05 Mar
Blog

Wyze Lock Review: The Most Fuss-free Lock on the Market

Wyze Smart Home lock on a door

"If you're looking for an affordable smart lock that just works, this is the one for you."

  • Inexpensive

  • Intuitive app

  • Easy to install

  • Easy to use

  • You cannot restrict access to digital keys

  • The app is a bit slow

With Wyze Lock ($ 90), unlike other smart locks, you can keep your keys and bolts. It is essentially screwed onto what you already need to provide your bolt smart lock functions in just a few minutes. People who like the idea of ​​an intelligent lock but don't like the idea of ​​learning complicated apps will really enjoy this lock. It is easy to install and use.

Installation is a breeze

Setting up the Wyze Lock is a breeze. With the Wyze app you will be guided through every tiny step, so the installation itself is very easy for me and I have absolutely no knowledge of tools. Basically, you remove the back plate of your bolt, fasten the Wyze installation plate by screwing in two screws, then put on the Wyze lock and tighten two more screws, similar to the August Smart Lock (3rd generation).

It takes about 15 minutes and all you need is a screwdriver.

From there, the lock just needs to be calibrated (the app does most of the work) and you're done. It takes about 15 minutes and all you need is a screwdriver.

The app is pretty awesome too

Sure it's easy to install, but how easy is it to use? I was pleasantly surprised that using the app to lock and unlock your door is as easy as tapping an icon. The app records these commands and displays them just below the icon so you know who did what to your lock. You will also find out whether your door has been left open. This is especially helpful if you have children who don't seem to know what a doorknob is for.

Install the Wyze Lock

However, the castle itself doesn't do all this magic for itself. The Wyze Gateway comes with a lock that you can use to connect to your WLAN. Don't worry that you need to install this device. The gateway is just a small, round sensor that plugs into a wall outlet near your door. However, if the power fails, you can use the Wyze Lock with a Bluetooth connection.

In Settings, you can unlock and unlock features for family members, friends, or roommates by sending them an email. The email describes how the person can set up access to their virtual key.

You can also set up a schedule that automatically locks the door when it has been closed for a certain number of minutes. Since I usually forget to lock my front door, I like that the Wyze Castle has my back. I usually have my hands full with groceries, dog leads or packages when I get home, so the automatic unlock function is good too. The app uses the location of your phone to inform the lock about your home. It will be unlocked when you go to the door.

I like that Wyze Lock has my back.

The only thing I don't really like about the Wyze app is that every time you change a setting, it displays a loading screen that displays for about 30 seconds. It gets on my nerves, especially when I'm in a hurry.

What the Wyze Lock doesn't do

The Wyze Lock is for people who want a simple lock. It should not be combined with extended locks. For example, it doesn't have a keyboard like the Nest X Yale (although you can add this feature by installing the Wyze Lock keyboard), it can't be unlocked with your fingerprint like the Kwikset's Halo Touch, and it's not allowed Set virtual keys. With August, for example, you can determine how long someone has access to your lock. So, for example, if you want to give a friend access to your home to water your plants while on vacation, you can limit the lock's operating time to just one week.

Wyze Lock not on the door yet

It is also not compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant at this time, although Wyze Labs says the feature will be available this year. This means that, unlike almost all of the main competitors, there is no way to control the lock with voice commands.

Our opinion

With a price tag of $ 90, the Wyze Castle is the affordable choice. It is also the best choice for those who want basic smart lock functions without additional functions. The app is also a breeze, even if it's a little slow.

Although I'm not sure about the simplicity of this lock, there was an important function that I needed for the Wyze lock, but it was left out. You really need to be able to restrict access to virtual keys. You can manually delete someone else's key at any time. However, if you forget, this can lead to a problem that could easily have been prevented.

Are there any better alternatives?

Yes. The August Smart Lock (3rd generation) is almost the same lock, but with a few more functions. Although the original price for the August Castle was $ 150, you can now purchase it for around $ 93. The only downside in August is that a separate Wi-Fi bridge is required for remote access and third-party integration. If you buy the bridge, the price will increase by around $ 60. The Wyze Lock comes with everything it needs, making it much cheaper.

Will it take?

I have to admit, I wonder. The main part of the lock is only attached to the mounting plate with two tiny screws. A good blow or a toddler hanging on it can pull the Wyze lock straight from the door. There is a one-year limited warranty, but only for defective parts.

Should you buy it

If you're on a budget and don't want to buy a bridge for August, you'll be happy with the Wyze Lock.

Editor's recommendations




05 Mar
Blog

Jabra Elite 75t Review: Massive Bass From Tiny Buds

Jabra Elite 75t real wireless headphones

"With its excellent fit, comfort and battery life, the Elite 75t from Jabra are small but deliver a large bass."

  • Should fit most ears

  • Full, rich sound

  • Very light and convenient

  • Very portable

  • Outstanding call quality

  • Bass can be too much for some

  • No hands-free assistant option

  • Average battery life

The Jabra Elite 75t are the company's newest and best wireless earbuds. Originally planned for $ 200, Jabra lowered the price to $ 180 shortly before they hit the stores in November 2019.

This puts the Elite 75t in the middle of a crowded category: They are cheaper than a set of normal Apple AirPods with a wireless charging case, but more expensive than those who use a normal case. They're considerably cheaper than the Apple AirPods Pro, valued at $ 249, and yet are $ 20 to $ 30 more expensive than the Jabra Elite 65t, which the company plans to continue selling.

How does the Elite 75t stack up? Do they have enough features to justify a place in this exploding market and are they really as comfortable as Jabra has claimed? We put her to the test to find out.

Crazy comfort

It's true: the Elite 75t are extremely comfortable for real wireless earbuds. If you hate filling your ear canals with silicone, you won't magically become a fan of this sensation. But they're incredibly small, making them sit well in your outer ear and create less pressure in your ear canal to keep them there. Not only is this overall more comfortable, it may also give you the opportunity to enjoy real wireless earbuds if you're having trouble fitting other models.

Jabra Elite 75t real wireless headphonesRich Shibley / Digital Trends

Unlike most real wireless in-ear earphones, the Elite 75t doesn't come with ear fins – the tiny silicone tabs that anchor a bud and prevent it from popping out. This is because they are small and light enough not to need them. This ultra-low weight virtually eliminates the feeling of bulk that other earphones can create during intense activities such as running. They really go away as soon as you put them in your ears.

Big, bold bass

Given the small size of the Elite 75t, one thing I wasn't expecting was the huge, deep, and resonant bass. When I started it for the first time, I was surprised and started looking for the EQ settings in the Jabra Sound + app. The equalizer was not messed up – it was set to the flat factory profile. The bottom line is that the Elite 75t has been tuned to prefer low frequencies, sometimes at the expense of clear and detailed highs or clear mids.

They are perfect for watching movies – who needs a subwoofer when you have the Elite 75t?

For some listeners, this is a treat. You won't usually find real wireless earbuds with this kind of bombastic bass response. So if you've been looking for buds that can mimic the boom that is usually associated with large over-the-ear cans like Beats Studios, you're here. I will love the Elite 75t. For some genres like jazz and classical, this distinctive low-end warms the sound and lets you feel the deep vibrations of the bass, which is played in a confined space. They are perfect for watching movies – who needs a subwoofer when you have the Elite 75t?

Music fans with a preference for balanced and precise acoustics should look elsewhere. Even after playing extensively with the EQ settings, it was impossible to find a really neutral setting that would allow my favorite songs to be played without prejudice.

Pocket mates

Aside from the bass, one of the first things you notice about the Elite 75ts is how small they are and how small their charging case is. Both were significantly reduced from the 65t, which makes them perfect travel companions, whether you prefer bags or purses or whether you go to work or to training. You just have to look at the Amazon Echo Buds to see how well the Elite 75t fits in your pocket.

Jabra Elite 75t real wireless headphonesRich Shibley / Digital Trends

The charging case has a lid that snaps into place with a magnetic seal. Even if it should accidentally open, the earbuds are firmly magnetically locked, making it unlikely that the earbuds will get out of control. Fortunately, in this case, you can use the Sound + app to track the location of the Elite 75t and force it to howl high if it gets stuck in the recesses of a sofa or wallet.

I was glad to see the charging case updated to USB-C as this is pretty much the standard for all (non-iOS) phones now, but I would prefer the charging indicator to be in the front rather than the back.

The case isn't as easy to open with one hand as the original AirPods or the super cool Klipsch T5, but we doubt that this will be a deal breaker for everyone.

Push your buttons

Real wireless earphones usually use a variation of touch-sensitive surfaces or good, old-fashioned buttons. The Elite 75t chooses the latter – one on each earphone – and I really like them. They are easy to use, you know exactly whether you pressed them or not thanks to a satisfactory click, and it is much more difficult to accidentally trigger them.

Jabra Elite 75t real wireless headphonesRich Shibley / Digital Trends

You may need to put a few fingers on the side of your head for better click accuracy. However, I do the job of repeatedly tapping an earphone into my skull to stop my music. You get a wide range of activities – four actions per earbud – with single, double, triple and long clicks.

All important tasks are covered: play / pause, skip / track tracks, answer / end calls, turn HearThrough mode on / off, volume and voice assistant. The only downside is that you can't have a say in what each button does. Every earphone and click combination has a specific action, but Jabra tells us that an update to the Jabra Sound + app in 2020 will activate "MyControls", a function to customize the button function.

It is your call

Jabra has a long history of making Bluetooth headsets with excellent call quality, and the Elite 75t doesn't disappoint. The four-microphone array can easily handle a variety of environments, and callers found it easy to hear me (and me, them).

Frequent voice callers will appreciate that you can use both earbuds or just the right earbud to make and receive calls.

