout routine is enjoyment. When you genuinely like what you’re doing, consistency becomes effortless. For me, VR has been a true game-changer in both getting into shape and advancing my biohacking practice.

I started with a straightforward game called Beat Saber, a rhythm-based title where you play as a virtual Jedi, slicing through incoming blocks with light sabers in time to energetic music. The soundtrack is excellent, and if you push yourself, it delivers a serious sweat.

From there, I moved to Ragnarock, which feels a bit like an intense “whack-a-mole” experience. You wield hammers to strike drums as fast-moving objects fly toward you. The rapid pace demands quick, powerful arm movements, dramatically improving speed and hand-eye coordination.

That skill carried over beautifully into Creed: Rise to Glory, a boxing simulator. I’ve logged countless hours in this game, driving my strain levels high and sweating heavily while sharpening reflexes, power, and timing.

More recently, I’ve incorporated Body Combat, a dedicated VR fitness experience with structured workouts. It includes a variety of movements: punches, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and more. The levels build progressively, offering plenty of variety and challenge.

Right now, VR remains a cornerstone of many of my workouts. I combine motion-based games on the vibration plate with boxing and combat-style titles. These experiences are demanding and take time to master, but the benefits keep showing up, especially when I layer on the BFR bands.

If you want to push the intensity even further, add weights. I’ve experimented with weighted gloves, wrist weights, and forearm weights. Placing load on the extremities completely transforms what might otherwise feel like “just playing a game.” The results continue to impress me.

VR technology will only improve, and I believe more people will adopt it for fitness in the coming years. One of its biggest advantages is portability, you can use it almost anywhere: indoors, outdoors, on a beach, in a park, or poolside.

Will others start biohacking it by stacking BFR, vibration, and weights? I’m not sure. For me, as someone who loves biostacking, it simply makes sense: maximize benefits in the shortest time possible while genuinely enjoying the process.

Consistency is the foundation of everything in biohacking, and in health overall. Real results require real effort. As technology advances, new tools will emerge to support our goals. For now, I make the most of what’s available and stack intelligently.

If you’re looking for a way to make workouts more engaging, escape everyday reality for a while, build strength, and improve fitness, all at the same time, consider giving virtual reality a try. It might just become your next favorite biohacking tool.