20 Nov
Blog

Mash for GAINZ: 4 Simple Recipes for Performance

Success in achieving your exercise and body composition goals consists of 80% diet and 20% exercise. We discuss these exact percentages, but I think we all agree that diet plays a bigger role in achieving our goals than most of us think it can.

I originally created these Mash for Gainz recipes for myself after being injured for nine months. I figured if I could figure out my diet it would aid my recovery and prevent further loss.

How it works

The following four Mash for Gainz recipes will give you a head start when creating your own meals. You need three macronutrients in one main meal:

  1. Carbohydrates – your main source of energy
  2. Protein – For growth and repair
  3. Fat – for energy

The main macronutrient in the recipes is carbohydrates. We all need carbohydrates to function properly, so why not make this cheap, easy, and delicious?

The recipes are straightforward and easy to adapt to everyone – except for people who hate sweet potatoes. Experiment with the recipes and add different herbs and spices. Preparing fresh food can be easy, so enjoy it and have fun.

Remarks:

  • The preparation and preparation of the recipes should take about twenty minutes.
  • The recipes are very easy to follow and the ingredients can be bought in any supermarket.
  • Sweet potato is a complex carbohydrate. In contrast to simple carbohydrates (for example potatoes, white bread and fruit) it releases energy over a long period of time. This steady release of energy will keep you from craving candy.

Here are three easy steps to create your own meal:

  1. Choose a recipe.
  2. Choose your protein: Chicken breast / leg, sirloin steak, pork loin, turkey breast, tinned tuna or salmon fillet.
  3. Choose a mix of low-carb vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, kale, cucumber, bell pepper, watercress or rocket.

Example:

Creamy mashed sweet potato recipe

+

130g sliced ​​grilled chicken breast

(Marinade: rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper)

+

100g broccoli and 50g baby plum tomatoes

Creamy sweet potato mash

340kcal – Carbohydrates: 48g Fat: 13g Protein: 6g

Ingredients:

  • 200g sweet potato
  • 100g spinach
  • 100g red onion
  • 40ml cream
  • 5g coconut oil
  • 1 clove of garlic (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Cut the sweet potato into small pieces (cm cubes).
  2. Pour into the saucepan and then add boiling water from the kettle.
  3. Cook sweet potatoes for up to 10 minutes or until tender.
  4. Finely chop the red onions and spinach. Once the sweet potato is tender, add the red onions and spinach to the saucepan.
  5. Cook another 2-4 minutes, then drain the ingredients in a colander.
  6. Put the ingredients in the saucepan and mash them.
  7. Add the whipped cream, coconut oil, 1 finely chopped clove of garlic or ground garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Mix and puree it.
  9. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet potato and mushroom puree

340kcal – carbohydrates: 52g, fat: 11g, protein: 6g

Ingredients:

  • 200g sweet potato
  • 100g chestnut mushrooms
  • 100g red onion
  • 10g cashew nuts
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot (every supermarket sells it in the baking department)
  • 20-40ml water
  • 5g coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Cut the sweet potato into small pieces.
  2. Pour into the saucepan and then add boiling water from the kettle.
  3. Cook the sweet potato for up to 10 minutes or until tender.
  4. Preheat the frying pan and add coconut oil.
  5. Add finely chopped red onions and mushrooms to the pan. Let the ingredient sweat and then add 1 teaspoon of arrowroot with 20-40 ml of water.
  6. Mix the arrowroot into the red onion and mushroom with a spoon until it begins to thicken. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Then add the chopped / ground cashew nuts and finely chopped rosemary to the pan.
  7. Once the sweet potato is tender, drain it with a strainer and place it back in the saucepan.
  8. Add the red onion, mushroom and cashew nut sauce to the saucepan.
  9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  10. Mix and puree it.
  11. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet potato and beetroot mash

Porridge, recipes, meals, meal planning, sweet potatoes, nutrition

395kcal – carbohydrates: 54g, fat: 17g, protein: 5g

Ingredients:

  • 200g sweet potato
  • 50g cooked beetroot
  • 100g red onion
  • 80g avocado
  • Small handful of coriander
  • 1/4 lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Cut the sweet potato into small pieces.
  2. Pour into the saucepan and then add boiling water from the kettle.
  3. Cook sweet potatoes for up to 10 minutes or until tender.
  4. Finely chop the red onions. Once the sweet potato is tender, add the red onions to the saucepan.
  5. Cook another 2-4 minutes, then drain the ingredients in a colander.
  6. Return the ingredients to the saucepan and mash them.
  7. Add sliced ​​beets, avocado, finely chopped coriander, lemon juice to the saucepan.
  8. Mix and puree it.
  9. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet potato and carrot puree

326kcal – carbohydrates: 55g, fat: 9g, protein: 5g

Ingredients:

  • 200g sweet potato
  • 100g carrot
  • 100g red onion
  • 50ml cream
  • Handful of chives and basil
  • 1/4 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Cut the sweet potato into small pieces.
  2. Pour into the saucepan and then add boiling water from the kettle.
  3. Cook sweet potatoes for up to 10 minutes or until tender.
  4. Finely chop the red onions and grate the carrot. Once the sweet potato is tender, add the red onions and grated carrot to the saucepan.
  5. Cook another 2-4 minutes, then drain the ingredients in a colander.
  6. Return the ingredients to the saucepan and mash them.
  7. Add the cream, 1/4 lemon juice, finely chopped chives and basil.
  8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  9. Mix and puree it.
  10. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

More like that:

  • Filled and sexy: 3 sweet potato recipes for post-workout meals
  • Goodness, Grace, Great Balls of YUM: 2 paleo treats for athletes
  • 7 Habits to Success: How To Achieve Your Nutritional Goals
  • New to muscle building today

The post Mash for GAINZ: 4 Simple Recipes for Performance first appeared on Breaking Muscle.

19 Nov
Blog

Walking: The Simple Path to Feeling Sexier and Living Longer

Do you want to feel better, look sexy, and live longer? Run more. As health advice says, it's not exactly earth-shattering. But it is often ignored.

As a species, walking is what we do best. In fact, it is likely how your ancestors got from Africa to where they eventually settled The standardized exercise guidelines of thirty minutes a day are based on the dramatic benefits walking can have for your health, but no one seems to be doing it.18 For people with an average lack of time, the basic movement pattern of walking is often suppressed in favor of more intensive forms of movement. However, the positive effects of walking on health are many and far-reaching.

This is the second of my articles that details why the Great Upside-Down Pyramid of Movement can be your one-stop framework for lifelong health. In this piece, I'll cover why you should walk more now that you're sitting less.

Calming the Fires

Modern life does not seem to be geared towards optimal health. The combination of daily work, the food we eat, and our need to stay in one place to work all day have all been linked to increased rates of inflammation and, as a result, rising rates of cancer, type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and obesity.5–8 Unfortunately, we cannot all change jobs and live on the land. Instead of resorting to pills and antioxidant formulas that could ruin some of your good work, the best step is to get more exercise by walking more to reverse some of these problems

“Aerobic exercise like brisk walking also increases your ability to deal with oxidative damage. This makes exercise both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. "

When we move our muscles, signaling molecules (often called myokines) are released. Although many of these myokines can also be linked to an inflammatory response, when stimulated by exercise they actually decrease inflammation.11 This is one of the main reasons why regular walking can drastically lower the risk of metabolic diseases as well as certain types of cancer. and even erectile dysfunction.13–17 Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, also improves your ability to deal with oxidative damage.12 As a result, exercise is both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. And all without a single pill in sight.

Losers wandering

While many people still rely on counting calories as a guide to fat loss, there isn't as much evidence to support this idea as we believe. Not all calories are created equal, and just creating a calorie deficit through increased exercise alone will not result in long-term weight loss.2,3 But fear not. The advantage of this complex equation is that some low-calorie activities can still help you manage weight (if you like that). Instead of worrying about starving yourself thin, you can achieve significant fat loss by spending less time sitting and more time walking.4 No gym membership or Weight Watchers * required.

* Other hunger programs with minimal scientific support are also available.