When I first tested the Elite 75t, I noticed the inability to hear itself while I was on the phone with two earbuds. It turned out that I had missed the "Sidetone" function, which enables just that. With the Sound + app, you can not only switch Sidetone on or off using the left earbud, but also adjust how much of your voice gets through. After trying it out, I'm happy to let you know that it works very well and makes the Elite 75t a great companion for phone calls.

Asked and answered

In a similar context, it is also very easy to make yourself heard when you speak to your preferred voice assistant. Pressing the right earphone button twice activates either Alexa or Siri (on iOS) or Alexa or Google Assistant (on Android). As practical as it is, my time with the Echo Buds has made me a hands-free Alexa addict, and I want to be able to call any voice assistant by simply asking for it.

There are many cases where it is more convenient and safer to keep your hands where they are. There may even be emergencies where you simply cannot reach your ears or your phone. If you can say, "Hey Google, call 9-1-1," it can save your life. Jabra, if you're listening, please consider this for the Elite 85t.

Good (not great) battery

Jabra claims that the Elite 75t can last 7.5 hours on a full charge. In our tests, in which the earphones were operated continuously at maximum volume, we were only able to use them for almost 7 hours. Many new real wireless earbuds that aren't made by Apple are better, but it's still a solid upgrade over previous generations, and all the more impressive considering their small size.

The charging case is suitable for almost three full charges, so that you have a total time of approx. 28 hours between the plug-ins. With the quick charge function, you can take an hour with just 15 minutes of charge.

Quite passive

A feature that is becoming increasingly common in real wireless earbuds is active noise cancellation. Sony has it. Apple's expensive new AirPods Pro have it. Even the budget-friendly Echo Buds have it. But the Elite 75t doesn't.

On the one hand, you could argue that these in-ear earphones don't really need them due to their almost complete noise isolation. Because the noise isolation is so good, HearThrough mode offers adjustable microphone sensitivity to make noise when you need to know your surroundings better (or to have your name heard by the barista at Starbucks).

Would noise cancellation be a nice addition? Yes. But you don't need it to enjoy the Elite 75t, especially at its price.

Our opinion

The Jabra Elite 75t is small, but very comfortable and is a good choice for small ears or for those who want to wear earphones for a long time – something that enables their battery life of 7.5 hours. Their bass-heavy EQ is impressive given its size – but not for everyone. Overall, it is a highly portable, high-quality set of real radio buds with user-friendly controls and excellent call quality.

Is there a better alternative?

If you don't mind a slightly larger bud and a battery life of just 5 hours, the Amazon Echo Buds offer more features and less bass-intensive sound for a very reasonable $ 130. If battery life is paramount, you should definitely consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds + for $ 150.

However, if you are an iPhone user, you need to check out the excellent AirPods Pro. They cost $ 70 more but offer amazing noise cancellation, great sound, and go perfectly with Siri. However, none of these earphones can keep up with the water and dust protection class IP55 of the Elite 75t and the excellent ergonomics. If you want even more protection from water, the Elite Active 75t will soon be available with protection class IP57 for $ 200.

How long will they last?

The Jabra Elite 75t has a two-year warranty that is above average. The water and dust resistance corresponds to protection class IP55. This suggests that in the long run, they're at least as robust (if not significantly more) than many of the other real wireless earphones out there.

Jabra's build quality is excellent and the battery is solid (for real radio buds anyway), so they should last for years.

Should you buy them

If you're a fan of bone-shaking bass, you've come to the right place – the Elite 75t are the real wireless earbuds for you. They are also a good choice if you are having trouble fitting the earbuds. If you're looking for a more balanced sound, the Elite Active 75t will be available shortly and offer a less bass-heavy EQ in addition to its better water resistance.

Editor's recommendations




05 Mar
Blog

An Introduction to Running Cadence

Among other things, technology lovers, data junkies or sports science nerds like me can follow that the cadence can be easily monitored on a GPS device. A 2016 study showed that using a commercially available watch such as a Garmin is, among other things, a reliable and valid method of tracking cadence. 1.9

The definition of the current cadence

We have known for years that many walking injuries are related to the forces that go through the body when it hits the ground with every step.

Cadence is the number of steps a person takes per minute. The reason we started paying attention is that research a few years ago has shown that this correlates with the influence of the legs with every foot strike.

Higher cadence means more steps per minute, which means less strain or impact on a run. Kind of cool, right?

Increasing the cadence can also help when crossing. Opening your crotch is a great thing for sprinting, but not efficient for distance running. For this reason, Usain Bolt does not run marathons. Most people who cross the country with their knees locked hit their heels on the ground at the point of impact.

It is a braking movement that causes a choppy step. This places a heavy strain on the joints and can lead to injuries over time. Think about how often your leg hits the ground over a 5, 10, or 15 mile run.

Change your cadence

A recent study of healthy runners running at 7.5% higher cadence for 8 weeks showed an 18-10% reduction in their stress rate (impact force) .8

These runners kept their new shape a month later. If you don't have an injury, you don't need to increase your cadence. Unless you are overwhelmed.

If you have an injury, changing your cadence can help. Studies have shown that this helps with problems such as stress fractures and lower leg injuries such as shin splints.5,8 An increased cadence has also shown an increase in the activation of the gluteal muscles.5

Making better use of these muscles during a run can help with the biomechanics associated with other injuries like IT band syndrome. 3,10

Increase your cadence

The first thing you need to do is find your cadence. Count the number of times your right foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Multiply this by four to get the total number of footbeats per minute.

You may be thinking, "But I read on social media, or a friend told me, or a famous running magazine wrote that I should run at a cadence of 160-180. And more is better, so I shoot for 180 ! "

The media suggested a cadence of 160-180 since cadence studies were published a few years ago. In them, the participants had an average cadence of 165-185. However, I was lucky that the author presented his research results.

They are quick to notice that their results are based on increasing each runner's individual cadence by 5-10% .4.8 The mean of their subjects was 165-185, but there was great variability among all participants in the study.

If you're 140, try 147 (5%). Once you are familiar with it, try 7.5%. If you still go too far or are in pain, try 10% – and contact a PT or other sports doctor.

For all high-flyers out there, you don't have to increase your cadence above 10%. More than that will do great damage to your running economy. This is basically how much oxygen or energy you need to keep up a pace – making you run less efficiently.

The trick is to find a sweet spot for your shape that is sufficient for you not to "brake" with every step, but not so quickly that you have difficulty turning your feet over.

Use your phone to track your running

Metronome apps let you put your new, improved cadence into practice. I got good results with Run Tempo and Pro Metronome. There are other versions that can even sync your music to your tempo, which is great because who wants to hear generic pounding for 5 miles?

If you change your cadence, be patient. At first glance it will seem terribly awkward to run with a faster turnover. Use intervals first. When listening to music, start with one song “On” and two songs “Off”. Then try two one and one and increase the switch-on time from there.

Reduce your risk of injury

Recent research has focused on reducing a runner's vertical vibration or bounce.1 If you decrease this, not only will the ground reaction forces decrease, but the cadence will also decrease. So instead of counting, try to keep your body as low as possible on the floor.

Concentrate on running "softer" and not jumping. This is also traceable on some portable devices. When we talk about keeping your body on the floor, we are not talking about slumping or hanging. Keep your shoulders upright and your hips slightly bent forward.

You can also try increasing your stride from your stride. Studies have shown that the tension and load on the shins are influenced by the step size. If your posture is narrower, the lower leg is generally subjected to greater stress. 7

Do not try all of these methods at the same time. It is difficult to keep all of these changes going on for miles, and you don't know which factor actually helps. If you have a question, plan a gait analysis with a running expert to determine exactly what will help your individual needs or training.

Finally, remember to manage your training load or intensity. Your cadence or shape doesn't matter if you're constantly revising your joints and tendons. If you have racing goals, increase your mileage accordingly. There is a fine line between too much and too little.

The conclusion of the cadence

The cadence depends on how much stress or impact passes through the body when you run. If you have or have had an injury in the past, increasing your cadence may be an option for your workout.

Find your individual cadence. Not everyone should run at 165-185 steps per minute. There are other ways to reduce the impact or risk of injury, e.g. B. Increase the step size, change the training load and reduce the vertical vibration or jump.

References:

1. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Anthony Carroll, Andrew Rombach and Joseph Zeni. "Validity and reliability of a commercial fitness watch for measuring running dynamics." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 46, No. 6 (2016): 471-76.

2. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Richard W. Willy, Anthony Carrol and Joseph Zeni. "Changing cadence or vertical vibration while running: effects on running related injury factors." International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy 13, No. 4 (2018): 633–42.

3. Fredericson, Michael, Curtis L. Cookingham, Ajit M. Chaudhari, Brian C. Dowdell, Nina Oestreicher and Shirley A. Sahrmann. "Weakness of the hip abductor in distance runners with iliotibial band syndrome." Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 10, No. 3 (2000): 169-75.

4. Heiderscheit, Bryan C., Elizabeth S. Chumanov, Max P. Michalski, Christa M. Wille and Michael B. Ryan. "Effects of the manipulation of the cadence on the joint mechanics while running." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 43, No. 2 (2011): 296-302.

5. Lenhart, Rachel, Darryl Thelen and Bryan Heiderscheit. "Hip muscle strain when running at different walking speeds." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 44, No. 10 (2014).

6. Lenhart, Rachel L., Darryl G. Thelen, Christa M. Wille, Elizabeth S. Chumanov and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Increasing the walking step rate reduces the patellofemoral joint forces." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 46, No. 3 (2014): 557–64.

7. Meardon, Stacey A. and Timothy R. Derrick. "Effect of manipulation of the step size on the tibia tension during running." Journal of Biomechanics 47, No. 11 (2014): 2738-44.

