28 Jan
Blog

LG XBoom 360 review: Loud sound and lights for your home

LG XBOOM 360.

LG XBOOM 360

RRP $300.00

"The XBoom 360 keeps the party going with a sophisticated mix of loud sound, lights and DJ effects."

benefits

  • Beautiful, smart design

  • Gets noisy both indoors and outdoors

  • Includes USB and Aux-In ports

  • Excellent app support

  • LED lamp provides a nice ambience

disadvantage

  • No waterproofing

  • Battery life could be better

  • Doesn't always feel wearable

It's not a saying, but it makes sense that the bigger you build a Bluetooth speaker, the bigger the sound you should expect from it. But the bigger a speaker gets, the more of an eyesore it can become, as it needs to be heard but not necessarily seen.

LG's XBoom 360 makes us question that conventional wisdom. It's a big, powerful speaker that also blends into a home as a decorative piece, thanks to a sleek, lantern-like design, a built-in LED light, and a dedicated app that lets you do much more than just play music.

What's in the box

It's a big box, no doubt, but you won't find much inside. As well as the speaker itself, you get the power cord, a sheet of paper listing the various controls, a simple instruction manual, and that's about it. LG does not supply any other cables that could be connected to the XBoom 360.

draft

The LG Xboom 360 features a lantern-like design.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

Burgundy is one of those colors that blends well in a variety of environments, much like the Charcoal Black and Peacock Green variants, and it's no wonder LG has tried to be bold without being loud in that way. It probably wanted the sound to do the loud part, which I'll come back to, but as a speaker it has a unique profile. Its tapered design gives it a decent height at 20 inches and weighs just under 13 pounds.

Despite its considerable height, it has a relatively small footprint, so you can place it in all sorts of places.

But despite its considerable height, it has a fairly small footprint, allowing you to place it in all sorts of places – much more so than conventionally shaped boom boxes. However, the height and slimmer base might make it easier to accidentally tip over if you bump into it.

LG wrapped the XBoom 360 in burgundy fabric, which gives it a nice, sophisticated look and a soft texture, but this isn't the kind of speaker you'd want to put within splashing distance of a pool. As much as LG might consider this thing "portable", it's not always a pleasure to move around. The top handle helps a lot, and the higher center of gravity makes it feel like you're carrying a heavier tote bag, but again, you have to consider where you're carrying it. forget the beach Sand will get all over it and with the fabric it will nest everywhere. Pools should be fine some distance from the water, but without a decent IP rating, this is a speaker you'll use at home, whether indoors or out in the safety of a backyard or patio.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Beach-friendly speakers aren't hard to find, while large speakers that don't stick out like sore thumbs in a home can be. The XBoom's 360-degree sound is ideal for outdoor use, and LG has an "Outdoor EQ" mode for just that purpose, while the default setting cranks things down just enough to serenade you indoors.

This sound is driven by a 5.25" fiberglass woofer and 1" tweeter in an inverted cone-shaped baffle designed to deliver sound more efficiently and decidedly omnidirectionally. Basically, you should feel like the speaker sounds exactly the same no matter where you sit (or stand).

The LG XBoom 360 speaker has a handy handle.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

The LED lamp in the open concavity faces the exposed woofer, adding a visual element to the XBoom 360. It's more mood lighting than something to brighten up a room, but it has both chill and party modes for ambience. There's a dedicated button to cycle through the lamp's different light modes, with the app digging much deeper to offer more customization options.

You can't create and save your own presets, so you'll need to further tweak the only custom preset to change the sound.

LG has placed ports at the bottom, including individual USB-A and Aux-In ports. The USB port doubles as a playback port and 5-watt charger for other devices, so you can use it for your phone or tablet in a pinch as well. LG didn't do the same for the aux line-in jack. So if you have designs for connecting a microphone and presenter, it will not let you. The power cord tucks in under the bottom, and it takes some time to wiggle it out if you want to go fully wireless.

setup and configuration

Pairing with the XBoom 360 was easy. After doing it with both an iPhone and an Android device, I then downloaded the app, which recognized the speaker immediately. Beyond the basics, the app acts as a controller for the speaker. The main buttons are clearly visible on top of the speaker, some of which even include Braille for the visually impaired.

The app includes an EQ with seven presets and a custom option that you can tweak to your liking. You can't create and save your own presets, so you'll always have to go back and tweak the only custom preset to change the sound. Otherwise, you can choose one of the other seven presets. This is separate from the aforementioned outdoor EQ, which cranks things up to get louder outside.

LG says the XBoom 360 will play with better quality and less distortion if you turn off an equalizer you might be using in a music app. I'm not sure I've noticed a significant difference either way, but it might be worth experimenting with.

The DJ functions allow you to interact with music playback in a fun way using sound effects. You get drum, club, and other options to create transitions or effects to overlay the track being played. It lays out a lot for you to get started, so don't start from scratch. Sampler Creator lets you record five seconds of any sound you want to play or emulate, then transfer it to DJ mode. After that, you can always play it over a song. If you've always wanted to be a hype man or say something about a favorite song, you might have fun with this one.

If you really want to get loud, the XBoom 360 supports the addition of a second speaker. You don't get stereo pairing for different left and right channels, just a mirroring of the audio being played by the master unit, making it ideal for larger parties where one might not be enough.

sound quality

The LG Xboom 360 features a lantern-like design.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

LG wants to get loud with the Xboom 360, but not at the expense of the full audio spectrum. I realized this as I played through a variety of different tracks in different genres. Bass is clear enough, with the woofer doing the heavy lifting, and you'll notice it at lower volumes if you dial in Bass Boost in the EQ section.

Whether I've been playing something old school from Creedence Clearwater Revival or something current from The Weeknd, the speaker can handle whatever you throw at it in a playlist. It also played well at higher volumes, with distortion only kicking in at volumes that were just ridiculous for indoor listening.

The key is the mids, where instruments come through with some distinction.

The key is the mids, where instruments come through with some distinction. Large speakers sometimes drown out the mids to boost the lows and highs so they can get louder. LG maneuvers somewhere in between, letting you hear enough detail in a complex track to enjoy it for what it delivers. We're not talking audiophile quality here, mind you, because fans of hi-res sound are unlikely to be impressed. Finally, the XBoom 360 only supports the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, so your only other option is to play tracks via USB. I tried it, but didn't like the experience because of the general lack of consistency and control. Aux-in is easier as you control everything from the connected device.

I've also been hesitant to park it in a corner because of the spatial sound it's supposed to pump out. I tried it just to see if the sound coming from behind would bounce off the walls for a fuller or more concave effect, but I'm not sure if it was really there. As I placed it farther from the wall, it sounded less unidirectional and more omnidirectional than originally intended. It could easily cover an apartment or condo, and outside noise won't drown it out in the backyard. I wouldn't necessarily use it in a banquet hall for a wedding as stereo pairing might be better for such events.

What I found bizarre were the inconsistencies with the Bluetooth connectivity. For reasons I couldn't figure out (despite numerous troubleshooting steps), my Pixel 6 Pro never played well with the speaker and kept disconnecting, to the point where I had to repeatedly manually reconnect them. I haven't had any issues like this with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro. There were disconnects and hiccups with both of these phones, except that they were due to distance or obstacles, e.g. B. if they were a few rooms away. With the Pixel 6 Pro, the phone could be two feet away and still drop the connection.

The LG Xboom 360 features a lantern-like design.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

light effects

The Mood Lighting section gives you presets based on the type of effect you want. You can also tap My Choices to choose the color you want to see. The dynamics of the lamp depends on which mode you choose. For example, Ambient just keeps the light static, Nature goes with a slow pulse, and Party Pops with a more frenetic show. You choose the mode manually because the XBoom 360 doesn't have the intelligence to automatically switch it based on the tunes it's playing.

It would be unfair to describe the XBoom 360 as a full-fledged LED lamp, also because the light can only emit sideways depending on the location. It doesn't face forward like other party boxes, nor does it face upwards to bounce off walls and a ceiling at the same time. That might put a damper on the "party" side of the equation if you're looking for something more mainstream, but I can see what LG was trying to do here.

The XBoom 360 looks great as a speaker playing music and coming out of the ambient light. There's subtlety that a guy like me appreciates, but I acknowledge not everyone would agree. Even the party lights work for what they are. While I wasn't able to achieve the kind of depth or effects that a Philips Hue or Nanoleaf system could offer, I can say that the insertion of the lamp makes the speaker feel more like a decorative piece to display than a tech device to accessorise looks.

battery life

The LG Xboom 360 features a lantern-like design.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

LG says the XBoom 360 can last up to 10 hours per charge, which is mostly true if you never explore louder volumes. As you almost certainly would, the actual number can vary anywhere from six to eight hours depending on how noisy it gets. The LED light is another battery hog if it's always on and active. You can also save battery by playing audio through the Aux-In port and leaving Bluetooth off.