Every little bit helps

As I mentioned earlier, killing yourself on the treadmill is not enough to offset the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle on your life expectancy. That means there needs to be exercise built into your day, and the best way to do it is by walking more. For most of us, this can start with walking to work.19 Use public transport? Get off a stop or two earlier. Go to work? Take a park and ride and walk the last ten to twenty minutes. Are you afraid of being late for work? Perfect – a brisk pace has even greater advantages. 20

Movement, walking, sitting, sitting, moving more

To build on that, there are a number of other ways you can incorporate walking into your day:

  • Break it open: Go for a walk while you talk on the phone at work or drop by for a few minutes between meetings. Accumulating walking time in sections of just two or three minutes is enough to improve metabolism.21,22
  • Lunch with friends: Even the shortest lunch break is enough to go for a walk. And why not bring your colleagues with you for a more relaxed and productive workplace?
  • Move around meals: The evening meals are another great hiking opportunity. Take a quick lap while dinner is up in the oven. Better yet, take a walk after you eat.22,26 Your online dating profile says you like long romantic sunset walks, but when was the last time you actually took one?

Most importantly, all of this walking adds up. Several ten-minute walks can even be better than one long one.23.29 That means ten minutes to / from work, ten minutes for lunch, and ten minutes after dinner is a great way to start.

Pro tips

If you're the kind of person who needs a solid plan before going for a walk, You may have two more questions – where should I go and how fast should I go?

  • Take it outside: Most studies examining the health effects of walking use a treadmill in a sports science lab or give people pedometers to keep track of their steps without specifically examining where they are walking. This suggests that you can go pretty much anywhere to see most of the health improvements. However, studies have shown that walking outdoors in green spaces has greater psychological benefits than walking indoors or in the city.30 Most importantly, finding the environment that you enjoy most, be it the beach, is one River, forest, or park will likely bring you the greatest benefit of all. 31
  • Overtaking death: I know what you've been wondering all along. How fast do you have to move to defeat the Grim Reaper? Fortunately, science has the answer, and it seems to be 5 km / h.27 Other studies suggest that 80 percent of your maximum walking speed is the most efficient and sustained speed.28 If you want to estimate those speeds, try one of the the following:
  • Use a map or online pedometer to measure a nearby half-mile loop. Try to complete it in ten minutes (three miles an hour).
  • Find a short distance that you can walk as fast as possible for twenty seconds. For a speed of eighty percent of your top speed, you can cover the same distance in 25 seconds.

Remember that the key is to move around and build habits rather than reaching a certain speed. Take your time to stroll and enjoy. It is well known that faster is not always better.

summary

Jumped to the end? What you need to know:

  • After you've sat less, start walking more
  • Collect at least thirty minutes a day
  • Aim for eighty percent of your maximum walking speed, or at least three miles per hour. Alternatively, you can just run like you're late for work.
  • For maximum benefit, find your favorite outdoor spot and bring some friends with you.

More like that:

References:

1. Small. "From Africa and the evolution of human behavior." Development of Anthropol. 2008 17: 267-281.

2. Feinman and Fein. "Non-equilibrium thermodynamics and energy efficiency in weight loss diets." Theor Biol Med model. July 30, 2007; 4:27.

3. Franz et al. Weight Loss Results: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials in weight loss with a follow-up of at least 1 year. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Oct; 107 (10): 1755-67.

4.Healy et al. "Replacing sitting time with standing or pedaling: Associations with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers." Eur Heart J. 2015 Jul 30. (Epub before pressure)

5. Emeny et al. "Occupational exposure-related inflammation and long-term risk for coronary events: results of the case cohort study MONICA / KORA Augsburg." Psychosom Med. 2013 April; 75 (3): 317-25.

6. Bosma-den Boer et al. "Chronic inflammatory diseases are stimulated by the current lifestyle: How diet, stress and medication prevent our bodies from recovering." Nutr Metab (Lond). 04/17/2012; 9 (1): 32.

7. Mathews et al. "How do diets with high glycemic loads affect coronary artery disease?" Nutr Metab (Lond). 2015 March 8; 12: 6.