8. Willy, R.W., L. Buchenic, K. Rogacki, J. Ackerman, A. Schmidt and J.D. Willson. "In-field gait retraining and mobile monitoring to treat ongoing biomechanics related to tibia stress fractures." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport 26, No. 2 (April 2015): 197–205.

9. Willy, Richard W. “Innovations and pitfalls in the use of portable devices in the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries related to running.” Physiotherapy in sports 29 (2018): 26–33.

10. Worp, Maarten P. Van Der, Nick Van Der Horst, Anton De Wijer, Frank J.G. Backx and Maria W. G. Nijhuis-Van Der Sanden. "Iliotibial band syndrome in runners." Sports medicine 42, no. 11 (2012): 969-92.

05 Mar
Blog

Nvidia GeForce Now Review (In-Depth): Cloud Gaming For Less

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassin's Creed Odyssey 1080p 2

Nvidia GeForce Now Review (detailed): Great cloud gaming on a budget

"It's not perfect, but Nvidia's GeForce Now is a great cloud gaming platform that is both affordable and accessible."

  • Affordable prices

  • Simple software

  • Great game selection

  • Low input latency

  • So-so picture quality

  • Requires an excellent bandwidth

  • No iOS app

Updated 02/23/2020: Added information about Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda that are withdrawing from GeForce Now.

What do you do with a thick stack of high-end GPUs and data center hardware expertise? If you are Nvidia, create a cloud gaming platform.

I was surprised when I first heard about GeForce Now in early 2018. After further consideration, however, this makes sense. Nvidia has dominated consumer graphics for the past decade, but has also expanded its presence in data centers. The company's revenue from this market increased tenfold between 2015 and the end of 2019.

This is a stroke of luck for Nvidia. However, there is no question that gaming remains central to the company. High-performance PC hardware is the entire brand of the green team. GeForce Now brings the company's new strength to home in data centers, while larger competitors such as Google and Microsoft are entering cloud gaming.

This is how GeForce Now works

Nvidia's GeForce Now calls itself a "cloud-based game streaming service", but it differs from most of its competitors. Unlike Google Stadia and PlayStation Now, GeForce Now is not a digital storefront. The company does not sell games to you. It only sells the service. You bring your own collection from other digital storefronts.

Nvidia is compatible with hundreds of titles across a variety of storefronts, including Steam, The Epic Store, and Ubisoft (Activision-Blizzard discontinued its games soon after launch, as did Bethesda, unfortunately). You buy the games in other stores as if you wanted to play them on a home PC.

This means that game ownership and the GeForce Now service are completely separate. You can buy a Steam game with the intention of playing on GeForce Now, but the two are never connected or interdependent. If you log out, you will still have the game on Steam and can play it on any PC.

Eight of the ten most played titles on Steam can be played on GeForce Now

This approach may feel counterintuitive, but bypasses the library problem that has stalled Stadia's launch by Google. GeForce Now is already compatible with many games and there is a good chance that you have at least some.

Personally, I got into GeForce Now with over 50 compatible games. And since I've already paid for them, they're all games I'm interested in. The library has gaps: Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda have disappeared and you won't find anything from Electronic Arts.

However, many popular games are compatible. Fortnite, Warframe, Civilization VI, Metro Exodus, Assassins Creed Odyssey, Destiny 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved are available, among others. At the time of this writing, eight of the ten most played titles are playable on Steam on GeForce Now.

Availability: Windows, MacOS and Android (not iOS)

Like Stadia, Shadow, and most cloud gaming services, GeForce Now relies on a local application to stream games to your device. Nvidia supports Windows, MacOS, most Android smartphones and tablets and Nvidia's Shield.

IOS support is the gap in this lineup, and it doesn't appear that Nvidia will appear there anytime soon. When asked, Nvidia's Jordan Blade said reporters should "talk to Apple about it."

As an iPhone fan, this is a problem. I have access to an Android device for testing purposes, but it is not my daily driver. Due to the lack of iOS support, GeForce Now is a no-go for portable games. I hope Nvidia and Apple can fix their gap and bring an app for iOS soon.

Software, registration and setup: simple, with some problems

Joining GeForce Now could be easier. Some loops have to be skipped to download the client, although this is not serious. Click "Join Today", sign in, and download it. Nevertheless, these obstacles seem strange given the simplicity of the service and Nvidia's free service level. Nvidia should offer a download link directly from the GeForce Now homepage and ask users to sign in only after downloading the client.

Once installed, the GeForce Now client is quickly available. I've tried numerous PCs, from high-end desktops to a five-year-old laptop. No system stumbled for a moment.

Nvidia GeForce Now interfaceNvidia GeForce Now PC client

Navigating in the PC client like on the website could be easier. GeForce Now cannot automatically scan Steam, Epic and GOG to find compatible titles that you already own. Instead, you need to search for titles. There is also no way in GeForce Now to check if you own a game before launching. So you can add a game to your library that you don't own. I think some users will find this confusing. For most apps (games or otherwise), you cannot add a title to your library before checking ownership.

Starting a game opens a bandwidth test, which, if all goes well, will soon be followed by the game stream. It gets uncomfortable here.

As mentioned earlier, GeForce Now is exclusively a game streaming service. The games you play are the same ones that you would play on a regular PC and you start them through the respective services. This means that you have to sign up twice to play a game, once for Nvidia Now and again after launching Steam, Epic or any other service on which the game is located.

My display settings and other configuration details were not always saved.

GeForce Now typically stores your digital storefront credentials, but not always. I only had to sign in to Ubisoft's Uplay once, but Steam asked me to sign in every time. I also noticed that my display settings and other configuration details were rarely transferred between sessions.

The GeForce Now software client might be better, but it benefits from the simplicity of the Nvidia service. Since Nvidia does not sell games, neither a shop front nor the luggage provided is required. There is no shopping cart, no refund, no reviews. There are only three things you can do in the client: view your account settings, add games to your library, and start games. This makes GeForce Now easy to understand, despite its shortcomings in the user interface.

Latency and responsiveness: cloud gaming at lightning speed

Nvidia's official review documentation does not provide specific information about the latency of GeForce Now. The same applies to the company's website. Aside from a bizarre statement about negative latency, Google Stadia also avoids certain promises about latency.

There is a competitor that does it better: Shadow. The dark horse of cloud gaming offers a robust real-time monitoring tool with a real-time latency monitor. Shadow doesn't make promises either, but at least it makes latency a breeze.

GeForce Now has an advanced network analysis tool that is available with a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + Alt + F6). However, it is clearly intended for debugging. The information contained therein is difficult to understand without a cheat sheet.

In most cases, GeForce Now's latency is not high enough to cause a serious problem. Nvidia's network analysis tool reported a latency of 25 to 35 milliseconds over WiFi and 20 to 30 milliseconds over Ethernet.

As a reference, every frame of a game that runs at perfectly smooth 60 frames per second remains 16.667 (of course repeated) milliseconds on the screen. GeForce Now latency is equivalent to a delay of one to two frames at 60 frames per second. This is noticeable and can spoil the fun in some games.

However, I spent most of my time in Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Age of Wonders: Planetfall. In these games, I found no reason to complain. I also spent some time in Destiny 2 and Civilization VI. Again, latency was rarely an issue.

Nvidia's network analysis tool reported a latency of 25 to 35 milliseconds over WiFi and 20 to 30 milliseconds over Ethernet.

Latency is usually not a problem for Google Stadia, but it can become a problem if connections are not optimal. Shadow is now on par with GeForce Now and reports between 20 and 30 milliseconds over an Ethernet connection and a few milliseconds over it via WLAN.

Overall, GeForce Now is a smooth and clear experience, even with connections that don't meet Nvidia's ideal recommendations. It is clear that Nvidia makes responsive gameplay a priority.

Graphics quality: 1080p is fast, but not attractive

In contrast to Google Stadia or Shadow, Nvidia GeForce Now only promises a resolution of 1080p at up to 60 frames per second. This decision is not intuitive. Nvidia, a leading provider of PC graphics, is closely associated with visual fidelity and high frame rates. However, Nvidia's competitors have the upper hand and offer support for higher resolutions and frame rates.

I understand Nvidia's motivation. The company points out that the vast majority of PC gamers are playing at 1080p resolution and they're right. According to Steam's hardware survey, around 64% of players play at 1080p and most of the remaining players play at a lower, not higher, resolution. Less than 6% of gamers play at 1440p and less than 2% play on a 4K display.

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nvidia geforce now checks Assassins Creed Odyssey 1080p 3 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -1080p-3-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now checking Assassins Creed Odyssey 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -1080p-4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p / Ultra

Despite its resolution limitation, Nvidia throws a lot of hardware on GeForce Now, and it shows. I launched Assassins Creed: Odyssey, a notoriously challenging game that even high-end gaming desktops can hardly handle. After five test runs on three different systems, the Odyssey benchmark averaged 62 frames per second.

This corresponds to Nvidia's RTX 2060 Super, which averaged 64 frames per second when we tested it at the end of last year. GeForce Now can't quite keep up with the best graphics cards from Nvidia. The RTX 2080 Super achieves an average of 78 frames per second in Assassins Creed: Odyssey with 1080p and ultra-high details. Even the RTX 2070 Super is faster and reaches 70 frames per second.

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-1080p - 4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAADestiny 2 at 1080p / Highest

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nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 1080p 6 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-1080p - 6-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEADestiny 2 at 1080p / Highest

However, the comparison is not that easy. A cloud gaming service like GeForce Now is theoretically updated over time at no additional cost to you, while buying a new graphics card is a significant hassle. A full year of GeForce Now costs $ 60. The GeForce RTX 2060 Super costs $ 400. The sale price of this card could apply to GeForce Now for more than six years.

