01 Jun
Blog

Unspoken Rules to Size Up Your Session

Here are three things I knew before training for competitions or hiring a new PR during a session.

Unspoken rules to increase your session - fitness, weightlifting, fitness, powerlifting, rest and relaxation, biomechanics, weight training, deadlifts, bodybuilders, leg extension, hamstring, Nordic curls

1. Order matters

We often find different beliefs where the elevator comes first. We hear from a camp1 that the energy consumption after training will not vary significantly depending on the strength training method. In other camps, we understand that strength training (RT) is dramatically affected by the training order and other prescribed variables, which De Salle 2 says include, but are not limited to, volume, intensity, pace, and rest intervals. In my experience, however, the order of the exercises is mainly determined by the program objectives.

Unspoken rules to increase your session - fitness, weightlifting, fitness, powerlifting, rest and relaxation, biomechanics, weight training, deadlifts, bodybuilders, leg extension, hamstring, Nordic curls

If you are not in a program, this is already a recipe for disaster. Choose your poison if you want (they'll all hurt):

Fortunately, there is a method for the proverbial madness of training. The order of the exercises becomes critical in situations such as hitting PRs for power lifting, weight lifting, and sports in general. Heavier compound movements are at the top, while secondary work remains secondary. Bodybuilder connections will continue to be the top priority, but additional work will be just as important for developing an overall balanced body.

Unspoken rules to increase your session - fitness, weightlifting, fitness, powerlifting, rest and relaxation, biomechanics, weight training, deadlifts, bodybuilders, leg extension, hamstring, Nordic curls

Still, sacrificing a higher volume, higher intensity deadlift to get PR on curly hair or low rows of cables is ridiculous. Complete gym tasks that require the most setup and effort first. As you become more experienced, you can consider options. Lift hard and heavy to build muscle and lift for good biomechanics.

2. Good biomechanics

Good biomechanics often remain unaffected when we start discussions about drop setting, super setting or circuits. However, if the exercises are arranged so that general fatigue subsides after the tiredness within the workout, this is the money. In order to understand this, one has to understand the phases before and after the exhaustion of the training. For example, leg extensions are an excellent exercise before and after exhaustion on quad-focused leg days, while lying curls of the Nordic hamstring are best suited for post-exhaustion work.

Unspoken rules to increase your session - fitness, weightlifting, fitness, powerlifting, rest and relaxation, biomechanics, weight training, deadlifts, bodybuilders, leg extension, hamstring, Nordic curls

Pre-exhausting exercises have a higher tendency to negatively impact performance on heavy compound lifts, while being most useful in warming up the intended muscle group. In this case, the cluster setting with similar movements may be more effective than warming up for five minutes for a total of one or two sets.

Post-exhausting work is then best left to work on tissues from a different angle that could not previously be reached and on secondary muscles that are not directly isolated.

3. Experience equals results

According to the principle of adaptation, muscle tissue needs new stimuli in order to achieve effective growth. This happens both at the neurological and musculoskeletal level. If we expose a muscle to different stimuli over time through a larger selection of exercise options, 3 a muscle becomes all the more mature4. This is not an excuse to spend more time in a single session.

Sessions are periods in which a careful amount of time is spent training muscle tissue by training it in its implementation. For example, if a program requires 90% 1rpm for three consecutive sets followed by five accompanying exercises totaling 120 repetitions, it doesn't make sense to spend two and a half hours in the gym. If anything, this wastes time to replenish your muscle tissue, i.e. overtraining.5 However, we all learn from experience to improve time management for both training and nutrient timing to prevent accidental regression.

As a natural bodybuilder, I often thought of hitting my muscle tissue in the floor to cause pain on consecutive days to stimulate growth.

Still, I learned that recovery is far more critical. What is the use of a muscle if it can hit almost maximum strength only once every few months?. Of course, everyone will peak and therefore a series of wavy periodizations6 This may be necessary for muscles and joints to function optimally.

References

1. Da Silva, Rodrigo Lavinas; Brentano, Michel Arias; Kruel, Luiz Fernando Martins, "Effects of Different Strength Training Methods on Post-Workout Energy Spending", Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: August 2010. Volume 24, Issue 8, pp. 2255-2260.

2. Simão, R., de Salles, B.F., Figueiredo, T. et al. "Sequence of exercises in strength training." Sports Med 42, 251-265 (2012).

3. Charles Poliquin, "Five steps to making your strength training program more effective." NSCA Journal Vol 10, Number 3, 1988.

4. K. C. Darr and E. Schultz, "Stress-induced activation of satellite cells in growing and mature skeletal muscles". J of Applied Physiology 1987, 63: 5, 1816-1821.

5. E. Randy Eichner, "Overtraining: Consequences and Prevention", Journal of Sports Sciences. 1995, 13: sup1, S41-S48.

6. Zourdos, Michael C .; Jo, Edward; Khamoui, Andy V .; Lee, Sang-Rok; Park, Bong-Sup; Ormsbee, Michael J .; Panton, Lynn B .; Contreras, Robert J .; Kim, Jeong-Su, "Modified model of daily wavy periodization produces higher performance than a conventional power lift configuration," The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: March 2016, Volume 30, Issue 3, pp. 784-791.

01 Jun
Blog

Loupedeck Creative Tool Review: Turn Editing Into a Game

Loupedeck Creative Tool Review CT 2988

With Loupedeck's Creative Tool, photo editing feels like a video game

"An elegant mix of physical and touch controls that adapt to the task at hand."

  • Great design and build quality

  • Touchscreen adapts to different apps

  • Ergonomic and fun

Editing photos and videos with a keyboard and mouse feels like work, but throw in a few dials and buttons and it feels more like a game. The original Loupedeck is a "keyboard" for Adobe Lightroom with special dials and buttons for almost every setting in the RAW photo editor. Because Loupedeck + of the second generation added support for other creative apps, including video editing programs, the pre-labeled Lightroom controls weren't translated perfectly.

The new Loupedeck Creative Tool or Loupedeck CT solves this problem. It is an editing console that allows you to seamlessly switch between multiple programs, from photo editing to video editing to audio work and back again. Since almost half of the controls have integrated touchscreens, the controls for the program currently in use can be electronically identified.

Getting started

The CT uses “work areas” to provide access to functions more than physical buttons and dials. Work areas switch between different function sets within a program. For example, Lightroom has a work area for sorting and rating photos, another for basic adjustments such as exposure and white balance, and another for colors.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The CT is tailored to both photo and video editors. The higher price – $ 550 – and a slightly higher learning curve make it better for serious enthusiasts and professionals.

The Loupedeck CT is connected via USB like an external drive – you are insulted by your computer because you have pulled out the cable without first ejecting it from the operating system. The CT is compatible with both Windows and MacOS and can be customized using the Loupedeck software. While the CT has preset work areas that you can work with, you want to customize the dials and buttons to suit your specific workflow.

We tested the CT with Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. The CT is currently compatible with many Adobe apps, including Camera RAW, Premiere Pro, After Effects and Audition. Apple Final Cut Pro X; Skylum Aurora HDR; and beta support for Capture One. It also supports the Ableton Live music production app and the Streamlabs live streaming program.

In particular, the Loupedeck CT is not compatible with Adobe Lightroom CC, Skylum Luminar and On1 Photo RAW.

The CT also offers some general shortcuts outside of the app-specific controls, such as: B. the ability to adjust the volume and screen brightness of the computer and quickly access the system settings and the Loupedeck software. The touchscreen dial also turns into an analog clock when not in use.

High-end design

The Loupedeck CT immediately impressed. The machining console feels robust and well made thanks to an aluminum housing. The cord is coated with the braided nylon-like material that does not break open as easily as standard cables. The CT feels like a wonderfully over-engineered video game controller.

While the previous Loupedecks were the size and shape of a keyboard, the Loupedeck CT is closer to the size of a mouse pad. Due to the smaller footprint and the almost square shape, you can work with one hand so that your other hand can use the mouse, keyboard or pen.

Loupedeck Creative Tool Review CT 2944

Loupedeck Creative Tool Review CT 2948

There are 12 mini touchscreen buttons in the top half of the CT. The labels change to indicate which feature is active in the current mode, workspace, or custom setting. Because they are touch sensitive, the keys use haptic feedback to compensate for the lack of tactile feedback that physical keys would offer.

In addition to the rows of buttons, there are two mini-screens that identify the function of six small dials, three on each side. The ability to label electronically is a great benefit for a tool designed for use in multiple programs and workspaces, so you can easily see which settings are currently set for each dial. Each dial also serves as a button. For example, if you press the exposure control in one of the Lightroom workspaces instead of rotating it, the exposure control is reset to zero.

A row of eight buttons divides the CT in half. These numbered buttons are color coded with a backlight. Green means that the button changes to another work area. Purple means that the button is set to something else – for example, switching the before and after view. The light goes out when there is no task assigned to the button in the current program.

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Evaluation of the creative tool from loupedeck ct 2938 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/loupedeck-ct-review-2938-640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

Below are two sets of six square buttons for basic, commonly used options, including arrow buttons, an undo button, a save button, and a function button that changes the other buttons. In contrast to the rest of the CT, these buttons are pre-labeled, since they are set by default to options that are almost universal for every program. These buttons are simple enough, but it's a bit annoying that the up and down buttons are next to each other instead of the up button, which is actually the up and down buttons below.

The star of the CT is located between these two square buttons – a large dial with an integrated touchscreen. The touchscreen adjusts the setting of the dial. For example, if you adjust the curves in Lightroom, you can use the touchscreen to switch between adjusting light and dark without removing your hand from the dial itself.

The dial contains various controls. Tapping the tone curve in Lightroom opens a list of different options from highlights to shadows that you can scroll through and select. Swiping right will return you to the previous screen. A swipe moves up or down the list once, rather than a free-scrolling scroll that's slower but more precise.

User experience

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

With the Loupedeck CT, photo editing feels more like a video game than optimizing images with the mouse and keyboard. It's a nicer thing to take a polished photo with physical controls than with a mouse.

The compromise for the flexibility of CT in multiple programs is a steeper learning curve. Learning what to do and the less obvious controls, such as the fact that the dials act as buttons, required both more time to experiment and more time in the Loupedeck starter manuals than the previous consoles that were designed specifically for Lightroom better approach if you use other applications. The labeled touchscreen buttons and the pre-labeled lower buttons help immensely, but there are still the numbered workspaces that you need to remember.