8. Tommy Wood, Move It or Lose It: How to Sit Less, Move More, and Feel Better, Breaking Muscle UK, 2015.

9. Ristow et al. "Antioxidants Prevent the Health Benefits of Exercise in Humans." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. May 26, 2009; 106 (21): 8665-70.

10. Craig Marker, do antioxidants hinder the benefits of exercise? Breaking Muscle, 2015.

11. Pedersen. "The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Exercise: Its Role in Controlling Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease." Articles Biochem. 2006; 42: 105-17.

12. Gomez-Cabrera et al. "Moderate exercise is an antioxidant: upregulation of antioxidant genes through exercise." Free Radical Biol Med. January 15, 2008; 44 (2): 126-31.

13.Roussel et al .. Influence of a walking program on the metabolic risk profile of obese postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2009 May-June; 16 (3): 566-75.

14. Buman et al .. Reassigning Time to Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, or Active Behavior: Associations with Risk Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Disease, NHANES 2005-2006. Am J Epidemiol. February 1, 2014; 179 (3): 323-34.

15. Wolin et al. Physical activity and colon cancer prevention: a meta-analysis. Br.J. Cancer. February 24, 2009; 100 (4): 611-6.

16. Hildebrand et al .. “Leisure time physical activity and leisure time sitting in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk.” Cancer epidemiol biomarker Prev. 2013 Oct; 22 (10): 1906-12.

17. Bacon et al .. “Sexual Function in Men Over 50: Results of Follow-Up Study of Healthcare Professionals.” Anna Intern Med. August 5, 2003; 139 (3): 161-8.

18. Boone-Heinonen et al., "Hiking for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Men and Women: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies." Obes Rev. 2009 Mar; 10 (2): 204-17.

19. Laverty et al., “Active Travel to Work and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the UK.” Bin J Back Med. 2013 Sep; 45 (3): 282-8.

20. Hu et al. "Walking Compared to Vigorous Physical Activity and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women: A Prospective Study." JAMA. Oct. 20, 1999; 282 (15): 1433-9.

21. Latouche et al .. "Effects of prolonged sitting breaks on skeletal muscle gene expression." J. Appl. Physiol. (1985). February 15, 2013; 114 (4): 453-60.

22. Miyashita et al. "The accumulation of short bursts of rapid walking reduces postprandial plasma triacylglycerol levels and blood pressure at rest in healthy young men." Bin J Clin Nutr. 2008 Nov; 88 (5): 1225-31.

23. Park et al. "The accumulation of physical activity leads to greater reductions in blood pressure than a single continuous session in pre-hypertension." J Hypertensive sufferer. 2006 Sep .; 24 (9): 1761-70.

24. Puig-Ribera et al. "Self-reported sitting time and physical activity: interactive associations with mental well-being and productivity in office workers." BMC Public Health. January 31, 2015; 15:72.

25. Thøgersen-Ntoumani et al .. “Changes in working conditions in response to lunchtime walking in previously physically inactive employees: A randomized study.” Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2015 Jan 6. (Epub before printing)

26. Manohar et al .. The effect of walking on postprandial glycemic excursion in patients with type 1 diabetes and healthy people. Diabetes treatment. 2012 Dec; 35 (12): 2493-9.

27. Stanaway et al. “How fast does the Grim Reaper go? Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve in healthy men aged 70 and over. “BMJ. 2011 Dec. 15; 343: d7679.

28. Schwarz et al .. “Cardiovascular and metabolic reactions with different walking intensities.” Br J Sportmed. Jan 2006; 40 (1): 64-7.

29. Holmstrup et al .. "Several short workouts over a period of 12 hours reduce glucose rashes more than an energy-adjusted single workout." Metabolism. 2014 April; 63 (4): 510-9.

30. Marselle et al. "Walking for wellbeing: Are group walks in certain natural settings better for well-being than group walks in urban settings?" Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Oct 29; 10 (11): 5603-28.

