Nokia 5.3 Review: $199 Really Can Buy You a Good Smartphone

hmd global nokia 5 3 Review backhand

Nokia 5.3 test: $ 199 can really buy a great smartphone

"The Nokia 5.3 offers everyday performance and future-proof software at an affordable price."

  • Two days of battery life

  • Large screen size

  • Two years of software updates

  • NFC for Google Pay

  • Camera disappointed

  • The screen lacks brightness

High-performance smartphones that cost $ 400 can do everything that many people expect from a cell phone, but what about phones that cost half as much? The Nokia 5.3 from HMD Global only costs $ 199 or £ 149. After a week on the phone, however, I can safely say that you won't cut the quality and performance of a more expensive model in half – in most regions. at least.

The Nokia 5.3 will surprise you with its functions, its software and its general capabilities as an everyday smartphone. No, the camera and screen aren't the best models, but you shouldn't expect them to be. If you buy the Nokia 5.3 and know what it can and can't do, you get one of the best smartphone values ​​I've seen in a while.

design

The back of the Nokia 5.3 is made of a plastic composite that is easy to grip but has no pleasant texture. It also has some flex and curves around the side to hit the plastic frame, which then leads into the 6.55-inch screen. The phone is 8.5 mm thick and weighs only 185 grams. It feels good in the hand but is wide, so owners with small hands may find it uncomfortable.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

In addition to the volume rocker and the SIM compartment, there are two other buttons on the housing of the Nokia 5.3. The power switch is an obvious necessity and is located under the volume rocker. A notification light is built in that is bright and eye-catching. It pulsates when there are messages waiting for you on the phone. This is useful when there is no screen and the positioning is unusual and noticeable.

The second button feels superfluous. It's on the opposite side and calls Google Assistant. I often accidentally pressed it when I picked up the phone or juggled with one hand. This is annoying, because unlocking the phone adds several extra steps, or taking extra seconds to cancel at other times. There's a way to turn the button off, but there's no way to reconfigure it for something more useful. Nokia has added a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single speaker at the bottom. It has a lot of volume but no bass, which results in a hard and thin sound.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

On the back is a quad sensor camera module that protrudes very easily from the body and is attached over a fingerprint sensor. The design is no different from many other phones in recent years, including the OnePlus 7T and the Poco F2 Pro, and is harmlessly attractive.

This phone doesn't look like it will cost $ 199, and that's the big advantage here. You don't get an ugly phone that screams "cheap" when you take off or look at it, but a reserved and balanced design. I suggest that you buy the Nokia 5.3 in either cyan or sand instead of the boring charcoal color of my test model to make the phone more attractive.

screen

The 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen on the front shows where money was saved. The resolution is 1,600 x 720 pixels, which means that YouTube videos are played with a maximum of 720p. While this is perfectly acceptable for a phone at this price, I have found that it suffers from a lack of brightness. I had to crank up the brightness most of the time, and even then it is difficult to see in bright sunlight. The automatic brightness function is also annoyingly random and rarely settles on a single level before fluctuating again and never at the right point.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

With the selfie camera at the top of the screen there is a drop notch and at the bottom a small chin bezel with Nokia logo. Assuming the maximum brightness and the intrusive night light function that reduces the blue light (it affects the colors too much, especially when scrolling), the screen is suitable for everyday use. Just don't expect it to be a media powerhouse.

However, you can expect it to be satisfactory. The low resolution means that details are missing, but I found the screen to have a very cool color palette by default. It cries out for more brightness, and some videos may lack life and vibrancy. However, this is not the real aim of the phone, and the Nokia 5.3 works well for casual viewing. I also like that the screen is huge, so you don't feel that the low price has led to other visual compromises outside of resolution.

camera

Even phones that cost $ 199 now have four lens camera sensors, but they shouldn't. The main camera of the Nokia 5.3 has 13 megapixels and an aperture of 1: 1.8. There is also a 5-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The selfie camera in the teardrop notch has 8 megapixels.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's functional, but not inspiring. As with the screen, expectations have to be mitigated because it is inconsistent and rarely took a photo that I want to share without editing. Neither the wide-angle nor the standard lenses provide the right lighting every time, either over- or underexposed, and the dynamic range also varies greatly between the two. Macro shots are as overwhelming as you would expect from a 2 megapixel sensor.