And remember, GeForce Now only promises 60 FPS. This means that anything over 60 frames is wasted. These additional frames are lost because regardless of how fast the hardware works on the server side, you are bound to the 1080p 60FPS stream that is transferred to your device.

A full year of GeForce Now costs $ 60. The GeForce RTX 2060 Super costs $ 400.

While the gameplay is smooth and correct with a stable connection, the image quality is not as robust as I hoped. At first I thought my complaints were due to poor connection quality. However, when I tested on more systems, I had to accept the limitations of GeForce Now.

The most important thing seems to be the resolution. GeForce Now claims up to 1080p, but I haven't seen that in many situations, even with connections that are superior to those specified by Nvidia. Image quality was often muddy compared to 1080p rendered on a local GPU, suggesting my stream was below target resolution. An insight into the extended diagnosis (accessible via the key combination Ctrl-Alt-F6) resulted in a stream that was often 720p and not 1080p.

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 1 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn8.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -1-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 3 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn9.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -3-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn1.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

Macroblocking, a result of video compression, was more visible than I would prefer. This was most striking in high-contrast scenes with considerable movement. Any game that uses light shafts or blooms liberally will likely bring this problem to the fore. But sometimes I noticed it when I scrolled the map in Age of Wonders: Planetfall.

I admit that GeForce Now is undoubtedly an upgrade of what the PCs I've played with can usually offer. Compared to Stadia or Shadow, however, GeForce Now felt a step back. Compression artifacts were more common and obvious, and resolution output was below 1080p more often than expected. GeForce Now is fluid, but the graphics didn't impress me.

Graphics quality: 1440p and higher

Unfortunately, the problems I had with 1080p games were just the tip of the iceberg.

Most of my devices are not connected to a 1080p screen. My home desktop display is 1440p. My office display is ultra wide at 3,440 x 1,440. Most GPU tests in the Digital Trends office are performed on a 4K monitor in the Digital Trends laboratory. If you limit the resolution to 1080p, the devices I play games with will not match the maximum resolution of GeForce Now.

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 2 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -2-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 5 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -5-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 6 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -6-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

The problem is compounded by GeForce Now's disappointing image scaling. The image quality on my 1440p monitor was poor and the output was blurry, blocky, and confused. In comparison, 1080p YouTube videos look like a dream. I had the same experience on a 4K monitor.

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-2- 4k -640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

nvidia geforce is now checking fate 2 6 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-6 -4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

nvidia geforce is now checking fate 2 4 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-4 -4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

Even stranger, the quality of a 1440p monitor or a 4K monitor has improved (if only slightly) when the resolution of this display has been manually set to 1080p. I am not the only one to notice this. Users on the Nvidia forums and GeForce Now Reddit have seen the same result. For me, this suggests that something is wrong with the way GeForce Now handles resolution beyond 1080p.

The image quality on my 1440p monitor was poor. The output was blurry, blocky, and confused.

This puts GeForce Now at a huge disadvantage for some players. Stadia may have difficulty maintaining 4K resolution, but still looks pretty sharp. Shadow has no problem with 1440p. In fact, I've used it extensively with a 1440p display, and sometimes I was really amazed at how sharp it looks. The current version of GeForce Now cannot overshadow these alternatives if you intend to achieve a resolution above 1080p.

Ray tracing feels like a controversial point for now

GeForce Now subscribers get access to RTX ray tracing. It's an appealing feature on paper, but it remains a niche. The selection of games that support RTX ray tracing remains small, and the visual impact of the feature isn't as important as you might think.

Over time, ray tracing may become more important as more games support it. On the other hand, there is no reason why Stadia, Shadow or Microsoft xCloud could not take over the function in the future.

Connection reliability: stick to Ethernet for the best experience

GeForce Now, like all cloud gaming services, is a data eater. The Nvidia documentation recommends a connection of at least 15 Mbit / s for 720p60 or 30 Mbit / s for 1080p60. A low-latency 50Mbps connection is recommended for the best experience.

Remember that this is the actual connection speed. Therefore, an Internet service at home that announces 50 Mbit / s can be neglected. You also need a strong, reliable Wi-Fi network. The WiFi router provided by your Internet service provider only cuts it off if you play in the same room as it.

These restrictions limit GeForce Now to strong internet connections in clear home networks. The office for digital trends easily meets the requirements of GeForce Now on paper and lands on average between 100 and 200 Mbit / s per second. However, the office network serves hundreds of devices, which GeForce Now holds back. The service endeavored to maintain a constant image quality and occasionally suffered dropouts that could last for several seconds.

I admire the tenacity of GeForce Now. GeForce Now doesn't issue dropouts, but doesn't give up. I can't remember a single interruption throughout my testing period. The client warns of a bad connection before real problems occur and aggressively lowers the resolution to maintain a stable session. So if you don't get up and take an insane blow against your router's direction, I doubt you'll be booted by a game.

GeForce Now did better at home, where I'm lucky enough to have gigabit internet. This is as fast a connection as most people in the US can hope for, and GeForce Now appreciates the extra bandwidth.

On the Gigabit Internet via GeForce Now, GeForce Now delivers a smooth and reliable stream. Dropouts are rare and occur only a few times during my tests for this connection. Even then, the drops only lasted milliseconds and then turned out to be more than a minor annoyance.

I can't remember a single interruption throughout my testing period.

The connection quality was poor, but still good over WiFi. The connection was usually reliable, but occasional dropouts and interruptions occurred. Sometimes my connection problems were obviously a limitation of Wi-Fi. I have found that the quality of GeForce Now deteriorates significantly when someone walks down a hallway that happens to be directly between the router and my HTPC.

However, Google Stadia and Shadow have similar problems with Wi-Fi. You need an Ethernet connection or an extremely fast and extensive mesh Wi-Fi network to get the best experience with any cloud gaming service.

Data usage: It's a lot, but less than some competitors

GeForce Now warns that up to 10 gigabytes of data can be used per hour. In my tests, GeForce Now transmitted an average of 6.6 gigabytes of data per hour over a Gigabit Ethernet connection. This is in line with my analysis of the GeForce Now beta in January 2018.

This is less than Google Stadia, which I tested at up to 10 gigabytes per hour (other publications have claimed that data usage is 20 gigabytes per hour). The advantage of GeForce Now is not a big surprise given the 1080p limitation. The resolution has a huge impact on the bandwidth.

Nevertheless, there is a lot of data. A player with an average of two hours a day would consume a hair of almost 400 gigabytes each month. Most ISP service plans allow this, but that adds to other streaming (like Netflix or Hulu) and game downloads.

However, if you're lucky enough to have an unrestricted gigabit connection, data usage is not a problem. The connection quality over a gigabit connection was smooth and consistent – as long as I was within reasonable range of my router. I didn't notice any performance issues when other home devices streamed movies or downloaded large files.

Whether data uses a problem simply depends on your internet connection and the data limits of your internet service provider. It's hard to predict how well it will work without trying first. It's good that basic access to GeForce Now is free and you can try it out before you pay cash.

GeForce Now on Mobile: As good as Stadia

I didn't focus on the GeForce Now mobile app during my review. As already mentioned, there is no app for iOS available for Nvidia. But I broke out an Android device to try mobile games. In short, I used the exact same setup that Google sent for my Stadia review – a Google Pixel 3a connected to the Google Stadia controller.

Yes that's right. The Google Stadia controller worked. Most USB and Bluetooth controllers should do this because Android's gamepad support is extensive. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers should work wired or wireless with minimal setup.

As with Stadia, Mobile is an excellent place to experience GeForce Now. It's as easy and simple to use as it is on a PC, and I didn't find the login process confusing. Games also look better because the display of a smartphone is smaller. A 720p stream looks great on a 5-inch or 6-inch smartphone display. The same 720p stream doesn't look particularly good on a 24-inch 1080p monitor.

Not every game is playable on the go. They are largely limited to games with controller support, since games based on mouse input are largely or completely unplayable. This leaves most strategy games off the table. I would like to play Stellaris on Android via GeForce Now, but that is not yet feasible.

GeForce Now on Mac: The best cloud gaming option

I haven't spent much time using GeForce Now on Mac either, but I wanted to give it a try. I broke out the lab workhorse Mac, a MacBook Air around 2015, and installed GeForce Now. The judgment? It is solid.

The app itself looks identical to the PC version. I'm sure there's a difference somewhere, but I can't find it under any circumstances. It doesn't look like modern Mac apps, but it works without problems.

GeForce Now on Mac

The gameplay was impressive and underlined the unique ability of cloud games to eliminate platform differences. With GeForce Now, I was able to access dozens of games that I usually can't play on a Mac. They all looked and played the same way as with GeForce Now on a Windows laptop.

In short, GeForce Now shares all the strengths and weaknesses of the service on Windows. However, since MacOS does not offer extensive game support, GeForce Now provides access to a completely new game world.

Pricing

GeForce Now memberships

You can use Nvidia's GeForce Now for free with some restrictions. Free players do not have priority access to servers, so login queues may occur at peak times. They also have a session duration of one hour. Then you have to log in again. After all, free players cannot activate RTX graphics.

You can use Nvidia's GeForce Now for free.

The free tier limits mean you probably won't be using it as your main gaming platform, but Nvidia isn't stingy. Denken Sie daran, dass GeForce Now kein Geschäft ist und dass Spiele, die Sie im Service spielen, nicht gekürzt werden. Ich bin überrascht, dass es überhaupt eine kostenlose Stufe gibt.

