20 May
Blog

Honor 9X Pro Review: A Noble, But Underwhelming Attempt

Honor 9x pro rating backhand

"The Honor 9X Pro is good value for money, but has some major drawbacks, including a confusing software situation."

  • Solid performance

  • Big display

  • Long lasting battery

  • Neat camera with many functions

  • Outdated software

  • Limited availability of the app

  • Slow battery charging

For just $ 300, you can buy the Honor 9X Pro smartphone, which undercuts inexpensive phones like the Google Pixel 3a and the Apple iPhone SE 2020. But is it worth saving some money to buy the Honor 9X Pro instead? Honor is known for trendy designs and specifications that outperform the competition, features that the 9X Pro certainly offers – but unfortunately, the software of the phone lets it down.

design

The Honor 9X Pro is a large smartphone. It's only a few millimeters from the bulk of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and weighs 20 grams less than the Samsung Monster – 202 grams versus 222 grams – and feels heavier and more voluminous in your hand. The sides are not rounded so neatly and generally feel thicker and wider than the measurements suggest.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

While the Honor 9X has a plastic back, the Honor 9X Pro has a glass rear wall with a new X design. The 9X's pixel art look has been replaced with a more mature design that uses a blue-purple gradient effect to showcase the X. It looks great, especially in the sun. Yes, it's striking, but it stands out. You will not confuse the Honor 9X Pro with another phone.

In the upper left corner there is a three-lens camera in a module that is smaller than many competitors. There is a large fingerprint sensor in the power switch on the side of the phone. This is very much appreciated. While not as pioneering as a fingerprint sensor on the display, it is significantly faster and more reliable than the in-display readers available on phones in this price range. I will take the illusion of owning a more expensive device every day.

The fingerprint sensor and the color are clear reasons to take a closer look at the Honor 9X Pro. However, the overall size and weight are off-putting. It will only appeal to people who want a very, very large phone.

Display quality

This brings us to the reason for the phone's large dimensions – it has a 6.59-inch screen. It's a whopper (especially for a budget device), but the resolution is modest at 2340 x 1080 pixels, and it appears to be the same panel used for the regular Honor 9X. It is an LCD screen like the Moto G stylus and not an OLED panel like the Samsung Galaxy A51. Will you notice the difference? Yes. The colors are not so vivid or natural and the viewing angles are not that wide. However, given the low price of the phone, it's still attractive enough.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen is flat and has no curved edges to soften the appearance or minimize reflections. I found it quite difficult to find the right viewing angle on the Honor 9X Pro, and it's not that bright even in direct sunlight.

Still, the Honor 9X Pro's screen is good for most everyday purposes – especially text, social media, reading messages, and sending messages with friends. There's also no selfie camera to distract you, as the selfie camera is hidden in a motorized pop-up module on top of the phone.

Unfortunately, the 16-megapixel pop-up camera, like the Honor 9X, is sluggish. It takes a beat or two longer than I would like when it comes out of the body, and then makes an unsettling "click" that you can feel through the body of the phone. I don't expect that from the usually excellent Honor build quality. The slow speed also means that Honor didn't worry about a face unlock option on the 9X Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Honor 9X Pro lacks the most sophisticated screen technology and the smooth curves that make expensive phones look so modern. Still, it's fine for normal everyday use.

Camera quality

The triple lens camera on the back consists of a 48 megapixel 1: 1.8 main camera, a 1: 2 / 4-8 megapixel wide-angle camera and a 2 megapixel depth detection camera. Sounds familiar? It's exactly the same as the Honor 9X's camera, released in mid-2019. It seems that Honor has optimized the software and does not oversaturate every image in the same way, although this is still possible on bright and sunny days.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I have nothing against a vivid, saturated photo and understand that many people like to share this type of picture. But even for me, some of the Honor 9X Pro's footage went overboard. The camera can take wide-angle pictures and with 2x zoom. Without a telephoto lens, however, these recordings are digitally cropped. Nevertheless, the zoomed photos are quite good and show enough details without much loss. This is likely due to Honor's use of Huawei's excellent camera technology for artificial intelligence.

Edge detection and focusing in portrait and aperture modes is much less successful, and the camera does not excel when it approaches subjects and produces blurry photos when you try to blur the background. When using the aperture mode, even the edges of relatively simple shapes were misjudged. Night mode effectively brightens pictures, but the pictures lack life and detail.

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  • 1.
    Non-night mode
  • 2nd
    Night mode

Selfies are acceptable without being outstanding. Honor sets the beauty mode to a medium level by default. Therefore, pay attention to a certain smoothing of the skin, especially in portrait mode. You don't want to do this often anyway, because edge detection is not good. However, I like some of the special modes, including the greeting mode, which removes all but one color, and the excellent photo editing tool in the Gallery app.

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Taking photos with the Honor 9X Pro is very similar to taking photos with the Honor 9X, an older phone that's cheaper to buy and doesn't feel good. These photos are shared and fun, but it's not worth spending more on.

software

In terms of software, the news is not good. My test Honor 9X Pro installed Android 9 with Huawei EMUI 9.1 and the Android security patch from November 2019. This is a step backwards for Honor, as the 9X Pro not only does not have Honor's own MagicUI on Android, but the basic version of Android is completely out of date. The Honor 9X Pro also does not come with Google Mobile Services or the Google Play Store.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Huawei App Gallery and alternative third-party app stores such as the Amazon App Store are your sources for apps. The situation here is the same as that of the Huawei P40 Pro and the Huawei Mate Xs folding smartphone. In a separate article, I explained in detail what it means to not have Google Play installed.

The app gallery is improving and Huawei is confident that it will get much better soon. Although practical new apps like Here WeGo cards have arrived, they are still sparingly available. Migrating from Google is not as challenging as you might fear. However, the problem occurs when you try to install apps that are not available from official sources. For example, banking apps are completely missing. There is also no mobile payment system and, of course, no official Google Apps.

You will rely more on the browser. I installed Firefox and synced my Google Chrome data to make it easier to use. From there it is easy to access the web versions of YouTube, mobile banking and services like Uber. However, the experience is not as fluid or reliable as an app.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

EMUI 9.1 may be out of date, but important features like gesture control are still included and work very well on the 9X Pro's large screen. However, I miss features like a constantly active screen and dark mode that are found in many other Honor, Huawei, and competitive phones.

Learning how to get new apps makes switching from a Google Services phone to the Honor 9X Pro a more complex and time-consuming task than we'd like, while the old software and outdated security update will be an unwanted obstacle for buyers.

Power and battery

The Honor 9X Pro has a Kirin 810 octa-core processor with 6 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage space. My review phone also has NFC, although Google Pay is not supported. I ran two benchmark apps for comparison, but they were installed outside of the app gallery, so they may not give accurate results.

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2,517 (volcano)

Geekbench 5: 580 single core / 1,843 multi core

This is better than the Samsung Galaxy A51 and the Google Pixel 3a, but of course it cannot come close to the OnePlus 8 with its Snapdragon 865 chipset. The Honor 9X Pro always felt fast enough, even when playing. Asphalt 9: Legends is available in the App Gallery and the racing game runs very well on the Honor 9X Pro. I haven't seen any performance issues and really enjoyed playing it. Sound comes from a single, down-facing speaker that's loud enough to irritate people around you while playing or watching movies, but doesn't have a lot of bass or detail.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The battery has a capacity of 4,000 mAh and is very durable. I found that he was kept in moderate operation for two days without any problems. This is a good thing because the phone cannot be charged quickly, which is possible with a 10W USB Type-C charger. You want to charge overnight as it takes at least 2 hours to fully charge from the empty state. Yes, the Honor 9X Pro is an affordable phone, but Honor and Huawei have one of the best quick charging systems available, and it's a shame not to see it here for added value.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Honor 9X Pro is available in the UK through Honor's own online shop for £ 250 or around $ 305 and is also available in various European countries, the Middle East and Asia. Anyone interested in the Honor 9X Pro in the U.S. must buy one through an importer. In the UK, the phone grants a two-year warranty on defects, with the battery and charger covered for six months.

Our opinion

For the price, the Honor 9X Pro offers great value for money with excellent performance, a decent camera, a large screen and a long-lasting battery. Slow charging of the battery, a bulky shape and the availability of apps decrease. Although this is a situation that Honor cannot resolve very quickly, it should really do something about the outdated software.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you can expand your budget to $ 400, we recommend buying the iPhone SE 2020, one of our cheapest smartphones. The performance is great, the software is kept up to date for years and the style and build quality are excellent. The $ 400 Google Pixel 3a is also a great phone, but it is getting old and a Pixel 4a is on the horizon. You might also want to check out the Samsung Galaxy A51 for $ 400 and the older Motorola Moto G7. If you don't have an Honor phone, the cheaper Honor 9X is very similar to the 9X Pro.

How long it will take?

The Honor 9X Pro is not a durable phone and has no water resistance. So if you want a long life, you should put it in a protective case for protection. Due to the performance and size of the screen, the phone is suitable for a few years. During this time, Huawei is sure to increase the number of apps in its app gallery.