The standard workspaces are fairly well organized, but there are still a few ways to remember which round button belongs to which workspace and to open which touchscreen controls.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The learning curve will be overcome at some point, and once the CT is adapted and trained to your workflow, the console is a much more ergonomic and intuitive way to edit.

With the ability to hold one hand on the mouse and one hand on the console, the CT can shorten the processing time. Using the large dial to adjust the brush size in Photoshop felt much faster than working with a mouse, for example. But it's probably a difference similar to learning keyboard shortcuts that save seconds over a long period of time, and not a dramatic difference like halving processing time. If you learn to control first, everything will feel slower.

Some controls on the CT also thought that the mouse was the faster option. The arrow keys react somewhat slowly to tasks such as moving a crop box. For some local editing tools, the large dial moves the mouse, but much more slowly than just the mouse (or a pen).

This does not mean that the CT does not save time – but the tactile feel, the ergonomics and the more pleasant processing experience are greater advantages than the acceleration of the processing process. The time saved depends on your personal workflow, the custom controls and your familiarity with the CT.

With a few adjustments, however, the CT could easily be integrated into a variety of workflows. Thanks to these touchscreens and the buttons that retain their functions, the switch from Lightroom Classic to Photoshop was not a learning of a completely new system.

Loupedeck CT vs. Loupedeck +

Loupdeck CT (left) against Loupedeck + (right) Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The Loupedeck CT comes after the company has started expanding the Loupedeck + beyond Lightroom – and the concept of using one console for multiple programs becomes clear. The CT is easier to use for Photoshop and other applications because the Loupedeck + is pre-labeled for Lightroom, without the touchscreen that labels the controls based on the application and work area.

The larger size of the Loupedeck + is really designed to be used with two hands, similar to a keyboard, making it difficult to use a mouse or pen at the same time.

That doesn't mean that CT is better in every way. Since the Loupedeck + was developed for Lightroom, it is easier to jump in immediately – as long as you only use Lightroom. It is also not dependent on work areas and has a special setting wheel for each color in the areas of hue, saturation and luminance. On the CT, you have to press a button to switch between different colors.

The Loupedeck + is also half the price of the CT.

From video editing to video game

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

As with the company's earlier consoles, editing with the Loupedeck CT feels less labor intensive. Perhaps it is because every photographer and videographer has an inner child who is still asking to press the buttons in the elevator. Rather, this is because the console makes photo editing physical again, while offering better ergonomics and, in some cases, a slight speed advantage.

One of the hardest things about using Loupedeck + outside of Lightroom is to remember which dozens of controls are assigned. The touchscreen built into the touchscreen greatly facilitates the learning curve, but is partially negated by the fact that you still have to remember which tool is in which work area.

The Loupedeck CT is ideal for photo and video editors who spend long hours at their desks and use multiple programs to make the work feel more like a game. And when the novelty wears off, it is still an ergonomic advantage over a keyboard that can save you valuable time.

Editor's recommendations




31 May
Blog

LG SN11RG Soundbar Review: A Compact Cinematic Experience

LG SN11RG soundbar

"The LG SN11RG combines cinematic performance on the footprint of a soundbar."

  • Easy setup

  • Sleek design

  • Immersive audio experience

  • Handy Google Assistant

LG John Hammond from Jurassic Park drew our attention to us when building his new soundbar. That means they have spared no expense.

The new SN11RG soundbar from LG is a full 7.1.4 system with Hi-Res audio and Dolby Atmos support as well as other amenities such as the integrated Google Assistant and HDMI eARC. It's also $ 1,700. Let us find out whether the numerous functions of this bar compensate for the price.

design

The important things first. The SN11RG is long due to the lack of a more appropriate word. With a width of almost 57 inches, the Samsung HW-Q90R is nine inches larger, which is not a pipsqueak itself. In other words, you want to make sure you have a media stand that can hold this large bar. It's 2.5 inches thin and not overly heavy at 15.9 pounds, but the sheer width of the bar made it a bit of a nuisance when moving to access the rear ports.

LG SN11RG soundbarNick Woodard

However, big is not all bad, especially when the bar is as elegant and extravagant as the SN11RG. You don't necessarily want your soundbar to showcase your actual display. If you are someone who is on the market for such a setup, this is probably not a problem. For example, if you're a reviewer who combines the bar with a lower-end 4K TV, the difference in aesthetics is noticeable.

The control panel has a number of controls, including an on / off button, a function selection button, volume controls and playback controls, and two buttons for interacting with the soundbar's built-in Google Assistant support. They're handy for having them right at the bar if need be, but I've mainly used the associated remote or mobile app, which I'll access shortly.

The wireless rear speakers and subwoofer that round off the system are housed in solid black housings that outshine the satellites and woofers of the Vizio 5.1 system that I discussed earlier. However, compared to their more direct competitors, they are right in the stadium. You can still stow this submarine with little effort, and finding quarters for the rear speakers was no problem.

LG is relatively limited to specifications for the actual drivers in the system. Of course, the soundbar has high-powered drivers to add channels for the front height, while the rear speakers are equipped with high-firing drivers to restore the rear heights.

To install

An important selling point of most soundbar systems is the possibility of building the entire ensemble far more economically than a traditional home theater system. Since there are no A / V receivers and no long speaker cables, sound bars are generally more accessible to the ordinary listener to get them up and running.

LG SN11RG soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

LG took this rule of thumb and optimized it. Commissioning your SN11RG starts with a three-step process that corresponds to the restrictions of an index card: Connect the soundbar to the power supply, download the Google Home app and set up your Wi-Fi connection. From there, you can stream music as you set up the rest of the system.

The rest of the process is just as simple. You need a connection between the soundbar and the TV. LG offers you HDMI and optical audio options. Both work, but note that optical audio connections don't support Dolby Atmos. If you go this route, you are limited to standard surround sound.

Both the subwoofer and the rear speakers are designed to automatically connect to the soundbar when connected to the power supply. However, LG has a failover in its manual if for some reason it doesn't. After taking the time to carefully unpack the individually packaged components, I connected the entire system in less than 10 minutes.

For me, the best benefit of the setup process is that the rear speakers don't have to be wired to the subwoofer, a common theme in other systems I've dealt with. This allows the subwoofer to be placed where it sounds best in your listening room, rather than being banished to the surroundings in the back of the room. You can even do classic sub-crawling, where you put the sub in your normal listening position and literally crawl around the room to see where it can perform best.

The same applies to the rear speakers, although they are somewhat limited by short power cables (5 feet). It wasn't a problem for me, but all I know is that you need a socket or two nearby.

LG also includes wall mounts for the soundbar and rear speakers, which is a cute addition. However, I have not touched them for the purposes of this review.

The "LG Wi-FI Speaker" app is an important part of the setup puzzle. It not only serves as an additional remote control if you have lost yours – or if it is sitting on your coffee table and you are too comfortable / lazy to reach for it. It is also your ticket to the operation of LG's A.I. Room calibration function that measures the room acoustics and adjusts your system accordingly. I will learn more about it later.

links

The connection will be a problem for some as the SN11RG only has a pair of HDMI HDCP 2.3 inputs. The home theater consumer nowadays has several devices to connect, including everything from 4K Blu-ray players to streaming devices like Rocus or Apple TVs to game consoles like a Nintendo Switch, which means that two HDMI inputs simply don't work seem to be sufficient for a soundbar that will surely weigh on your wallet.

LG SN11RG subwooferNick Woodard / Digital Trends

This can now be fixed easily if your TV has several available HDMI connections. However, if for some reason you have an older model (e.g. a Sony 65-inch 850E series display from 2017) that does not support Dolby Atmos playback, your only workaround is to connect your devices directly to it Connect the soundbar and run a cable from the soundbar's HDMI eARC output to your TV. In this case, the limited number of entries becomes a painful obstacle.

For reference, my personal Marantz SR5012 A / V receiver has seven HDMI inputs and was sold for $ 1,000 when it first came on the market. Admittedly, these are very different devices and it is not realistic to expect a soundbar to have seven inputs. The modern soundbar, especially one that costs $ 1,700, should be able to meet these connectivity requirements in a similar way.

There is also a USB port and an optical input on the back of the SN11RG. However, as I mentioned, you cannot get Dolby Atmos playback using optical playback. This type of connection simply cannot handle the data volume in more advanced audio formats, which means that you limit yourself to simpler surround sound formats like Dolby Digital 5.1.

Intelligent functions

Google plays a big role in the intelligent functions of the SN11RG, since both Google Assistant and Google Chromecast are integrated.

LG SN11RG soundbar remote controlNick Woodard / Digital Trends

Since I'm the Smart Assistant junkie, I've used Google Assistant most often, with some satisfactory results. Coming home and quickly immersing yourself in the music was as easy as asking Google, and changing titles while music was pumping through the soundbar was just as painless. The microphones built into the soundbar also recorded my voice well during music playback.

Even if my normal home theater setup is set up according to my wishes, I still have to do a few steps before I can order my Amazon Echo Dot to start playback on my receiver. Using the integrated assistant of the SN11RG was much faster, which is a kind of goal here.

When you're tired of repeating Google Assistant wake-up words, there's a button on both the remote and soundbar that you can use to access them. The soundbar also supports group play mode via Chromecast, although unfortunately I lacked the additional Chromecast-enabled speakers to try. After all, living from home has some shortcomings.

Sound quality

If the simple setup and sleek design were LG's raptors and omnivores, audio quality is the main attraction. It's the Tyrannosaurus Rex, if you allow me to continue referencing a 27-year-old film, and LG must have given it a lot of teeth to show off.

LG SN11RG soundbarNick Woodard / Digital Trends

It's not just Dolby Atmos and DTS: X support – or the vast amount of other supported audio formats – although they play a prominent role. This is the partnership with Meridian Technology, support for 24-bit / 192 kHz audio resolution, Bluetooth 5.0 technology or even LG's AI Sound Pro hardware. Suffice it to say that LG has left no stone unturned to make this soundbar system an absolute audio juggernaut.

After throwing all sorts of content on it for three weeks, I can say the following about the SN11RG: In the world of sound bars, it's this juggernaut.

The music playback provided the crisp, detailed sound you would hope for in such an expensive bar. However, it is the home theater realm where the SN11RG really gets its money's worth, especially when it comes to Atmos.