Die Gründerstufe ist die einzige kostenpflichtige Abonnementoption. Derzeit sind es 4,99 US-Dollar pro Monat, und die Preise werden irgendwann in der Zukunft steigen. Nvidia hat nicht gesagt, wo der Preis landen wird, aber ich denke, es ist sicher zu spekulieren, dass Nvidia jeden Monat zwischen 7,99 und 9,99 US-Dollar berechnet. Gründer haben vorrangige Anmeldezeiten, eine nahezu unbegrenzte Sitzungsdauer (laut Nvidia sechs Stunden) und können RTX-Raytracing in Spielen aktivieren, die diese Funktion unterstützen.

Umweltschutz & Nachhaltigkeit

Wie alle Cloud-Gaming-Dienste ist auch die GeForce Now von Nvidia auf riesige Rechenzentren angewiesen, die viel Strom und in einigen Fällen auch andere Ressourcen wie Wasser verbrauchen. Dies führt zu Umweltproblemen. In einigen Fällen kann ein Cloud-Gaming-Dienst die CO2-Auswirkungen von Spielen insgesamt erhöhen.

Googles Rechenzentrum in The Dalles, OregonGoogles Rechenzentrum in The Dalles, Oregon Daven Mathies / Digitale Trends

Im Gegensatz zu Google oder Microsoft hat sich Nvidia nicht dazu verpflichtet, klimaneutral zu werden. Es werden auch keine Energieeffizienzkennzahlen für seine Rechenzentren oder Rechenzentren veröffentlicht, mit denen es zusammenarbeitet. Obwohl Nvidia erklärt hat, dass das Unternehmen in Zukunft klimaneutral sein will, gibt es keinen spezifischen Zeitplan.

Diese Mängel ändern nichts an der Qualität des Dienstes, aber Sie sollten dies berücksichtigen, wenn Sie vom Klimawandel betroffen sind. Nvidia könnte (und sollte) es besser machen.

Our opinion

GeForce Now ist eine kostengünstige Alternative zu Google Stadia mit mehr Spielen und einer kostenlosen Stufe, die das Ausprobieren erleichtert. Die Bildqualität ist jedoch nur mittelmäßig und das Gameplay ist nur über eine extrem schnelle und zuverlässige Verbindung stabil.

Is there a better alternative?

Google Stadia ist teurer und verfügt über eine kleinere Spielbibliothek, bietet jedoch meiner Erfahrung nach eine bessere Bildqualität. Es unterstützt auch Funktionen wie 4K-Auflösung und HDR. Shadow ist insgesamt zuverlässiger und funktionaler.

Stadien und Schatten sind jedoch teurer, und das ist für beide ein Problem. GeForce Now unterbietet den Preis und liefert dennoch eine solide Spielbibliothek. GeForce hat jetzt auch eine kostenlose Stufe, sodass Sie es ausprobieren können, bevor Sie einen Cent bezahlen.

Solltest du es kaufen?

Yes. GeForce Now ist noch lange nicht perfekt, aber mit einer kostenlosen Stufe für alle und einer niedrigen Abonnementgebühr von 4,99 US-Dollar ist GeForce Now der intuitivste und zugänglichste Cloud-Gaming-Service, den es je gab.

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05 Mar
Blog

8 Unusual Olympic LIfting Cues That Get Results

Olympic lifting is one of the best sporting activities you can do. No other type of lifting requires the same level of coordination, concentration and attention to detail as heavy cleaning and jerking or snapping.

8 Unusual Olympic LIfting hints that lead to results - fitness, weight lifting, grip, Olympic weight lifting, neuromuscular strength, barbell, intention, lifting, hints, coaching hints, tips

Olympic lifts require coaching tips to develop the right motor patterns

In my coaching career, I was incredibly lucky to have been brought up by some true masters of the game. About two months after my coaching career, I attended the NSCA sports-specific training conference in Anaheim in January 2000 and listened to Mike Burgener teaching the elevators.

I was intrigued by him and fell in love with every word that came out of his mouth (and his unique ability to kill us all with a PVC pipe in two short hours). I immediately went to see him and he opened his home and infinite knowledge to me. I spent the next three years visiting and assisting him with USAW certificates.

Mike not only has decades of wisdom to share, but also The cueing he uses can somehow get a room full of beginners on the same side. It is powerful. You may or may not have heard the following advice while teaching Olympic lifting. I created many of them out of necessity. They are my contact point for almost everyone and I have had tremendous success with each of them.

Keyword # 1: ice water in your veins

Olympic lifting is both psychological and physical. Anyone familiar with the Olympic lifts will agree that maximum attempts can be incredibly stressful and cause a great deal of fear.

Therefore, many lifters want to foam up before a difficult attempt. This usually involves screaming and shouting, jumping around and trying to fire the attempts with aggressiveness.

I have bad news for those of you who do. Realistically, you want to do the opposite. Watch how senior weightlifters work out. They all have emotionless access to the bar. They have mastered a view of a thousand miles.

Overexcitability interferes with the running of the motor program. I tell my athletes that they don't have to have an emotional connection to the attempt. When you have successfully completed the lift, you will get angry, but not a moment earlier.

Ice water in your veins.

Keyword # 2: commit to shooting your elbows

This keyword is worth its weight in gold if you are working with a lifter whose elbows do not run the entire distance when caught. I see it fifty times a day. Lifters must make a formal decision that no matter what happens, they will shoot their elbows as quickly as possible over the entire distance.

On some attempts you will see that lifters do the opposite. They have almost resigned themselves to the fact that they cannot get the weight and never snap their arms into place. If this is the case with one of your athletes, you must convince them that the elbows are not negotiable.

The elbows must be automatic and end at speed. Pull your athletes aside and convince them that before they even touch the bar they have to do a deal with themselves that they will shoot their elbows. It works out.

Undertake to shoot your elbows.

Keyword # 3: knuckles down

The feeling of losing your grip leads to a guaranteed failure, especially for young lifters. Grip problems are some of the first mistakes coaches encounter with someone just starting out. This is with or without the use of a hook.

In my experience with the thousands of lifters I've worked with, almost everyone naturally stretched their wrists slightly when they grab the bar. If you look at the position of the bar in your hand while the wrists are at any expansion level, the pressure of the bar moves to your fingertips.

Remember to pull your fingertip up. It's ten times more difficult than a full grip pull-up. If you haven't pressed your ankles, use your fingertip to pull hundreds of pounds off the floor. Knuckles Down does three important things:

  • Now that you have to bend your wrist slightly, the bar rests in the flesh of your hands instead of your fingertips. Through the gate you are in a stronger position thanks to a more secure grip.
  • Using a hook handle (as most experienced lifters do) moves a lot of the pressure off the thumb.
  • The intention to keep the ankles straight down keeps the elbows straight for longer.

Ankle down.

8 Unusual Olympic LIfting hints that lead to results - fitness, weight lifting, grip, Olympic weight lifting, neuromuscular strength, barbell, intention, lifting, hints, coaching hints, tips

Left: Right, ankle down; Right wrong. Ankle out.

Keyword # 4: Drive off the floor on the first train

The first move can be difficult for young lifters because they want to clear their knees for the pole path. If we don't teach this piece properly, beginners will either grind the shins with the bar or push the knees back without lifting the hips. Although we go through an entire section that helps these athletes recognize the need to clean their knees, in many cases it still gets muddy.

If you think about pushing the floor while standing with the bar, not only will the muscle coordination be organized that suits the task, but also the knees will be freed from the bar. Lifters have a great position and can switch effectively.

Drive the floor off on the first train.

Keyword # 5: shrug

It took me several years to finally teach the third train. I have noticed that the moment you tell them to pull themselves under the bar, your athletes will inevitably start pulling their arms on the second move. And as Trainer B says: "When the elbow bends, the strength ends."

Until that cue came, I had come to the conclusion that if I only worked with beginners to advanced, I wouldn't be teaching the third move. We used to teach the kids that shrugging was the last attempt to lift the bar vertically.

Although we understand that shrugging helps to raise the bar a smidge and gives us a fraction of a second more time to come down, we teach that shrugging is where the drop to catch begins.

If you have a lifter who is ready and able to shrug – as it should be – you probably have an athlete who is ready and able to fall into his catch quickly. Win win.

Shrug.

Keyword # 6: Throw your bridge in the corner

I studied Baguazhang for many years and was an offensive lineman for thirteen years. The "bridge" (or what we call the rear bridge pole) is this imaginary pole that covers the athlete's back from shoulder to shoulder.

If you try to leverage an opponent in a confined space, you have a significant advantage if you can push and pull to manipulate their bridge to take control of their torso. Wrestlers, Linemen and BJJ fighters will know what I'm talking about, even if our terminology is different.

8 Unusual Olympic LIfting hints that lead to results - fitness, weight lifting, grip, Olympic weight lifting, neuromuscular strength, barbell, intention, lifting, hints, coaching hints, tips

Know the bridge, throw the bridge to get better hip extension

To have a lifter finish his hips, we explain the bridge and instruct him to throw the bridge into the corner of the room where the wall and roof meet. For your information, the platforms in my facility are on the wall near the corner of the room.

You could use a lamp or something similar if your setup is dramatically different. If you don't get this bridge idea, we can all understand the base of the neck. In any case, for a successful catch, we would like the hips to be ready and fully expanded to a slight stretch to deliver the rod.

Throw your bridge in the corner.

Keyword # 7: catch like a mountain

How many times have you caught a clean one just to be strapped down by weight when you and the bar meet? A lot happens, especially with beginners. They spend all their energy pulling so that they soften and collapse at the bottom of the closure.

I tell lifters who have this problem that they have to be a mountain on the ground. The structure can withstand the stress due to the full tension in the whole body. The image of a mountain gives them the feeling of something big and solid. Most beginners think they have a technical hiccup when in reality they just have to think hard. I get almost perfect results with this keyword.

Catch like a mountain.