The outdated software is a warning sign and indicates that you should not expect many updates in the future. This means the phone may be vulnerable to security issues and not benefit from features introduced in future versions of EMUI or Android.

Should you buy it

No. The Honor 9X Pro is a good phone, but the software – both in terms of app availability and updates – is not.

Editor's recommendations




20 May
Blog

When It Comes to Exercise, Different People Get Different Results

Are you not getting results from your training program? Here's what you can do that is supported by science.

There is no uniform training approach. Two people doing the same training can get very different results. A person can work hard at the gym for months without much progress as their training partner gets stronger with each session.

In exercise research1 there is a term for someone who does not achieve the expected results of a certain type of exercise: non-responder. In one study after another, some participants improve significantly, others do not improve at all, even if they use the same program. 1

It can be frustrating for those who make an effort and don't see the results they want, but we can learn from research in this area to ensure that everyone gets the benefits of exercise.

Here is an example of how different individuals are in relation to a particular exercise program.

One hundred and twenty-one adults took part in a 24-week hiking program and trained five times a week. Before the start of the study2, they were randomly divided into three groups:

  1. A low-volume, low-intensity group that walked an average of 31 minutes per session with an intensity that is considered moderate according to exercise guidelines. I will call it the low group.
  2. A high-volume, low-intensity group that walked with the same intensity, but approximately twice as long in each session (58 minutes on average) than the first group. I'll call that the middle group.
  3. A high-volume, high-intensity group that walked with vigorous intensity for about 40 minutes in each session. I will call that the high group.

Cardio fitness was measured several times throughout the study. After six months, each group did the following:

  • In the low group, 62% of participants improved their fitness.
  • In the middle group, 82% improved their fitness.
  • In the high group, 100% of the participants improved their fitness.

On closer inspection, there are also a variety of fitness changes within the groups.

When it comes to exercise, different people achieve different results - fitness, fitness, psychological stress, endurance training, interval training, weight gain, blood pressure, sleep quality, cardiovascular fitness, PR tracker, nutritional research

These graphics show how everyone's fitness changed after the program was completed. Each bar represents a person's answer. You can see that some people have improved a lot, others a little, and some people have lost weight.

  • In the low group, the range of responses ranged from an 8% decrease in fitness to a 30% improvement.
  • The middle group had a range between a 10% loss of fitness and a 43% improvement.
  • In the high group, the least responsive participant improved by only 7%, while the top responder improved by a whopping 118%.

Remember that these people did the same exercise program in each group, but their results were very different.

This study3 focused on endurance training for cardiovascular fitness, but it does so in other types of training studies, including interval training and strength training.

In a strength training study 4, for example, the same 12-week program resulted in changes in strength that ranged from no improvement for one person to a 250% increase for another person. There were also significant differences in muscle growth between individuals, with one person reducing their muscle size by 2%, while the fastest responding person increased by 59%.

This effect5 has also been observed in nutritional science, where people on the same diet experience very different amounts of weight loss and sometimes even weight gain.

The reasons for these differences are not obvious. Of course, factors such as sleep, stress, diet, and occasional physical activity can affect a person's response to an exercise program.

The researchers are trying to take these things out of the equation by asking participants to follow a standardized diet or by letting them wear activity trackers when they're not in the laboratory, but it's not possible to fully control them.

Genetic factors certainly play a role too. Research6 shows that about 50% of the response to cardio training is due to genetic differences.

What can we learn from it?

If you're one of the lucky ones who happens to respond well to a particular exercise program, that's great! If not, don't worry. While these results may seem daunting at first, there is good news. If we continue to research, it seems that there are no real non-responders that can be trained. Everyone is improving somehow.

If you don't get the results you expect from your exercise program, keep the following in mind.

When it comes to practice, consistency is key

The most effective program for you is probably the one you run regularly.

In the walking study, the researchers only reported the fitness improvements of those who had attended at least 90% of the training sessions in the six months.

Not everyone who completed the study managed to hold 90% of the sessions. As the researchers declined and included those who attended at least 70% of the sessions, the percentage of people who increased their fitness decreased by about 4% in the lower and middle groups and by about 12% in the high groups.

I would say that 70% are still pretty consistent. This means that these people trained an average of 3.5 sessions per week per week for six months. Most of them improved their fitness. However, more consistency is better. People who attended 4.5 sessions per week (90% of total sessions) were even more likely to improve.

Consistency is probably the most critical factor in achieving the benefits of exercise. Do something every week. If you're struggling with consistency, focus on setting small, achievable goals and creating sustainable exercise habits before you go into the details of the program you're running.

Have the other parts of a healthy lifestyle in place

Get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat plenty of nutritious food, exercise as often as possible throughout the day, and manage your stress.

If you don't have these things well under control, you don't know if it is the exercise program you are not responding to, or if there is something else holding you back in your lifestyle.

If one method doesn't work, try another

Perhaps you have a healthy lifestyle and have been training consistently with lackluster results for several months. What should you do?

Try increasing the intensity or duration of each session. If we look at the walking study again, some participants did not improve their fitness after six months of steady, moderate-intensity exercise.

Nevertheless, all people who trained at a higher intensity improved. Even with moderate intensity, people who increased their volume (doubling the time spent in each session) were more likely to see improvements.

You can also have more sessions throughout the week. In another study7, the researchers found that when people did 60 minutes of cycling 1-2 times a week for six weeks, not everyone improved their fitness.

In this study, there were also people who did the same bike training 4-5 times a week, and all of these people answered. After that, the people who had not improved their fitness repeated the program. This time they added two more sessions a week and all improved.

You could try a different type of training. In one study, the participants completed a three-week endurance sport program and a three-week interval training in a random order. 8

They found that some people did not improve their fitness with one program, but these people improved when they ended the other program.

A number of set and rep protocols9 appear to be effective for strength training for different people. For example, if your goal is to increase muscle mass and the traditional four sets of 8 to 12 reps didn't work for you, your body may respond better to heavier weights and fewer reps, or lighter weights and more reps.

Treat your training as a scientific experiment

Exercise offers a number of different and crucial advantages. It can improve your body composition, reduce your risk of many diseases, improve your performance, brain function and mood, and much more.

Even if you don't see the specific results you expect, You will improve your health and fitness in some way through consistent training.

For example, the researchers had the participants complete a one-year cardio program that worked 45 minutes three days a week. At the end of the program, four different types of cardio fitness were measured.

Here too there was enormous variability in the individual answers. And some of the participants have not improved in all four ways. However, each person in the study showed improvement in at least one aspect of their fitness.10

You may be focusing on the wrong level of results, or you may not be tracking your progress closely enough to see what you are accomplishing. If you don't keep track of what you're doing and how you're progressing, you don't know if your program works for you or not.

Make a list of some of the benefits of exercise that are important to you and keep an eye on each one.

  • If you're interested in improving your health, you can track your resting heart rate, blood pressure, or blood sugar.
  • For body composition, you can track your body fat percentage or body measurements.
  • If fitness and performance are important to you, keep an eye on your time to walk a certain distance, the amount of weight you lift for each exercise, or the number of push-ups or pull-ups you can do.
  • Use a simple 1 to 10 scale to assess how you feel every day to get the more subtle (but equally important) benefits of exercise like mood, stress relief, concentration, pain frequency, or energy.

Record this information in a notebook or use a spreadsheet or your phone. Follow a specific program for a few weeks or months, assess how you react, and make changes if necessary.

You will probably be pleasantly surprised at how many ways you improve your body and life through exercise.

Your blood pressure may not have decreased, but your mood may have improved and your 5 km time may have improved. Maybe you haven't lost weight, but your strength has increased and you have gained energy and started to sleep better.

These improvements can motivate you to keep going. If you do this, you will likely find an exercise method that works best for you.

Do not compare yourself to others

It should now be clear that just because your friend has had great results after a certain program does not mean that you will. Concentrate on your progress, not on others' progress.

The bottom line

If you don't see the results you want, try again. If you still don't see any results, try something different. Finally, keep in mind that science is clear. Everyone answers.

If you stick to it consistently, you will get significant benefits.

References

1. Pickering, Craig and John Kiely. "Are there non-responders who play sports – and if so, what should we do about it?" Sports medicine 49, no. 1 (2019): 1-7.

2. Ross, Robert, Louise de Lannoy and Paula J. Stotz. "Separate effects of intensity and amount of training on the interindividual cardiorespiratory fitness reaction." Mayo Clinic, Proceedings 90, No. 11 (2015): 1506-1514.

3. Gurd, Brendon J., Matthew D. Giles, Jacob T. Bonafiglia, James P. Raleigh, John C. Boyd, Jasmin K. Ma, Jason GE Zelt and Trisha D. Scribbans. "Incidence of non-responses and individual response patterns after sprint interval training." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41, No. 3 (2016): 229- 234.

4. Hubal, Monica J., Heather Gordish-Dressman, Paul D. Thompson, Thomas B. Price, Eric P. Hoffman, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon et al. "Variability in muscle size and strength gains after one-sided strength training." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 37, No. 6 (2005): 964-? 972.