31. Marselle et al .. "Going Beyond Green: Examining the Relationship Between Environmental Type and Perceived Environmental Quality Indicators on Emotional Well-Being After Group Walks." Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Dec 23; 12 (1): 106-30.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

24 Apr
Blog

Simple Ways To Reduce Belly Fat

In order to reduce belly fat, we need to understand a few things about fat first, so two main types of fat play a role in our scenario: 1] white fat, 2] brown fat.

White fat is the one that builds up in your stomach and even other parts like your arms and legs. It turns out to be the cause of obesity and other health complications like heart disease, blood pressure, asthma, etc. This makes it possible for us to find ways to reduce it.

While brown fat is commonly known as good fat, which is abundant in mitochondria, which internally creates heat by burning fats and calories.

In short, to reduce belly fat, you need to aim to convert white fat into brown fat.

White fat can be turned into brown fat by changing your routine and eating habits. And here's some good news for you: belly fat is very easy to remove.

Here is a reliable guide with 10 effective tips to help reduce belly fat with simple changes in routine.

1. Avoid foods that contain trans fats

Trans fats are a form of unsaturated fat. They are notoriously unhealthy. Artificial trans fats can increase your risk of heart disease because they raise bad cholesterol without increasing good cholesterol levels. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the greatest source of trans fats in your diet because they are cheap to make and have a long shelf life.

In order to reduce belly fat, you need to avoid such vegetable oils and those foods that contain trans fat. Even if you are not planning on reducing belly fat, controlling and reducing the amount of trans fat remains a healthy idea.

Foods that contain trans fats – baked goods such as cakes, cookies and pies, frozen pizzas, chilled dough, fried foods.

2. Eat a lot of soluble fiber

Soluble fibers break down in water and frame a gel-like material called viscous. It slows down how quickly the stomach releases digested food into the intestines and helps reduce appetite. It can also help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.

Foods that contain soluble fiber: oats, beans, apples, carrots, barley

3rd Avoid too much alcohol

Alcohol within limits has its advantages. However, consuming alcohol above a limit has many disadvantages as alcohol affects metabolism, which in turn stores carbohydrates and fats in the body during the process.

Reduce alcohol consumption to a limit or avoid it completely to reduce belly fat faster.

4th Eat a high protein diet

This plays an important role in reducing fat or weight. Protein is the most important nutrient of all. It increases metabolism which helps in burning calories in the body.

In addition to this, it also helps reduce appetite and make you feel full, so ultimately you are consuming fewer calories than you were before.

Foods that contain protein meat, dairy products, nuts, legumes, eggs

5. Avoid sugary foods

Sugary foods were a major cause of fat build-up in the body. They provide the body with a high amount of sugar and minimal or no nutrients. Consumption of sugar can cause blood sugar levels to rise and hyperglycemia, which in turn can cause harm to your body, including an increase in fat. It also leaves less wiggle room for your healthy diet in your routine.

You should avoid consuming a lot of sugar and include protein and fiber in your diet to reduce belly fat or other fat.

6th Sleep well

Lack of sleep increases levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin and lowers levels of the fullness hormone leptin, which leads to overeating, and thus you can gain more weight and fat.

To keep these hormones at a level, one should sleep at least 7 hours a day. With sleep, we recommend a healthy and healthy sleep.

7th Include apple cider vinegar in your diet

Apple cider vinegar helps in lowering blood sugar levels and promotes satiety. Take 15-30 ml of apple cider vinegar and dilute it in a little water.

8th. Consume fewer carbohydrates

Consuming fewer carbohydrates will reduce appetite. A low-carbohydrate diet is designed to induce the body to burn stored fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.

9. Practice, practice and practice

Add some cardio to your routine to make the process of burning fat faster. All you need is consistency for better, faster results.

Effective exercises include walking, running, jogging, and swimming.

10. Control over stress

During stress, the body produces a hormone called cortisol. This increases your appetite. This can cause cravings for both sweet and salty foods.

Excess cortisol can also lower testosterone levels, which in turn decreases muscle mass and slows the body's ability to burn calories.

04 Apr
Blog

Lenovo Smart Frame Review: Simple With Google Photos in Mind

Lenovo Smart Frame Review Subseries Gallery 2

"No Distraction Here: The Lenovo Smart Frame is about sharing your favorite memories."