The app will tell you how much battery you have left, but don't look for context about how much you could save by turning off the lights or turning down the volume. You can always plug it into an outlet to keep it charged. That can be a good idea considering it takes up to five hours to fully charge the speaker with a dead battery. No fast charging for this big guy.

Our opinion

LG launched the XBoom 360 for $400, and now it's easier to find at $300. That's not a bad price for what you're getting, provided you have a place to put it and feel mobile enough to take it to other parts of your home or outdoors. It definitely helps if you're entertaining people at home or like to throw parties and want something with lights and DJ mode.

Is there a better alternative?

If you want the DJ-style experience, there definitely is. the JBL party box 110 costs about the same and makes almost everything louder, including the lights. JBL has a whole range of such speakers at various price points, giving you some food for thought as to how big you really want to go. the Klangbock (Gen. 3) is a DJ-ready speaker if that's what you're looking for, despite paying upwards of $1,000 for it. On the budget side Anker's Soundcore Trance is not as big as a JBL party box, but has a handle and features a light show and up to 18 hours of battery life.

If you're thinking of a boombox, Monster's Blaster 3.0 is about the same price, except there's not much you can do with the audio profile that's there. Sony has its own SRS-XG500 Boombox for $450 that is more durable thanks to IP66 water and dust resistance.

How long it will take?

Keep it away from water and sand, and you'll likely see this thing play for years. The only other real threat might be playing it too loud for too long, but that's hard to predict. LG built it with components for a wide range of volume levels, so you should be fine. It offers a standard one-year warranty to cover malfunctions but not physical damage.

should you buy it

Yes, as long as it fits what you have in mind. By that I mean a larger speaker that takes up some space and is mostly played indoors or in safer outdoor environments. The app plays a key role in making the XBoom 360 what it is, and learning that part of it could pay dividends when it comes time to entertain a crowd at yours or someone else's.

Editor's Recommendations



28 Jan
Blog

Jabra Elite 7 Pro Review: Perfect True Wireless Earbuds

Man wearing Jabra Elite 7 Pro.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro

MSRP $200.00

“These Elite 7 Pro get everything right and don’t cost a fortune.”

Pros

  • Super comfortable
  • Great sound quality
  • Excellent call quality
  • Very good ANC and transparency
  • Good battery life
  • Wireless charging
  • Tons of customization options
  • Excellent water/dust protection

How do you improve on an awesome set of true wireless earbuds? That’s the question that faced Jabra as it contemplated the design for its new $200 Elite 7 Pro, the successor to its excellent Elite 75t, which proved to be some of the best true wireless earbuds you could buy when they debuted in 2019. The answer, it seems, is to double down on what the Elite 75t got right, and then fill in the missing gaps. Did that formula work out? You bet it did. Let’s take a look.

Design

Jabra Elite 7 Pro.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 7 Pro are a natural evolution of Jabra’s true wireless designs. They’re just as rounded and ergonomically shaped as the Elite 75t, yet smaller and lighter. When compared to Jabra’s flagship Elite 85t, the 7 Pro are downright tiny. The multifunction buttons now have a teardrop shape and occupy the entire outer surface of the earbuds, making them impossible to miss. The new design also affords much better water protection, with an IP57 rating (the Elite 75t were IP55), making them effectively waterproof.

The Elite 7 Pro are the most comfortable noise-canceling true wireless earbuds you can buy right now.

But the most noticeable change has to be the charging case. Jabra has abandoned its distinctive, upright design with its flip-top lid for a more conventional clamshell shape. It’s ever so slightly larger now, but it also has wireless charging built-in, something you needed to pay extra for in the past.

It might also be the first charging case that puts its charging port on the front instead of the rear. Though not as pretty, it’s eminently more practical.

The lid isn’t quite as easy to open because of its curved sides, but that’s a minor critique of what is otherwise an excellent design. The earbuds snap in and out of their charging sockets with ease — something that has long been one of Jabra’s strengths.

Comfort, controls, and connections

Jabra Elite 7 Pro seen next to Jabra Elite 75t.Jabra Elite 7 Pro (left) and Elite 75t. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Let’s just get this out of the way: The Elite 7 Pro are the most comfortable noise-canceling true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. The Elite 75t were already mighty comfortable, but Jabra has managed to refine that shape so that they feel even better. The company says it also reengineered the material of the eartips, which probably contributes to their excellent fit. Maybe it’s just the particular shape of my ears, but the Elite 7 Pro feel like they were custom-made for me — I could happily wear them for hours at a time without pain or fatigue. Not sure if you chose the right size of eartips? You can run a fit test within the Sound+ app to find out.

The Elite 7 Pro are the most customizable earbuds I’ve ever tested.

Jabra targets the Elite 7 Active at those who want a set of earbuds for high-intensity activities, and you could totally get away with using the Elite 7 Pro for all but the heaviest of workouts — once in my ears, they didn’t budge at all.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro seen next to Jabra Elite 85t and Elite 75t.Jabra Elite 85t (left), Elite 7 Pro (middle), and Elite 75t. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The controls remain the best in the business: Big, easy-to-press physical buttons that offer an unmistakable tactile click when you use them. With single-, double-, and triple-click gestures, plus one for press-and-hold, you can control everything from calls to playback to active noise cancellation (ANC). If you don’t like Jabra’s default control scheme, you can change it within the Jabra Sound+ app, with almost unlimited freedom to pick and choose what each gesture does. In fact, the Elite 7 Pro are the most customizable earbuds I’ve ever tested. If you can think of a function, I guarantee there’s a section in the Sound+ app that lets you modify it.

You can trigger your phone’s built-in voice assistant, or you can configure the Elite 7 Pro to work with Amazon Alexa. With in-ear detection, you can choose to autopause and play your music when you remove or reinsert one of the earbuds.

With Bluetooth 5.2, the Elite 7 Pro are easy to pair and they can stay reliably connected up to 50 feet away (a little less indoors). You can also use the earbuds independently.

They’re pleasure to listen to, no matter your chosen music genre.

When I initially reviewed the Elite 7 Pro in October 2021, it suffered from just one flaw: It lacked Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously. As of January 27, 2022, that has been rectified via a firmware update, removing my only real criticism of these earbuds.

Sound quality

Man wearing Jabra Elite 7 Pro.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Elite 75t possessed enormously powerful bass for such small earbuds, so much so that the low end had a tendency to trample on the midranges. You needed to jump into the EQ settings to rein it in. The Elite Active 75t was milder in the bass department but arguably not as clear. The Elite 7 Pro manages to be the best of both worlds, with a deeply resonant low end that is much better controlled.

A track like Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, where the opening vocals are essentially whispers that float above a thumping bass line, is an ideal test — if the EQ isn’t just right, the tiny nuances in Eilish’s voice are lost under the pressure of the constant beat. The Elite 7 Pro handle it like a champ, not only giving the low end the power it deserves, but also keeping it where it belongs so that Eilish’s shiver-inducing whispers can be heard with excellent clarity.

Jabra’s call quality has always been good, but I was blown away by the Elite 7 Pro.

You can tweak EQ manually or use Jabra’s small selection of presets in the Sound+ app, but I doubt you’ll need to. The factory EQ is so well-balanced for all kinds of music, I didn’t feel the need to change it at all. You can also choose to use the MySound feature in the Sound+ app, which will attempt to personalize the EQ according to your specific hearing profile. I didn’t find it improved things for me, so I kept it turned off, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Flipping back and forth between the Elite 7 Pro and Jabra’s more expensive Elite 85t proved to be an incredibly tricky comparison. It felt like I could hear a little more detail from the 85t, but you’d literally need to do a side-by-side comparison like I did to notice.

Either way, the Elite 7 Pro are a pleasure to listen to, no matter your chosen genre.

Noise cancellation and transparency

The Elite 85t were Jabra’s first earbuds to offer a hybrid ANC system (the Elite 75t and Active 75t were given ANC with a firmware upgrade, but those buds don’t use the combination of feed-forward and feedback mics that the 85t has). The Elite 7 Pro are better at canceling unwanted sounds than the 85t, but their transparency mode isn’t quite as crystal clear.

I think this is due to the 85t’s semi-open architecture, which lets in a small amount of outside air. That openness simultaneously makes it easier to hear outside sounds and harder to cancel them. The Elite 7 Pro are fully closed, which gives them the noise-canceling edge. The Sound+ app lets you fine-tune the ANC performance, but much like the MySound feature, I didn’t notice a big difference.

The Elite 7 Pro can’t quite keep up with the reigning champs of ANC and transparency — the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — or the AirPods Pro, but considering their lower price, that’s not surprising and, honestly, the difference isn’t huge.

Flipping between the two modes is almost instant: Whether you want quiet or conversation, one press on the left earbud is all you need.