5. Gardner, Christopher D., John F. Trepanowski, Liana C. Del Gobbo, Michelle E. Hauser, Joseph Rigdon, John PA Ioannidis, Manisha Desai and Abby C. King. "Effect of a low-fat versus low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in obese adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: the randomized clinical trial DIETFITS." Jama, 319, no. 7 (2018): 667-7. 679.

6. Ross, Robert, Bret H. Goodpaster, Lauren G. Koch, Mark A. Sarzynski, Wendy M. Kohrt, Neil M. Johannsen, James S. Skinner et al. "Precision Training Medicine: Understand the Variability of Training Reactions." British Journal of Sports Medicine 53, No. 18 (2019): 1141 & ndash; 1153.

7. Montero, David and Carsten Lundby. "Refuting the Myth of Non-Response to Exercise Training:" Non-Responders "Responding to a Higher Dose of Exercise." The Journal of Physiology 595, No. 11 (2017): 3377-? 3387.

8. Bonafiglia, Jacob T., Mario P. Rotundo, Jonathan P. Whittall, Trisha D. Scribbans, Ryan B. Graham and Brendon J. Gurd. "Inter-individual variability of adaptive responses to endurance and sprint interval training: a randomized crossover study." PloS one 11, no. 12 (2016).

9. Beaven, C. Martyn, Christian J. Cook and Nicholas D. Gill. "Significant strength gains in rugby players following specific resistance training protocols based on individual testosterone responses in saliva." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22, No. 2 (2008): 419-4. 425.

10. Scharhag-Rosenberger, Friederike, Susanne Walitzek, Wilfried Kindermann and Tim Meyer. "Differences in adapting to a year of aerobic endurance training: individual patterns of non-response." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 22, No. 1 (2012): 113- 118.

19 May
Blog

Razer Opus Wireless Headphones Review: Valuable Sound

Razer Opus

Razer Opus Wireless Headphones Review: A Budget ANC Champion

"Outstanding sound quality and an effective $ 200 ANC make Razer & # 39; s Opus great value for money."

  • Comfortable design

  • First class appearance

  • Awesome ANC

  • Great sound quality

  • Standard battery life

  • Outdated Bluetooth technology

Razer has become a household name in the gaming world. Headphones and other products complement this experience. However, it has not ventured into the area of ​​lifestyle audio.

This is now changing with the release of the Razer Opus wireless headphones by the company. At $ 200, the Opus offers a surprisingly wide range of features for its price, including active noise cancellation and THX-certified audio quality. To see if the Razer Opus did justice to its technical sheet, I looked over the page and brought these new headphones to the right level.

Out of the box

It may not seem like the most important part of a headphone, but the packaging is your first experience with a new product. In other words, it is important to dress appropriately for the occasion.

Razer Opus headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The Razer Opus doesn't wear a three-piece suit, but it's adorned with a sharp shirt with a collar, and that's more than fine for me. Under the lid of the box there is a rounded carrying case with headphones, USB-C charging cable, 3.5 mm analog cable, USB-A to USB-C adapter and airline headphone adapter.

The Razer Opus setup follows the regular pairing protocol. Turn on the headphones and they will respond by automatically switching to Bluetooth pairing mode. Then you have to find the sockets in the Bluetooth settings of your device and establish the connection.

I will anticipate this criticism by saying the following: I have had no specific problems with my connection to the Razer Opus, and the range of these headphones is reasonable. Unfortunately, unlike the more advanced Bluetooth 5 technology, the Opus only supports Bluetooth 4.2. I know that some cost-saving measures may have to be taken to make these headphones what they are, but the latest Bluetooth technology seems to be a priority.

design

The Razer Opus may be positioned closer to the budget side of headphones, but its design exudes a premium presence. They are an elegant midnight blue – a black version will follow later – with Razer logos on each side of the headband and a THX logo on each ear cup. Razer is excited about this THX certification if you haven't noticed it yet.

Razer OpusNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Both the ear cups and the headband are covered with a soft synthetic leather foam, which creates a comfort that I thought would be held fairly well over long listening times. The headphones have a circumaural design, ie the ear cups fit around the ear and weigh 265 grams. They are neither excessively heavy nor incredibly light, but they distribute the weight of the product well.

The opus doesn't have a large selection of buttons, and that's a good thing. There is an on / off switch and a button for operating the active noise reduction functions on the left auricle and volume controls / action buttons on the right auricle. Basically, it has the buttons you need to effectively control your listening experience, not just one button.

The included carrying case feels robust and can protect the headphones when not in use. I can't help feeling that they resemble an old (classic?) CD case, although this says more about my age than the design quality of this case.

properties

Most of the main functions of the Razer Opus are geared towards audio. So later in this review, I'll go into things like THX certification and active noise cancellation. But that doesn't mean that we don't have a few things to discuss in the meantime.

Razer OpusNick Woodard / Digital Trends

For example, battery life is an interesting area. A month or two ago, I might have been thrilled with the battery life the Opus offers for its price – up to 25 hours of playback with the ANC on. It's a better battery than the recently released Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 for $ 50 less.

However, the fact is that it is an ever-changing ecosystem of wireless audio products. In terms of battery life, Sony Razer struck with the recent release of the WH-CH710N. These headphones, whose price is almost identical to that of the Opus, offer 35 hours of playback with noise reduction turned on and 45 hours without.

In my experience, Razer's estimated battery performance was as expected. For most people, 25 hours of playback at the same time is more than enough, but there are better values ​​for the price.

The Opus has an auto pause / play feature that pauses and resumes audio when the headphones are removed or replaced. This is always a subtle but appreciated feature. However, if this isn't a preferred feature, you can disable it in the associated Razer Opus app (available for iOS and Android). You can also customize the headphone's auto power off feature and access an equalizer to customize the sound to your liking.

Audio quality

There is a reason why Razer employees are proud of the Opus' THX certification, and this is justified. The Razer design team told me that if they wanted to make lifestyle headphones, they wanted to do it right, which meant doing everything they could to create a comfortable listening experience – and that started with THX.

Razer Opus headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The Opus has passed the three-stage THX certification process using 40mm drivers, a frequency range from 20 to 20,000 Hz and support for audio codecs like AAC and aptX. This is all well and good, although specifications are not always translated well. How do these headphones sound?

Strikingly precise in two words. Razer has created a Spotify playlist to test the audio quality of the opus, which consists of a diverse mix of music. Tracy Chapman's Fast Car showed the vocal clarity of the cans, while the opus drivers never missed a beat with a tight bass track like Billie Eilish's Bad Guy. And if you fancy a real adventure for your ears, try Alma Brasileira from Heitor-Villa-Lobos and Yo-Yo Ma. No need to thank me.

For the cost, I think these headphones produce excellent sound quality for most people. You won't beat the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Sennheiser Momentum 3 in the world, but they come impressively close to this upper level.

Active noise cancellation

The Razer Opus have a lot to do when it comes to noise cancellation. First, they offer passive noise isolation with these soft foam ear cups, which commendably even excludes noise.

Razer Opus headphonesNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Then there is the Opus' active noise cancellation, which uses a hybrid design that consists of two external and two internal microphones on each ear cup. This is about fighting a wider frequency range of unwanted noise on multiple fronts, with the external microphones picking up external frequencies such as human speech or traffic, and the internal microphones analyzing and optimizing the sound that gets into your ears.

As I found in my last reviews – and probably for my next ones too – testing ANC with public travel was not an option. Razer offers a YouTube video that goes through these types of sounds. However, it does contain instructions on how to play the sounds through a 5.1 system and to switch between the different ANC modes to assess the cancellation.

My review is in and I'm in awe. These aren't the best noise canceling headphones – the Sony WH-1000XM3 is still the best choice in this category. However, the Opus has remarkably effective active noise cancellation at a price that makes it an enticing value.

If I had a complaint with the opus' ANC functions, this is the headphone's ambient awareness function. It is not the actual function that is effective in introducing outside noise, but rather that Razer's method of turning the function on involves pressing and holding the ANC button for the duration of its use. This can be cumbersome the longer you have to hear outside noise.

Our opinion

The Razer Opus are not without shortcomings – but they are minor, and the affordable audio quality and active noise cancellation in these headphones far outweigh these problems.

Are there any better alternatives?

The Sony WH-CH710N is priced at $ 199, better battery life, and more advanced Bluetooth technology. However, I would choose the opus when it comes to sound quality and ANC. The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 are another option with great sound and solid ANC, but have a shorter battery life of $ 250.

How long will they last?

With a two-year warranty, Razer appears to be ready to stand by its new product. Bluetooth support is a concern, but expect the headphones to last a long time.

Should you buy it

Yes. Razer has made affordable headphones with great sound and excellent active noise cancellation while limiting its shortcomings. Overall, the wireless Opus headphones are a value that won't disappoint.

Editor's recommendations




19 May
Blog

When It Comes to Exercise, Different People Get Different Results

Are you not getting results from your training program? Here's what you can do that is supported by science.

There is no uniform training approach. Two people doing the same training can get very different results. A person can work hard at the gym for months without much progress as their training partner gets stronger with each session.