There is a night mode, but the shots are only slightly better than those without, and also a portrait mode. Edge detection is decent, but you have to wait for the camera to process the shots. When you switch to the selfie camera, the results often look washed out in bright conditions. However, the results are acceptable indoors.

If you combine all of this with slow software, the Nokia 5.3's camera is a letdown. This is a cheap phone and it will never take the best in terms of the camera, but there should still be a standard that needs to be maintained. Fast software and constant performance are required at all costs. I would rather have a camera with a lens that takes good photos than a camera with four lenses that takes mediocre photos.

Software and performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor with 3 GB, 4 GB or 6 GB RAM supplies the Nokia 5.3 with power. My rating phone is 4 GB and can handle tasks like social networking apps, messaging and calls with ease. If you do something more intense, including using YouTube, speed can suffer. Switching from landscape to portrait mode takes a few seconds, for example, and quitting performance-hungry game apps leads to a longer pause while the phone sorts itself out.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The benchmark tests are as follows:

Geekbench 5: 308 single core / 1312 multi core

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 1129 (volcano)

It's the same chip used in the Motorola Moto G8, Moto G Fast, and G Power, and the results are similar. Do you think you cannot play on Nokia 5.3? Think again No, it's not a ROG Phone 2, but I played Asphalt 9 Legends happily enough. Sure, it's not the smoothest experience, but it never develops into a situation that makes it unplayable. 1945 and playing Hill Climb Racer was fine too.

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The Nokia 5.3 is an Android One phone. This means that the software is similar to Google Pixel phones, with no special user interface, additional apps, or other changes to Google's basic Android style. Android One also ensures regular and timely software updates. The phone receives Android 11 when it arrives and will be updated for the next two years in total. This is a serious selling point and ensures that your cheap smartphone purchase will not be out of date in the near future.

Aside from a few performance stutters, it runs very smoothly, and I think it's good that it has a dark mode and also comes with NFC for Google Pay. Again, this is another big advantage since some competing devices don't have this feature at all.

Battery and security

The 4,000 mAh battery in combination with the low resolution screen and the mid-range processor gave me great hopes for the battery life of the Nokia 5.3. In reality, it was nothing better than most other phones, regardless of the specification. I mostly tested the Nokia at home and therefore connected to Wi-Fi most of the time.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

For me, average usage includes social media, some photos, some video and voice calls, and news and a little bit of games. The Nokia lasted almost two full days, but only if the second day is less intense than the first. Video puts additional strain on the battery. The charging process takes place only via cable, and here too there is no quick charging.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Security is exactly what you want: a simple but secure fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone and a face unlock, both of which are fast and largely reliable. However, the rear fingerprint sensor didn't work well with wet fingers. It has a handy feature that swipes down to pull down the notification shadow on the screen.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Nokia 5.3 can be purchased in the US for $ 199 from Amazon. In the UK, it costs £ 149 and is available in Nokia's own online shop, Amazon and Argos.

The device is warranted for two years in the United Kingdom, but only for one year in the United States.

Our opinion

When reading this review, you run the risk of believing that the Nokia 5.3 is not worth buying. As with any phone, I've pointed out the drawbacks, but it's important to put them in context. The Nokia 5.3 costs $ 199, it does everything a smartphone could want, and it does some things quite well. You can find much better phones, but at the same time the Nokia 5.3 can easily handle what most people need a phone for.

It's refreshing to see that at $ 199 you buy an attractive, modern smartphone that plays top games, runs all your apps, and has enough power and battery to be a reliable companion for everyday life. Just be prepared for the fact that it doesn't have the excellent photography or display quality that you would expect from a model over $ 700.

Is there a better alternative?

For $ 199? The options are limited. Take a look at the Motorola Moto G Power for $ 249 or the Motorola Moto G Fast for $ 199 if you want similar alternatives. However, to really buy a better phone, you have to spend a lot more. We recommend the Apple iPhone SE for $ 399, the Poco F2 Pro for $ 500, or the OnePlus 8 for $ 600. Google has set the Pixel 3a. However, if you find another one, it is a solid buy.

How long it will take?

The Nokia 5.3 is not waterproof, but the composite back is scratch-resistant. Thanks to the Android One platform, HMD Global also promises software updates for the next two years. This is a significant advantage over the Motorola alternatives. Provided you don't expect your own phone to change use, Nokia 5.3 easily holds the entire two-year guaranteed software update period.

Should you buy it

Yes. Don't let the negatives catch you and instead rejoice that you can buy a powerful everyday smartphone for $ 199.