Auditioning a selection from a Dolby Atmos demo disc was an impressive experience that showed me that LG's drivers weren't a gimmick. There is also a hidden demo mode that was discovered by an early user. If you press "F" on the main unit for 5 seconds, the same demo tracks will be displayed. However, these short clips only made me want something more essential, so I looked through our top Dolby Atmos tips.

I started with Avengers: Infinity War and I could have called it very good here and there. Minutes after the film started, when Hulk raced to the ground and crashed into the Sanctum Sanctorum, I heard everything I needed to know. It is an impressive and entertaining experience to watch films with the SN11RG that plays the show acoustically to the point where I would have looked for a banner-sized hole in my ceiling if I hadn't known better. The subwoofer offers a significant breakthrough as a worthy buddy for the bar itself, and the rear speakers effectively envelop you in every scene.

I said earlier that I was going to A.I. Room calibration, and here we are. Together with the AI ​​Sound Pro from LG, which according to the company uses an adaptive tone control to automatically match the audio with the content, an excellent sound is generated for the set-it-and-leave-it types. If you prefer to tinker with the sound like me, LG allows that too. There are various sound effects for content such as movies and music, with the option to adjust the levels of each part of the system.

The app also has switching options for modes such as Night Time (softens larger sounds, increases dialogue) or Neural: X, with which content is assigned to the corresponding channels. There's even an AV sync option to fix breaks in the continuity between audio and video.

Put the sound in context

However, there is one limitation that may be somewhat unpopular in circles of soundbar enthusiasts. With as much technology and functionality as companies can build into sound bars these days, there is a point at which returns are falling. And it feels like LG has achieved it.

LG SN11RG rear speakerNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The possibility of testing this soundbar with a comparable home theater system also shows this. As pleasant as the sound of the LG SN11RG is, it will always be limited by the limitations of its design. There is no sound stage with a real separation from left and right, the abundance of floorstanding speakers or the swinging lower end of a beefy home theater submarine. As much as LG can try to virtually reproduce this sound – and believe me, it is trying – it just won't be the real deal.

Maybe you think the LG is unfair to you, and maybe you're right. LG appears to be developing this soundbar for a very specific group of consumers, and it is clear that this group will be thrilled with its performance. But get it straight to the point and you'll pay almost $ 2,000 for audio. Classified as a soundbar, it's objectively great sound. But open up the word for other options, and frankly, there are better ways to spend that kind of money. Your decision will depend on what your home theater room supports and whether you are ready to have problems installing a home theater setup with multiple surround speakers.

Our opinion

The LG SN11RG combines cinematic performance on the footprint of a soundbar, but is available at the high price of a complete home theater package.

Is there a better alternative?

The Samsung HW-Q90R, valued at $ 1,700, is likely to be as close in performance to the LG as in price. If you're looking for even more minimalism without sacrificing quality, the Sennheiser Ambeo for $ 2,500 is an option. Just not cheap.

For a Dolby Atmos soundbar that saves you a few dollars, Vizio's 5.1.4 system costs $ 1,000.

How long it will take?

The build quality of the LG SN11RG is exceptional and the hardware is not bad either. This bar should last many movie nights.

Should you buy it

Yes. It's a high price for sound, and you could build a better system with this type of coin. But for anyone looking for great performance in a sound bar and willing to pay for it, the LG SN11RG is the shortlist of premium options.

Editor's recommendations




31 May
Blog

Creatine, Not Just For Men or Muscle

Whether you are a man or a woman reading this, excellent, it applies to both genders. Are you an aging adult or someone who has had traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Yes? Then read on. If you are an athlete or non-athlete and read this, even better, because it applies to you too.

Are you still not with me Do you have a beating heart? If the answer is no, see a doctor immediately. Aside from all jokes, if you are a living, breathing Homo Sapien (Homo = genus, Sapien = species), this article is for you.

Creatine, not just for men or muscles - fitness, fitness, dietary supplements, bone density, VO2 Max, diabetes, hydration, body composition, brain health, aging, sleep deprivation, energy consumption, cardiovascular fitness, nutrition plans, healthy lifestyle, youth training

If you're the parent of a young athlete, trainer, athlete, or bodybuilder, you've probably already read about creatine and supplemented it with creatine monohydrate beforehand. Creatine is one of the most researched and effective nutritional supplements to date.

Creatine can support exercise performance by quickly producing energy during intense activities. In addition, creatine can also offer cognitive benefits, but more research is needed. Studies have consistently shown how creatine supplementation increases intramuscular creatine levels, which can help us understand the observed improvements in high intensity exercise performance and overall exercise adjustments. We know that creatine supplementation:

In addition, clinical applications of creatine supplementation in neurodegenerative diseases such as:

If you

Studies show that short and long-term supplementation (up to 30 grams per day over five years) is not only safe, but is also well tolerated in individuals and a number of clinical situations from infants to the elderly.

Creatine is therefore not only intended for male athletes who try to build muscle and facilitate regeneration. This is an advantage for everyone, since all the benefits of supplementation are documented in the literature and some are currently being investigated in a clinical setting.

Myths about creatine

Creatine is a steroid. Wrong, please prevent this nonsense from finding its way into 2021. In my professional experience as a registered nutritionist, this must be one of the most disgusting mistakes so far. Possibly behind "protein hurts my kidneys", wrong too, but that's a completely different topic for another blog. However, I am pleased to draw your attention to the literature that dispels this myth that appeared in the 2016 Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism by Dr. Jose Antonio and colleagues was released.

Now back to creatine, let's clear this up quickly. Creatine is not a steroid. It has no structural relationship to a steroid or its mechanism of action. Why? According to scientific definition, a steroid is any compound that has a common structural feature of three cyclohexane rings. A cyclopentane ring forms the structure, which by definition is a steroid molecule.

Eggs contain a steroid compound called cholesterol, which is naturally produced in the body and becomes steroid hormones like testosterone and estrogen. But no, creatine is not a steroid.

What is creatine?

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound of three amino acids, which we would call the tripeptide (tri means three). Three amino acids (L-glycine, L-methionine and L-arginine) form creatine. Creatine is mainly produced in the liver and to a limited extent in the kidneys and pancreas. It deposits high-energy phosphate groups in the form of phosphocreatine, which is administered to ADP, and regenerates it to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the only energy source in the human body that can be called the energy currency for cells to perform their functions.

For example, ATP runs quickly under conditions of short-term activities with high energy requirements (<30 seconds) with limited recovery time, which leads to creatine, which is stored in the muscles in the form of creatine phosphate.

Creatine phosphate can help restore ATP and give muscle cells the ability to produce more energy. The more creatine you have, the more energy your muscle cells can release during intensive exercisesThis leads to increased training performance. Although the best documented and most important benefit is higher energy production, this mechanism also supports muscle building and strength enhancement.

Creatine occurs naturally in several foods that we consume, e.g.

  • Eggs
  • milk
  • tuna
  • salmon
  • herring
  • cod
  • shrimp
  • beef
  • pork meat

Consuming enough creatine from the diet is a challenge because the entire creatine pool according to a items released Limits in nutrition Sports and exercise nutrition This suggests that the body needs to replenish about 1.0 to 3.0 g of creatine per day in order to maintain regular (not supplemented) creatine stores depending on the muscle mass.

Creatine improves numerous factors, including:

Women should use creatine

I am a woman who regularly (4-5 times a week) takes part in strength training together with (2-3 cardiovascular sessions per week). I eat whole foods, supplemented with 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, whey protein isolate, 1,200 mg of fish oil and a multivitamin.

These are my additions; These are not recommendations for you, your young athlete, teammate or your friend. I make this clear because there is no one size fits all diet, health and fitness. What works well for me does not mean that it works well for you. I see too many mistakes in people trying to use the same diet, training, and lifestyle as their cohorts when it is simply not sustainable or appropriate.

As individuals, we have different genetics, hormones, environmental stimuli, training styles, body composition, sports and performance goals, metabolic rate at rest and the list goes on. It would be absurd to eat and exercise in the same way as someone else and expect the same result with the differences listed above as humans.

One thing is certain, we can all benefit from eating real food, but given the benefits of creatine supplementation, it is an undervalued and over-written supplement among my colleagues.

Listen to me, ladies, creatine won't make you fat, bulky, hold you back water, turn you into a man, or any of the other nonsensical claims that exist on the Internet today. I don't care what Linda said in the gym about "creatine that makes you fat or how it's a steroid that makes you a man". I often hear these claims, and not only are they completely wrong, but they also misinform my colleagues when they are trying to gain strength, muscle mass, and other health benefits that would occur with adequate creatine supplementation.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of myself about ten years ago, when I ate too many carbohydrates, insufficient protein, some strength training, and an abundance of cardiovascular exercises. I ran a lot of miles. Now, ten years later, I am happy to report that I am doing strength training sessions of no more than 45 minutes, 4-5 times a week with some sprints and daily walking.

Creatine, not just for men or muscles - fitness, fitness, dietary supplements, bone density, VO2 Max, diabetes, hydration, body composition, brain health, aging, sleep deprivation, energy consumption, cardiovascular fitness, nutrition plans, healthy lifestyle, youth training

After training, I supplement with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, whey protein isolate, take a multivitamin and consume 2 g / kg / body weight of protein per day. I rarely track calories because I fire my body with high quality protein, as many fruits and vegetables as possible.

Creatine doesn't make you fat, bulky, or masculine. It will help support lean body composition. Let me take a closer look at my fellow ladies; Creatine can help you improve your health, fitness, recovery and overall body.

Are you trying to increase the intensity of your training? Use creatine! Creatine is like a Koenigsegg Agera RS, the fastest vehicle in the world. Creatine is a vehicle for the production of ATP that, as you learned, drives muscle contraction. Something important when sprinting, lifting heavy weights, jumping and training with maximum performance? By regularly supplementing with creatine monohydrate (3 – 5 g / day) over a period of eight weeks or longer, the body's own phosphocreatine stores, the compound required for the production of ATP, can be maximized. In this way, the skeletal muscle can produce more energy, increase the output and do more work overall.

The more the intensity is expressed, the stronger, bigger and faster your muscles will become if you exercise properly. Therefore, creatine supplementation is a greatly underestimated supplement in the female population.