In exercise research1 there is a term for someone who does not achieve the expected results of a certain type of exercise: non-responder. In one study after another, some participants improve significantly, others do not improve at all, even if they use the same program. 1

It can be frustrating for those who make an effort and don't see the results they want, but we can learn from research in this area to ensure that everyone gets the benefits of exercise.

Here is an example of how different individuals are in relation to a particular exercise program.

One hundred and twenty-one adults took part in a 24-week hiking program and trained five times a week. Before the start of the study2, they were randomly divided into three groups:

  1. A low-volume, low-intensity group that walked an average of 31 minutes per session with an intensity that is considered moderate according to exercise guidelines. I will call it the low group.
  2. A high-volume, low-intensity group that walked with the same intensity, but approximately twice as long in each session (58 minutes on average) than the first group. I'll call that the middle group.
  3. A high-volume, high-intensity group that walked with vigorous intensity for about 40 minutes in each session. I will call that the high group.

Cardio fitness was measured several times throughout the study. After six months, each group did the following:

  • In the low group, 62% of participants improved their fitness.
  • In the middle group, 82% improved their fitness.
  • In the high group, 100% of the participants improved their fitness.

On closer inspection, there are also a variety of fitness changes within the groups.

When it comes to exercise, different people achieve different results - fitness, fitness, psychological stress, endurance training, interval training, weight gain, blood pressure, sleep quality, cardiovascular fitness, PR tracker, nutritional research

These graphics show how everyone's fitness changed after the program was completed. Each bar represents a person's answer. You can see that some people have improved a lot, others a little, and some people have lost weight.

  • In the low group, the range of responses ranged from an 8% decrease in fitness to a 30% improvement.
  • The middle group had a range between a 10% loss of fitness and a 43% improvement.
  • In the high group, the least responsive participant improved by only 7%, while the top responder improved by a whopping 118%.

Remember that these people did the same exercise program in each group, but their results were very different.

This study3 focused on endurance training for cardiovascular fitness, but it does so in other types of training studies, including interval training and strength training.

In a strength training study 4, for example, the same 12-week program resulted in changes in strength that ranged from no improvement for one person to a 250% increase for another person. There were also significant differences in muscle growth between individuals, with one person reducing their muscle size by 2%, while the fastest responding person increased by 59%.

This effect5 has also been observed in nutritional science, where people on the same diet experience very different amounts of weight loss and sometimes even weight gain.

The reasons for these differences are not obvious. Of course, factors such as sleep, stress, diet, and occasional physical activity can affect a person's response to an exercise program.

The researchers are trying to take these things out of the equation by asking participants to follow a standardized diet or by letting them wear activity trackers when they're not in the laboratory, but it's not possible to fully control them.

Genetic factors certainly play a role too. Research6 shows that about 50% of the response to cardio training is due to genetic differences.

What can we learn from it?

If you're one of the lucky ones who happens to respond well to a particular exercise program, that's great! If not, don't worry. While these results may seem daunting at first, there is good news. If we continue to research, it seems that there are no real non-responders that can be trained. Everyone is improving somehow.

If you don't get the results you expect from your exercise program, keep the following in mind.

When it comes to practice, consistency is key

The most effective program for you is probably the one you run regularly.

In the walking study, the researchers only reported the fitness improvements of those who had attended at least 90% of the training sessions in the six months.

Not everyone who completed the study managed to hold 90% of the sessions. As the researchers declined and included those who attended at least 70% of the sessions, the percentage of people who increased their fitness decreased by about 4% in the lower and middle groups and by about 12% in the high groups.

I would say that 70% are still pretty consistent. This means that these people trained an average of 3.5 sessions per week per week for six months. Most of them improved their fitness. However, more consistency is better. People who attended 4.5 sessions per week (90% of total sessions) were even more likely to improve.

Consistency is probably the most critical factor in achieving the benefits of exercise. Do something every week. If you're struggling with consistency, focus on setting small, achievable goals and creating sustainable exercise habits before you go into the details of the program you're running.

Have the other parts of a healthy lifestyle in place

Get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat plenty of nutritious food, exercise as often as possible throughout the day, and manage your stress.

If you don't have these things well under control, you don't know if it is the exercise program you are not responding to, or if there is something else holding you back in your lifestyle.

If one method doesn't work, try another

Perhaps you have a healthy lifestyle and have been training consistently with lackluster results for several months. What should you do?

Try increasing the intensity or duration of each session. If we look at the walking study again, some participants did not improve their fitness after six months of steady, moderate-intensity exercise.

Nevertheless, all people who trained at a higher intensity improved. Even with moderate intensity, people who increased their volume (doubling the time spent in each session) were more likely to see improvements.

You can also have more sessions throughout the week. In another study7, the researchers found that when people did 60 minutes of cycling 1-2 times a week for six weeks, not everyone improved their fitness.

In this study, there were also people who did the same bike training 4-5 times a week, and all of these people answered. After that, the people who had not improved their fitness repeated the program. This time they added two more sessions a week and all improved.

You could try a different type of training. In one study, the participants completed a three-week endurance sport program and a three-week interval training in a random order. 8

They found that some people did not improve their fitness with one program, but these people improved when they ended the other program.

A number of set and rep protocols9 appear to be effective for strength training for different people. For example, if your goal is to increase muscle mass and the traditional four sets of 8 to 12 reps didn't work for you, your body may respond better to heavier weights and fewer reps, or lighter weights and more reps.

Treat your training as a scientific experiment

Exercise offers a number of different and crucial advantages. It can improve your body composition, reduce your risk of many diseases, improve your performance, brain function and mood, and much more.

Even if you don't see the specific results you expect, You will improve your health and fitness in some way through consistent training.

For example, the researchers had the participants complete a one-year cardio program that worked 45 minutes three days a week. At the end of the program, four different types of cardio fitness were measured.

Here too there was enormous variability in the individual answers. And some of the participants have not improved in all four ways. However, each person in the study showed improvement in at least one aspect of their fitness.10

You may be focusing on the wrong level of results, or you may not be tracking your progress closely enough to see what you are accomplishing. If you don't keep track of what you're doing and how you're progressing, you don't know if your program works for you or not.

Make a list of some of the benefits of exercise that are important to you and keep an eye on each one.

  • If you're interested in improving your health, you can track your resting heart rate, blood pressure, or blood sugar.
  • For body composition, you can track your body fat percentage or body measurements.
  • If fitness and performance are important to you, keep an eye on your time to walk a certain distance, the amount of weight you lift for each exercise, or the number of push-ups or pull-ups you can do.
  • Use a simple 1 to 10 scale to assess how you feel every day to get the more subtle (but equally important) benefits of exercise like mood, stress relief, concentration, pain frequency, or energy.

Record this information in a notebook or use a spreadsheet or your phone. Follow a specific program for a few weeks or months, assess how you react, and make changes if necessary.

You will probably be pleasantly surprised at how many ways you improve your body and life through exercise.

Your blood pressure may not have decreased, but your mood may have improved and your 5 km time may have improved. Maybe you haven't lost weight, but your strength has increased and you have gained energy and started to sleep better.

These improvements can motivate you to keep going. If you do this, you will likely find an exercise method that works best for you.

Do not compare yourself to others

It should now be clear that just because your friend has had great results after a certain program does not mean that you will. Concentrate on your progress, not on others' progress.

The bottom line

If you don't see the results you want, try again. If you still don't see any results, try something different. Finally, keep in mind that science is clear. Everyone answers.

If you stick to it consistently, you will get significant benefits.

References

1. Pickering, Craig and John Kiely. "Are there non-responders who play sports – and if so, what should we do about it?" Sports medicine 49, no. 1 (2019): 1-7.

2. Ross, Robert, Louise de Lannoy and Paula J. Stotz. "Separate effects of intensity and amount of training on the interindividual cardiorespiratory fitness reaction." Mayo Clinic, Proceedings 90, No. 11 (2015): 1506-1514.

3. Gurd, Brendon J., Matthew D. Giles, Jacob T. Bonafiglia, James P. Raleigh, John C. Boyd, Jasmin K. Ma, Jason GE Zelt and Trisha D. Scribbans. "Incidence of non-responses and individual response patterns after sprint interval training." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41, No. 3 (2016): 229- 234.

4. Hubal, Monica J., Heather Gordish-Dressman, Paul D. Thompson, Thomas B. Price, Eric P. Hoffman, Theodore J. Angelopoulos, Paul M. Gordon et al. "Variability in muscle size and strength gains after one-sided strength training." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 37, No. 6 (2005): 964-? 972.

5. Gardner, Christopher D., John F. Trepanowski, Liana C. Del Gobbo, Michelle E. Hauser, Joseph Rigdon, John PA Ioannidis, Manisha Desai and Abby C. King. "Effect of a low-fat versus low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in obese adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: the randomized clinical trial DIETFITS." Jama, 319, no. 7 (2018): 667-7. 679.

6. Ross, Robert, Bret H. Goodpaster, Lauren G. Koch, Mark A. Sarzynski, Wendy M. Kohrt, Neil M. Johannsen, James S. Skinner et al. "Precision Training Medicine: Understand the Variability of Training Reactions." British Journal of Sports Medicine 53, No. 18 (2019): 1141 & ndash; 1153.