Editor's recommendations




The Technics TWS Earbuds Sound Good, but Isolate Even Better

technics tws az70 review panasonic tsw earphones 2

"Expect crisp, bright audio and incredible high-end design noise cancellation."

  • Bright, clear audio emphasizes the vocals

  • Excellent noise cancellation

  • Light and pluggable

  • Sensitive touch controls

  • Comfortable fit

  • Audio is not balanced in the lower registers

  • A bit bulky when worn

Panasonic was slow and steady with its first entry into the noise canceling earphone market in June, but it was just beginning. Technics' high-end TWS EAH-AZ70W active noise canceling earphones from Technics are trying to make a statement with impressive specifications on paper and a luxurious price of $ 249.99.

Will the specs and high price become earphones you want to own? Let's go into that.

Small and shiny

The Technics TWS earphones share a design philosophy with the Panasonic RZ-S500Ws. They are compact buds that fit perfectly in a small charging case. This case is not the smallest we have ever seen since the Jabra Elite 75t case is smaller, the RZ-S500W case is about an inch shorter, and the Apple AirPods Pro case is also small. Nevertheless, it is about two thirds the size of the housing of the Sony WF-1000XM3 and can easily be put in your pocket.

Each earphone is connected to a blunt, bar-like cylinder, which is covered with a touch-sensitive pad made of brushed aluminum. They are a bit bulky and even when they are fully pressed into my ear canal, the buds stick out noticeably from the sides of my head. This is a complaint that was shared in our Panasonic RZ-S500W review.

Some companies, like Apple, choose to move components down towards the earlobe, or in the case of Sony, inward toward the jaw, but Panasonic / Technics has chosen to go outside of your head.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Overall, the design meets my expectations for premium earphones. The case is a plastic interior surrounded by brushed aluminum, and the top of the case is nicely embossed with the Technics logo. The combination is easy without feeling cheap. The buds themselves feel solid despite the low weight of only 6.5 grams per bud, which is 8.3 grams less than the Sony WF-1000XM3. Yes, I weighed them.

Fit, finish and function

I have a narrow ear canal, so I used the extra small silicone tips, one of five sizes that are included in the technique. These buds are not designed for use during activity, so they do not have a high IPX rating (IPX4) and do not contain "wings" to stabilize them in your ear. You feel safe when you are sitting in a cafe, on a plane, or at your desk. To run? Not as much.

As previously mentioned, Technics designed the buds to hang their weight outward from your head, which affects balance. I found that I often adjusted their fit during listening sessions because either the right or left bud fell out of my ear canal.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

Several repeated tests were required to find out. However, if you don't carry the buds exactly right, they can feel uncomfortable. The key is to make sure the Technics logo is flat at the end of the touchpad. Once I did that, they fit well and comfortably in my ear and were comfortable for long listening sessions. If they fit properly, the earplug is at the bottom of the cylinder, with most of the bud over it and resting well in the outer wall of the ear cup.

The Technics TWS have a touchpad on the brushed silver cap at the end of each earphone. It is sensitive. I accidentally touched the pad and paused a song while trying to adjust the fit in my ear. It works with a gloved hand. This is good news if you wear mittens and want to skip a song while listening to music.

The buds are compatible with Amazon Alexa and can be set up quickly and easily using the Technics Audio Connect app. There is also support for Google Assistant or Siri.

Unlike other earphones on the market, the Technics TWS does not recognize whether they have been removed from your ear and pauses automatically. This is not a standard feature in the industry, but it is present in competing products.

Connection and battery life

Getting started with Technics TWS was easy. When you take them out of the packaging, put them in the charging case and then remove them, the pairing mode is activated. My phone was able to connect to them immediately from there. When you put it in your ear, you'll be greeted with a pleasant welcome tone, followed by any bud that tells you that Bluetooth has been connected to a female robot voice.

I found the strength of the Bluetooth connection good, but not the best I have ever experienced. I left my cell phone in my kitchen and went to my back yard, and the buds stayed in touch about 90% of the room. The 10% farthest from my back door resulted in an inconsistent connection, but I was admittedly far away. I'll almost never be that far from my phone.

The Technics TWS are designed for a playback time of six and a half hours, whereby the active noise cancellation is activated with two additional charges from the housing for a total of 19.5 hours of listening time. There is a quick charge function that allows 70 minutes of playing time from 15 minutes of charging time. In a fairly competitive area, the technics in this category are in the middle.