  • Photo-realistic display

  • One of the largest picture frames ever

  • Convenient organization with Google Photos

  • Easy wall mounting

  • It is expensive

  • Does not support other photo services

Digital photo frames are nothing new. They've been around almost as long as the first commercial digital cameras. Over the years, arguably, the greatest innovation in digital photo frames has centered on smart displays – how smart displays effectively serve as photo frames and add value to them.

In Lenovo's view, the Photo Frame is again a stand-alone product with the power and help of Google Photos. Unlike other photo frames you've come across, the Lenovo Smart Frame wants to make its presence known with its huge 15 x 24 inch digital canvas. Compared to today's smart displays, it's an undeniable Goliath.

Realistic picture quality

I loved the first digital photo frame I bought in the early 2000s, but when I look back now, it was total rubbish. Not only was it low resolution, but the colors were bleeding through the sides and corners like no other. Of course, with today's digital photo frames, you won't have these worries.

The sheer size of the Lenovo Smart Frame dwarfs the vast majority of digital photo frames in circulation. While most are largely reserved for coffee tables, bedside tables, end tables, and cramped counters, the Lenovo Smart Frame yearns to be wall-mounted – or at least deserves to be propped up on its own pedestal or shelf. This is due to the sizeable 21.5-inch IPS panel. Not only is it significantly larger than other picture frame displays, but its realistic look is enhanced by its anti-glare coating. When viewed directly, this can be confused with a normal picture frame.

While the 1080p resolution works decently from a distance, I can see less detail in the images on closer inspection. This is obviously expected and is not a complete distraction. As long as the original image was captured correctly, it is still pleasing to the eye. The colors are also displayed well, and the viewing angles are excellent and do not distort at wide angles.

Thanks to Google's Ambient EQ technology, the Nest Hub smart displays are among the best for lifelike results. I have to admit, however, that the Lenovo Smart Frame's matte finish makes the display more realistic. Aside from the lack of a higher resolution display, it does it justice when it comes to presenting photos.

Google photos is a must

In order for photos to appear on the Wi-Fi connected Lenovo Smart Frame, you need to set up Google Photos – this is mandatory and the only option. This is a bit limiting and I would have liked wider support for other image services like Shutterfly. However, since this is Google Photos, it comes in handy that I can quickly fill an album to present on the Lenovo Smart Frame by selecting familiar faces. (This works on pets too.) Better to have to go through all of my albums manually.

In addition to showing my Google Photos, which can be shuffled in chronological order or via the Lenovo Smart Frame app, you can set up other “channels” to show other things besides photos. The only other options are the Art Gallery and Clock channels, which show curated graphics and the time, respectively. The latter only have a handful of clock widgets to choose from, but I really wish they could show other important information – like weather and temperature.

Although the Lenovo Smart Frame automatically flips through photos, it has a built-in motion sensor that makes it easy for anyone to scroll through them and the various channels. You have to be patient with these hand gestures because if you're like me and want to scroll through a set in a hurry, it can't keep up.

There are two ways to assemble the frame. I opted for the easy way of putting it on a wall with the power chord behind it, but later I used the included wall mount to mount it properly. While it's still heavier than other frames at 8.26 pounds without the metal frame mount, you don't need to find pins in the wall to attach it to the wall. Once it's on the wall, you can easily remove it by pulling on the switches on the back of the unit. If you have younger children who may be attracted to the power cord, a child-resistant clip is provided to make the cord easy to detach from the device.

Stick to what it does best

We have high expectations for displays these days, especially considering how smart displays are the command centers of some households. One can expect that the Lenovo Smart Frame can do more, e.g. B. Play videos, possibly act as a second screen, or even provide voice control with the Google Assistant. There was also a point where I wished I could have broadcast a video that I was watching on my smartphone. But, you know what? It doesn't do any of them. And who knows if it ever will.

This may be hard to swallow for some, but I understand Lenovo's intent. The company already makes its own line of Google Assistant-based smart displays (like the Lenovo Smart Display 7, which I love). The Smart Frame therefore serves only one purpose: A picture frame that inspires you with some of your favorite memories.