7. Montero, David and Carsten Lundby. "Refuting the Myth of Non-Response to Exercise Training:" Non-Responders "Responding to a Higher Dose of Exercise." The Journal of Physiology 595, No. 11 (2017): 3377-? 3387.

8. Bonafiglia, Jacob T., Mario P. Rotundo, Jonathan P. Whittall, Trisha D. Scribbans, Ryan B. Graham and Brendon J. Gurd. "Inter-individual variability of adaptive responses to endurance and sprint interval training: a randomized crossover study." PloS one 11, no. 12 (2016).

9. Beaven, C. Martyn, Christian J. Cook and Nicholas D. Gill. "Significant strength gains in rugby players following specific resistance training protocols based on individual testosterone responses in saliva." The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 22, No. 2 (2008): 419-4. 425.

10. Scharhag-Rosenberger, Friederike, Susanne Walitzek, Wilfried Kindermann and Tim Meyer. "Differences in adapting to a year of aerobic endurance training: individual patterns of non-response." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 22, No. 1 (2012): 113- 118.

19 May
Blog

4-Week Ladder Template to Gain Strength

I have been writing programs for myself and others for over 20 years. I always learn something when I coach someone through a training program, but I also learn a lot when I do a plan myself.

These programs usually start as something, but evolve considerably until I graduate. I have never been one who followed a written program, mine or another, and only trust the process. Ironically, I give clients the opposite advice. Do what I say, not how I do it seems to apply well here.

Requirements for the power conductor equipment

As I write this, everyone is dealing with a crisis that is forcing adjustments from their regular training routine. Some people, including myself, have trained at home for many years and are not dealing with a lack of equipment. Others have managed to beg, borrow, and hopefully not steal their way to a simple home gym.

This program is designed for people who have at least access to a barbell and a significant amount of weight. A significant amount is relative to every person. If you have a squat rack, that's nice! A bench? Even better.

These simple pieces of equipment are what I base the program on for myself. You can only get by with a barbell, but the exercises need to be adjusted. You can't get by with two soup cans and a ball of laundry fluff. Any decent strength program requires considerable resistance, and a barbell is the most obvious way to do this.

Just as important as the basic equipment, you need a significant amount of another valuable good – time. Although the program is not complicated, the workouts can be quite long depending on how long you want to rest. If you are one of the many who have a little more time available, it seems like an excellent way to get stronger.

The last thing you need is a little patience. You will do four exercises throughout the program. No more. The program could be adjusted to do less, but I won't go into the numerous combinations of exercises, rest periods, and repetitions that are possible. I'm just going to present the basic template, and you can play as you like at your own risk.

The 4-week lead template

The exercises I chose are:

  1. Barbell squat
  2. Bench press
  3. Deadlifts
  4. pulling up

You can choose any variation of these exercises, e.g. B. a horizontal bar, a horizontal bar, an incline or a sumo. This is your call. You must choose your preference at the beginning and stick to it for the entire program.

Training days

You will only do two exercises a day. I refer to push and pull exercises. I do squats and bench presses on day 1 and deadlifts and pull-ups on day 2.

In the beginning, when I started playing around with it, it was just three exercises that were done three days a week. That was fine, but I like this separation better. You switch between day 1 and day 2 with a day off after you've both completed. Then you repeat. Simple.

The problem for people who think in blocks of seven days is that it takes eight days to go through a microcycle. I am sure that when we leave the traditional seven-day block, time will not collapse by itself – just one way to find out.

Sets and repetitions

As you may have derived from the title, the sentences and repetitions are done on a ladder. If you are unfamiliar with ladders, a full explanation is an article in itself.

One that has been written many times and a simple Google search by Pavel, Ladder, gives you all the information you could want. I will provide the Coles Notes version here. A ladder is when the repetitions increase with each set and the weight stays the same.

For example, a ladder is a 225 pound squat for a set of 2, rest, a set of 4, rest and a set of 6. This ladder can be repeated as many times as necessary. There are many variations on this topic, but we will stick to this basic requirement.

Instead of the conventional set and repetition schemes, a target number of total repetitions must be carried out for each training session. Let's take 36 as an example. If you stick to 2-4-6, you will get a total of 12 repetitions on each ladder. Simple math shows that you need three ladders to reach this number.

You can also choose different combinations to hit numbers that don't work together as well. If your total number is 38 reps, you can do two ladders with 2-4-6 for 24 repetitions, one ladder with 2-3-4 for 33 repetitions, and finish with 2-3.

The leaders don't have to be in progressive groups of three; They can be more or less long as long as you reach the total number of repetitions at the end.

Choose your working weight

The working weight will be different for everyone, depending on how high they let their ladders climb.

This is a strength program, so I would say limit your highest reps to 6. I prefer four myself. The weight you choose should allow at least two reps more than most top reps you have ever done in an entire program.

For myself, I work with weights that allow me to do at least six repetitions. Gun on my head, I can probably do eight. The point is that you should never grind or get repetitions. Every repetition you do on each set should be clear and well executed. Here comes your progress. Perfect practice.

Progress within the program

Common sense tells you that for too long the same will lead to physical and mental stagnation. If we do the same exercise and weight, how do we see progress and not die of boredom? There is a two-part answer to this:

  • First, swing the volume down for each exercise during each workout.
  • Second, increase the total volume from week to week.

You want to split your training volume into low, medium and high days. Since you do two exercises a day, you don't want to have a high volume for both on the same day. You probably don't want a small volume for either, but that's less of a problem in the big scheme of things.

If you set A as high volume, B as medium volume and C as low volume, you can easily split it.

I choose this schedule:

day 1 Squats A. Bank C.
day 2 Tot B. Pull-up A.
Day 3 OUT OUT
Day 4 Squats B. Bank A.
Day 5 Tot C. Chin-up B.
Day 6 OUT OUT
Day 7 Squats C. Bank B.
Day 8 Tot A. Chin-up C.

Now we have to decide where we want to start in terms of volume. This can be individual as long as the volume increases from week to week. Depending on your training history, you may have to start out fairly low while others can do more. As with the training weights, lean to the conservative side.

If your first week is hard, you won't have a good time. Here's how I resolved it for week 1. The numbers on each day and the sum are repetitions.

day 1 Squats 30 Bank 18
day 2 Dead 24th Chin-up 30
Day 3 OUT OUT
Day 4 Squats 24 Bank 30
Day 5 Dead 18th Chin-up 24
Day 6 OUT OUT
Day 7 Squats 18th Bank 24
Day 8 Dead 30 Chin-up 18
total Squats 72
Dead 72		 Bank 72
Chin-up 72

These numbers can be very high for some and low for others. This is exactly what I used, so adjust it accordingly. Now we have to increase the volume every week. My preferred ladder sequence is 1-2-3 for squats and dead and 2-3-4 for bench and pull-ups.

This is very specific and I selected my weights based on around 6 RM. The easiest way to add volume is to add one ladder per week.

This additional ladder increases the total number of repetitions by 6 per week with squats and deadlifts and 9 per week with bench and pull-ups. I add these leaders to A day week 2, B day week 3 and C day week 4.

4 weeks in

I may have already let the cat out of my pocket, but I designed the program for four weeks. I think it's about how long you can keep your attention.

After four weeks, you can choose to continue for a week or two, especially if you were smart and started on the low side of the volume.

If not, you can take 3-5 days off and your max. This can be a training maximum or a repetition maximum. You can also simply take advantage of a deload week and start another program. The world is your oyster.

The program is not complicated, but it is effective because you have collected so many high quality exercises in the four weeks. I'll warn again, choose your weights wisely.

Think about what weight you want to use and then choose easier. Don't hurry with your rest periods either. I set mine to three minutes between sets, but I will extend it to five minutes if I feel I need them. If you are looking for a pump or metabolic training, this is not for you.

Strength is based on two things:

  1. Rest
  2. Work out

This program offers you many of both if you follow the instructions.

As you go through the program, you can develop your nuances for customizing the program. I know I did it. As long as you follow the basic requirement, this shouldn't be a problem.

I experimented with an exercise in the morning and once at night. I did both exercises together and only switched between the two. It works particularly well.

If you achieve your day and week total reps and gradually increase, you are on the right track.

18 May
Blog

Chex Quest HD Review: Only 90s Kids Will Understand

Chex Quest HD test: Only children from the 90s will understand it

"Chex Quest HD is a short but pleasant hit from the nostalgia of the 90s."

  • True to the original

  • Simple but fun shooting

  • Wonderfully nostalgic

  • Missing basic user interface

  • Very little repeat value

Let's get something out of the way right away: you already know if you will download Chex Quest HD.

That's because the free remake, which modernizes a 1996 staple from childhood packed with boxes of Chex cereal, is less of a game than a nostalgia journey of the 90s. Your enjoyment of this bizarre first-person shooter directly depends on how much time you spent as a child teasing Flemoide on your parents' PC. And if "zorching flemoids" already sounds like a foreign language, you shouldn't expect to get into the joke now. If you know, you know.