Sound quality

The technology has gone to great lengths to make these earphones sound fantastic, and the company has taken care to mention the 10mm driver (which is larger than the standard 6mm driver in many earphones), and that Emphasis is placed on ensuring that the bass is properly balanced with great mids and highs.

After listening to rock and pop music for several hours, I can say that they mostly did it right.

The bass is very clear and resonates beautifully through my head when it is an important aspect of a song. If the music production team wanted me to feel this bass beat, the technology did an excellent job and translated it for me. At the same time, the singing was incredibly clear and full of life. Sia's Save My Life was highlighted by emphasizing technology on crisp, bright, and energetic audio. I heard an acoustic guitar solo, the melody of Lady GaGa's Stupid Love, and felt like the guitar was right next to me.

In the Technics Audio Connect app you can set the EQ to either bass-heavy, vocal-oriented, neutral or your own EQ. In Custom EQ, you can move five sliders up and down to suit your personal taste.

If you love bright and clear audio that emphasizes a strong beat and clarity of the upper registers, the technics are a solid win for you. However, if you value wealth and general balance, they are not sufficient here. Although the bass beat is strong, the lower audio registers feel underrepresented.

Here is an example. If you play the note “C” on a piano, you can simply play a “C”. Playing this note alone is the purest expression of this note. However, you can play a C major chord to achieve greater depth of sound, although the representation of the C note is not as accurate. The technology seems to me to be more geared towards giving you the singular, accurate C note, while the Sony WF-1000XM3 want to give you that deeper, fuller C major chord.

Of course, that's subjective. For example, in our test of the Panasonic RZ-S800W, Andy Boxall appreciated the emphasis on these higher registers, and the larger drivers in technology provide an even better listening experience than what we found in them.

Amazing ANC

One of the most outstanding and perhaps most surprising aspects of these earphones is their active noise cancellation: The Technics TWS offer really excellent noise cancellation performance, some of the best we have ever experienced.

Jaron Schneider / Digital Trends

I have a pretty noisy mobile air conditioner in my office, and when I was sitting at my desk, the technology turned its booming fan sound into a low hum. Compared to the Sonys, the Technics were about twice as good at reducing the level of consistent sounds. At the side of the road, I found that the technology was on a par with the Sonys, since neither was able to reduce inconsistent noises such as cars or clinking metal pipes.

The Technics use two sets of data inputs to suppress noise. This technology is known as dual hybrid noise canceling. It works with two sets of microphones: one set on the outside of the buds, as is the norm, and one set on the inside to determine how much sound is still getting through. The result is a system that seals noise and can actively adapt to what might come through. Without music, the ANC is so good that I can feel completely isolated in my cozy silence ball.

You can set how much noise suppression or ambient noise should be active on a sliding bar from the app. No noise cancellation, no ambient noise mode, and no complete noise cancellation can be performed via one of the touchpads on the buds themselves by holding the touchpad for about two seconds.

Call quality

Technology has done some considerations to ensure that calls sound clear and clean, and I can say they were successful there. I had no problem hearing voices clearly in one of my calls.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many noise canceling earphones and headphones, the person on the other end of the line was not blessed with the same pleasant experience. When I was in a room where noise cancellation had to be particularly active, e.g. For example, by a fan or near traffic, my voice has been described as echo-like and far away, like a digital phone call over bad internet.

However, when I was in a quiet room, the call quality on the other end of the line improved dramatically.

Our opinion

The $ 249.99 Technics TWS are expensive, but not the most expensive in their segment. They cost roughly the same price as Apple's AirPods Pro. The good news is that they deserve this price largely with incredible noise cancellation, lightweight construction, and a clean (but bulky) design. With an emphasis on strong vocals and higher registers, they are best suited for those who want to hear music with clearer, clearer clarity.

Is there a better alternative?

For a cheaper price (we saw that they only cost $ 170), the Sony WF-1000XM3 are a great option if you want to get the best possible audio quality.

The AirPods Pro from Apple have very strong noise cancellation functions. Because they're in the Apple ecosystem, they're a better choice for iPhone users for connectivity and synergy between devices.

For $ 180, the Panasonic RZ-S500W is another fantastic alternative with almost identical technical data to the TSWs. The main disadvantage is a smaller driver, which results in slightly lower (but only marginal) audio performance and less impressive material quality.

How long will they last?

The Technics TWS earphones are guaranteed for one year. Technics is also one of Panasonic's high-end brands. As a result, their products usually last a long time.