Keyword # 8: feel your slants crouched

This impressed me a few months ago when I tried to generate more tension when pressing vertically. I have had several back injuries in the past. Much of the crafting that I do with techniques is based on the need to create structure and stability for my back. The more you obliquely compress the same side to create a pillar of stability, the stronger the overall movement feels.

Ascending from the bottom of the squat, most of us have to chase our center and strength from ass to grass through a very deep squat. Then come to this point, feel for your slants. Draw your attention to and lock your slants to create a pillar of structure for your midline. If you focus your attention on your slopes, the feeling of stability when standing up increases.

Feel your slants crouch.

We all have some bizarre clues to get what we need from our athletes. These are just a few of me.

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04 Mar
Blog

Blue by ADT Review: DIY Home Security Is Finally Here

blue from adt rating three cameras

"Blue by ADT is a solid DIY alternative to expensive security systems, but Amazon Ring and Google Nest have better apps."

  • Two-way audio with noise reduction

  • face recognition

  • Multiple privacy features

  • Works with LifeShield systems

  • Further components will follow shortly

  • Bad motion detection

  • Slow app

  • Bulky design

DIY security systems are becoming more and more attractive as they offer both homeowners and tenants affordable home security options that they can customize. LifeShield (now "Blue by ADT") has become a household name in DIY security systems. Blue by ADT announced three new cameras at CES 2020.

These cameras can work alone or as part of a LifeShield system. But Blue by ADT will release additional components in the coming months. I tested three new Blue by ADT cameras – the inside camera ($ 200), the outside camera ($ 200), and the video doorbell ($ 200). I also tested the Chime and Extender accessory ($ 50).

Here is my full review of the Blue by ADT security system.

Bulky but attractive

The indoor and outdoor cameras are both rectangular with a gray and black color scheme. The indoor camera is 4.3 inches tall, 2.6 inches wide and 1.8 inches thick. It comes with a stand that you can place on a table, desk, or bookcase. or you can mount the camera on a wall.

While the outdoor camera is completely wireless, you need to connect a power cord to the indoor camera, although it has a temporary backup in the event of a power failure. The outdoor camera is similar in size to the indoor camera, but is shorter and thicker (3.7 x 2.8 x 2.7 inches).

The video doorbell corresponds to the aesthetics of the surveillance cameras with the same color scheme. It has a thicker profile than other popular video doorbell options on the market because it measures 4.9 x 1.7 x 1.4 inches. The doorbell button is surrounded by a blue light ring, so your visitors know where to press. Each device – both the cameras and the video doorbell – has red lights that are activated when the cameras detect motion.

DIY installation

Setting up the cameras, doorbell, and chime wasn't the worst experience, but it wasn't as seamless as I expected. The carillon gave me a bit of trouble. To connect the carillon, you need to connect it to Bluetooth so that the app can find it and then connect to your Wi-Fi network. The app couldn't find the carillon when I tried it for the first time, but finally made a connection after performing a factory reset.

The outdoor camera was easy to assemble.

Setting up the indoor and outdoor cameras was relatively painless. However, the app made me re-enter my Wi-Fi credentials for each connected device instead of just letting the camera choose from my phone's Wi-Fi settings.

A positive note is that the outdoor camera was easy to install, stays securely in place, is IP65 waterproof and can withstand temperatures between 14 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

The doorbell has battery support, but is not permanently operated with battery power. You must therefore connect the device to the electrical wiring of your doorbell (alternating current / 16-24 VAC transformer). However, the installation process is no more difficult than with most video doorbells on the market.

Once you've completed the installation process, you'll need to connect the doorbell to the app and re-enter your Wi-Fi credentials.

After you've connected all of your devices to the app, you can set your preferences and which features you want to use.

Functional, with a few quirks

Since the system contains several components, I will go through each one individually.

The outside camera

The outdoor camera battery lasts a long time. After two weeks, the camera's battery was still over 90 percent. It withstands different weather conditions because I placed it in the middle of my garden and the heavy rain and moisture did not affect the operation. However, the lens can become foggy. Therefore, you may want to spray an anti-fog spray on the lens.

The outdoor camera battery lasts a long time.

It has a 1080p picture with a 130 degree field of view. HD night vision works well, but night vision isn't as good as some other cameras on the market (it's not comparable to the Arlo Pro 3). The outdoor camera offers other advantages such as face recognition, bidirectional speaking and compatibility with Alexa and IFTTT. It comes with a month of free video storage. However, there is also an SD card slot for local storage. The camera has motion detection, but the motion detection function has some special features. It appears that the sensitivity to movement adapts to the sensitivity of the camera to the proximity of the movement, as opposed to the type or severity of the movement.

The inside camera

The indoor camera offers many features that we all expect from a modern surveillance camera – 1080p video, bidirectional speaking, motion detection with zones and night vision. It also has facial recognition.

A cool feature is the ability to watch out for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send you a notification in response. It has an SD card slot and battery support in the event of a power failure. When you buy the camera, you also get free video footage for one month. The inside camera is a bit bulky, but works reliably overall.

The video doorbell

The video doorbell offers night vision, face detection, bidirectional speaking, motion detection with zones and much more. You can set the video doorbell to ring the chime and extender, or you can have it ring on your existing doorbell.

The doorbell has a 1080p image, a wide 180 degree field of view and IP65 water resistance. The doorbell has an excellent picture and you can see a lot of your porch and front lot if you place it properly.

The carillon and the extender

Another device that is an optional component of the Blue by ADT camera system is the carillon and the extender. This device plays motion signals and video doorbell chimes and at the same time extends the WiFi range and the battery life of the cameras.

It is an approximately 5-inch box that is connected to an electrical outlet. Two antennas protrude so that the cameras get a better Wi-Fi signal. It has the same color scheme as the cameras and the doorbell. Once you plug it into an electrical outlet, you don't really notice it.

The blue from ADT App

In the app, you can customize all kinds of settings, set your notification preferences, view video feeds and clips, communicate through your cameras, and more. You can activate a data protection mode for both surveillance cameras in the app and set a security question.

The app is not always fast, but it works well with the main functions of the cameras. The biggest problem I've experienced is the accidental disconnection of the outside camera. Some of the features, like the invite user feature, are also a hit and miss.

Blue from ADT and LifeShield

Additional components for the Blue by ADT system are expected to be released in 2020. Blue by ADT will come out later this year with a base and keyboard. The indoor camera can also serve as a base, so you can add a keyboard and sensors to your DIY security system.

The Blue by ADT cameras are backwards compatible with LifeShield systems.

You can currently use or purchase existing LifeShield products, and the Blue by ADT cameras are backward compatible with LifeShield systems. If you want professional monitoring, you can pay $ 20 a month (the first month is free) and there is no long-term contract.

Overall, this new DIY push is a welcome effort and is establishing itself as a competent offering in the same room as other players such as SimpliSafe, Nest Secure, Abode and Ring Protect. Even better, the company's website has been updated to reflect upfront prices for its products and services, as opposed to the "call us to get a quote" approach that has served many security system companies in the past .

Data protection functions

I asked ADT to explain some of the data protection functions of the cameras in detail. In addition to being able to put the cameras into data protection mode, Blue by ADT uses password security measures such as blocking login errors and enforcing password strength to reduce the risk. However, I haven't seen an option for two-factor authentication in the app.

The blue cameras are encrypted throughout.

The blue cameras are encrypted throughout. ADT's security features include service-wide encryption, which improves security for communication between devices, the ADT cloud and the Blue by ADT app. ADT agents cannot view live video or saved Blue videos from ADT cameras, and the cameras have an SD card slot that allows customers to use local storage.

warranty information

Blue by ADT cameras are guaranteed for one year.

Our opinion

The cameras in the Blue by ADT system are brand new and like many new products there are a few kinks. However, each of the cameras and the video doorbell offer useful functions, the integration of additional safety equipment and compatibility with assistants such as Alexa.

Is there a better alternative?

If you just want a surveillance camera or just a video doorbell, better and less expensive options are available. For example, the Wyze Cam V2 is a good choice for those looking for an affordable surveillance camera as it sells for just $ 20. And despite recent safety concerns, the Ring 2 is still an excellent video doorbell that offers easy installation and battery power. You can find a refurbished Ring 2 for under $ 100.

How long it will take?

The cameras and doorbell are robust and should last for several years if properly cared for. The doorbell and the outdoor camera are both waterproof and should be suitable for outdoor use. In addition, the cameras will become more powerful in the coming months as Blue by ADT is expanding the system and launching new products.

For example, the indoor camera will be given the ability to become the basis for a more complete system. Although the cameras are currently compatible with Alexa and IFTTT, they still need to be certified for Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant, so they should get additional features later this year.

Should you buy it

No. For those looking for a complete security system, Blue by ADT may be worth a look if budget is your main concern. However, if you only need a standalone surveillance camera or a video doorbell, Ring and Nest does better.

Editor's recommendations




04 Mar
Blog

Adaptation Is Not a Bad Word, Body Confusion Is

As spring approaches, many of us run the risk of making serious mistakes in your training for the rest of the year, and revising this bug program is one of them.

However, this does not mean that changing things that do not work is not justified. Rather, frequent program changes at the beginning do not allow any adjustments. The renowned scientist Hans Seyle is known for the “General Adaptation Syndrome” (GAS) concept, which describes the three physiological stages that the human body goes through under stress. These include the alarm response level, resistance level and fatigue level.

Adaptation is not a bad word, body confusion is - fitness, overtraining, rest and relaxation, hypertrophy, muscle building, muscle control, training plan, general adaptation syndrome, Hans Seyle

To create a solid training program, the American College of Sports Medicine, together with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, uses GAS guidelines as a means to create resistance programs for the general population to determine the rep range, choice of exercises, etc. ,

This is done to maximize muscle building. The work of Dr. However, Seyle is best suited to avoid overtraining GAS research done by Samuel Buckner and others about possible misuse in strength training.