The quality of Chex Quest HD is inextricably linked to the context. For fans who grew up with the original, it is a loyal, if incomplete preservation that makes one of the strangest marketing stunts of games fun again. For everyone else, it's a minimalist doom clone that's about as deep as a bowl of chex.

Chex the right boxes

Chex Quest was originally developed as a trick to make Chex muesli more attractive for modern children. The game used id Software's doom engine to develop a healthy first person shooter that replaced chainsaws and shotguns with spoons and laser remotes. Instead of Doomguy, the players led the Chex Warrior on a mission to teleport snotty aliens back to their home dimension.

While the HD update swaps sprites for smooth 3D textures, the remake is still Doom at its core. In each level, players have to navigate through maze-like levels, find colored key cards and discover secret passages. A quarter of a century later, Chex Quest HD offers a double dose of enjoyable nostalgia: one for the game itself and one for a PC shooter style that dominated the 1990s.

This conservation is important because the time for the original game was not good. After finishing my pleasant hours of playing through the remake, I tried to revisit the 1996 version to see how much had really changed. I was surprised (well, maybe not too surprised) that it wasn't as fun as I remembered. The movement felt awkward and I couldn't put my head around the game's awkward keyboard.

Chex Quest HD offers a double dose of enjoyable nostalgia: one for the game itself and one for a PC shooter style that dominated the 90s.

In comparison, Chex Quest HD feels much closer to what I remember. This can be seen most clearly in the shooting (um, zorchen), which is easier to read thanks to revised animations. Zorchers feel more like radiation cannons and less like unwieldy TV remote controls. The improvements make a major contribution to making the game playable again without losing its goofball charm.

Mixed bag

While protecting my childhood memories, Chex Quest HD doesn't do much to overcome its nostalgic act. This is not because of not trying.

The big innovation is a multiplayer mode that can only be played with four friends on site or via Steam. This limitation suggests how it works best: sit down with a few close friends to laugh at the absurdity of a Chex Mix-themed death match. Separated from this context, it is little more than a novelty within a novelty.

Chex Quest HD

Along with the new mode, the game features several characters that can be unlocked by finding passwords on social media or in pockets with Chex Mix. It's a smart marketing trick, but the characters don't add much to the experience. They all play the same thing, with the main difference that they come with their own hackneyed language lines. Each character has their own alternate campaign end, but I'm not sure if someone is so confused by the Chex lore that they want to go through story mode six times.

The remake adds a few new features, but none of them transform the game into anything other than a short walk through the past.

Chex Quest HD also lacks some features of the original. The remake removes the five difficulty levels of the original and removes the main source for the replay value of the game. And strangely, there's no way to display a map or display the game's controls.

Perhaps it is not particularly easy to scold a game with Chex Mix branding on almost every door because of its interface deficiencies. But considering that the remake is about a generation that doesn't take the joke, it's not too difficult to convert new followers. Chex Quest became a cult because the idea of ​​a free video game for kids from the 90s was stunning. This idea just doesn't have the same effect in the Fortnite era.

Our opinion

Chex Quest HD is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to spend an afternoon in the 90s. Smoother recordings and optimized animations make for a more readable experience that matches the 1996 game, but the minimal package is unlikely to convince players who are not so enthusiastic about a "free" label in 2020. Missing user interface and flat extras make this strange oddity the embodiment of the meme "Only children from the 90s will understand it".

Is there a better alternative?

Dusk is a better balance between nostalgia and quality for those looking for a 90s-style shooter, but Chex Quest HD is the only Doom clone with a snack theme on the market.

How long it will take?

The five levels last about an hour, though secrets, unlockable characters, and local multiplayer are available to those who want to get an extra game session out of it.

Should you buy it

Yes. It's short, free, and just weird enough to deserve a curious look.

Editor's recommendations




18 May
Blog

4-Week Ladder Template to Gain Strength

I have been writing programs for myself and others for over 20 years. I always learn something when I coach someone through a training program, but I also learn a lot when I do a plan myself.

These programs usually start as something, but evolve considerably until I graduate. I have never been one who followed a written program, mine or another, and only trust the process. Ironically, I give clients the opposite advice. Do what I say, not how I do it seems to apply well here.

Requirements for the power conductor equipment

As I write this, everyone is dealing with a crisis that is forcing adjustments from their regular training routine. Some people, including myself, have trained at home for many years and are not dealing with a lack of equipment. Others have managed to beg, borrow, and hopefully not steal their way to a simple home gym.

This program is designed for people who have at least access to a barbell and a significant amount of weight. A significant amount is relative to every person. If you have a squat rack, that's nice! A bench? Even better.

These simple pieces of equipment are what I base the program on for myself. You can only get by with a barbell, but the exercises need to be adjusted. You can't get by with two soup cans and a ball of laundry fluff. Any decent strength program requires considerable resistance, and a barbell is the most obvious way to do this.

Just as important as the basic equipment, you need a significant amount of another valuable good – time. Although the program is not complicated, the workouts can be quite long depending on how long you want to rest. If you are one of the many who have a little more time available, it seems like an excellent way to get stronger.

The last thing you need is a little patience. You will do four exercises throughout the program. No more. The program could be adjusted to do less, but I won't go into the numerous combinations of exercises, rest periods, and repetitions that are possible. I'm just going to present the basic template, and you can play as you like at your own risk.

The 4-week lead template

The exercises I chose are:

  1. Barbell squat
  2. Bench press
  3. Deadlifts
  4. pulling up

You can choose any variation of these exercises, e.g. B. a horizontal bar, a horizontal bar, an incline or a sumo. This is your call. You have to choose your preference at the beginning and stick to it for the entire program.

Training days

You will only do two exercises a day. I refer to push and pull exercises. I do squats and bench presses on day 1 and deadlifts and pull-ups on day 2.

In the beginning, when I started playing around with it, it was just three exercises that were done three days a week. That was fine, but I like this separation better. You switch between day 1 and day 2 with a day off after you've both completed. Then you repeat. Simple.

The problem for people who think in blocks of seven days is that it takes eight days to go through a microcycle. I am sure that when we leave the traditional seven-day block, time will not collapse by itself – just one way to find out.

Sets and repetitions

As you may have derived from the title, the sentences and repetitions are done on a ladder. If you are unfamiliar with ladders, a full explanation is an article in itself.

One that has been written many times and a simple Google search by Pavel, Ladder, gives you all the information you could want. I will provide the Coles Notes version here. A ladder is when the repetitions increase with each set and the weight stays the same.

For example, a ladder is a 225 pound squat for a set of 2, rest, a set of 4, rest and a set of 6. This ladder can be repeated as many times as necessary. There are many variations on this topic, but we will stick to this basic requirement.

Instead of the conventional set and repetition schemes, a target number of total repetitions must be carried out for each training session. Let's take 36 as an example. If you stick to 2-4-6, you will get a total of 12 repetitions on each ladder. Simple math shows that you need three ladders to reach this number.

You can also choose different combinations to hit numbers that don't work together as well. If your total number is 38 reps, you can do two ladders with 2-4-6 for 24 repetitions, one ladder with 2-3-4 for 33 repetitions, and finish with 2-3.

The leaders don't have to be in progressive groups of three; They can be more or less long as long as you reach the total number of repetitions at the end.

Choose your working weight

The working weight will be different for everyone, depending on how high they let their ladders climb.

This is a strength program, so I would say limit your highest reps to 6. I prefer four myself. The weight you choose should allow at least two reps more than most top reps you have ever done in an entire program.

For myself, I work with weights that allow me to do at least six repetitions. Gun on my head, I can probably do eight. The point is that you should never grind or get repetitions. Every repetition you do on each set should be clear and well executed. Here comes your progress. Perfect practice.

Progress within the program

Common sense tells you that for too long the same will lead to physical and mental stagnation. If we do the same exercise and weight, how do we see progress and not die of boredom? There is a two-part answer to this:

  • First, swing the volume down for each exercise during each workout.
  • Second, increase the total volume from week to week.

You want to split your training volume into low, medium and high days. Since you do two exercises a day, you don't want to have a high volume for both on the same day. You probably don't want a small volume for either, but that's less of a problem in the big scheme of things.

If you set A as high volume, B as medium volume and C as low volume, you can easily split it.

I choose this schedule:

day 1 Squats A. Bank C.
day 2 Tot B. Pull-up A.
Day 3 OUT OUT
Day 4 Squats B. Bank A.
Day 5 Tot C. Chin-up B.
Day 6 OUT OUT
Day 7 Squats C. Bank B.
Day 8 Tot A. Chin-up C.

Now we have to decide where we want to start in terms of volume. This can be individual as long as the volume increases from week to week. Depending on your training history, you may have to start out fairly low while others can do more. As with the training weights, lean to the conservative side.