Should you buy them

Yes. They are comfortable, have excellent noise cancellation technology and sound great in a variety of situations.

Editor's recommendations




Motorola Moto E (2020) Review: As Good As It Gets For $150

motorola moto e 2020 review 5

Motorola Moto E (2020) review: Great value at $ 150

"The Motorola Moto E isn't perfect, but it's the best option for $ 150."

  • Relatively modern design

  • Good value for the price

  • Clean software experience

  • Camera could be better

  • Ad is not great

Motorola has long been a point of contact for inexpensive phones. The Moto E was first launched in 2014 and quickly became a fan favorite for those looking for a decent phone for around $ 150. Six years later, the company continues the tradition with a new Moto E model that features a relatively modern design, mid-range specifications, and more.

While the Moto E has remained a great option over the years, a lot of competition has emerged. Is the new Moto E still competing with the best phones under $ 200?

Design and display

Edge-to-edge displays have found their way to some of the cheapest phones – and the Moto E jumps on that train. The device has a small chin at the bottom and a drop notch at the top, but still looks good for a phone in this price range.

The display is 6.2 inches and the bezels are relatively narrow. This is good news – it means the phone looks modern despite its price range.

The back of the phone also looks good. The phone is mostly made of plastic, and while it doesn't feel as high-quality as more expensive devices, it doesn't feel too cheap either. There is a fingerprint sensor under the Motorola logo and a vertically aligned camera array on the back of the phone.

On the edges of the phone you'll get a fairly normal setup, including a volume rocker and a power button on the right, and a SIM / MicroSD card slot on the right. There is also a headphone jack at the top. This is good news for those who still use wired headphones.

You can find a micro USB port below, which is a little frustrating. The Moto E is a budget phone, but it is 2020, and USB-C should be the standard for all phones by now.

The Moto E's display is roughly what you'd expect from a $ 150 phone in 2020. It has a resolution of 720p and an LCD display. So don't expect much. It also seems to be a little different than the display of the new Moto G Fast, as it can't get quite as bright. If you are outdoors and in direct sunlight, you may have trouble seeing the display clearly.

Performance and battery life

Under the hood, the Moto E offers a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor with 2 GB RAM. I have found that although it is not necessarily suitable for heavy multitasking or intensive mobile gaming, it definitely does the job for everyday use and clearly outperforms the competition in this price range.

In general, most users are more than satisfied with the performance of this device. If you switch between multiple apps at the same time, you may have to deal with slowdowns and jumps in the software. However, these usually resolved themselves quickly, and the device was still more than usable. The same applies to Chrome tabs. Simply surfing the web is perfectly fine, but anything that is heavier and you should consider a more powerful phone.

Basic mobile games are also possible on this phone, but don't expect much more than the basics. Call of Duty: Mobile was playable, although it wasn't the smoothest experience. The Moto G Fast or if possible the Moto G Power offers better performance.

If you are serious about mobile games, you want a phone with at least a Snapdragon 7xx series SoC or an iPhone. Budget phones are surpassed. This is not necessarily a problem that only occurs with the Moto E, but a compromise that all inexpensive phones make to get a lower price.

Benchmarks confirm decent performance for the price. The phone scored 118,004 points at AnTuTu, which is not a bad thing. For comparison: the Moto G7 Play scored 98,111 points last year, while the more powerful Google Pixel 3a scored 157,902 points. The Moto G Fast, which is $ 50 more expensive, reached 161,672.

The phone's battery capacity is 3,550 mAh, and we've found that it works just fine in everyday use. The battery should get you through a day of normal use, but heavy users may need to charge the device before the end of the day. Don't expect the next day to go too far. The phone does not offer wireless charging or fast charging. So you need to familiarize yourself with nightly charging or when you work at a desk while you are working.

camera

The 2020 Moto E offers a dual sensor camera, although one of these sensors is a 2 megapixel lens that is only used to capture depth information. The other sensor is a 13 megapixel lens with an aperture of 1: 2.0 and is generally fine. But only good.

In well-lit environments, the Moto E can take decent photos with monochrome rendering and depth of field. While photos weren't incredibly detailed, for most uses this won't be a big deal.

Of course, you are not always in a well-lit environment. If you are not, you are more or less unlucky. While more expensive phones take better and better photos in low light conditions, there is no significant night mode on this phone. As a result, poorly lit photos either look noisy or you cannot see the subject at all.