Our opinion

What can also be difficult to accept for some people is the $ 400 cost of the Lenovo Smart Frame. It's way above what you can find anywhere else, even for fancy smart displays that serve as frames for your photo memories and cost around $ 250.

Its size is undoubtedly its greatest asset. Few are ever as tall as 10 inches. So it's a picture frame worth mounting in a high-traffic area of ​​your home for family members and visitors to see. With the integration of Google Photos, you can no longer organize your favorite memories and move them into a picture frame.

How long it will take?

The Lenovo Smart Frame is mainly made of plastic and is solidly built. Since this is a heavy side, extra care should be taken where you place it if you don't plan to mount it on the wall. It comes with a one year limited warranty.

Is there a better alternative?

As mentioned earlier, smart displays like the Google Nest Hub are actually a better investment as they double as picture frames. Therefore, if you want to fill smaller spaces, these are the better option. Conversely, you won't find many picture frames larger than 10 inches. This is one of the few options to consider – especially those over 20 inches.

Should you buy it?

Yes, for its presentation style as the right photo frame that is easy to manage thanks to Google Photos.

Editor's recommendations




25 Mar
Blog

How OCR Technology Made Image to Text Conversion Simple

Are you looking for ways to convert the text of the image into an editable form? Tired of using many methods but all of them in vain? Yes? No problem, the image to text converter will give you excellent and fabulous results for converting images to text. You can save valuable money by using online tools. But quality is not about compromising. You will get the best conversion for your business and your academics.

Optical character recognition

The images cannot be edited or processed until the software recognizes them. OCR technology was developed to precisely analyze the image. The picture contains several elements. One of these elements is the text, which can consist of a few words and many sentences. Pic to txt isn't difficult these days as OCR technology is available to assist you. Text on photos is quite common, but pulling it out seems to be a challenge.

Quick and easy extraction

People take pictures that contain values ​​of meaningful text. Text from the image extraction is required for them to either create or edit the files. Compile the full file by extracting data from multiple images. The image to text converter performs great and works on the characters to give you the right content. The quick extraction allows users to include all of the images in the gallery for conversion to text. You can use it for large or bulky academic files.

OCR technology provides easy extraction and doesn't make it difficult to use. It involves a simple step: uploading the image with text to the online tool. Click the Convert to Text button and guess what you did, all the steps will be. You will receive the result on your screen in no time at all.

Accurate data extraction

When it comes to manual extraction, one has to suffer from several problems. This includes stress and strain on the eyes. Not only that, but it also creates a high risk of error. The automatic system avoids errors and mistakes in order to provide the correct content. The high accessibility and accuracy allows users to get the text whenever they want. They are very confident about using it. The data is not shared with others as the user and data protection are very much considered. If you look at the picture and then type it into the Word file, you are wasting a lot of time. This becomes very difficult when the image text is numeric. The image to text converter works magically for all types of text.

Pack contents

Don't let your pictures get stuck at any point. Get the image to text converter to relax in your work. Use it several times and be permanently satisfied with the quality tool of the renowned online software. It helps to make office work clearer and to make learning more convenient.

01 Jan
Blog

Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 Review: Simple and Honest

Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 review wrist bike

"The $ 60 Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 is great value for money and just the right complexity to keep the casual fitness fan engaged and carried."

  • Comfortable and easy

  • Easy to use

  • Comprehensive list of activities to be followed

  • Good notification support

  • Battery life claims are exaggerated

  • Strap closure is annoying

  • Some tracking inaccuracies

Not everyone cares about high-end activity tracking features on many smartwatches or expensive fitness bands. Some really don't worry about blood oxygen levels, EKG measurements, or even built-in GPS. If you want easy daily activity tracking, you want a simple wearable device for everyday use Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 come inside.