If your first week is hard, you won't have a good time. Here's how I resolved it for week 1. The numbers on each day and the sum are repetitions.

day 1 Squats 30 Bank 18
day 2 Dead 24th Chin-up 30
Day 3 OUT OUT
Day 4 Squats 24 Bank 30
Day 5 Dead 18th Chin-up 24
Day 6 OUT OUT
Day 7 Squats 18th Bank 24
Day 8 Dead 30 Chin-up 18
total Squats 72
Dead 72		 Bank 72
Chin-up 72

These numbers can be very high for some and low for others. This is exactly what I used, so adjust it accordingly. Now we have to increase the volume every week. My preferred ladder sequence is 1-2-3 for squats and dead and 2-3-4 for bench and pull-ups.

This is very specific and I selected my weights based on around 6 RM. The easiest way to add volume is to add one ladder per week.

This additional ladder increases the total number of repetitions by 6 per week with squats and deadlifts and 9 per week with bench and pull-ups. I add these leaders to A day week 2, B day week 3 and C day week 4.

4 weeks in

I may have already let the cat out of my pocket, but I designed the program for four weeks. I think it's about how long you can keep your attention.

After four weeks, you can choose to continue for a week or two, especially if you were smart and started on the low side of the volume.

If not, you can take 3-5 days off and your max. This can be a training maximum or a repetition maximum. You can also simply take advantage of a deload week and start another program. The world is your oyster.

The program is not complicated, but it is effective because you have collected so many high quality exercises in the four weeks. I'll warn again, choose your weights wisely.

Think about what weight you want to use and then choose easier. Don't hurry with your rest periods either. I set mine to three minutes between sets, but I will extend it to five minutes if I feel I need them. If you are looking for a pump or metabolic training, this is not for you.

Strength is based on two things:

  1. Rest
  2. Work out

This program offers you many of both if you follow the instructions.

As you go through the program, you can develop your nuances for customizing the program. I know I did it. As long as you follow the basic requirement, this shouldn't be a problem.

I experimented with an exercise in the morning and once at night. I did both exercises together and only switched between the two. It works particularly well.

If you achieve your day and week total reps and gradually increase, you are on the right track.

16 May
Blog

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI Review: Features Over Cleaning

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI

"This robotic vacuum cleaner has almost all the functions you can imagine on its small body."

  • Has security camera function

  • Allocates rooms quickly

  • Avoids objects well

  • Doesn't wipe well

  • Carpet cannot be wiped and vacuumed at the same time

  • Missing spots and corners

  • App breakdowns out

The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI is an innovative robot vacuum cleaner that not only sucks in dust and fluff, but also wipes it. It also uses Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to map multiple rooms, avoid obstacles, and ensure better cleaning. It is compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. Even more interesting is that the camera can even be used as a surveillance camera. At first glance, the T8 has a lot to offer. I found the following when I tried it.

DEEBOT T8 AIVI in a bedroomEcovacs

To install

After connecting the app to the bot, you need to let the bot map your entire house. TrueMapping technology is designed to map your home with a 2x range and 4x accuracy compared to the company's previous models. If you have a house with a second floor, the T8 can also create a separate map for each floor.

However, reaching the end of the mapping process can be difficult. If it gets caught on something and you move it, it has to start over. If the juice runs out before mapping, it has to start over. If it fails, it has to start over. Fortunately, I haven't encountered these problems more than once.

DEEBOT T8 AIVI tiresAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

In addition to using A.I. To avoid objects, the T8 has large wheels. You can drive over obstacles up to 20mm high, which means they won't get caught on door sills or small items and speed up the mapping process. Other robotic vacuum cleaners tend to get caught in these obstacles. So it's wonderful that their powerful wheels handle them like a champion – I didn't have to run to prevent them from getting stuck while mapping!

It was also mapped incredibly quickly. Within a minute it had two whole rooms and then some on the app. The catch is that it has to clean the entire house and scan the rooms and then return to its charging station, otherwise the mapping will not be saved. This is a problem I had when I tried the Deebot 960. So it seems that Ecovacs still hasn't found a solution to this problem.

DEEBOT T8 AIVI App

You can use the app to name different rooms. Then you can touch the card and the T8 will drive into the area to start cleaning. This is a super smart feature that gives you more control than other vacuum cleaner systems. However, the problem is that you have to switch the app to advanced mode and then reassign it. I'm not sure why the map I've already created cannot be used, but the reallocation is impractical.

Sweeping and wiping

According to Ecovacs, the improved AIVI technology (Artificial Intelligence and Visual Interpretation) of the T8 offers a 200% faster detection speed for objects and obstacles in the area, as well as a 60% reduction in the entanglement rate compared to other robot vacuum cleaners with LDS navigation technology. This basically means that it runs less often on and over objects. I found that true. It did a good job of avoiding objects and got stuck only once.

It also detects when your floors need more suction to get better cleaning and adjusts accordingly. Although it maps quickly and avoids most objects, I am not impressed with how well it vacuums. It seems to overlook many spots, runs in random patterns and doesn't get any edges or furniture very clean. It also does not notify you when the container is full. It runs around thinking about its cleaning, but it really isn't.

DEEBOT T8 AIVI container and power switchAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

After cleaning, the app shows where the bot has not cleaned because it has encountered obstacles. The app suggests that you move the objects so the T8 can go back and clean the area. This is great, but some of the objects that should be moved were furniture. That gave me a big Facepalm moment.

The T8 kills 99.26% of the bacteria on your floors.

The moping function is simply to attach a mop pad to the bottom of the bot and fill the reservoir with water. Yes, only water according to the instructions. Can you use cleaning solutions? Probably, but the manual doesn't say you can. Even so, a study by the Hygiene and Microbiology Research Center in Japan claims that the T8 kills 99.26% of the bacteria in your floors. How can this be possible? I'm not a scientist, so I guess I have to take your word for it.

DEEBOT T8 AIVI water tankAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

The T8 does not absorb a lot of water from its reservoir while wiping. However, it does not leave much moisture and the floors dry quickly with medium water flow. You can adjust the water setting with the app, but the higher setting didn't seem to leave much more water on the floor.

Overall, the moping function didn't do much on my floors. My kitchen floor was still dirty when the bot pointed it out to me, even after I tried again and increased the water flow to ultra high.

The T8 "sucks and wipes in one pass." I thought that was wrong.

The T8 can recognize carpets to avoid them and stick to surfaces such as linoleum and tiles. The T8 ran up to my carpet, but never let it touch the wiping pad.

The cleaning function that I was most happy about was that T8 AIVI can vacuum and wipe at the same time. According to the Ecovac website, the T8 sucks and wipes simultaneously in one pass. I somehow thought that was wrong. You have to remove the wiping pad so that the bot can suck according to the manual. It does sweep the floor before the mopping pad moves over the surface. However, since it doesn't approach the carpets while the mop pad is installed, you shouldn't expect it to vacuum up carpets or rugs.

Camera shots

DEEBOT T8 AIVI camera on security

In addition to vacuuming and wiping, you can use the T8's camera to take photos, record videos, talk to people in other rooms, and conduct a security patrol of your home. It has a remote control function that allows you to drive it around your home like a toy robot. That was actually pretty cool. I could drive it into my daughter's room and tell her to do her chores without leaving my home office. It is a lazy person's dream.

As a surveillance camera? It is not awesome. For starters, the view is like that of a toddler crawling on the floor, and the video isn't very clear. It can tell you if someone was in your house just because you could see their feet walking around. You can see faces as long as they are the perfect distance from the camera.

There is a patrol mode that you can either turn on manually or schedule when the T8 will patrol your home. If your T8 is not in patrol mode, you can control it with the remote control on the video manager screen of the app in your house. When not in active use, the camera is turned towards the charging station so that it cannot see anything unless you rotate it using the app or by hand.

This feature can be useful in so many ways other than just security. For example, you can use it to check your pets at work or to spy on your children while the babysitter is watching them to make sure they are not behaving.

Keys

The T8 is cleaning a carpet.Ecovacs

I don't like that this robotic vacuum cleaner has only one power switch on top. Sometimes you don't want to open your phone and search for an app. Pressing a button on the vacuum is simply easier. For example, the Eufy RoboVac G30 has a return button, an on / off switch and a stain removal button. I found it super helpful when I was doing other tasks. I could just tap a button and then do my other tasks.

App

The Ecovacs app is not great. It tends to be flawed. It also has a habit of disconnecting from the bot, which is particularly annoying as there is no button on the top to send back to the charger. So you either have to pick up the bot and carry it to the charger or try to reconnect the bot to the app. Restarting the app seemed to fix most of the problems, but it's an inconvenience.

Battery life

DEEBOT T8 AIVI on the chargerAlina Bradford / Digital Trends

Ecovacs claims that the T8 AIVI with its 5,200 mAh battery can clean more than 3 hours or up to 200 minutes on one charge. I found that this was not very accurate. It ran for about 119 minutes on one charge. Even though it missed the mark, it's still a much longer life than many Vac-Bots on the market. Of course, cleaning conditions can vary how long a bot can clean. When the battery is almost empty, it automatically returns to the charging station, but is not yet finished. Once charged, it continues and completes its cleaning routine exactly where it left off.

Our opinion

Partly spy, part mop, part vacuum – the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI is innovative, but in many areas it lacks tracking. I wish it was vacuumed better and the mop would inspire me a little more. The price of just under $ 800 would probably be worth it if these features were better, since the camera capabilities are fantastic.