Call quality

For the Elite 7 Pro, Jabra has used what it calls MultiSensor Voice technology, which aims to provide better voice pickup through bone conduction-sensing mics. It’s not hype. Jabra’s call quality has always been good, but I was blown away by how much better the Elite 7 Pro are at calls than Jabra’s previous buds. I stood in a parking lot on a windy day, with an active construction site just a few yards away, and yet almost none of that was audible during my tests. A small amount of compression worked its way in there during the loudest moments, but in general, it was superb. And in a relatively quiet spot, it was impeccable.

With Jabra’s adjustable sidetone feature, you can let in as much of your voice as you want, and there’s even a microphone-mute feature you can engage while on a call — something that even pricey earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds don’t offer.

All of this makes the Elite 7 Pro an ideal choice for those who like to talk.

Battery life

Jabra Elite 7 Pro charging case seen next to Jabra Elite 75t charging case.Jabra Elite 7 Pro wirelessly charging case (left) and Jabra Elite 75t charging case. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra claims you’ll get up to eight hours per charge on the Elite 7 Pro earbuds with ANC on, and the key here is the “up to” part. I played music continuously on them with ANC on and volume set at 50%, and while the left earbud made it the full eight hours, the right earbud only managed 7.5 hours. Given that the right earbud was the first to connect and thus the “primary” earbud, this makes sense — it has to do more work. A fast charge of five minutes will buy you an extra hour of use if you’re in a pinch.

With the charging case included, you should be able to get 30 hours of total playtime, and likely a good bit more if you keep ANC and transparency turned off. The numbers aren’t at the top end of what true wireless earbuds can do, but they’re more than sufficient for daily use and all but the longest of travel plans.

Extras

In addition to the wealth of capabilities I’ve described above, this review wouldn’t be complete unless I mentioned some of the lesser-known features that Jabra throws in, like Find My earbuds, adjustable auto-power off timing, and your choice of voice guidance, tone guidance, or none at all. You can choose if you want to cycle through ANC, transparency, and off modes when activating the mode switch, or you can choose any two of those modes. There’s a separate EQ setting just for phone calls. In-ear detection can be used to automatically answer phone calls or mute the mics. And finally, the Sound+ app offers a series of “soundscapes,” some of which are designed to mask external sounds, while others are meant to be more relaxing or meditative.

What’s in the box?

Jabra Elite 7 Pro box contents.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Jabra is getting better and better at making sustainable product boxes. The Elite 7 Pro comes in an attractive, yet fully recyclable cardboard box, with only one small plastic blister pack for the extra eartips. Inside, you’ll find the earbuds, their charging case, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and three sizes of eartip (mediums are installed by default).

Our take

I’ve tried and failed to find something about the Jabra Elite 7 Pro that I don’t like. At this price, nothing beats them. And while better ANC, transparency, and sound quality are available, for most folks, it simply won’t be worth the extra investment to get them.

Is there a better alternative?

No. Jabra has priced the Elite 7 Pro low enough that they obliterate any other set of earbuds that cost around $150 to $200. Your only real options are to spend more on models like the Sony WF-1000XM4, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, or the Master & Dynamic MW08.

How long will they last?

I’m still rocking a set of two-year-old Elite 75t, and while they don’t get constant daily use, they’re still in outstanding shape. I expect the Elite 7 Pro to last for many years. With their IP57 protection, not much will affect them (short of actual immersion in water — don’t do that), and Jabra is so confident in that rating it will extend its normal one-year water and dust warranty to two years if you register your earbuds in the Sound+ app.

Should you buy them?

Yes. They’re an absolutely killer set of true wireless earbuds.

Editors’ Recommendations



28 Jan
Blog

5 Exercises to Help Athletes (Possibly) Prevent Injury

As strength coaches, an athlete’s health should be the top priority. The role of a strength coach is to prepare athletes to play their sport and compete through strength and conditioning programs that are developed to elevate athleticism.

More importantly, a coach’s job is to help reduce injury both on and off the field. New York University Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Assistant Athletic Trainer, Joe Mosher (M.Ed, ATC, CSCS, USAW) feels that:

“We have a duty to our athletes to provide them with a program that not only helps enhance their athleticism but also, and maybe more importantly, provides them with a higher level of injury resilience than they had before. I base everything on the idea that if my athletes are healthy and can compete, then they have at least some chance at winning, regardless of who we play. If they are injured and cannot compete then they have zero chance of winning. Even a one percent chance of winning is still better than a zero percent chance at winning.”

Woman on a lifting platform grabbing a barbell with both hands, prepared to do a snatch

No matter how much stronger, bigger, and faster your athletes are compared to the opposition, if they aren’t healthy, they don’t play. Add these five exercises to your programming to give your athletes the best chance at staving off injuries and staying in the game.

Disclaimer: The content on Breaking Muscle is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. While many of our contributors and experts have respected certifications and degrees, and while some are certified medical professionals, the opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis and/or treatment of health problems.

Eccentric Hamstring Slide

  • What: Hamstring eccentric strength and posterior chain engagement.
  • Why: Whether you are an athlete, runner, or fitness fanatic, your hamstring health plays a pivotal role in performance. The hamstrings are a critical component of force development for jumping, running, pulling, Olympic weightlifting, and strength training. Additionally, the hamstrings work to decelerate and absorb muscular force throughout the landing phases of the running/gait cycle and help to stabilize the knees and hips during open chained activity. Without proper hamstring health in both the concentric and eccentric phases of muscle actions, you could be leaving your athletes and clients open to nagging injuries, such as muscle pulls and strains and loss of training development.
  • How: Perform this exercise either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. The key to doing these is to have controlled lengthening (eccentric) of the muscle, keeping tension and full range of motion (ROM) throughout the movement. Try adding these into your training regimen twice per week, for 2-4 sets of 10-20 controlled (2-3 second eccentric) reps.

90/90 Breathing

  • What: This diaphragmatic breathing technique from the Postural Restoration Institute is great for teaching athletes and clients correct breathing and bracing during lifts and in life. Poor breathing techniques can create stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders, pectoral muscles, lumbar, and anterior hip. This stiffness, combined with intense exercise, can lead to serious injury if left unnoticed.
  • Why: The ability to brace and breathe through the diaphragm and abdominals is key to more stability and joint function in the hips, shoulders, and spine. By teaching athletes how to breathe under both non-stressful and stressful situations, they can improve performance and decrease the likelihood of injury during running, contact sports, overextended and rotational movements, and life.
  • How: Perform this breathing protocol in the warm-up routine prior to resistance training. This exercise is a great way to mentally prepare athletes and clients to become more in tune with their breathing. More importantly, it gives them the core stabilization they need to perform optimally and safely.

X-Band Walk

  • What: Glute activation, hip external rotation, and hip/knee/ankle stability.
  • Why: Glute development is critical for hip health, which is a key player in deadlifts, squats, Olympic weightlifting, jumping, landing, and running, as well as power production and injury prevention. Additionally, the glutes stabilize the hip and knee joints, which tend to be susceptible to injury without adequate stability.
  • How: Perform this movement either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. Depending on the band thickness and the position of the straps, the difficulty can be altered based on the athlete. The farther the bands are from the hip joint, the more resistance. Start with a few sets of 8-10 steps per leg, focusing on strong, controlled steps.

Marches and Skips

  • What: Running, jumping, sprinting mechanics and leg drive technique.
  • Why: The ability to create force is one thing, but most fitness enthusiasts and even some athletes fall short on the ability to apply maximal force using efficient movement mechanics. The result is decreased running speed, economy, wasting of energy, and an increased risk of potential injury. By understanding and engraining sound marches, skips, and running drills in warm-up sets and pre-competition drills, you can teach athletes to not only run faster, but also safer and more efficiently.
  • How: Perform these drills in warm-up sets and/or pre-competition drills. It is imperative to teach the athletes to not allow knee extension as the leg drives upwards, and to maintain proper alignment of the base leg under the torso. Additionally, be sure to have the athlete actively pull the heel to the glutes with the hamstring, and drive his or her foot directly under the center of mass.

Arm Bar

  • What: Scapular stabilization, rotator cuff stability, and shoulder awareness.
  • Why: Whether you are a throwing athlete (baseball, football, softball, volleyball, tennis), weightlifter (snatches and jerks), or avid fitness enthusiast, scapular and shoulder stabilization are critical for optimal force development and injury prevention. The ability to anchor the posterior shoulder will increase the amount of force than can be controlled, decelerated, and ultimately produced at the shoulder joint. Additionally, Mosher states: “(T)he arm bar is a great shoulder disassociation exercise. It teaches the body to move around a stable shoulder. It also trains the rotator cuff in its first actual role of centering the joint as it moves through a full ROM. Lastly, it allows the athlete to develop thoracic mobility at the same time as teaching the shoulder joint to pack tight but still move independently.”
  • How: Perform arm bars either in the corrective or accessory segment of the workout. The key to doing these is to have controlled stability of the shoulder as you turn your body. Make sure to keep the shoulder blades and abs tight, as you stay “stacked” through the upper/mid back. Try these out for 8-10 repetitions per arm, focusing on a brief pause at the top of each repetition.