To understand the dilemma, Buckner reviewed Seyle's original work and found that his work was due to exposure to toxic levels of pharmacological agents and stimuli.

In addition, the everyday lifter can follow a periodization plan for muscle size and strength, in which the athlete is exposed to constant strains outside of strength training, such as in sports and life. This amount of life stress and the like does not explain how the athlete should follow a training program to maximize profits.

Strength training versus aerobic training

According to Knuttgen, strength training and aerobics differ in their own way. High intensity strength training for more than 20 repetitions is not possible. Knuttgen explains that it takes a few weeks to get used to this form of training physiologically.

However, aerobic training consumes a maximum of 20% of the maximum output and is therefore dependent on the oxygen supply and small organelles, the mitochondria that supply the tissue with energy. He further expresses that repetitions are a more sensible conversation when it comes to strength training, while time and heart rate are far more important in sports like cycling.

This does not mean that you cannot talk about repetitions during aerobic exercise, However, it makes more sense to consider the time and type of cardio performed while your body can adapt to the improvement in overall performance. With progress in strength training, the rates can decrease to an adjustable volume per week in favor of a higher percentage of the 1RM.

In my experience as a natural athlete, over training in Seyle's definition is usually not achieved by most general weekend warriors, and it is far more useful to focus more on a consistent program. According to my professional recommendation, cardiovascular training should be a challenge, but not impossible.

Stair masters, kickboxing, taibo, sled kicks, combat ropes or jump ropes are some examples that help to support healthy joints. Otherwise, the world is your oyster with stationary bikes, zumba, etc. However, choose two types of cardio a week and strive for maximum time while increasing tolerance every week. Do not start changing cardio frequently, as this, along with changing strength training, can be a daunting task.

My clients often have three types of cardio to complete. Most do two types, but rarely do all three – and that's fine. It's better to extend the runtime than to worry about how many climbers you complete in a minute,

Weight training has recently become an atrocity on social media. It seems everyone has the latest and greatest training plan. Some swear by having the exact exercises required to achieve your goals.

However, exercise encyclopedias do not improve your performance. They can teach you about different movements and encourage you to stay open. The main exercises, however, are universal.

These exercises include, but are not limited to: pushing up, pulling up, diving, squatting, deadlift, hip extension, knee bending, knee extension, plank, overhead / shoulder press, row, bench / dumbbell press, and mostly patience.

Don't make it complicated

Confusing your body with breakaway rows of stability balls or squats on half a Bosu ball is a recipe for disaster, injury, and an award on YouTube, Keep it simple in Bruce Lee's words. Track your progress weekly and try to eat and exercise as regularly as possible. For example, eat four meals a day and train each part of the body differently each day.

It is important that you leave your ego at the door and actively strive for function and strength, not muscle confusion and tricky techniques that will help you achieve your goals quickly. My parents always said to me: "What comes quickly goes quickly."

For advanced lifters, don't skip the gym and fix what isn't broken. Form creep can occur with certain movements, which indicates bottlenecks and mobility problems. However, do not try to change your program every week.

Instead, replace one or two exercises with something else. This ensures general well-being. Work for success and remember that mistakes occur – and consistency is key.

04 Mar
Blog

NordicTrack X32i Treadmill Review: Immersive Workouts At Home

nordictrack x32i treadmill review press lifestyle

NordicTrack X32i Treadmill Review: Immersive training in your home gym

"With killer gradients and iFit training, the NordicTrack X32i treadmill will change the way you train."

  • Impressive gradient of 40 percent

  • Wide and sturdy deck

  • Large 32-inch display

  • Padded for powerful running

  • Effective iFit video training

  • The iFit-controlled interface needs to be improved

  • Does not fold for storage

Mention the word treadmill to a runner, especially a long-distance runner, and he will wince. They will also tell you that there are no treadmills, just Deadmills, an indication of the nerve-racking boredom you experience when you walk or run for hours with your wall as a backdrop.

NordicTrack tries to change this negative perception by bundling its treadmills with iFit, a comprehensive video training program with real trainers working by your side, and the ability to run virtually in breathtaking locations around the world. Does iFit heal you from treadmill blues? We tested NordicTrack's newest treadmill, the NordicTrack x32i, in our home gym for six months to find out.

Powerful hardware for steep climbs

The NordicTrack x32i treadmill is a dream to run and walk. It has a wide and long deck (22 x 65 inches) that gives you plenty of room to run, walk, and even bypass your way to fitness. It cannot be folded for storage. So make sure you have enough space wherever you want to use it.

NordicTrack X32i inclination

The deck is designed for highly effective exercises and features NordicTrack's reflex cushioning, which offers a slight jump to absorb the impact with every step. The reinforced steel frame is solidly built and the 4.25 KWK DurX Commercial Plus engine has a lot of power. It goes from zero to 12 miles an hour and supports up to 300 pounds. I never felt like I was pushing the machine to its limits.

The x321's 40% incline burns your thighs and gasps for your lungs

An outstanding feature of the x32i is the slope. It ranges from a drop of -6 percent to a steep ascent of 40 percent, which challenges even the toughest mountain runner. During a pre-programmed workout, the treadmill automatically adjusts speed and incline, but you can make adjustments based on your fitness level. The slope adjusted evenly against the impact of running up and down. The same was true for speed. Changes were immediately applied and felt.

Many extras

The NordicTrack X32i is designed for performance and ease of use. The controls are intelligent on both sides of the display and on the control panel in front of you. There are a number of buttons on the left side of the treadmill that allow you to manually increase the incline while the buttons on the right side control the speed. Use these buttons to change the speed and incline in small or large steps.

NordicTrack X32i

Speed ​​and incline are not the only parameters that you can change. You can also adjust the volume of the built-in speakers and the speed of the two fans at the push of a button and enjoy Bluetooth audio support. The buttons are easy to press so you can make changes without stopping the workout.

Additional extras include three different bars that you can hold when you need extra support, and a chest strap that allows you to measure your heart rate while you exercise. Finally, there is a magnetic safety switch in case you fall.

Quiet performance and more

The NordicTrack x32i is soft and quiet. Even at running speeds of 8 km / h or higher, I could hear the instructions for music and iFit trainer through the integrated speakers. If you want to be even more stealthy, you can connect headphones using the treadmill's built-in Bluetooth connection.

There is also a fan that keeps you cool. You can change the fan speed and angle during exercise. The fan works well on lower slopes, but is blocked by the handrail on higher slopes. Speaking of handrails, there are many of them you can hold on to, which is particularly important on higher inclines.

The touchscreen display increases performance

With a massive 32-inch display, the NordicTrack X32i hardware is ideal for iFit. The beauty of the surroundings can always be seen. I didn't have to adjust my view or turn my head – I could see the entire screen from edge to edge just by looking ahead. The display is a touchscreen that allows you to control the iFit software by tapping and swiping on the screen. The layout is intuitive and I never had any problems switching between the training library, the home screen or the calendar view.

During exercise, simply tap the screen to access exercise controls or pause an exercise. The buttons are very large, so I never had any problems making changes during or during the break. My only criticism of the display is that you can't use it to connect to an Apple TV or Roku to stream video. It was added to the treadmill for iFit content and iFit only.

iFit workouts from around the world

In the past few months I've hiked Mount Fuji, run in the Grand Canyon and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, all from the comfort of my home in Maine.

These trainers are accompanied by iFit trainers who produce a series of impressive training videos in exotic and unique environments. The iFit trainer walks or runs with a camera operator and engages you in each exercise by speaking to you as if you were right there with them.

NordicTrack X32i

They not only encourage you during the training, but also share personal stories, inform you about the culture and history of the region and give useful training tips. The treadmill also adjusts the incline and speed depending on the terrain. You not only see the surroundings, you also experience them as close as possible.

Instead of being afraid of my treadmill workout, I was excited to see what the next iFit session has in store for me

The experience is a little worrying at first. It felt uncomfortable for this trainer to speak to me as if I were there, but I decided to embark on this experience and I am glad I did. Each training session was different – sometimes I got to know the culture of the region; In other cases, I've learned how to improve my diet and running style.

Sometimes the unexpected happened – a horse ran past or ducks waddled across the path. Instead of being afraid of my treadmill training, I was looking forward to my next iFit experience and was excited to see what awaits me. My time on the treadmill flew by. It was so much fun that I often did several workouts in a row and even took part in some one-day challenges where you complete a full multi-part series in a single day – it's so exciting.

Surprisingly effective training

An unexpected side effect when using the NordicTrack treadmill is that my fitness level has increased exponentially. Mainly because of the training regime, I made bigger gains when running indoors than when I ran outdoors. I am an occasional but regular runner. I don't have a professional trainer and I don't spend time researching training plans. I put on my running shoes and run without a specific plan. I was able to slowly increase the distance I could walk, but I could never improve my mileage significantly.

The iFit program and the NordicTrack treadmill changed my attitude to sports. It all started with the trainers who explained the why and how behind the training sessions. I was taught how important warming up is, how important it is to stay in good shape and what role nutrition plays.

Each training session is part of a multi-part series that guides you through different types of workouts. Many of the workouts build on one another and should bring you from point A to point B in your fitness.

Thanks to iFit trainers, I'm not only stronger, but also smarter in my training

Most training series started with interval training to improve your cardio fitness. The intervals were different – sometimes they were long, sometimes they were short and sometimes they were unique, like the ladder interval that gets faster and then slows down. There are also endurance sessions and incline workouts to increase your endurance. Every third or fourth session was recovery training. There is a reason for this method: This format not only keeps things interesting, but also improves your fitness.