I encourage and empower my fellow readers who have looked at the use of creatine to understand its effectiveness. Creatine has been shown to strengthen muscle size, strength and strength. More muscles mean more energy consumption, healthier body composition, bone mineral density and a lower risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Not to mention the relationship between muscle mass and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, later in life it is associated with better health to keep aging muscles fit.

Creatine, not just for men or muscles - fitness, fitness, dietary supplements, bone density, VO2 Max, diabetes, hydration, body composition, brain health, aging, sleep deprivation, energy consumption, cardiovascular fitness, nutrition plans, healthy lifestyle, youth training

Even sedentary women who had long-term experience with creatine increased the maximum muscle strength during strength training by 20 to 25% compared to women who were given a placebo in a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Another study looked at the effects of long-term creatine supplementation (12 weeks) combined with strength training on maximum strength on repetition, motor function tests and body composition in 18 older women. The creatine group gained significantly more fat-free mass, muscle mass and was able to perform functional tests with submaximal strength more efficiently than the placebo group.

Special note: The creatine group was also able to increase the training volume and the maximum bench press with one repetition. Creatine does not contain calories and does not lead to fat gain. The increase in the scale that you can see through use draws water into the cell, which is the desired reaction during exercise.

Benefits of creatine

A number of studies have shown that creatine supplementation can increase brain creatine levels by about 5 to 15% while reducing mental fatigue and cognitive functions. This emerges from studies referred to in the ISSN position on creatine.

Another study conducted by Rawson & Venezia, 2011, reported creatine supplementation of (20 g / day for five days or about 2 g per day for 30 days) that increased skeletal muscle creatine phosphocreatine, resulting in an improvement in Training with high intensity leads to tasks.

In addition, there are well-documented benefits of creatine supplementation in young adults, increased strength, lean body mass, and delayed fatigue during strength training. All of this is critical for older adults who strive to maintain cognition, bone mineral density and overall health.

Research is sparse, but a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using creatine has been conducted in type 2 diabetes patients and published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The study showed that creatine supplementation improved glucose tolerance in healthy subjects.

When creatine was supplemented in diabetics who participated in a training program, the results improved blood sugar control. The underlying mechanism could increase the sarcolemma-specific GLUT-4 recruitment. More research is needed in diabetics, but the current literature is promising.

Another study looked at the potential for creatine or phosphocreatine supplementation in cerebrovascular and ischemic heart disease. The study shows the ability of high-dose creatine supplementation to the cerebral creatine content and that it may have the ability to protect against stroke in humans because not only the neuronal but also the endothelial creatine content is increased.

New findings also indicate that creatine supplementation with and without weight training has the potential mechanistic effect on bone biology.

A recent study published in Experimental Gerontology examines creatine supplementation before and after exercise and has similar effects on aging and bone mineral content. A meta-analysis performed by Forbes in 2018 illustrates Creatine supplementation did not lead to higher bone mineral density in strength training in older adults> 50 years.

Animal studies also suggested creatine supplementation to help treat Alzheimer's, epilepsy, and brain or spinal cord injuries. In addition, a study was conducted in which creatine supplementation after sleep deprivation with light training was examined for cognitive and psychomotor performance, mood and catecholamines. The study evaded creatine supplementation and reduced the negative effects such as mood, focus, impulse and emotional reactions who rely on the prefrontal cortex.

Creatine is safe and easy to use

As you learned, creatine offers many different benefits that go beyond the muscles. It is one of the cheapest and safest supplements on the market. It has been studied for over 200 years, and an abundance of literature supports safety, efficacy, and no reported adverse effects in healthy individuals, as indicated in the position status of the ISSN: creatine supplementation and exercise.

A good dose is initially to take only 3.0 to 5.0 grams of creatine monohydrate after training to aid recovery, muscle growth, and reducing fatigue. If you are a vegetarian or have no experience with creatine, you can start a loading phase by taking (0.3 g / kg / body weight / day)). For example, if you are a 60 kg woman = 18 g total for the day but divided into four doses for 5-7 days. This would mean one (4.5 g dose of creatine 4x / day) for 5-7 days.

Then on a maintenance phase of 5 g per day for 12 weeks. If you want to deal with different phases of the creatine cycle (short and long term), you can refer to the literature in the Creatine Position Stand paper to which I referred in this article.

For example, supplementing with (5 g / day) for 12 weeks during exercise to really increase intramuscular creatine stores and support the health and performance benefits described in this article. After training, dissolve the creatine in water or your protein carbohydrate drink for best results. Take a break from supplementation after 12-16 weeks.

A guide to ordering creatine

I strongly recommend Supplements that are Informed Choice Certified, meaning they are free of banned substances and ensure that the product has been tested for unsafe substances.

If you are a parent or coach of a young athlete and are considering creatine supplementation.

Note that limited research is available in this population that highlights the safety and effectiveness of creatine supplementation in young athletes under the age of 18. A review has been published that examines the limited studies in the youth population to determine the use of creatine in young athletes.

The review suggests that adolescent athletes using creatine tolerated supplementation well and reported no adverse events or incidents. From an ethical point of view, we don't have enough research to recommend creatine monohydrate to young athletes, but many use it despite the instructions of professionals. My advice as a sports dietitian is to provide the literature and suggestions to support the best interests of my athletes.

As a registered nutritionist and sports nutrition specialist First, I support whole foods and prioritize nutrition to optimize your health, wellness, physique and performance goals. Creatine is a great supplement that plays an important role in addition to excellent nutrition, adequate hydration, adequate sleep and adequate training. Creatine works best in combination with strength training. I hope that reading the science described in this article on creatine has given clarity.

Creatine can benefit everyone. So if you have a beating pulse, it means you. Train hard, eat well and stay healthy, my friends.

31 May
Blog

2020 Mini Cooper SE Review: It’s Electric

2020 Mini Cooper SE

2020 Mini Cooper SE review: it's electric

"The 2020 Mini Cooper SE offers electric car buyers an affordable alternative to the usual suspects."

  • Looks like a petrol mini

  • Lively acceleration

  • Nimble handling

  • Stylish interior

  • Low price

  • Lack of range

  • No Android car

  • Not the most practical

It doesn't happen often that you can choose between gasoline and electric for the same car, but that's the case with the 2020 Mini Cooper SE. This new model has the same retro design as a conventional Mini, but is now emission-free.

Most other automakers have abandoned electric versions of existing cars with internal combustion and opted for specially built models. Did Mini make the wrong call by launching the Cooper SE instead of a clean sheet design, and how is the electric Mini compared to its petrol siblings?

Let's start with the price. With basic Signature equipment starting at $ 30,750, the Cooper SE undercuts most other electric cars. Performance and performance are closest to the Mini Cooper S, which starts at $ 28,250. Cooper SE is, however, also entitled to the full $ 7,500 tax credit, reducing the effective price to $ 23,250. State and local incentives could lower the price even more depending on where you live.

2020 Mini Cooper SE electric car profileStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

Mini also offers the Signature Plus ($ 34,750) and Iconic ($ 37,750) trim levels. Our test car was the latter to add a head-up display, a larger infotainment screen, mobile phone charging and a parking assistant to the equipment list.

Design and interior

Inside and outside, the 2020 Mini Cooper SE is largely unchanged from the standard Mini from 2014. The only visual changes are a slightly higher ride height (to accommodate the floor-mounted battery), a closed grille for better aerodynamics and (in our test car ) yellow trim and electrics-specific wheels.

The electric drive train is only available in the basic version "2 Door Hardtop" so that you cannot get a convertible, or in the more spacious versions "4 Door Hardtop" or "Clubman". According to the Mini, the passenger compartment and the loading capacity are identical to the petrol 2-door hardtop, which means that you won't get much of it either.

Small touches like toggle switches give the interior a bit of character.

The mini of the current generation looks like an SUV compared to the original from 1959 and is a full nine inches longer than the first modern mini that was launched in 2001. However, this is still a small car. The rear seats are not really suitable for people and the trunk is tiny. However, the space in the front seats is decent and the tall windows give the cockpit an airy, open feel. As with other mini models, small details such as toggle switches give the interior a little character.

Like the Petrol Mini, the electric version is a great commuter car for singles in the city. A Chevrolet Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf goes better with everyone else.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The Cooper SE gets a fully digital dashboard that consists of a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen (iconic models get an 8.8-inch screen) and a digital instrument cluster that resembles the track gauges used in racing cars. Apple CarPlay and navigation are standard, but Mini doesn't offer Android Auto.

Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The screen had beautiful graphics and was easy to use thanks to an operating button and key combinations for important functions. However, placing the screen in a round case was a bit strange as it was a literal example of inserting a square pin into a round hole. The head-up display uses a physical plastic screen instead of projecting images onto the windshield. However, this can be expected in this price range. Information was easy to read even in direct sunlight.

The screen had beautiful graphics and was easy to use thanks to an operating button and key combinations.

As with the i3 of the parent BMW, the Mini uses a clip-in device instead of a conventional wireless charging pad, but this is too small for some phones. The only alternative is to put your phone in a cup holder, where it is tossed around like a change in a dryer. These include a forward collision warning, windshield wipers with rain sensors and automatic headlights. Parking distance control and parking assistant are optional.

The Cooper SE's low base price may explain the lack of standard features, but we're still surprised to see so few optional features. The Chevrolet Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf offer more driver assistance technology, although you have to pay extra for it.

Experience driving

In the driving experience, we expected the Mini to stand out, and it didn't disappoint. The small footprint of the car and the immediate torque of the electric motor make a good combination.

This electric motor sends 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Mini quotes zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 93 mph. The performance comes pretty close to a gasoline Mini Cooper S that delivers 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft. The petrol version reaches zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds and reaches 146 miles per hour according to the Mini. Keep in mind that the Cooper S is the middle child when it comes to performance. It sits between the Base Cooper and the sportier John Cooper Works petrol models.

Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

At 3,153 pounds, the Cooper SE weighs about 300 pounds more than a Cooper S petrol engine (thanks to its heavy battery). That makes a noticeable difference in handling, but the SE still feels pretty nimble, and the immediate response of its electric motor felt like a fair compromise. The ability to get away from traffic lights quickly and take advantage of traffic gaps is more relevant for daily driving than the slower reactions of the steering and chassis in curves, which result from the additional weight. This lively acceleration is just fun.

In the driving experience, we expected the Mini to stand out, and it didn't disappoint.