The Proactive Approach

Take the time to address your athletes’ needs by including these fundamental exercises in their programming. This proactive approach will bulletproof your athletes from injury and keep them on the field and in the gym for years to come.

Learn more about injury prevention:

Programming for Injury Prevention: How to Keep Your Athletes Healthy

The post 5 Exercises to Help Athletes (Possibly) Prevent Injury appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

27 Jan
Blog

Learn How to Get Lean in Quick Steps

Nowadays, getting lean has become the ultimate dream of most people. The heartfelt desire to get a slim body and to be physically active often urges people to take the initiative to shed the fat off their bodies. Proper guidance and counselling are needed to acquire a good body shape and posture, which is often very tough to find. Fortunately, with the help of our guide on How to get lean, stated below, you can kiss your binge-eating days goodbye and get ready to lose excess fat!

Tips on how to get a lean body

Given below are some tips that would help you get a lean figure and feel confident about yourself!

1. Be aware of your body type

One’s ability to gain or lose weight relies basically on one’s body type or more commonly known as a somatotype.

There are three types of somatotype, each having distinct feature:

a. Ectomorphs- Also referred to as hard-gainers, ectomorphs are usually tall, skinny, and have a high metabolic rate. They find it difficult to gain fat and build muscles.

b. Endomorphs- Endomorphs, on the other hand, face difficulty in losing weight.

They have a soft, round body and low metabolism. They gain weight quickly and are the opposite of ectomorphs.

c. Mesomorphs- They have a strong, well-built, muscular body with excellent posture. Mesomorphs have a naturally gifted lean and athletic body.

Keeping their characteristics aside, the endomorphs and mesomorphs are also predisposed to specific disorders. Mesomorphs-endomorphs are subjected to high blood pressure, and they usually suffer from digestive system diseases. They often go through mental problems like anxiety and depression.

2. Eat according to your somatotype

Though ectomorphs have a high metabolism, which allows them to stay slim and lean without additional effort, they face difficulty gaining fat and building muscle mass. An ectomorph must follow a high-calorie diet which should mainly include carbohydrate intake. They should consume foods rich in nutrients like meat, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.

On the other hand, endomorphs should follow a diet rich in protein and healthy fats like lean meat, poultry, dairy products, nuts, and cheese instead of carbohydrates as they are delicate to carbs and can put on weight quickly, So for those looking understand how to get lean, this article is it.

3. Select your calorie intake carefully

You should always know how to differentiate between good calories and bad calories. Good calories are found in food items with high nutrients like whole grains, nuts, meat, and fish. Oppositely, bad calories are found in high-sugar and fast food, which offer no nutrients, like pizza, burgers, and other junk foods. Therefore, one should only consume those foods rich in nutrients and lower in calories, higher in protein, and minimal carbs.

4. Think consistently about your workout regime

Keeping the consumption pattern, you need to follow to get a lean figure in mind; you must be well aware of the different workouts you need to perform.Endomorphs tend to gain weight without any additional effort. Though they can build lean mass without any chaos, they tend to carry excess fat. Endomorphs should try lifting heavy weights as it would help them build muscle mass.On the other hand, Ectomorphs should essentially practice multi-joint lifts like back-squats, front-squats, pull-ups, and bench-press. This is how to get lean properly.

5. Switch over from grains to greens

You can also switch over from foods rich in grains and starches to leafy green vegetables. Green vegetables are rich in fiber and water and can fill up your empty stomach without much hazard. Leafy greens like lettuce, cabbage and broccoli are rich in fiber but low in calories, which are perfect for your consumption.

Frequently asked questions

1. Is it healthy to be lean?

Yes, it is healthy to be lean. Being lean makes you more flexible, healthier, and less likely to be affected by injuries. 

2. Why is it so hard to get lean?

If you are trying to get lean, you need to lose your body fat and not your body weight. The main thing to be noted is that the weight you see on your weighing machine is made up of muscles, bones, fat, water, and so on.

3. How can I stay lean and get stronger?

For starters, get plenty of rest, fulfil your daily caloric requirement, avoid consumption of excess fat and finally, perform light cardio during every workout session.

27 Jan
Blog

6 Reasons To Add Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant To Your Routine

With countless fans, rave reviews and awards, our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant has earned its status as a skincare staple and gentle exfoliator. Here are six reasons to add this beauty editor, celebrity and makeup artist favorite to your routine.

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant

1. Beauty Editor, Celebrity & Fan Reviews

Beauty experts agree that our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant is the key to beautiful skin. Refinery29 Beauty editors call it the perfect choice for keeping skin in tip-top shape between spa visits.

Westworld star Thandiwe Newton swears by it, saying, "All natural and organic, smells divine, and is gentle enough (but really effective) to use morning and night." Celebrity Makeup Artist Pati Dubroff adds Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant to her skincare arsenal and tells NewBeauty it's a must-have for her A-list clients.

Our customers also rave about the Dermafoliant. a customer jenniferShe says: "I love this stuff!!!! I've been using this product for about 9 months. I was turning 50 and realized I needed to start with good skin care… This was recommended to me by a friend. My skin looks amazing!”

2. Made from natural ingredients

With the addition of water, Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant transforms into a creamy paste that sloughs away dead cells and polishes skin's texture, revealing a smooth, flawless-looking complexion.

This popular scrub is enriched with natural ingredients that work together to cleanse and polish the skin. Strawberries with Salicylic Acid gently exfoliate and remove impurities to brighten skin and reduce the appearance of pores. An excellent source of ascorbic acid and vitamins, rhubarb helps minimize the visible signs of aging. Chickpea Flour reduces the appearance of pores, while Lactic Acid and Rice gently slough off dead skin cells to improve skin texture for a rejuvenated appearance.

This formula also contains medicinal peat to deep clean and polish the skin, as well as a Biocomplex, a booster of antioxidants, coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

3. Dermascope Aestheticians' Winner Choice Awards 2021

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant is one of our best-selling products, which is reflected in our awards for this product. In 2021, more than 73,000 licensed estheticians and industry professionals voted our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant as their "Favorite Scrub".

4. Uses both physical and chemical peels

The Dermafoliant uses both physical and chemical peels to polish your skin. The physical exfoliation is thanks to the addition of oil-absorbing rice powder, which polishes and smoothes the skin's texture. At the same time, the formula also contains lactic and salicylic acids to chemically exfoliate away dead skin cells, revealing flawless-looking skin.

5. Multiple ways to exfoliate

Designed to activate when combined with water, the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant is what you would call a powder-to-paste scrub. For correct use, put a small amount of dry powder on your hand, add a few drops of water and rub your hands together. As you add water, watch the creamy paste form. You can either use it neat as a paste or mix it with a detergent if you prefer. It depends on you!

6. Naturally scented

This cleansing daily scrub is formulated with the delicious scent of strawberries and rhubarb. In addition, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, flavonoids and ellagic acid, all of which combine to promote a radiant complexion.

Is Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant part of your skincare routine? We'd love to hear what you love about it! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below or join the conversation on social media.

This article was originally written in January 2018.

27 Jan
Blog

Calorie Deficit: Easy Ways to Cut Down on Calories

What is a calorie deficit for weight loss?

To lose weight you need to consume fewer calories than you expend. When a person's daily calorie intake is less than their daily calorie expenditure, they are in a calorie deficit. If you take in more calories than you expend, you are not in a calorie deficit and you will not lose weight.

Every day the body needs to burn a certain amount of calories to do its job. Calorie needs vary based on the following criteria – age, gender, level of physical activity, etc.

Why is the calorie deficit important for weight loss?

Calories are the units of energy found in food and drink, and a calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than you burn.

The three components of the calories you burn or expend each day – also known as calorie consumption –

Resting Energy Expenditure (REE): The calories your body uses to keep you alive while at rest, such as respiration and blood circulation, are known as REE.

Thermal effect of food: This refers to the calories your body uses to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.

activity energy expenditure : It refers to the calories you burn during exercise and non-exercise activities like gaming or housework.

You put your body in a calorie deficit when you take in fewer calories than it needs to sustain these three components of calorie expenditure. If you do this regularly over a period of time, you will lose weight.

On the other hand, if you frequently feed your body more calories than it needs to do those tasks, you will gain weight. It's called a calorie surplus.

Is it enough to lose weight?

Maintaining a calorie deficit is essential for weight loss, but not the only one. Because the only factor that affects weight is calories.

To lose 1-2 pounds (lb) per week, a person would need to consume 500-1,000 fewer calories per day than their body needs.