There is a 5 megapixel selfie camera on the front that does the job if need be. Like the rear-facing camera, it doesn't work in low light and is definitely prone to unnaturally bright colors in some situations. Nevertheless, it can be used for most social media posts.

The Moto E is a budget phone and has a budget camera. It works in most situations, but don't expect incredible photos and don't expect to be able to use it in low light.

software

The software experience on modern Motorola phones is great. With the Moto G Fast and Moto E, the company has renamed its Android skin to My UX. Other than a name change, nothing else is different – you still get the best experience with just a few small changes that frankly make the experience better.

Perhaps the best thing about My UX compared to standard Android are the moto actions, which allow you to control certain aspects of the phone software with gestures. For example, you can take a screenshot with three fingers or turn on the flashlight with a hacking motion. It's a nice touch.

My UX is based on Android 10, and Motorola was pretty good at providing software updates. Given that it's a budget phone, updates may not be updated as quickly as you want. The Moto G7, for example, only got Android 10 in May 2020.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Moto E is available directly on the Motorola website for $ 150. This is a great price for this phone. If you can stretch your budget a bit, it's worth considering the Moto G Fast, or if you can stretch the Moto G Power even more.

The Moto E comes with a one-year limited warranty that only covers manufacturer's defects. It is worth buying a protective case to protect the device

Our opinion

The Motorola Moto E is far from perfect, but the best option for $ 150. It offers a relatively modern design, solid performance, and more. When shopping on a budget, performance is one of the most important things to consider.

Is there a better alternative?

If you are willing to spend more money, there are definitely better options. The $ 200 Moto G Fast is a solid phone with better performance and much better battery life. If you can double your budget to $ 300, you should consider the Samsung Galaxy A51 or the Google Pixel 3a. The Google Pixel 3a in particular is an excellent phone with an incredible camera.

How long it will take?

When used easily, the Moto E should last about two years. The performance of the phone will deteriorate over time. Therefore, do not expect smooth experience for the entire two-year period. In addition, the phone is not waterproof. Therefore, do not take it near the bath or pool.

Should you buy one?

Yes, if you need a phone for $ 150 or less. If you can stretch your budget a little, it is worth spending the extra money.

Editor's recommendations




There is no CrossFit, Just Good and Bad Coaching

Most people are now aware of the backlash against Greg Glassman, the founder and CEO of CrossFit, for speaking deaf, insensitive, and dismissively about George Floyd's death and COVID-19.

We don't have to reheat all of this here because it has killed everywhere else. However, we have to deal with one thing, the future of boxing gyms, especially since they struggle to open up in a post-pandemic and, as it seems likely, in a post-CrossFit world. The simple fact is that there is no CrossFit.

CrossFit is a brand. It is a name and an ideal. It was once a proponent of a process that organized high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into a methodology for functional fitness and general physical readiness (GPP).

It has made Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, tabata, EMOM, gymnastics and weight training popular in group training. They either loved or hated CrossFit. For many personal trainers and strength and conditioning trainers, it was the entrance ticket to a gym, many of which started in their own garages.

CrossFit enabled boxing gyms to find a mainstream audience. It also helped private training studios find an identity and tie them all to the brand.

For this, the boxing gym owners paid participation fees for certifications, affiliation and finally for CrossFit Open and Games. The certifications went from Level I and Level II across all disciplines like a CrossFit Strongman approach.

Affiliations was a simple startup kit for aspiring fitness entrepreneurs. Simply log in to CrossFit and wait for customers to log in. The Open and the Games were recruiting tools, aspirations and community building.

CrossFit always sucked

While the CrossFit community was and is a real thing, CrossFit HQ (CFHQ), the governing body, was anything but collaborative. CFHQ has always been brutal, aggressive, insecure, controversial, and just disgusting to anyone who ticked it off. For many people who got caught in the crossfire, CrossFit was an organization. For some, it seemed more of a cult than a fitness company.

While CrossFit flourished worldwide, opened markets everywhere, and became synonymous with crazy-intense workouts that made you vomit or have to lie in a deep pool of your own sweat, it never took responsibility for individual partners and never really had a hand in it Hand providing training and programming instructions that are not provided through certification.

In fact, CrossFit transferred everything to the affiliates, although they were supported by their own lawyers when they felt their brand was under attack and never really committed to defining a CrossFit training or method that they are responsible for the liability.