I learned how to do everything in the breaks and take a break when calm is needed. I was also trained in relatively perceived exertion and learned to keep my exertion steady even when the terrain changed. These are basic training practices that I learned only when I started training with iFit. After six months with the iFit program and the NordicTrack treadmill, I not only feel stronger, but also smarter with my training.

Software could be improved

The iFit software drives the NordicTrack treadmill, and its touch-based surface revolves around this integration. When you start the treadmill, you'll be greeted with a list of suggested iFit videos and a growing library of training sessions organized in training series.

NordicTrack X32i

Unfortunately, the iFit software lacks important navigation functions. You have to scroll through the entire iFit training library to find training sessions. If the training you want is at the bottom of the list, you need to scroll and scroll to reach it. You cannot filter or organize the library by activity or trainer. If I want to find a running series by Hannah Eden, I have to look for her face in a video and scroll through everyone else's runs, hikes, and studio workouts.

The iFit software was also slow and occasionally buggy. On more than one occasion, the video froze during a workout and I had to reset the treadmill first. I also kept getting notifications about an update that was never installed. These problems were frustrating, but didn't affect the overall positive experience. NordicTrack and iFit have released a major update during my time with the machine, so I hope the user interface will improve over time.

Manual or card-based training

Although iFit is the star of the NordicTrack x32i, it is not your only choice for a workout. You can do a manual workout or load a workout based on a custom map. You can select an existing card workout or create your own workout by drawing a course on a card using the iFit software. If a street view is available for the map course you selected, you can view the street view images as you move along the course.

Online and third party integration

Not only is ICit a training video repository, it also tracks and saves every exercise so you can check how far, how fast, and how high you ran or hiked. You can also view this information online. The user interface is a basic list of your workouts and your statistics for week, month and year.

I wish there were tools you could use to track your progress for each workout. If I do the same workout every month, will my performance improve compared to the second? It is not easy to make this comparison with the iFit software. You can send your data to other platforms like Strava, but you need to download your training history to your computer and then manually import it into Strava, Training Peaks and another platform. There is no automatic synchronization.

Our opinion

The NordicTrack X32i is a powerful treadmill for hikers, hikers and runners. Whether you're starting your training trip or training for your next marathon, the X32i will meet your needs. The incline of up to 40 percent poses an additional challenge for every training session.

When set to its maximum, the x32i offers a workout that crushes the thighs when hiking or running mountains. Even if you don't want to be in the mountains, the selection of inclines offers a strenuous and varied workout that only a few treadmills can keep up with.

Is there a better alternative?

The NordicTrack X32i is one of the best treadmills you can buy, but it's not for everyone. It is a large treadmill that takes up a lot of space and its price may be prohibitively expensive at $ 4,000. For a little less money, NordicTrack sells both the x22i and the x11i with iFit integration and the same inclination of 40 percent. Both the x22i and the x11i have comparable performance, but a smaller display and footprint than the x32i. If you're looking for a treadmill that has a personal workout that is similar to iFit and that syncs automatically with Strava, consider Peloton or one that syncs with Zwift.

How long it will take?

The NordicTrack x32i is built like a tank with a reinforced steel frame and a powerful DurX Commercial Plus engine with 4.25 KWK. The treadmill should work reliably for many years. It includes a 10 year warranty on the frame, a 2 year warranty on parts and a 1 year labor warranty.

Should you buy it

If you want to give your workout a certain incline, the NordicTrack X32i is a good choice. It is a treadmill workhorse that allows you to train harder and work out longer than ever.

Editor's recommendations




04 Mar
Blog

All the News and New Gear at Mobile World Congress

There is no bigger show for mobile tech freaks than the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​Spain: flagship phones are born here and fascinating new wearables shine. For 2019, foldable phones and 5G dominated the news. For 2020, everyone from Samsung and LG to app manufacturers and small startups will come to the Fira conference center from February 24th to 27th to present the latest and greatest mobile innovations. Follow us for the latest news as we watch the show's amazing new phones and mobile technologies.

04 Mar
Blog

An Introduction to Running Cadence

Among other things, technology lovers, data junkies or sports science nerds like me can follow that the cadence can be easily monitored on a GPS device. A 2016 study showed that using a commercially available watch such as a Garmin is, among other things, a reliable and valid method of tracking cadence. 1.9

The definition of the current cadence

We have known for years that many walking injuries are related to the forces that go through the body when it hits the ground with every step.

Cadence is the number of steps a person takes per minute, The reason we started paying attention is that research a few years ago has shown that this is related to how much impact you get through your legs with each foot strike.

Higher cadence means more steps per minute, which means less strain or impact on a run. Kind of cool, right?

Increasing the cadence can also help when crossing, Opening your crotch is a great thing for sprinting, but not efficient for distance running. For this reason, Usain Bolt does not run marathons. Most people who cross the country with their knees locked hit their heels on the ground upon impact.

It is a braking movement that causes a choppy step. This places a heavy strain on the joints and can lead to injuries over time. Think about how often your leg hits the ground over a 5, 10, or 15 mile run.

Change your cadence

A recent study of healthy runners running at 7.5% higher cadence for 8 weeks showed an 18-10% reduction in their stress rate (impact force) .8

These runners kept their new shape a month later. If you don't have an injury, you don't need to increase your cadence. Unless you are overwhelmed.

If you have an injury, changing your cadence can help, Studies have shown that this helps with problems such as stress fractures and lower leg injuries such as shin splints.5,8 An increased cadence has also shown an increase in the activation of the gluteal muscles.5

Making better use of these muscles during a run can help with the biomechanics associated with other injuries like IT band syndrome. 3,10

Increase your cadence

The first thing you need to do is find your cadence. Count the number of times your right foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Multiply this by four to get the total number of footbeats per minute.

You may think, "But I read on social media, or a friend told me, or a famous running magazine wrote that I should run at a cadence of 160-180. And more is better, so I shoot for 180 "

The media suggested a cadence of 160-180 since cadence studies were published a few years ago. In them, the participants had an average cadence of 165-185. However, I was lucky that the author presented his research results.

They are quick to notice that their results are based on increasing each runner's individual cadence by 5-10% .4.8 The mean of their subjects was 165-185, but there was great variability among all participants in the study.

If you're 140, try 147 (5%). Once you are familiar with it, try 7.5%. If you still go too far or are in pain, try 10% – and contact a PT or other sports doctor.

For all high-flyers out there, you don't have to increase your cadence above 10%. More than that will do great damage to your running economy. This is basically how much oxygen or energy you need to keep up the pace – making you run less efficiently.

The trick is to find a sweet spot for your shape that is sufficient for you not to "brake" with every step, but not so quickly that you have difficulty turning your feet over.

Use your phone to track your running

Metronome apps let you put your new, improved cadence into practice. I got good results with Run Tempo and Pro Metronome. There are other versions that can even sync your music to your tempo, which is great because who wants to hear generic pounding for 5 miles?

If you change your cadence, be patient. At first glance it will seem terribly awkward to run with a faster turnover. Use intervals first. When listening to music, start with one song “On” and two songs “Off”. Then try two one and one and increase the switch-on time from there.

Reduce your risk of injury

Recent research has focused on reducing a runner's vertical vibration or bounce.1 If you decrease this, not only will the ground reaction forces decrease, but the cadence will also decrease. So instead of counting, try to keep your body as low as possible on the floor.

Concentrate on running "softer" and not jumping. This is also traceable on some portable devices. When we talk about keeping your body on the floor, we are not talking about slumping or hanging. Keep your shoulders upright and your hips slightly bent forward.

You can also try increasing your stride from your stride, Studies have shown that the tension and load on the shins are influenced by the step size. If your posture is narrower, the lower leg is generally subjected to greater stress. 7

Do not try all of these methods at the same time. It is difficult to keep all of these changes going on for miles, and you don't know which factor actually helps. If you have a question, plan a gait analysis with a running expert to determine exactly what helps your individual needs or training.

Finally, remember to manage your training load or intensity. Your cadence or shape doesn't matter if you're constantly revising your joints and tendons. If you have racing goals, increase your mileage accordingly. There is a fine line between too much and too little.

The conclusion of the cadence

The cadence depends on how much stress or impact passes through the body when you run. If you have or have had an injury in the past, increasing your cadence may be an option for your workout.

Find your individual cadence. Not everyone should run at 165-185 steps per minute. There are other ways to reduce the impact or risk of injury, e.g. B. Increase the step size, change the training load and reduce the vertical vibration or jump.

references:

1. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Anthony Carroll, Andrew Rombach and Joseph Zeni. "Validity and reliability of a commercial fitness watch for measuring running dynamics." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 46, No. 6 (2016): 471-76.

2. Adams, Douglas, Federico Pozzi, Richard W. Willy, Anthony Carrol and Joseph Zeni. "Changing cadence or vertical vibration while running: effects on running related injury factors." International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy 13, No. 4 (2018): 633–42.

3. Fredericson, Michael, Curtis L. Cookingham, Ajit M. Chaudhari, Brian C. Dowdell, Nina Oestreicher and Shirley A. Sahrmann. "Weakness of the hip abductor in distance runners with iliotibial band syndrome." Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 10, No. 3 (2000): 169-75.

4. Heiderscheit, Bryan C., Elizabeth S. Chumanov, Max P. Michalski, Christa M. Wille and Michael B. Ryan. "Effects of the manipulation of the cadence on the joint mechanics while running." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 43, No. 2 (2011): 296-302.

5. Lenhart, Rachel, Darryl Thelen and Bryan Heiderscheit. "Hip muscle strain when running at different walking speeds." Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 44, No. 10 (2014).

6. Lenhart, Rachel L., Darryl G. Thelen, Christa M. Wille, Elizabeth S. Chumanov and Bryan C. Heiderscheit. "Increasing the walking step rate reduces the patellofemoral joint forces." Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise 46, No. 3 (2014): 557–64.

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