When a person is lazy, they move only as much as needed for independent living, but do not exercise or engage in other physical activities. You should start exercising for 30 minutes every day if you can.

How do I achieve a calorie deficit?

A calorie deficit can be achieved by either eating fewer calories, increasing your physical activity, or a combination of both.

Because you may not have the time, energy, or enthusiasm to exercise every day, it may be easier and more sustainable to create a calorie deficit through diet rather than just exercise. Additionally, many people feel that exercise burns more calories than it actually does.

Put another way, it might be easier to eat 500 fewer calories each day than it might be to burn 500 calories through exercise.

9 easy ways to reduce calories

1. Drink fewer calories

Too many sugary drinks can undermine the weight loss process.

According to research, the amount of sugar in the diet influences weight growth. However, most of this could be related to ingestion of sugary beverages.

Beverages are easy to ignore as part of the diet. However, many sugary drinks are high in calories.

Unlike a variety of high-calorie foods, these drinks do not quench hunger and provide the body with insufficient energy. This makes it easy to consume excessively sugary drinks without realizing it.

2. Avoid packaged foods

Sugar, fat, and salt in highly processed meals like sugary drinks, fast food, candy, and cereal in the morning make these high-calorie items more appealing and encourage overconsumption.

If your current diet is high in highly processed foods, gradually replace them with the least processed alternatives. Replace sugary cereals with fruit and oatmeal or lightly salted dried fruit instead of consuming chips.

3. Favor healthy home-cooked meals

Eating home-cooked food can help you take control of your calorie intake. Home-cooked food is lower in calories than outside food. Try to eat more vegetables and fruits and avoid fried foods at home as well.

4. Drink enough water before eating

Drinking water before a meal can make you feel fuller and consume fewer calories.

One researcher discovered that drinking just 2 cups (500mL) of water before a meal reduced calorie expenditure by about 13%.

5. Eat more slowly

Take your time with a meal and chew slowly so you can feel full faster and eat less.

6. Fast intermittently

Intermittent fasting is a popular calorie reduction method that can help with weight loss.

With this diet method, you alternate your eating habits between fasting and eating phases.

It is particularly beneficial for weight loss as it makes it easier to gradually decrease calorie intake.

Intermittent fasting can be done in a variety of ways, so you can easily discover one that works for you.

7. Avoid fried food

Every fried meal adds a lot of unwanted calories and saturated fat. Choose grilled, fried, or poached chicken or fish instead of fried chicken or fish. Don't eat french fries either. A large serving of fries can add over 500 calories to a meal alone. Instead, check whether the daily vegetables or a side salad are sufficient.

8. Do not consume sauce with food.

Ketchup and mayonnaise can add more calories to your diet than you might expect. Adding 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of mayonnaise to your meal adds about 54 calories. Avoiding it is seen as a small but essential step toward reducing calorie intake.

9. Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages.

Many people find that giving up alcohol is an easy approach to losing weight. Because alcohol has no nutritional value, when you drink (drink) it, you're consuming empty calories, up to 500 calories for safely mixed cocktails loaded with syrupy sweeteners, fruit juices, and ice cream or whipped cream.

Another way to achieve a calorie deficit

exercises

Exercising is a crucial aspect of losing weight. If possible, a not very active person should aim to increase their daily activity level.

Find the exercise/exercises that fascinate or interest you the most. This can include things like:

Hiking, leisure sports, cycling, walking instead of taking the lift.

However, if you are interested in intense exercise, we have a diversion for you.

Best full body workout at home without equipment.

Precautions when in a calorie deficit

Don't skimp too much on calories.

A person's health can be at risk if they cut too many calories and don't get enough essential nutrients.

In order to function effectively, the body needs a certain amount of calories. If you cut off too many, you risk a variety of health problems, including:

Not getting enough nutrients can prevent you from building or maintaining bone mass, draining your brain of energy, and slowing your metabolism.

stay active

It would help if you continued exercising or increasing your daily activities to stay fit and active because relying entirely on eating fewer calories can make you lazy.

summary

Maintaining a calorie deficit is essential for weight loss. When a person's daily calorie intake is less than their daily calorie expenditure, they are in a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit can be achieved by either eating fewer calories, increasing your physical activity, or a combination of both.

Simple ways to cut calories include drinking fewer calories, avoiding sauces over food, and intermittent fasting. The other way to achieve a calorie deficit diet is through exercise. You can choose to burn off the calories you eat instead of avoiding those calories.

26 Jan
Blog

The Perfect Exercise To Gain Single-Leg Strength

Also known as the single leg version of the classic squat, the Cossack squat is an exercise that tests your physical strength and flexibility. It primarily works your hamstrings, quads, glutes, and hip adductors. It also targets your core, lower back, and abs, as well as your knees, ankles, joints, and hips. It's considered a unilateral exercise that tends to increase activation of your core muscles and obliques. This exercise can serve as a warm-up for other squat variations. The cossack squat is responsible for building strength and muscle mass in your lower body, so it turns out to be a great exercise.

Below is the ultimate guide on how to easily perform the Cossack Squat and get its maximum benefits.

How to do the Cossack Squat Efficiently:

This exercise is fairly simple and doesn't cause any problems. This guide has all the instructions you need to do this exercise brilliantly:

1. First, start by extending your stance to form a triangle with your legs with the floor. Remember to keep your toes pointing forward. This is your starting position.

2. Now take a deep breath, shift your body weight onto your right leg and squat down with your knees as far back as possible.

3. Make sure your left leg remains straight, your toe is pointing up, and your left foot rotates on your heel.

4. Also remember to keep your torso upright and your right heel should stay on the floor as you bend down.

5. Finally, pause for a few moments and then return to the starting position on the exhale.

Repeat the above steps with your left leg.

Common mistakes that are usually made:

1. You might often be tempted to lift your heel off the ground without giving your ankle enough freedom of movement.

2. Due to a lack of flexibility in your hips, your torso likely has a tendency to arch forward and your back may arch when you perform this movement. To avoid this, bend down as far as your mobility will allow.

Main advantages of the Cossack squat:

1. This exercise allows you to intensely stretch the muscles of your lower body. As you perform this variation of squats, you'll likely feel a stretch in your hamstrings, calves, and inner thigh muscles.

2. It is responsible for building muscle mass and strength in your lower body muscles. This workout puts a significant amount of strength in your glutes and is known to build more mass around them.

3. It serves as a perfect warm-up exercise for other squat variations. Several weightlifters do this.

4. As a unilateral exercise, the Cossack Squat allows you to become more resilient to any type of injury, promotes better core activation, and helps improve body balance.

5. This stretch helps to improve your body's range of motion and is responsible for adding a bit of variety to your exercise routine.

Difference between a Cossack squat and a side lunge:

The main difference between a cossack squat and a side lunge is that the cossack squat starts with a wide stance while a side lunge starts with your feet together. Also, the lunge requires you to clench your feet between reps, while the cossack squat doesn't.

Frequently asked Questions:

1. How many Cossack squats should I do?

You should do at least three sets of 10 reps (5 on each leg) of Cossack squats.

2. What muscles does the Cossack Squat train?

The Cossack Squat primarily works your hamstrings, calves, glutes, obliques, quadriceps, and adductor magnus.

3. How can I improve my Cossack Crouch?

You can improve your Cossack Squat by increasing your knee, ankle, and hip mobility. To improve the performance of this exercise, you also need to improve your range of motion.

26 Jan
Blog

Pokémon Legends: Arceus review: Bidoof of the Wild

A Pokémon trainer rides a deer in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

RRP $60.00

"Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a step in the right direction for the aging series, even if its technical limitations can't always support its ambitions."

benefits

  • Research is rewarding

  • Optimized catching

  • Charming side quests

  • Excellent combat optimizations

disadvantage

  • Tasks can be boring

  • Weak optics

  • Biomes lack variety

For the past seven years, every new Pokémon game has felt like a bright idea scrawled on a napkin. Each new release brings a really clever twist to the franchise, but none have felt like a complete painting. Pokémon Legends: Arceus isn't that definitive version either, more of a museum that collects the best doodles in one place.

In the franchise's biggest departure yet, developer Game Freak has thrown out some of the series' fundamentals. There are no gyms, no Elite Four, and no competitive component. While it takes inspiration from more modern RPG series like Monster Hunter, it's more focused on organizing disparate Pokémon innovations from the 2010s into one place.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus makes bold changes to the time-tested formula, successfully launching the long-needed reinvention of Pokémon. But the technical limitations of the series hang around her neck like an Everstone and prevent her from fully developing.

A professor's game

Bitten by the Breath of the Wild bug, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an open-world reimagining of the monster-collecting series. While it is about catching and fighting, the key verb is explore. Players are transported to an ancient version of the Sinnoh region (called Hisui) and tasked with creating the first Pokédex.