In other words, there are no CrossFit workouts because the brand is legally defined. Sure, there are CrossFit workouts like Fran or Murph. We all know them.

However, no partner could claim to have offered CrossFit training, especially if this training harmed someone. Affiliates offered their own workouts under the patronage of a CrossFit box.

It didn't matter because the world did everything it wanted to do with the CrossFit name. It became mythical training for the general press, and it became a confusing mess of inconsistent quality for consumers who went to affiliates who didn't really know what they were getting.

The Darwinian CrossFit Box Gym

Glassman had always expected the subsidiaries to rise and fall due to market forces. The good would survive and the bad would fail. It was supposed to be libertarian or something, but ultimately it only caused inconsistency, unreliable coaching, and poor programming because there was no oversight.

And it didn't matter when the brand took off. There were times when in some densely populated areas three or four CrossFit boxes were within a few blocks of each other. From a business perspective, this didn't make sense, but everyone passed the same money on to the CFHQ, so it didn't matter.

Sure, over time it became clear that you can't build a business through wear and tear, especially if you ask your business partners to go to war with each other and pay you for the privilege.

But that didn't stop Glassman. When the US CrossFit market started to stagnate and shrink, international markets picked up. The United States was three or four years ahead of the rest of the world.

Whether CrossFit made good or bad business decisions pales in comparison to what happens to CrossFit partners when they make bad decisions. If the separation becomes a thing and CrossFit, like any other fitness fad or fitness trend, loses relevance, the question arises as to what replaces the workout.

Anything that is not CrossFit could be and vice versa

CrossFit box owners must recognize that they are the brand behind the workouts. Consumers should be aware that a CrossFit partner's head coach or trainer is the person responsible for the training, not the CFHQ.

Once you do this, you will find that CrossFit is irrelevant despite what it has done. It was irrelevant, and thinking differently is exaggerating his ability to do great coaching and training.

Sure, maybe CrossFit is an acronym that everyone can understand. But box gym too. Box gyms are also an abbreviation. CrossFit partners are all boxing gyms, which means that they are not globo-gyms or orange theory or SoulCycle or gyms. There are pull-up bars, barbells, kettlebells, rowing machines, rings, sweat and chalk.

If anyone wishing to cancel their membership agrees to call themselves Box Gym, we at Breaking Mucle would like to standardize this terminology.

Let's face it, box gyms do HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, AMRAPs, weight lifting, personal training, deadlifts, handstand walks, burpees and, as much as we hate, wall balls. What else do you need?

There is no CrossFit, Just Good and Bad Coaching

Most people are now aware of the backlash against Greg Glassman, the founder and CEO of CrossFit, for speaking deaf, insensitive, and dismissively about George Floyd's death and COVID-19.

We don't have to reheat all of this here because it has killed everywhere else. However, we have to deal with one thing, the future of boxing gyms, especially since they struggle to open up in a post-pandemic and, as it seems likely, in a post-CrossFit world. The simple fact is that there is no CrossFit.

CrossFit is a brand. It is a name and an ideal. It was once a proponent of a process that organized high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into a methodology for functional fitness and general physical readiness (GPP).

It has made Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, tabata, EMOM, gymnastics and weight training popular in group training. They either loved or hated CrossFit. For many personal trainers and strength and conditioning trainers, it was the entrance ticket to a gym, many of which started in their own garages.

CrossFit enabled boxing gyms to find a mainstream audience. It also helped private training studios find an identity and tie them all to the brand.

For this, the boxing gym owners paid participation fees for certifications, affiliation and finally for CrossFit Open and Games. The certifications went from Level I and Level II across all disciplines like a CrossFit Strongman approach.

Affiliations was a simple startup kit for aspiring fitness entrepreneurs. Simply log in to CrossFit and wait for customers to log in. The Open and the Games were recruiting tools, aspirations and community building.

CrossFit always sucked

While the CrossFit community was and is a real thing, CrossFit HQ (CFHQ), the governing body, was anything but collaborative. CFHQ has always been brutal, aggressive, insecure, controversial, and just disgusting to anyone who ticked it off. For many people who got caught in the crossfire, CrossFit was an organization. For some, it seemed more of a cult than a fitness company.

While CrossFit flourished worldwide, opened markets everywhere, and became synonymous with crazy-intense workouts that made you vomit or have to lie in a deep pool of your own sweat, it never took responsibility for individual partners and never really had a hand in it Hand providing training and programming instructions that are not provided through certification.