Compared to other electric cars, the Cooper SE is a bit more entertaining than the Nissan Leaf due to its smaller size on winding roads, but the Chevrolet Bolt EV is tougher competition. The Chevy weighs a little more than the Mini, but is also more powerful with 200 hp and 266 lb-ft. According to Chevy, the Bolt EV reaches a speed of 0 to 100 km / h in 6.5 seconds and feels almost as nimble in corners as the Mini.

Like most electric cars, the Mini uses aggressive regenerative braking to gain additional energy. This enables driving with a pedal, where the car slows down as soon as you lift the throttle. Electric car fans will appreciate the strong regeneration that increases efficiency. The Mini also included the “Green” and “Green +” driving modes to further increase efficiency, as well as a “Sport” mode for drivers with a lead foot.

Range, charging and security

The main reason why Mini can undercut other electric cars in price is because it uses a smaller battery. At 32.6 kilowatt hours (with a usable output of 28.9 kWh), the Cooper SE battery is about half the size of the Bolt EV. A smaller battery means less range. At 110 miles, the Cooper SE has one of the shortest ranges of all electric cars currently for sale. Most other mass market electric cars have a range of at least 200 miles, although again you have to pay more.

Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The Cooper SE is equipped with a 7.4-kilowatt on-board charger that, according to the Mini, enables a full charge from a 240-volt stage 2 AC source in four hours, although we have found that charging times are significantly longer when the The battery is not warmed up thoroughly first. Standard DC fast charging can be charged to 80% in 40 minutes, with a maximum output of 50 kW. Performance is pretty low, but that's not a big problem in the real world thanks to the car's small battery.

The Cooper SE has an overall efficiency of 108 MPGe, which is not very impressive. The Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric manage 118 MPGe and 120 MPGe with more interior and range.

Mini offers a four-year, 50,000-mile limited warranty and free scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000-mile owned. Mini has a mixed reputation for reliability, but the Cooper SE should at least require less regular maintenance because it is electric.

Petrol versions of the two-door Mini performed quite well in crash tests, but these results may not be transferable to the electric model. The lack of an engine and the bottom-mounted battery can cause Cooper SE to perform differently when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) begin testing.

2020 Mini Cooper SE electric car badge

How DT would configure this car

It may spoil the Mini's value proposition, but the best option for technology is Iconic's top trim level. This adds a head-up display, mobile phone charging, and a larger touchscreen. It also receives the improved Harman / Kardon audio system from the Signature Plus medium version.

Mini did not have a full online configurator for Cooper SE at the time of publication. However, when it comes to other mini models, the Cooper SE should also get numerous customization options. It will be interesting to see if the aftermarket takes the Cooper SE like petrol mini models.

Our opinion

The 2020 Mini Cooper SE doesn't look very impressive on paper. In fact, the Mini's lack of range and inability to comfortably carry more than two people seem to disadvantage other mass-market electric cars.

However, lack of practicality is also a problem with the two-door petrol mini, and the car sells pretty well. People don't buy a Mini for the loading capacity, but for its style and driving dynamics – which are transferred to the electric Cooper SE.

The range is also reasonable given the price of the Mini. Other cars may offer more range, but they also cost significantly more. The base Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric offer a range of 149 miles and 170 miles, respectively, at prices closer to the Mini, and offer more interior space. However, none of the cars have the personality of the Mini, and while all three small cars are suitable for commuting in the city, the Mini is the smallest.

As with previous gasoline minis, the Cooper SE offers something unique that may not be suitable for everyone. With so few choices for electric car buyers, that's a big deal.

Should you get one?

Yes, if you're a city rider looking for an affordable, nimble commuter.

Editor's recommendations




30 May
Blog

Moto 360 Smartwatch Review: A Classic, Reimagined

Moto 360 2020 smartwatch review front

Motorola Moto 360 2nd Gen. Men's 42mm smartwatch, black with black leather

“The Moto 360 exudes style and quality, ignores unnecessary software distractions and focuses on simplicity. It is better in every way. "

  • High quality workmanship and materials

  • Two straps in the box

  • Design and size fit many wrists

  • Solid performance (for WearOS)

  • WearOS still lags behind WatchOS

  • No way to take calls

This is the Moto 360 smartwatch … except that it is not made by Motorola and is not a continuation of the Moto 360 that took the smartwatch world by storm when it was introduced in 2015.

Instead, it is the result of a license agreement between Motorola and a company called eBuyNow that manufactures and sells the new Moto 360.

Although it is important to know, you shouldn't be too concerned with branding. This is a spiritual successor. If you've passed this smartwatch because of the cost, the company has made a very welcome change that will help you appreciate its charm.

design

When I attended the early launch of the Moto 360 in late 2019, the company introduced it as a luxury watch, emphasizing the 3mm thick stainless steel body, the diamond-like coating (DLC) of the black model, and the physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating of the rose gold Model as the reason for charging $ 350. Every watch nerd knows that DLC and PVD can often be found on high-end watches, and every smartwatch fan will also welcome a stainless steel case.

Moto 360 dialAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Aside from the fact that $ 350 was too much money in the crowded smartwatch market, even with these materials. Now, a few months later, the company seems to be agreeing. The price was lowered to $ 300. This makes it much more tempting.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I think the Moto 360 is a perfect design, material and style for smartwatches in everyday life. The DLC or PVD coatings make the stainless steel body more durable. The choice between rose gold, black or gray as well as the reasonable size of 42 mm and the weight of 52 grams fit every wrist. The round face, synonymous with the name 360, is flat and the bezel is not raised in any way, making swiping gestures always comfortable.

Moto 360 sideshiftAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

I also appreciate the small stylistic details. The top pusher is structured to facilitate turning and scrolling through the watch's menu system, while the Motorola "wing" symbol on the bracelet clasp is very classy. On the subject of bracelets, you get two in the box – a comfortable silicone bracelet and a leather strap in a contrasting color. The quick release pins mean that they also changed in a moment.

The Moto 360 doesn't make a bold statement on the wrist, except that it looks like a high quality, stylish watch. This is probably the best statement for a smartwatch. When you get the black model, it's as stealthy as you want it to be. I really like it.

Software and screen

There is no notorious flat tire screen here, as the 1.2-inch AMOLED display of the new Moto 360 is perfectly round. The resolution of 390 x 390 pixels ensures a lot of clarity and is bright enough to be seen outdoors in sunlight.

It may be a round screen, but there's a serious black bezel between the display and case, which affects the otherwise great design. I have no problem with the Moto 360's screen, which matches the look, color and brightness of other WearOS watches.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The watch uses Google's WearOS software and is installed here without additional apps. Most fashion brands offer fun extras or small improvements that fit brand messaging, and watch companies like Tag Heuer offer well-designed tools that appeal to brand loyalty. The Moto 360 appeals to those who like simplicity.

Simple is best when it comes to WearOS smartwatches. Adding dozens of features, apps, or related nonsense will only water down what works best on your wrist – notifications, fitness tracking, music controls, cards, and, if done correctly, even calls. Get it right along with the style and it's a potential winner. The lack of extras on the Moto 360 is an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

However, this does not mean that WearOS is a pleasure. Setup is still far too lengthy, and notification support depends on the phone you're using. Connected to a Galaxy S20 Ultra, it delivered annoying notifications several times, while with a little luck it delivered the bare essentials on the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro.

Performance is also not particularly good, especially if you find that trying to update the software or use GPS, third-party apps can be similarly cumbersome to collect data from. I also don't understand why the rotary valve is used to navigate menus because it doesn't work across the clock.

Google Fit is one of the best features in WearOS. A current visual update made Google Fit more modern and readable. Most activities are tracked, and daily goals can be customized based on your needs.

I like the Moto 360 dials because they have different complications, which means I can see my step count or heart points at a glance. It takes seconds to start a workout on the watch itself. As soon as you are finished, the data is clearly displayed in the Google Fit app on your phone. It's everything fitness tracking needs the most, and it also works well with the Moto 360's heart rate sensor.

Although WearOS is still lagging behind Apple's WatchOS, it's tolerable on the Moto 360. Unfortunately, there is still no way to take calls.

Battery, connectivity and performance

WearOS 'performance is not unique. The watch has a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage as well as a 355 mAh battery, which is also equipped with quick charge. It also has NFC for contactless payment, GPS and various sensors. It's identical to watches like the Fossil Gen 5 and fast enough that I was never frustrated to use them.

Moto 360 heart rate sensorAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

The battery lasts an entire working day and well into the evening, but that's all – when continuous heart rate measurement is active. You won't have a second day of it, but since it only takes an hour to recharge, this isn't too much of a problem.

It attaches magnetically to a proprietary charging base that came with the watch, which keeps it securely in place better than most similar systems. This is important as it will not come loose and will no longer be charged when tapped.

I used Moto 360 connected to Android phones and had no problem keeping the watch connected. While WearOS watches connect to iOS, some features don't work. These include the fact that iMessage notifications cannot be displayed, a less helpful Google Assistant and fewer options for interacting directly with notifications on your wrist. This is one of the reasons why we recommend iPhone owners to buy an Apple Watch instead of a Smartwatch with WearOS.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Moto 360 is now priced at $ 299 or £ 299. It is available directly from the Moto 360 online shop or from stores such as Amazon. It is covered by a one-year replacement warranty and a two-year hardware warranty if it should fail.

Our opinion

You will be proud to wear the Moto 360 on your wrist. It is stylish and well made, comes with a selection of straps and WearOS is manageable every day. No frills are required and instead focus on the essentials: good design, desirable materials, a decent ownership experience and a solid battery life.

Is there a better alternative?

The Moto 360 is a good buy if you want a WearOS smartwatch and is complemented by the excellent Fossil Gen 5 for $ 299. Your choice between the two depends on your personal preferences. They are both attractive watches with many functions.

We also recommend checking out the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 for $ 279, which Samsung's Tizen software uses if you have an Android phone and want a smartwatch. Both have strong performance and are a bit easier to use in the case of the Watch Active 2 and have excellent fitness tracking features.

If you have an iPhone, we recommend purchasing an Apple Watch Series 5 for $ 399. Not only do you get better software and great fitness tracking, you get great hardware, a haptic engine that's the best in the business, and access to a huge range of straps and accessories.

How long it will take?