The emphasis on research leads to some ingenious gameplay hooks. Observing Pokémon behavior earns players Research Points, which help create a complete Pokédex entry for the creature. Players earn points by things like catching a Pokémon, using type-effective moves against it in battle, feeding it, etc. It applies the idea of ​​mobile daily challenges to each creature and lets players progress to do virtually anything. It's satisfying to tick boxes, and there are literally thousands here.

Wyrdeer in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Sometimes Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a dream come true. Creatures move freely and can be caught simply by throwing a ball at them without triggering combat, an improvement over Pokemon Let's Go's streamlined catching. Wild creatures can attack players, forcing them to move out of the way. Players can ride creatures like Wyrdeer, jump into the ocean, and switch seamlessly to sailing a Basculegion. Whenever I found myself in the gameplay loop, it truly felt like the seemingly impossible dream game I always envisioned as a kid.

At other times it can be a bit boring. Studying creatures became a torment when I had to do it to improve my star rank (a kind of world progress indicator) and advance the story. It's most reminiscent of Pokémon Go, which plays the replay unconvincingly. Arceus is much better at handling this idea, but it may subside once you've caught your eighth Shinx.

At its best, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a leisurely game where people learn to coexist with the unpredictable creatures around them.

In terms of its scripted content, the game is hit-and-miss. The main story never feels like it takes full advantage of its feudal setting; it just feels like your average Pokemon world minus the extravagant cities. However, side quests are more entertaining. These micro-stories explore the behavior of Pokémon in a fun way. In one mission, players capture a Zubat to help a woman figure out how they can fly in the dark so easily. Another has players on the hunt for a stray driftfloon that continues to play with the village children.

A pair of Hisuian Growliths in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

At its best, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a leisurely game where people learn to coexist with the unpredictable creatures around them. For those who have never been interested in the competitive side of the series, it's a warm, fuzzy experience that rewards players who identify more with professors than coaches.

Super effective

Although fighting isn't the main focus, it's still a core part of the game. While the series' turn-based combat is retained, they've been completely revamped here – and that's the best part. The biggest difference is that Pokémon now have initiative in battle, so a Pokémon's Speed ​​stat is crucial. Instead of both creatures moving back and forth, a turn order determines when each acts. This means that a fast monster can make two attacks before their opponent gets one.

In line with this idea, Arceus introduces a new clutch for movements. When a Pokémon "masters" a move, it can choose to make it Strong or Agile, both of which consume more Power Points. A strong style hits harder, but usually means it gives the opponent an extra move. The agile style does the opposite, trading power for extra moves. These changes make battles even more strategic and exciting, as players have to balance their damage output and attack frequency.

A battle against a Gastrodon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

A creature's move set can be toggled at any time. Each time a move is learned, either through leveling up or by purchasing new moves, it is added to a list. Players don't have to forget a move to set a new one, mercifully removing one of the series' most complicated features.

The fight will be tough, which is great news for gamers who have been begging for the series to challenge them. But it's also been streamlined in all the right ways. On-screen icons communicate better when changing a Pokemon's stats, there's an in-fight tab that explains each active buff or debuff, and players can change Pokemon on the fly without opening a menu. Every single quality of life improvement is outstanding and should make it into the main series.

I have no doubt that many of the mechanics here will make their way into the next mainline Pokémon game based on how fans get them here.

But I felt at times like playing around in a design proving ground. This is particularly evident in noble Pokémon battles, which are repeated in the Sun and Moon Totem Battles. Here, players face off against a powerful monster by repeatedly throwing balm at it, sending out Pokémon to weaken it, and dodging attacks.

While they're an excellent change of pace, there's only a handful of them throughout the adventure, and only the final fight or two really hold the concept. In the first noble fight against Kleavor, I didn't even send out a single Pokémon to defend myself. I just kept pressing a button to throw balm – not exactly a Monster Hunter-quality fight.

A Kleavor in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

Few of the ideas here, both in and out of combat, feel like the final draft. Instead, Arceus is a safe place for game freaks to test new ideas without freaking out longtime gamers. I have no doubt that many of the mechanics here will make their way into the next mainline Pokémon game based on how fans get them here. It just makes this game feel like a solid opening storyline.

slow development

When it comes to the tech, I won't mince my words: Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ugly game. I say this as someone who has openly poked fun at people who have complained about the visuals of Sword and Shield. While I felt the unassuming art style suited this game well enough, it less suited an open-world game built on being awe-inspiring.

Landscape textures shift and load jerkily as players move through the world. Sometimes distant Pokémon move in a two-frame animation. Character clothing is muddy when shown up close, with more jagged lines than a GameCube game. The "pop-in" edition of Sword and Shield is back too, and it's a lot more frustrating considering the fun of an open-world game is being able to see something in the distance and travel there.

I won't mince my words: Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an ugly game.

The open-world design itself isn't inspired either. Instead of throwing players into a massive world, it breaks them up into five different biomes. Each has a specific theme, meaning you don't get a lot of visual variety. When you are in the grass zone it is just fields and trees for miles with little variety. Some other areas honestly look the same but with slightly different textures or lighting. That's a shame from Sword and Shield's surprisingly well-designed Isle of Armor DLC, which features an intricate, varied island.

A trainer is trying to catch a Bidoof in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

There aren't many environmental mysteries to uncover, which is what made Breath of the Wild's Hyrule so satisfying. Instead, it's a large empty room built to hold Pokémon – one that at times feels like a test prototype.

While I've really enjoyed my time with the game, it's also a little frustrating. It shows how icy the franchise is in implementing change. For the past seven years, every single Pokémon game (mainline and spinoff alike) has experimented with really neat ideas, but all come close to presenting the best version of it. I always look forward to a follow up that really pulls it together.

With Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I'm in exactly the same place. I'm already imagining how the next Pokémon game will incorporate all of these new mechanics and make the game of my dreams a reality. But that's a few years away, and the franchise already feels like it's consistently five years behind. Arceus is a step in the right direction, but still has a lot of catching up to do.

Our opinion

Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes many experimental turns – and many of them are successful. The switch to research-oriented gameplay does a better job of rewarding players for every little thing they do. The quality of life changes it brings to the table are excellent across the board and feel like they're going to become standard in the future series. It is only held back by some initial design ideas and weak visuals that fail to support the project's ambitions. Despite its issues, it still gives me hope that the series is finally ready to move on.

Is there a better alternative?

For more traditional fans, grab Pokemon Sword and Shield and its secretly good DLCs. These games feature some of the same open-world experimentation along with the normal series hooks.

How long it will take?

I can't reveal the length of the story per embargo guidelines, but it's an open world game with lots to do. Between researching, completing side quests, and finding collectibles, I imagine it will keep dedicated fans occupied for dozens of hours.

should you buy it

Yes. Though it has its warts, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an intriguing and much-needed reset for the aging series. It's a cozy experience that fits the Nintendo Switch perfectly.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was tested on a Nintendo Switch OLED in handheld mode and on a docked TCL 6-Series R635.

Editor's Recommendations



26 Jan
Blog

Nvidia RTX 3050 review: Budget GPUs are officially back

RTX 3050 graphics card under PC accessories.

Nvidia RTX 3050 review: Budget GPUs are officially back

RRP $249.00

"The RTX 3050 is a return to budget GPUs for Nvidia, with solid performance backed by DLSS."

benefits

  • Solid 1080p gaming performance

  • Low list price

  • Supports DLSS

  • Decent ray tracing

disadvantage

  • Prices will likely be high

  • Slight stuttering in memory intensive games

2022 is the year that budget GPUs will make a comeback – or at least it looks like it. I assumed that GPU class was dead; Nvidia eventually skipped the RTX 2050 and prices for the best graphics cards continue to rise. The $249 RTX 3050 is a return to form and could be the most affordable GPU this year.

I had a chance to test the card and while it holds its own against the rest of the Nvidia lineup and AMD's competition, it's its features that set the RTX 3050 apart from the rest. With rumors of increased supply and an attractive list price, the RTX 3050 could be an antidote to the GPU shortage that budget-conscious gamers have been waiting for.

Prices and Availability

RTX 3050 graphics card sits upright.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Nvidia hasn't released a reference design for the RTX 3050, but the company has still set a list price of $249. There are a number of options from board partners including graphics cards from EVGA, PNY, Colorful and Asus. I got my hands on the EVGA RTX 3050 XC Black, which is available now for $249.

My card arrived with the wrong BIOS intended for the slightly more expensive EVGA RTX 3050 XC. This BIOS offers a 68MHz boost clock speed. It's a difference, but no more than 3% at most, and you can easily compensate for it with manual overclocking.

Like all graphics cards in 2022, expect the RTX 3050 to sell out right away. The saving grace is that models are available at list price on launch day. That's cheaper than you can currently buy almost any graphics card, including options that are several years old.