Is there a better alternative?

There aren't many robotic vacuum cleaners that can wipe and have the surveillance camera, so probably not. The European Mayan robotic vacuum cleaner has similar features, a nicer app, and a longer warranty, but is not widely available.

The only other thing that fits exactly is the Roborock S6 MaxV, which is equipped with two cameras to avoid obstacles, vacuum cleaners and pugs at the same time. It offers better cleaning performance and costs a little less ($ 750). However, if you need a great mop, I recommend the iRobot Braava Jet 240 or the iRobot Braava Jet m6.

Will it take?

The T8 is well built and looks very robust. The metal door that covers the container is a good choice to protect the bot from falling objects. There is also a one year limited warranty.

Should you buy it

No. This is a difficult question as I would almost say that it is worth buying the T8 only for the security patrol and other camera skills. However, it's a lot of money for a cleaning bot that doesn't clean as well as it could. I have to say "passed".

Editor's recommendations




16 May
Blog

Microsoft Build 2020 News | Digital Trends

Microsoft Build, the company's developer conference, kicks off on May 19, but the popular event doesn't take place in Seattle. For the first time, the company is hosting a virtual event for its major developer, leaving Microsoft teams to collaborate and network to interview event attendees. At Build, the company will likely focus on Azure, its cool computing platform, addressing Windows, games, virtual computing (Hello, HoloLens!) And buzzwords like ambient computing, quantum programming, and AI at work.

16 May
Blog

Amazon Echo Show Review | New (2nd Gen) 2018 Model

Amazon Echo Show 2 review

Echo Show (2nd generation)

"With a bigger screen and a stronger sound, the new Amazon Echo Show is better in every way."

  • Impressive sound quality

  • Crystal clear display

  • Larger screen than the previous model

  • Built-in smart home hub

  • Expensive

  • No Z-Wave integration

We felt that the Amazon Echo Show was up for an update. Given the competition from Google Assistant over the beautiful Smart Display from Lenovo and the Link View from JBL, both of which offer better sound and display quality, Amazon had to catch up.

The company delivered the Amazon Echo Show (2nd generation), an Alexa speaker with a screen, when it was released in October 2018 for $ 229. We had some time with the new device and Amazon definitely delivered.

Alexa, show me film times

Like the previous Echo show, the new show looks a bit like a supported tablet. But the new show has a bigger, crystal-clear 10-inch display (the old one was seven inches tall). It serves as a smart hub, meaning it can use the ZigBee protocol to connect to smart home devices.

Another difference between old and new devices is the shape. The older version was similar to an old school blocky TV, while the new one is more streamlined and has a sandstone or charcoal back. It's ideal for a kitchen environment where you can ask Alexa to show you tutorials on how to make lasagna, for example.

Amazon increased the sound quality with two two-inch premium drivers, a passive bass heater and Dolby processing. In addition, you can adjust the treble and bass from anywhere in the room with just your voice. You can also use the show to set up Alexa's multi-room audio feature.

You can adjust the treble and bass from all over the room with just your voice.

The show offers better integration with ring security products (owned by Amazon), especially the video doorbells. When your doorbell rings, you can see who’s on the front door on the Show screen. With a Hulu subscription, you can also watch live TV on your device and make Skype calls soon.

In addition, the show does everything a normal echo speaker can do, e.g. B. Add items to your shopping list, set the timer or enter the square root of 52,000 (answer: 228.03508502). For those of you who can sneak into your home from devices with a screen, there is a way to turn off both the camera and speaker for privacy reasons.

Alexa, play Cardi B.

We had the opportunity to work on the new show and were impressed by the improved sound quality. We mean significantly improved. We placed the new Echo Show next to the old one to do sound tests side by side and were thrilled. It is clear that Amazon has moved the sound from the "good enough" category to the "good enough to play during a party" category.

We asked Alexa to play Cardi B's I Like It, which has a decent amount of bass. While our old Echo Show sounds a bit muffled with songs with fat bass, the new show has mastered the task well and offers an adult, clear, bold, space-filling version of the song. We had a similar experience when we asked Alexa to go one step further with The Beatles & # 39; Let it Be. The instrumentals and lyrics mixed well. And if you want more power, you can optionally pair the show with the new Echo Sub and other Echo speakers to double the sound.

We let both devices play uptown funk and found that the new show projected a bold, fuller sound across the room, creating a multi-dimensional version of the song that wasn't there before.

Amazon Echo Show 2 reviewRich Shibley / Digital Trends

The improvements are also great for the display. We watched a few minutes of an episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and again the improvement in clarity of the display was strong. Sharp, clear images appeared on the screen, and the device can definitely be used as a television if you wish. While it doesn't quite match the clarity of Lenovo's smart display with Google Assistant, it was a huge improvement over the previous Echo Show.

Obviously, it would be a little difficult to gather around the device like a television, since it is supported at an angle. However, if you want to follow the game while cooking dinner, you will get a detailed overview of current events.

Alexa, turn on the lamp below

We were able to get the show up and running in our smart home without any problems. After connecting, we were asked for our Amazon Prime account information and our WiFi password and we were ready to go. We should note that we have already installed the Alexa app on our phone and connected the device to an existing network of Echo devices. If this is your first echo, you need to do other tasks in the front end, e.g. For example, setting up your preferred language, connecting music streaming services to your account, and adding smart home devices that you want your Echo to control. The Alexa app and show screen will walk you through the steps for a painless setup.

We connected the show to our Nest camera and watched footage of it in no time. The larger screen and clearer display of the new show made a big difference: we could see whether our son's eyes were open or closed in bed – something we couldn't do before. We also connected our Noon and Philips Hue lights and smart plugs and were able to easily switch any device on and off with just the sound of our voice.

Otherwise, the Alexa voice assistant is the same that you'll find in any Alexa device – it can solve math problems for you, tell you what your favorite superhero is, set multiple timers, make calls, and more. The advantage of a screen comes into play when you need to view video, play movies or cook videos, make video calls, or even use your voice to answer the ring of your ringtone. We test this new feature when we get a ringtone doorbell installed.

A couple of things: While we’re excited about integrating Zigbee, we’d like Amazon to add Z-Wave functionality to make the show compatible with a wider range of smart home devices. Many hubs, like Samsung's SmartThings Wi-Fi, offer both. If you want to use one of the more than 2,400 devices that use Z-Wave, you may have to invest in one.

The fabric back is definitely an improvement.

We also hoped for a price cut. While Amazon has invested in major upgrades for this 2.0 model, $ 230 is still a bit expensive, especially considering that the 8-inch Lenovo smart display costs $ 200 (although we should note that the 10-inch version of Lenovo actually costs more than the show at $ 250).

Overall, however, we were impressed with the improvements Amazon made to the Echo overhaul.

Warranty information

The Echo Show comes with a one-year warranty and service. You can purchase an extended one, two, or three year warranty separately.

Try these new features

Thanks to frequent updates that expand their toolkit, Alexa is getting smarter. While there are some basic features you should definitely know, there are new tricks available every month. You can try the following with the Amazon Echo Dot with watch.

Find out more about COVID-19

The pandemic has changed many things for us. Alexa is here to help you with updates and what to do if you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19. Just say, "Alexa, what do I do if I think I have COVID-19?" She will ask you a number of questions, including your itinerary, to give you the correct CDC guide.

Get the latest weather alerts

Storms and other bad weather can occur immediately, which is useful for the latest warnings. The Echo Dot with clock can keep you up to date by saying, "Alexa, tell me if there's a storm alert."

Election updates

There will be a lot of news when the presidential elections are in full swing. So it is a good idea to know what is going on in politics. You can use the Echo Dot with clock to get the latest voting information, debate reviews, and more. All you have to do is say, "Alexa, what is my election update" or "Alexa, what happened in the last debate?"

Our opinion

Overall, the new Echo Show is better than the old one in every way. With powerful sound, a crystal-clear 10-inch display, an additional Smart Hub and an optimized, softer appearance, we are impressed that Amazon has taken so many steps to significantly improve the product.

Is there a better alternative?

Smart displays are still very competitive, and Google Assistant devices are the most competitive. The Google Nest Hub Max ($ 200) is an ultimate smart display that adds a key element that you won't find on our devices. It also serves as a surveillance camera. The Lenovo Smart Display 7 with Google Assistant is a device with a compact design and an affordable price ($ 100).

If you don't need the screen on Echo devices, you can get an intelligent speaker with built-in Alexa voice assistant with an Echo ($ 70) or Echo Dot ($ 30). However, you will miss the functionality of the ZigBee Smart Hub, and without the screen it would be more difficult to get a tutorial on how to bake cookies.

How long it will take?

Amazon Echo devices and Alexa are both here to stay. Alexa is getting better with firmware updates and additional skills. The Echo Show hardware feels robust enough to last for at least a few years, and support for the device should continue for a long time.

Should you buy it

If you're looking for an Alexa-based smart speaker with a screen, you should buy it. If you're not married to Alexa, check out the Google Nest Hub Max. In any case, you will get a great device.

Editor's recommendations




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