The Moto 360 is made of stainless steel and is available with either a DLC or PVD coating, a plastic floor and Gorilla Glass 3 above the screen and a water resistance of 30 meters. It should be relatively hard-wearing if it is treated well. WearOS receives small, sporadic updates, but has not received a major update for some time. The weakest link here is the battery, but even under heavy use it should be fine for at least two years.

Should you buy one?

Yes. Now that the price has dropped to $ 299, the Moto 360 offers much better value than before.

Editor's recommendations




30 May
Blog

2020 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium Review: Return of the King

2020 Toyota Supra Review

2020 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium

"Toyota's reborn flagship sports car was worth it."

  • Punchy acceleration

  • BMW infotainment system

  • Excellent cabin ergonomics

  • Overall refinement

Toyota is known for the everyday life of Camry and RAV4 and does not have many nameplates that cause excitement. That is why the return of the Supra is such a big deal. For Toyota, the Supra is what the Ford Mustang is, a legendary performance car with a passionate fan base. Like the Mustang, the Supra became a movie star thanks to the Fast & Furious franchise.

In contrast to previous Supra, the fifth generation 2020 model was developed with external help. It may have a Toyota badge on the hood, but there's actually a BMW Z4 under the 2020 Supra. The two cars were developed together, which gave Toyota a new Supra at a fraction of the cost of self-development. It also means that you can find German DNA on practically every inch of this supposedly Japanese sports car.

A similar strategy spawned the Toyota 86, which partners with the Subaru BRZ. We liked the 86, so can Toyota use the same magic with another partner? To find out, we spent a week with a Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium 2020 ("GR" stands for "Gazoo Racing", the Toyota division responsible for fine-tuning the car).

2020 Toyota Supra rear three quartersStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The Supra has a base price of $ 50,920, but the premium model offers features like Apple CarPlay wireless, an improved audio system, and a larger touchscreen. Together with an optional driver assistance package, the price of our test car rose to $ 56,615.

Design and interior

Inside and outside, this car is like no previous Supra. Instead of being based on previous models, the exterior design of the 2020 Supra is based on the 2014 Toyota FT-1 concept. The implementation of concept cars in production vehicles is always difficult, since concepts are generally not designed for crash tests or the ergonomics of the interior . While a significant amount of the FT-1 made it to Supra production, some compromises were made. The frontend in particular looks a bit bloated compared to the FT-1, which is probably a concession to the European safety standards for pedestrians.

Apart from the Toyota logo on the steering wheel, the interior is only BMW. The gear lever and the rotating infotainment controller come directly from the German automaker's catalog, and the touchscreen is located on the top of the dashboard and is not embedded in it like any other Toyota. The BMW DNA of the car is also shown in small details. To open the hood, you have to pull the lever twice and press a button on the gear lever to make it work. Even the doorbells have the same clear BMW sound.

The Supra has one of the best driving positions of all current sports cars.

It is not a bad thing. BMW knows a lot about the great interior, and the Supra is no exception. It has one of the best driving positions of all current sports cars. It is easy to feel comfortable, the low dashboard offers an excellent view outwards and all controls are easily accessible from the driver's seat.

However, if you expect luxury, let yourself be disappointed. This may be a BMW interior, but it's an entry-level version, especially compared to the Supra's BMW Z4 sibling.

The 2020 Supra is only available as a two-door, two-seat coupé. In contrast to the "Fast and Furious" -era Supra, there is no removable roof panel. The interior roughly corresponds to that of the convertible Z4 only, although the BMW offers a little more headroom. However, the Toyota offers 10.2 cubic feet of cargo space for the 9.9 of the Z4. The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Porsche 718 Cayman have 12.6 cubic feet and 14.9 cubic feet of space, though divided between the front and rear trunks.

2020 Toyota Supra interior

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The Supra has the same iDrive infotainment system as current BMW models with identical graphics, menu arrangement and control dial. The standard touchscreen is 6.5 inches in size, and an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster is also standard. Premium models receive an 8.8-inch touchscreen as well as a head-up display and charging the mobile phone.

Since the Supra uses a BMW infotainment system, it receives wireless Apple CarPlay – the only Toyota model with this function. However, base models do not get CarPlay at all and Android Auto is not available. BMW plans to add wireless Android car to 2021 models, but it's unclear whether the Supra will get it too.

The infotainment experience shows that it is no shame to borrow from the best.

As with the entire interior design, the infotainment experience shows that there is no shame in borrowing from the best. The iDrive system worked just as well in the Supra as in other BMW models, with intuitive menus and a control dial that was much easier to use than the cumbersome touchpad from the Lexus luxury department at Toyota. The only blemishes were a screen that washed out in direct sunlight and an audio system that sounded more impressive on paper than it did in real life. (Premium models receive a JBL system with 12 speakers and 500 watts.)

The driver's standard aids include autonomous emergency braking, a forward collision warning, a lane departure warning with steering assistant and an automatic high beam. The optional driver assistance package offers adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, a rear traffic alarm and parking sensors.

2020 Toyota Supra infotainment controller

Experience driving

Open the hood of the Toyota Supra 2020 and the logic of the BMW partnership becomes clear. The German automaker knows how to build a great driver car, yes, but more importantly, BMW was able to equip Toyota with an inline six-cylinder engine. An inline six was the calling card of the last Supra, but Toyota no longer has one in its lineup. Instead of spending the money to develop a new engine on just one model, Toyota borrowed BMWs.

2020 Toyota Supra logoStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The 3.0-liter turbo engine is shared with the Z4 and numerous other BMW models, as is the eight-speed automatic transmission (if you want a manual transmission, get an 86). Our 2020 test car made 335 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, but 2021 models get a boost to 382 horsepower and 368 pounds per foot. Toyota will add a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine to the range for 2021. All Supra models are equipped with rear-wheel drive to ensure the best possible handling.

Toyota says the 2020 Supra 3.0 can go from zero to 60 miles an hour in 4.1 seconds. That's about as fast as a Porsche 718 Cayman S (the basic Cayman is 0.1 seconds slower, but 0.1 seconds faster with the optional Sport Chrono Package). According to a Motor Week test, it's also 1.0 seconds faster than a 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo, if you're wondering how the modern Supra compares to its movie star predecessor. According to estimates by both manufacturers, the more powerful 2021 Supra 3.0 reaches zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and thus corresponds to the six-cylinder BMW Z4.

What differentiates the Supra from other sports cars is its maturity.

The Supra felt quick, but that wasn't the biggest impression. What differentiates the Supra from other sports cars is its maturity. It was comfortable and quiet enough for a long road trip and agile enough to make the back roads fun. The Supra offers a better balance between comfort and sportiness than its Z4 sibling, which feels more like a traditional luxury car than a real sports car.

Toyota has also achieved this with its own tuning. While some other automakers offer a confusing set of driving modes and expect customers to find out what works best, Toyota stuck with just two modes: normal and sport.

2020 Toyota Supra engineStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

While the engineers nailed down some details, they missed others. Toyota could have spent a little more time tweaking the steering, which has the same feedback as a worn arcade game. While the Supra is admirably refined, this also makes for a less appealing driving experience. The car only really comes to life when you reach extra-legal speeds. The Supra was also not designed to drive with the windows down, a compromise that would likely result in higher aerodynamic efficiency. Lower the windows at more than the speed of the parking lot and the buffeting noises become unbearable.

Fuel consumption and security

The 2020 Supra has a total output of 26 mpg (24 mpg city, 31 mpg highway), which is identical to the Toyota BMW Z4 sibling and slightly better than a Porsche Cayman S. Over a week's drive, we have an average of 24 mpg in the car's on-board computer.

Since the Supra is a new vehicle, crash test assessments from the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are not yet available, and predicting future reliability is difficult. However, expect the Supra to resemble a BMW rather than a Toyota in this area, as all of the main components come from the German company. This means that reliability may not be in line with Toyota's reputation.

Toyota offers a three-year comprehensive warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year warranty of 60,000 miles for the powertrain, which are average for a new car.

How DT would configure this car

Toyota keeps things simple with just two trim levels: Base and Premium. You want to choose the latter if you want the most technology. The premium model comes standard with a larger 8.8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and a head-up display. On the driver's side, the optional driver assistance package, which offers adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic warning and parking sensors for $ 1,195, is required to use all functions.

Earlier generations of the Supra have been well served by the aftermarket, and we assume that this will be the case with the new model. Parts may take some time to launch, but numerous upgrades should be available in due course. Papadakis Racing has already brought the BMW engine of the Supra to 1,000 hp, which shows that the engine has great tuning potential.

Our opinion

The wait for the Toyota Supra 2020 was worth it. It is a well-designed sports car that combines driving pleasure with everyday usability and sophistication. Some fans may not like Toyota's use of a BMW platform, but they probably haven't driven the new Supra. From the infotainment system to the engine, the BMW bits make this car so good.

However, this goodness comes at a price. The base price of the Supra of $ 50,920 undercuts the Porsche Cayman and the Chevy Corvette. However, if you activate the check boxes for optional technical functions, this gap is largely closed. The Corvette starts at $ 59,995 – just $ 3,380 more than our test car – and offers a different level of performance. If you're not connected to the idea of ​​a two-seater, you can also have a pretty Ford Mustang for the same price as a basic Supra.

For much less money than the Supra, two sports cars – the Nissan 370Z and the Toyota 86 – offer more personality. With available gearboxes and more visceral driving experiences, they leave the Supra out in sensations. However, no one can keep up with the Supra in terms of performance or technology, and the Supra is the only one of the three we'd like to take on a road trip.

Should you get one?

Yes. The Supra is a great sports car that you can drive every day.

Editor's recommendations




30 May
Blog

Can You Deal With Eustress?

When we think of stress, we are used to focusing on the harmful types of stress. In our daily life we ​​have to deal with a lot of work stress, such as B. Deadlines, low cash flow, high sales rates and type A bosses. Then don't forget the rush hour home. How could someone drive so stupid?

Unlike baseball, you are not safe at home. You then have to deal with family and marital problems, not to mention crab grass. While the mostly younger athletes may not have to face these stress factors, they have many of their own. Your list could include:

We all know that training puts a strain on athletes' bodies and minds. Workouts destroy the body and also use up nervous energy.

We then tend to call such stress bad for us. But is everything bad? Those lifters with a little training experience know that proper rest and nutrition after such training sessions will soon produce a healthier organism.

Therefore, negative stress, also called hardship, can also be useful for us under the right circumstances.

Is there such a thing as good stress?