On paper, the RTX 3050 is $50 more expensive than the recently released AMD RX 6500 XT. I haven't had a chance to test AMD's card yet, but the amount of benchmarks I've seen shows that the RTX 3050 deserves its higher price tag. Not only does the extra $50 buy you a more powerful GPU, it also gets Nvidia Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and ray tracing, which isn't bad.

The RTX 3050 is cheaper than the RX 6500 XT.

If you can get an RTX 3050 for $250, you should – there's no better value in today's GPU market. However, that is not the reality for most. Once the starting stock gets into the hands of scalpers, you can expect to pay twice the list price. The RTX 3060, for example, costs around $750 on the used market.

For the RTX 3050 I expect used prices to be around $500. In that case, the RX 6500 XT is about $100-$150 less. Still, the RTX 3050 is better value for money in my eyes. The performance of the RTX 3050 isn't nearly as important as the fact that it's a 30-series GPU. Even as nothing more than a vessel for DLSS and ray tracing, it's still more impressive than AMD's competing graphics card.

specifications

The RTX 3050 is a true budget graphics card and has the specs to match. The card, which sits at the bottom of Nvidia's current lineup, slices off a number of cores from the RTX 3060, cutting power consumption by almost half and capping the amount of video memory. However, unlike some newer GPU versions I've seen, the RTX 3050 has no issues based on the spec sheet.

CUDA cores increase speed storage capacity TDP price
RTX3050 2.304 1.74GHz 8GB GDDR6 90W $249
RTX3060 3,584 1.77GHz 12GB GDDR6 170W $329
RTX 3060Ti 4,864 1.67GHz 8GB GDDR6 200W $399
RTX3070 5,888 1.73GHz 8GB GDDR6 220W $499

The most noticeable change compared to the RTX 3060 is the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The RTX 3050 pushes that memory through a smaller 128-bit bus, reducing memory bandwidth to 224 GB/s. Also, the RTX 3050 drops about 36% of the RTX 3060's CUDA cores.

In return, the card runs at a much lower wattage. 90W is all you need for the base spec, meaning you can buy with a 250W power supply. Performance limits continue to rise and for the first time we have an RTX 30 series graphics card running under 100W.

Ports on the RTX 3050 graphics card.The EVGA RTX 3050 XC Black includes three DisplayPort connectors and a single HDMI. Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Compared to AMD, the RTX 3050 stands out with its PCIe interface. Like most current generation GPUs, the RTX 3050 supports PCIe 4.0. The RTX 3050 supports 16 tracks – in contrast to the recently released RX 6500 XT. That should give systems bound to PCIe 3.0 – any platform below 12th Gen Intel and AMD Ryzen 5000 – uninterrupted bandwidth.

gaming performance

The RTX 3050 stacked on another graphics card.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The RTX 3050's main competitor is AMD's RX 6500 XT. I don't have an RX 6500 XT to test at the moment – although I'll update this review with benchmarks once my unit arrives – but I still wanted to get an idea of ​​how Nvidia's latest budget attempt stacks up. I used AMD's RX 580. It's an older GPU, but the benchmarks I've seen show that it's about on par with an RX 6500 XT.

To eliminate the CPU, I ran my tests on the latest build of Windows 10 with a Ryzen 9 5950X and 32GB of memory. Here are my results at 1080p with the highest graphics preset:

RTX3050 RTX3060 RX6600 RX580
3DMark Time Spy 6,749 8,629 8,071 4,820
Red Dead Redemption 2 52 fps 65 fps 59 fps 35 fps
Fourteen days 79 fps 132 fps 98 fps 56 fps
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 55 fps 64 fps 71 fps 42 fps
Battlefield V 92 fps 123 fps 120 fps 74 fps

Outside of the suite, the RTX 3050 only managed over 60 frames per second (fps) in Battlefield V and Fortnite. It's no big surprise, but the card failed to meet that coveted framerate target in Red Dead Redemption 2 or Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The RTX 3050 is a 1080p graphics card, but it doesn't target the highest graphics preset.

Lower graphics presets were much more impressive – 64 fps in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and 134 fps in Battlefield V. In 2022, most graphics cards won't let you choose a lower graphics preset with the right resolution. The RTX 3050 does, but that's not a bad thing. If anything, it shows how little the highest preset does and how much performance you can gain by turning the settings down.

Compared to the RX 580, you can see how much faster a budget GPU should be in 2022. The RTX 3050 was approximately 40% faster in 3DMark Time Spy, 41% faster in Fortnite, and 24% faster in Battlefield V. I haven't had a chance to test the RX 6500 XT yet, but I've seen enough to say that the RTX 3050 is the faster card.

The RTX 3050 is about 20% slower than the RTX 3060, but 25% cheaper.

That's what you see at the bottom of the barrel options though. Conversely, the RTX 3050 was about 20% slower than the RTX 3060 in Red Dead Redemption 2. In Battlefield V, the difference was even greater at 25%. The RTX 3060 hits a sweet spot that the RTX 3050 can't handle. However, the RTX 3050 is about 25% cheaper and only 20% slower.

There were issues outside of raw performance. Storage caused issues that aren't reflected in average frame rates. In Battlefield V, my first few runs resulted in minimum frame rates in the single digits, which manifested as stuttering during the playthrough. It depends on the smaller memory bus and 8 GB of VRAM. Titles with many high-resolution textures experienced stuttering when loading the game and assets were dragged into memory.

PX1 logo on the RTX 3050 graphics card.

nvidia rtx 3050 review 5

Still, the RTX 3050 lands where it should. And compared to the competition AMD is presenting right now, that's great. I still think the RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti hit the price/performance mark better than the RTX 3050; However, there's a good chance the RTX 3050 will sell for significantly less than these cards on the used market.

Content Creation Performance

The RTX 3050 is a gaming graphics card and you should get something more powerful if you plan on using it primarily for 3D modeling or rendering. I still wanted to throw the card on a few content creation benchmarks to see how it fares, and while the results aren't terrible, they're not great either.

RTX3050 RTX3060 RX6600 RX580
Blender BMW (lower is better) 76 seconds 45 seconds 86 seconds 168 seconds
Blender Classroom (lower is better) 279 seconds 208 seconds 167 seconds 370 seconds
Blender Koro (lower is better) 227 seconds 162 seconds 156 seconds N / A
Pugetbench for Premiere Pro 766 703 605 603

On the three Blender renders, the RTX 3050 was about 32% slower than the RTX 3060 and similarly slow compared to the RX 6600. It had better performance in PugetBench for Premiere Pro, but as is the case with the RX 6600 and RTX 3060 , this benchmark relies heavily on the CPU and system memory.

Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card sits on the back.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Compared to the RX 580, it's no competition. The RTX 3050 can use CUDA for rendering, unlike the RX 6600 and RX 580, resulting in faster render times than OpenCL. I've seen significantly higher render times with the RX 580, and in the case of the Koro renderer, I couldn't even complete the test.

Make no mistake: the RTX 3050 is not a good graphics card for content creation. It holds its own, but upgrading to a higher class of graphics card — either from AMD or Nvidia — will pay off exponentially.

DLSS and ray tracing

GeForce logo on the RTX 3050.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

For the first time in a while, Nvidia differentiates itself not with raw performance but with a list of features. DLSS is an essential feature for the most demanding games, and last but not least, the RTX 3050 offers a way to use DLSS in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Control. It also offers hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which works significantly better than AMD's competition.

RTX3050 RTX3060 RX6600
Control (no RT) 58 fps 76 fps 67 fps
control (high RT) 35 fps 47 fps 27 fps
Control (High RT + DLSS) 62 fps N / A N / A
Cyberpunk 2077 (no RT) 47 fps 59 fps 46 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra RT) 23 fps 28 fps 10 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra RT + DLSS) 47 fps N / A N / A

My results above were run using the same testbench at 1080p with the highest graphics preset. I've included the RTX 3060 and RX 6600 for reference, not as competition for the RTX 3050. These two cards are in a class above the RTX 3050, and unsurprisingly they perform better across the board.

However, I didn't expect how close the RTX 3050 would be to the RX 6600. With ray tracing enabled, you can see how quickly the RX 6600 is falling apart. In Control, where the two GPUs hit almost identical average frame rates, the RX 6600 sunk much lower than the RTX 3050 with ray tracing turned on.

DLSS is the best feature of the RTX 3050 – no competition.

It's a testament to how solid Nvidia's ray tracing cores are, but really, you wouldn't play any of the above games at their ray tracing frame rates. This is where DLSS comes into play. Even in modest Balanced mode, the RTX 3050 maintained performance as if ray tracing was turned off. In the case of Control, the average framerate was actually higher.

DLSS isn't present in every game, but the list of supported titles keeps growing. For a large chunk of major AAA releases that wouldn't otherwise be playable on the RTX 3050, DLSS makes it possible to play new games with all the visual bells and whistles. It's the best feature of the RTX 3050 – no competition.