In fact, CrossFit transferred everything to the affiliates, although they were supported by their own lawyers when they felt their brand was under attack and never really committed to defining a CrossFit training or method that they are responsible for the liability.

In other words, there are no CrossFit workouts because the brand is legally defined. Sure, there are CrossFit workouts like Fran or Murph. We all know them.

However, no partner could claim to have offered CrossFit training, especially if this training harmed someone. Affiliates offered their own workouts under the patronage of a CrossFit box.

It didn't matter because the world did everything it wanted to do with the CrossFit name. It became mythical training for the general press, and it became a confusing mess of inconsistent quality for consumers who went to affiliates who didn't really know what they were getting.

The Darwinian CrossFit Box Gym

Glassman had always expected the subsidiaries to rise and fall due to market forces. The good would survive and the bad would fail. It was supposed to be libertarian or something, but ultimately it only caused inconsistency, unreliable coaching, and poor programming because there was no oversight.

And it didn't matter when the brand took off. There were times when in some densely populated areas three or four CrossFit boxes were within a few blocks of each other. From a business perspective, this didn't make sense, but everyone passed the same money on to the CFHQ, so it didn't matter.

Sure, over time it became clear that you can't build a business through wear and tear, especially if you ask your business partners to go to war with each other and pay you for the privilege.

But that didn't stop Glassman. When the US CrossFit market started to stagnate and shrink, international markets picked up. The United States was three or four years ahead of the rest of the world.

Whether CrossFit made good or bad business decisions pales in comparison to what happens to CrossFit partners when they make bad decisions. If the separation becomes a thing and CrossFit, like any other fitness fad or fitness trend, loses relevance, the question arises as to what replaces the workout.

Anything that is not CrossFit could be and vice versa

CrossFit box owners must recognize that they are the brand behind the workouts. Consumers should be aware that a CrossFit partner's head coach or trainer is the person responsible for the training, not the CFHQ.

Once you do this, you will find that CrossFit is irrelevant despite what it has done. It was irrelevant, and thinking differently is exaggerating his ability to do great coaching and training.

Sure, maybe CrossFit is an acronym that everyone can understand. But box gym too. Box gyms are also an abbreviation. CrossFit partners are all boxing gyms, which means that they are not globo-gyms or orange theory or SoulCycle or gyms. There are pull-up bars, barbells, kettlebells, rowing machines, rings, sweat and chalk.

If anyone wishing to cancel their membership agrees to call themselves Box Gym, we at Breaking Mucle would like to standardize this terminology.

Let's face it, box gyms do HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, AMRAPs, weight lifting, personal training, deadlifts, handstand walks, burpees and, as much as we hate, wall balls. What else do you need?

Good Mornings Are an Excellent Auxiliary Movement

Strict good morning hours with feet wide, knees locked, and straight back are excellent moves that solve a number of problems for beginners. They also offer additional strengthening for experienced lifters.

The lift should hold the barbell on the shoulders behind the neck, move away from the racks, and maintain a position of at least 90 degrees between the thighs. The knees should be locked and the head should look forward throughout the movement. The athlete should then bend forward from the hip and keep the back straight until the torso is parallel or nearly parallel to the floor before returning to an upright posture.

This movement is great for athletes with tight hamstrings that force the buttocks to hide at the bottom of the squat. It can also be helpful for people with ankle movement problems. It is also an excellent developer of hamstring strength for pulling and straightening the hips. Repetitions should be done in the range of 5 to 8 per set and for four or more sets at the end of the training session. The first time you use it, you should experience significant pain in the Achilles tendon.

Good Mornings Are an Excellent Auxiliary Movement

Strict good morning hours with feet wide, knees locked, and straight back are excellent moves that solve a number of problems for beginners. They also offer additional strengthening for experienced lifters.

The lift should hold the barbell on the shoulders behind the neck, move away from the racks, and maintain a position of at least 90 degrees between the thighs. The knees should be locked and the head should look forward throughout the movement. The athlete should then bend forward from the hip and keep the back straight until the torso is parallel or nearly parallel to the floor before returning to an upright posture.

This movement is great for athletes with tight hamstrings that force the buttocks to hide at the bottom of the squat. It can also be helpful for people with ankle movement problems. It is also an excellent developer of hamstring strength for pulling and straightening the hips. Repetitions should be done in the range of 5 to 8 per set and for four or more sets at the end of the training session. The first time you use it, you should experience significant pain in the Achilles tendon.