After our English majors mentioned the concept of stress relief, they may wonder if there is something like eustress (noun: moderate or normal psychological stress that is interpreted as beneficial for the experiencer) or good stress. Well, there certainly is. This type of stress may or may not be stressful, but the topic welcomes it.

Examples could be:

  • Graduation
  • Find a new partner
  • Get a promotion
  • Buy your first house
  • And my favorite who wins the lottery.

We would all like to deal with such stress (especially the last one). All of this could help eliminate the hardships in our lives, right?

These things will undoubtedly remove some stress. However, the universe has some surprises for us here. If we think deeply about what could happen in our lives if we could experience one of the above events, we may find that it is not just unalloyed bliss. You can quickly transform yourself into more stress.

Graduating from high school can mean moving from home to a much more demanding college. This charming new girlfriend hates weight lifting and wants you to stop. This new job just means that you are only more under the gun.

Just as bad stress can be useful to us, good stress can be bad for us. The key is that eustress can have unexpectedly negative effects that transform the subject's perception of the eustress into something like distress.

Based on these perceptions, different athletes then react in different ways to identical stress factors. How could that happen?

For example, let's look at two lifters, A and B, both of whom train to form the national team. Great. One day, in qualifying, all these years of effort and self-denial are rewarded with PR sums and victories. Both make up the national team.

Both imagine for years how great life will be once they have reached this coveted elite level.

Now they no longer only dream of training on the continents, the worlds or the Olympic Games. You are probably picks now. Surely the stress of having to qualify for the team will decrease and you can commit to serious training?

look again

If you imagine that, you may be surprised. The national coach now expects both A and B to train six days a week, sometimes twice a day.

And all with heavier weights. It seems more difficult than ever to form this Olympic team. In short, expectations and uncertainties are increasing, especially for Lifter B.

How lifters A and B deal with them can be very different. However, your stressors appear to be identical. Lifter A could do things quickly and take on the challenges of advancement in the world of weightlifting.

With the new status of A, the training continues with even more enthusiasm. Bring the Chinese with you! He can't wait to try this new program. A finds all of this very stimulating.

Not so stimulating with the more careful Lifter B. It is a pleasure to make the national team safe. Long-term goals have been achieved, but new goals need to be set now.

It was difficult to qualify for the team. Now it will be even more difficult to stay there. The three year younger Lifter C breathes down his neck. What if they bomb the Pan-Ams? What if they get hurt?

B has some new pressures to consider as soon as the team selection euphoria wears off. Two similar lifters, but perceived by each very different pressures. Every trainer who is assigned to this team must be aware of this if these lifters are to be treated successfully.

Mental and emotional stress

As athletes, we are all now aware that this mental and emotional stress is not only weak in these more abstract areas, but also physically debilitating. Not everyone is.

I remember when I was a student I had labor-intensive jobs in the summer, all day in the hot summer with lifting, shoveling, raking and so on. After work, I took some time for the barbell, then went to bed and was ready for more the next day. (Where did I find all this energy back then?)

In September I would go back to school and abruptly shift my efforts to teaching, studying, exams, homework, etc. to the intellectuals. I remember some people who thought I was happy to be able to go back to the less strenuous task of school work. If only they knew. In the short term, I would be stressed in the medium term, but in a completely different way than with physical work.

In my summer job I was able to mentally escape at five o'clock and be ready the next morning. Not so on campus because the academic treadmill starts quickly and only gets faster in the course of the semester. Not only that, but I also competed against many others.

The pressure never stopped until it was time to go back to my summer job. In such a regime, my time in the gym felt more like relaxation. I learned from all of this how important cycling is, not only in my training but also in my studies.

I was brought up to believe that the path to academic success was to study regularly seven days a week, not to take breaks, and to avoid all extracurricular activities.

Breaks meant you were lazy. (You read about Japanese students who commit suicide when they can't handle the pressure to perform). If you only got a B during the breaks, the latter was undoubtedly the reason why you were neglected.

Other more short-lived reasons may have existed but were not taken seriously. The effects of stress were not considered. It was not clear to me that, like weight lifting, there is a law to reduce returns that also applies to study inputs. And just as confusing is it difficult to determine where the turning point was.

Stress related to athletes

A lot has been written about stress related to athletes. In recent decades, much of it has adapted from general psychological research. We all know the inverted U graph. I'm not going to describe it in detail here because it's available everywhere, including here at Breaking Muscle.

Taking it with you is that there is a sweet spot between too little and too much stress. The trick is to find this sweet spot, especially for the finely tuned elite athletes. Too much stress leads to stress, we all know that.

When training or learning at the beginner level, it is easy to avoid stress or burnout. The system has a lot of scope. But there is no slack at the elite level.

This has been compared to walking over gently rounded hills where it is easy to stay on their crest. Not much will happen if the hiker swings over one side or the other of the ridge. But when our hiker climbs the mountain. Everest, they have to cling to the thin edge of the Col to avoid disaster.

Trainers, parents and athletes often do not appreciate the stress that is hidden in welcoming events. Sure, they will understand the unwanted burdens. However, good stressors are not understood either.

Lifter B can inform the family that they have finally qualified for the Olympic exams. The non-athletic parents will now think that their child could relax a little now. The pressure is over. Well, no.

Now Lifter B has to worry about how they will assert themselves against others, just as qualified as they who want to go to Tokyo. In the end, they don't understand the later behavior of someone they think should be less stressed out now.

Trainers with whom an athlete has never reached a high level should be particularly alerted to this confusing situation.

Dealing with stress

There are three main concepts that athletes and coaches need to consider in relation to stress.

These are:

  1. When dealing with physical stress factors, athletes must understand how they influence them mentally and emotionally and vice versa, how the latter affect them physically.
  2. Athletes, coaches and other interested parties have to pay as much respect to eustressors as di-stressors.
  3. The stresses that athletes have to deal with are real enough, but some arise in their head and are perceived more than they are experienced. How your mind relates to the stressors will significantly affect the intensity of the stress experience.

Now it's time to relieve stress and go back to the gym (if possible nowadays).

30 May
Blog

Can You Deal With Eustress?

When we think of stress, we are used to focusing on the harmful types of stress. In our daily life we ​​have to deal with a lot of work stress, such as B. Deadlines, low cash flow, high sales rates and type A bosses. Then don't forget the rush hour home. How could someone drive so stupid?

Unlike baseball, you are not safe at home. You then have to deal with family and marital problems, not to mention crab grass. While the mostly younger athletes may not have to face these stress factors, they have many of their own. Your list could include:

We all know that training puts a strain on athletes' bodies and minds. Workouts destroy the body and also use up nervous energy.

We then tend to call such stress bad for us. But is everything bad? Those lifters with a little training experience know that proper rest and nutrition after such training sessions will soon produce a healthier organism.

Therefore, negative stress, also called hardship, can also be useful for us under the right circumstances.

Is there such a thing as good stress?

After our English majors mentioned the concept of stress relief, they may wonder if there is something like eustress (noun: moderate or normal psychological stress that is interpreted as beneficial for the experiencer) or good stress. Well, there certainly is. This type of stress may or may not be stressful, but the topic welcomes it.

Examples could be:

  • Graduation
  • Find a new partner
  • Get a promotion
  • Buy your first house
  • And my favorite who wins the lottery.

We would all like to deal with such stress (especially the last one). All of this could help eliminate the hardships in our lives, right?

These things will undoubtedly remove some stress. However, the universe has some surprises for us here. If we think deeply about what could happen in our lives if we could experience one of the above events, we may find that it is not just unalloyed bliss. You can quickly transform yourself into more stress.

Graduating from high school can mean moving from home to a much more demanding college. This charming new girlfriend hates weight lifting and wants you to stop. This new job just means that you are only more under the gun.

Just as bad stress can be useful to us, good stress can be bad for us. The key is that eustress can have unexpectedly negative effects that transform the subject's perception of the eustress into something like distress.

Based on these perceptions, different athletes then react in different ways to identical stress factors. How could that happen?

For example, let's look at two lifters, A and B, both of whom train to form the national team. Great. One day, in qualifying, all these years of effort and self-denial are rewarded with PR sums and victories. Both make up the national team.

Both imagine for years how great life will be once they have reached this coveted elite level.

Now they no longer only dream of training on the continents, the worlds or the Olympic Games. You are probably picks now. Surely the stress of having to qualify for the team will decrease and you can commit to serious training?

look again

If you imagine that, you may be surprised. The national coach now expects both A and B to train six days a week, sometimes twice a day.

And all with heavier weights. It seems more difficult than ever to form this Olympic team. In short, expectations and uncertainties are increasing, especially for Lifter B.

How lifters A and B deal with them can be very different. However, your stressors appear to be identical. Lifter A could do things quickly and take on the challenges of advancement in the world of weightlifting.

With the new status of A, the training continues with even more enthusiasm. Bring the Chinese with you! He can't wait to try this new program. A finds all of this very stimulating.

Not so stimulating with the more careful Lifter B. It is a pleasure to make the national team safe. Long-term goals have been achieved, but new goals need to be set now.

It was difficult to qualify for the team. Now it will be even more difficult to stay there. The three year younger Lifter C breathes down his neck. What if they bomb the Pan-Ams? What if they get hurt?

B has some new pressures to consider as soon as the team selection euphoria wears off. Two similar lifters, but perceived by each very different pressures. Every trainer who is assigned to this team must be aware of this if these lifters are to be treated successfully.

Mental and emotional stress

As athletes, we are all now aware that this mental and emotional stress is not only weak in these more abstract areas, but also physically debilitating. Not everyone is.

I remember when I was a student I had labor-intensive jobs in the summer, all day in the hot summer with lifting, shoveling, raking and so on. After work, I took some time for the barbell, then went to bed and was ready for more the next day. (Where did I find all this energy back then?)

In September I would go back to school and abruptly shift my efforts to teaching, studying, exams, homework, etc. to the intellectuals. I remember some people who thought I was happy to be able to go back to the less strenuous task of school work. If only they knew. In the short term, I would be stressed in the medium term, but in a completely different way than with physical work.

In my summer job I was able to mentally escape at five o'clock and be ready the next morning. Not so on campus because the academic treadmill starts quickly and only gets faster in the course of the semester. Not only that, but I also competed against many others.

The pressure never stopped until it was time to go back to my summer job. In such a regime, my time in the gym felt more like relaxation. I learned from all of this how important cycling is, not only in my training but also in my studies.