Our opinion

The RTX 3050 is a graphics card that wins by default. Compared to the tragic RX 6500 XT, Nvidia could have released almost any graphics card and prevailed. On its own, the RTX 3050 is a good graphics card that manages to deliver performance that scales with its price, and that's all I can ask for.

It earns an extra point on the back of DLSS, which catapults the RTX 3050 from a good – but not great – GPU into a top choice for gamers on an extreme budget. Prices are inflated now, but hopefully we'll see plenty of $250 RTX 3050s by the end of the year – quite unlike Nvidia's recently released 12GB RTX 3080.

Are there alternatives?

Not now. Nvidia jumped that price point with the previous generation, and AMD's RX 6500 XT falls woefully behind the RTX 3050. The only alternatives are the premium GPUs from Nvidia. Hopefully by the end of 2022 you can find something like an RTX 2070 or RTX 2060 Super for around the same price.

How long it will take?

The RTX 3050 is not built for the future. It barely hits the mark for 1080p AAA gaming right now, and within a few years you'll be struggling to hit sustained frame rates at the highest graphics settings. If you're okay with turning your settings down, or you mostly play less demanding games, it should last four to five years.

DLSS also helps a lot. Assuming the list of DLSS games continues to grow, you'll be able to enjoy the power of the RTX 3050 for many years to come.

should you buy it

If you can find the RTX 3050 at list price, buy it. After launch, it comes down to what price you can find the RTX 3050 at. It's a solid graphics card, but you're better off with the RTX 3060 or RTX 3060 Ti if you can find one for a reasonable price.

Editor's Recommendations



25 Jan
Blog

Rainbow Six Extraction review: It’s dangerous to go it alone

A squad shoots an alien in Rainbow Six Extraction.

Rainbow Six extraction

RRP $39.99

"Rainbow Six Extraction's ridiculous storyline and repetitive nature prevent the experimental spin-off from realizing its full potential."

benefits

  • Fresh squad tactics

  • Beautiful optics

disadvantage

  • Nonsensical story

  • Playing alone is no fun

  • Repetitive Goals

  • Frustrating Difficulty

Ubisoft's Tom Clancy games brand is in the midst of an identity crisis. What originally began with addictive tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell is now home to competitive shooters with wacky names like XDefiant, Battle Royales, and now a Left 4 Dead-inspired co-op shooter where players battle an alien parasite .

Rainbow Six Extraction evolved from a limited time mode of the popular competitive multiplayer shooter Rainbow Six Siege. It's an attempt to bring Siege's methodical, team-oriented gameplay into a co-op environment while pushing the boundaries of what the Rainbow Six sub-series can be about.

Rainbow Six Extraction is a perfect example of the current Tom Clancy branded battle. While its more tactical pace stands out within the cooperative shooter genre, the lack of a compelling narrative and repetitive gameplay mean that the best aspects of the game don't get the time to shine.

Weak narration

Typically, Ubisoft's Rainbow Six video games are rooted in realistic military-tangential conflicts. We've seen this premise stretched more and more with every new game that uses this label, but Rainbow Six Extraction is officially jumping the shark.

A race of aliens called Archaeans and their Chimera parasite have attacked Earth. In response, several Rainbow Six Siege Operators band together to form the Rainbow Exogenous Analysis & Containment Team (REACT) in an attempt to fight back against this overwhelming threat.

Ubisoft doesn't seem to care much about the storyline of Rainbow Six Extraction.

REACT is led by three notable Rainbow Six Siege Operators – Ash, Thermite, and Mira. As a spin-off from Rainbow Six Siege, Extraction had the opportunity to expand Siege's story and allow us to get to know some of the most popular Operators better. We've seen Riot Games successfully do this for League of Legends champions via the Netflix show Arcane and spin-offs from Riot Forge that focused on specific characters.

Character with parasites in Rainbow Six Extraction.

Unfortunately, that's far from what we get. Ubisoft doesn't seem to care much about the storyline of Rainbow Six Extraction. There are only about 11 minutes of cutscenes (including a tutorial debrief and a pre-game movie). Most operators lack personality and the threat doesn't scale narratively in a compelling way.

If Rainbow Six Extraction had a compelling story, the ridiculousness of the premise would take a backseat. Instead, the game feels out of place in the broader franchise. Rainbow Six Extraction wants the gameplay loop to keep you engaged for the long term, not the story, but the results there have been mixed.

Same old grind

Rainbow Six Extraction has as much in common with Firaxis' XCOM strategy game series as it has with previous Rainbow Six titles. Slowly and tactically, players move through alien-infested areas, completing objectives ranging from capturing elite enemies to taking samples from nests that spawn archaeans. If XCOM was a first-person shooter instead of a turn-based strategy game, it would look a lot like Rainbow Six Extraction.

A squad attacks an alien in Rainbow Six Extraction.

Another thing Rainbow Six Extraction has in common with XCOM is that it's excruciatingly difficult. Most Archaeans that players encounter are in some ways as powerful as them, if not more so. Some will explode, some will trap you in the spiky mud the Archaen leave behind, and some will just savagely attack you.

Rainbow Six Extraction's more methodical approach to gameplay helps the game stand out from its competitors.

Playing smart is required to complete just one high health objective, and each run has at least three objectives for players to complete. If the player fails, his teammates will have to extract his body. Otherwise, their Operators will become MIA and then have to be rescued and extracted during another run across one of the game's most frustrating objectives.

Most cooperative shooters like to focus on speed and bombast, so Rainbow Six Extraction's more methodical approach to gameplay helps the game stand out from its competitors.

While the tactical gameplay feels fresh, the overall package is flimsy. In total, Rainbow Six Extraction features 13 different objectives for players to solve. Players will see each objective the game offers within hours and then be asked to repeat them ad nauseam.

Various maps offer a change of scenery, and Rainbow Six Extraction generally looks great on next-gen systems. Still, these levels don't feel very different. As such, it's a tedious process of getting the same objectives in the same areas over and over again, with the only real variation being the randomness of enemy placement and order of objectives. The endgame variations don't add much spice either, as they just add extra steps to progression or limit the operators that can be used.

Whether it's more objectives to make the grind less frustrating or a more compelling narrative to inspire people to keep playing, Rainbow Six Extraction needs a better engine to keep players going.

Team up with friends

Playing with people you know allows you to carefully plan your next move, and the whole experience comes together pretty well. The MIA system also adds real bets to every player action. However, if you stray too far from it, the experience becomes much less enjoyable. It's no fun playing Rainbow Six Extraction alone.

Soldiers shoot aliens in Rainbow Six Extraction.

While single player assaults are possible, the difficulty gets a bit too overwhelming. Operators are much more likely to die and become MIA, and rescuing a missing Operator is nearly impossible without dying when you're alone.

A cutscene with some operators challenging solo missions actually plays when players first try to invade, so even Ubisoft seems to know this isn't the best way to play. The next best solution is to go for quick play and do raids with random players, but that depends on the luck of the draw.

Some players will be cautious and communicate, while others will simply run off with guns blazing and ruin any strategy that Rainbow Six Extraction encourages. If you don't have two friends to play with, really consider whether or not you're willing to put up with these troubles.

A multiplayer-oriented game will always be more fun when played with friends, but games like Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood are still just as fun in single player or with random players as they are with friends. They also don't feel as ridiculously punishing and repetitive as Rainbow Six Extraction in single player.

Operators prepare to advance into the Rainbow Six Extraction subzone.

An odd offshoot with good ideas, Rainbox Six Extraction feels too ambitious to be a Rainbow Six Siege expansion but too repetitive to compete with its genre peers. Rainbow Six Siege players may enjoy this change of pace, but even then the setting is so different from standard Tom Clancy or Rainbow Six games that hardcore audiences might feel alienated. Rainbow Six Extraction is competently done in many ways, but not compelling enough to be worth most players' time.

Our opinion

While Rainbow Six Extraction stands out within its genre and the entire Tom Clancy line of games, it rarely does so to its advantage. This extremely difficult experience becomes more frustrating when you play it alone or with random players. If someone is looking for a highly engaging cooperative game to play with their best friends, Rainbow Six Extraction may grab their attention, but its repetitiveness and horrible grind can get to players after a while.

Is there a better alternative?

The cooperative horde shooter genre is currently in the midst of a renaissance. I would recommend Back 4 Blood as a consistently more engaging and exciting game within the same genre. If you like the tactical nature of the game and the premise of the alien invasion, check out the strategy game XCOM 2.

how long will you last

While unlocking each operator, map, and mode can easily take 20+ hours, Rainbow Six Extraction has no final ending point and is designed to be played almost endlessly.

should you buy it

No. If you're a fan of Rainbow Six Siege or co-op shooters and have friends to play it with, Rainbow Six Extraction might be worth a peek at Xbox Game Pass. However, I would not recommend spending money on it.

Rainbow Six Extraction was tested on an Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass.

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