I was brought up to believe that the path to academic success was to study regularly seven days a week, not to take breaks, and to avoid all extracurricular activities.

Breaks meant you were lazy. (You read about Japanese students who commit suicide when they can't handle the pressure to perform). If you only got a B during the breaks, the latter was undoubtedly the reason why you were neglected.

Other more short-lived reasons may have existed but were not taken seriously. The effects of stress were not considered. It was not clear to me that, like weight lifting, there is a law to reduce returns that also applies to study inputs. And just as confusing is it difficult to determine where the turning point was.

Stress related to athletes

A lot has been written about stress related to athletes. In recent decades, much of it has adapted from general psychological research. We all know the inverted U graph. I'm not going to describe it in detail here because it's available everywhere, including here at Breaking Muscle.

Taking it with you is that there is a sweet spot between too little and too much stress. The trick is to find this sweet spot, especially for the finely tuned elite athletes. Too much stress leads to stress, we all know that.

When training or learning at the beginner level, it is easy to avoid stress or burnout. The system has a lot of scope. But there is no slack at the elite level.

This has been compared to walking over gently rounded hills where it is easy to stay on their crest. Not much will happen if the hiker swings over one side or the other of the ridge. But when our hiker climbs the mountain. Everest, they have to cling to the thin edge of the Col to avoid disaster.

Trainers, parents and athletes often do not appreciate the stress that is hidden in welcoming events. Sure, they will understand the unwanted burdens. However, good stressors are not understood either.

Lifter B can inform the family that they have finally qualified for the Olympic exams. The non-athletic parents will now think that their child could relax a little now. The pressure is over. Well, no.

Now Lifter B has to worry about how they will assert themselves against others, just as qualified as they who want to go to Tokyo. In the end, they don't understand the later behavior of someone they think should be less stressed out now.

Trainers with whom an athlete has never reached a high level should be particularly alerted to this confusing situation.

Dealing with stress

There are three main concepts that athletes and coaches need to consider in relation to stress.

These are:

  1. When dealing with physical stress factors, athletes must understand how they influence them mentally and emotionally and vice versa, how the latter affect them physically.
  2. Athletes, coaches and other interested parties have to pay as much respect to eustressors as di-stressors.
  3. The stresses that athletes have to deal with are real enough, but some arise in their head and are perceived more than they are experienced. How your mind relates to the stressors will significantly affect the intensity of the stress experience.

Now it's time to relieve stress and go back to the gym (if possible nowadays).

29 May
Blog

Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro Review: Multi-Cam Magic

blackmagic design breath mini pro review hands on dm 10

Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro

"The ATEM Mini Pro is your ticket to professional zoom meetings and a great tool for streamers on all platforms."

  • Very easy to set up

  • Incredibly powerful

  • No driver is required for most functions

  • Low latency HDMI output for gaming

Stop yawning! An HDMI switcher may not sound exciting, but this year the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro is the most fun for me with a technical product. Developed by a company that manufactures expensive, rack mount devices for broadcasters, this is an affordable multi-camera streaming solution for the rest of us. Finally, you can live out your fantasy of being an evening news director (well, maybe that's just me).

In fact, the ATEM Mini Pro (and a cheaper non-pro variant) has a more realistic goal that focuses on the rise of video conferencing from home: converting a real camera into a webcam. A computer's built-in webcam is mediocre at best, and even standalone USB webcams have limitations. With the ATEM Mini you can connect any camera that has a clean HDMI output (ie without UI overlays), including many mirrorless cameras and DSLRs.

The price for this category is excellent at $ 595 for the Pro and $ 295 for the Standard model. Many people have been interested in the ATEM Mini line again due to limitations in social distancing due to COVID-19, so both the standard and pro versions are reordered from large retailers. Blackmagic Design told me it was "to build as soon as possible", but it has proven difficult to keep up with demand.

To put it plainly, this product is more than exaggerated if you only want to use a single camera as a webcam. However, if you need to conduct more complex video conferences or YouTube livestreams or just want to specify as an additional participant in the zoom call, the ATEM Mini is a game changer.

Plug and play

One thing I've always appreciated about Blackmagic design products like the Pocket Cinema Camera series is that their advanced features don't clog up the elegant user interface.

The same philosophy is intact in the ATEM Mini Pro. In combination with the control software – the same program with which the professional ATEM switch is operated for $ 10,000 – the available fine tuning is almost unlimited. You can add custom graphics, program macros, control Blackmagic cameras, and more. It is stunning for the uninitiated.

Or you can ignore all of this.

In a world that is increasingly moving towards software interfaces, the ATEM Mini (refreshing!) Is a bit old-fashioned because it handles so much at the hardware level. No driver needs to be installed even with four HDMI sources. Simply connect the ATEM Mini to your computer via USB and it will appear as a selectable webcam in Zoom, FaceTime or other video conferencing and streaming apps. It is the definition of plug and play.

Blackmagic Design provided a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K to test for this test. I used it with a 12-40mm f / 2.8 Olympus lens (courtesy of Lensrentals) as an A-camera to get an adjustable field of view that was more than wide enough for my close-up video conferencing. I filled in the remaining HDMI inputs with my personal mirrorless Fujifilm X-T2 camera, a Nikon D780 DSLR and my Xbox One X.

Video newbies pay attention: all of these sources were originally set to different resolutions and frame rates, and that's … perfectly fine! The ATEM Mini instantly converts various signals into a single, uniform output. It only works as long as your source is not using copy protection.

Using the ATEM Mini Pro

With four numbered buttons, you can switch between inputs on your computer without stopping in the video feed. As far as is known, only a single camera is connected. Optionally, you can choose from a selection of built-in transitions to play when you switch inputs, including crossfades, dips, and deletes. There are even buttons that let you change the duration of these transitions from half a second to 2 seconds.

Picture-in-Picture (PIP) is integrated at the hardware level. This is ideal for presenters who want to stay on the screen while looking at a second angle. Video game streamers are an obvious target here.

There's also a dizzying array of audio controls that can be a little daunting for anyone who's never run a broadcast studio before. With two 3.5 mm jacks, you can not only use audio from one or all HDMI inputs, but also connect external microphones. You can switch each audio input individually and adjust it for each individual level. You can also select AFV (audio follows video) at each input to automatically use the audio from this source when switching.

That sounds complicated, but there is a separate button for everything. Once you know the different abbreviations, it's easy. You don't have to dive through menus and don't have to remember keyboard shortcuts. The buttons are backlit with different colors. White indicates what has been selected, green indicates what is shown in the preview, and red indicates what is active. So you get a lot of information at a glance.

Do you have an external monitor? This is where the real fun begins. When you connect it to the ATEM Mini Pro's HDMI output, you get a streaming command center with a multiple view of all inputs and volume levels on the screen for each audio source. You can make each entry in full screen mode separately from your live program stream, even if it is not the active entry. Players can use picture-in-picture to overlap in their stream while still playing with a distraction-free view (however, this limits the game to a resolution of 1080p).

Again, all of this is possible without installing a driver. However, some customers should definitely install the software, especially gamers. In addition to the other features that are unlocked, this is the only way to turn on 60fps output. The ATEM Mini is set to 30 fps by default.

ATEM Mini Pro against ATEM Mini

The ATEM Mini Pro is the newer of the two and essentially an ATEM Mini with additional functions. There is no difference in video or audio quality – both support up to 1080p / 60 fps and 10-bit video – but the additional $ 300 detaches the pro toggle from a computer and provides direct hard drive and recording Live streaming via Ethernet to YouTube, Facebook and twitching. It also offers the multiview monitor output mentioned above, which the non-pro model lacks.

Most people will be fine with the ATEM Mini and shouldn't be spending the extra money on the Pro version. Even without directly recording the Pro on the hard drive, you can record your stream on your computer using software from the standard ATEM Mini.

The Pro is still a bargain for what it offers, and if you have the money to burn (after all, it's probably a tax write-off, after all) you might want to access it if you think you are ever in a streaming or situation Record without being connected to a computer. Multiview monitoring is just cool too.

Who can really use it?

With some companies saying that they are now going to let employees work from home indefinitely, many new customers are looking for something like the ATEM Mini. This is the crème de la crème that you can use to turn your camera into a webcam. It's overkill for people who just want to look better with zoom, but zoom hosts who work in an office environment could definitely use the multiple camera and microphone inputs to improve the quality of hybrid remote / local meetings (as soon as social Distance is loosened anyway).

For YouTubers, the ATEM Mini can instantly improve the value of live stream production so you can create professional, broadcast-style streams that go far beyond the basics. During an interview, for example, you can switch between a wide-angle shot and close-up pictures of the host and the guest. Live tutorials, from cooking to photography to make-up, can benefit from different perspectives.

It takes the processing out of the processing.

Since any HDMI device can be a source, I could imagine remote work software developers using it. Mobile app developers can connect a smartphone or tablet and stream the direct experience of using their app on a particular device, while web developers can do the same for websites.

With a document camera – or any camera and a copy stand – even printed materials or other physical media can be transmitted live. This could be important for teachers and artists.

Even for developers who are not interested in live streaming, the ATEM Mini can be a worthwhile investment. Every time you shoot with multiple cameras, you can do live cuts instead of having to load footage from each camera onto a computer and go through the tedious process of cutting in the mail. It takes the processing out of the processing. Makeup artists, chefs and car repair gurus could take advantage of multi-cam productions without having to learn how to be a professional video editor.

The only limitation is again the maximum output resolution of 1080p. This limit applies to both live streaming and hard disk recording. If you have a 4K camera, you just have to live without those extra pixels. I personally don't think this is a problem for YouTube or streaming, where most viewers watch on small phone screens and video quality is limited to compression. Still, 4K is one thing to give up if you want to use the ATEM Mini to cut live instead of editing a video with multiple cameras in the post.

For me, the ATEM Mini saves me time and money. Before social distancing, I drove to the Digital Trends office every second Monday to see my appearance at Digital Trends Live. I did a two hour tour for a 10 minute section. It sounds ridiculous, but it was worth it because the studio's professional cameras and close-ups made it much easier to present the new product that I had in hand.

Now I can do it all from home. Sure, it might not be necessary – a single angle, maybe even sticking to my webcam, would probably be enough. But that would hardly be so cool.

Editor's recommendations




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