This $ 60 fitness tracker covers all the basics and offers 15 days of battery life. This puts it firmly in the wear and tear and forgetting category. I've been wearing it for over a week now and almost forgot it on my wrist which is good. That's the way it is.

design

The simplicity of the Galaxy Fit 2 starts with its design, but it has both good and bad surprises in store. The first surprise is how bright the 1.1-inch AMOLED color screen is. I could easily leave it on the middle tier without sacrificing daylight viewing, which means it has less of an impact on battery life. The use of a color screen makes the Galaxy Fit 2 far more attractive and interesting than the boring monochrome LCDs of simple Fitbits.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Pick the red ribbon like my test device and it makes a seriously athletic statement. While the strap is comfortable once on, the clasp is very annoying. Samsung made the whole thing more complicated than it needs to be, and it's quite difficult to find and repeat exactly the right fit. I often wear the band loosely when the accuracy of the heart rate monitor isn't that important, and then tighten it when I'm tracking, and the Fit 2's strap made this normally simple procedure quite annoying. Otherwise, it's safe and won't get sweaty.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It is controlled via the touchscreen and a touch-sensitive button below. It's pretty easy to miss the button at first as the thin outline that gives you a clue of where to press disappears in many lighting conditions. The operating system reacts and is logically created. You navigate through the options by swiping and tapping. I didn't have any problems with that.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The design, screen attractiveness, and software make the Galaxy Fit easy to live with when you've stopped swearing by the stupid band.

Activity tracking

The Galaxy Fit continues the simple theme and has a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope. However, it is not possible to measure blood oxygen, take an EKG, connect to GPS, or even add altitude data using an altimeter. The altimeter is the only sensor that is really overlooked as the EKG and blood oxygen readings are highly specialized. If you need GPS for accurate run tracking, there are numerous alternatives available.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Instead, the Galaxy Fit 2 monitors your workout, tracks steps, and monitors your sleep when you wear it overnight. A small selection of workouts to be tracked is preinstalled in the customization. However, more can be added if the basic options are not enough. For example, I had to add yoga and stationary cycling. The Galaxy Fit 2 can be worn in the pool to track swimming, counting strokes and measuring distance. It also gives back SWOLF swimming efficiency data after you're done.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Swipe left on the screen to view your steps, heart rate, distance, and sleep data. There are reminders to get up and move around and a reminder to wash your hands too. However, this isn't automatic like the Apple Watch feature, it just suggests that you should wash your hands after a set interval. The Fit 2 also monitors stress levels, but says the feature is for wellness rather than medical use, and I found that this puts me at the higher end of the scale far more often than other wearables I've used recently, including the Honor Watch ES and the Oppo Watch.

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Both Samsung Galaxy Wear and the Samsung Health app are required to sync the Galaxy Fit 2 with your phone and are compatible with both Android and iOS. I used them on a Samsung Galaxy Fold. While health is informative – it provides current and historical data, and you can add more metrics like food intake and data from other health devices – it is not very attractive or always logical to navigate.

It's nowhere near as pretty or intuitive as Google Fit, for example, and it's also not as feature-rich. It is a bit unusual that it is not possible to get an instant heart rate reading quickly, even though the last reading taken remains on some watch faces. There are a variety of training plans available, meaning the Galaxy Fit 2 will cover almost any activity of your choice.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

In terms of accuracy, I compared the Fit 2 to the Apple Watch Series 6 over a few days and found that the heart rate monitor was in line with the Apple Watch's results, but the calories burned and step count were usually below the Apple Watch's estimate, possibly biased overall results. Most wearables I've compared to the Apple Watch in the past come up with very similar numbers overall, suggesting that the Fit 2's software may need refinement.

Battery life

Samsung makes some big claims about the Galaxy Fit 2's battery life, but there are several caveats hidden in the fine print. What you need to know is to forget about reaching 21 days, and not counting on 15 days, if you want to use most of the band's features.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Sleep tracking is one of the areas you may need to do without in order to maximize battery life, and it's well worth doing. At 21 grams, the tape is certainly light enough not to be bothersome, and when it works, sleep tracking will show different stages of your sleep and duration, and ultimately assign a sleep efficiency score. However, sleep tracking is inconsistent and has repeatedly completely missed my deep sleep phases, rendering all data collected worthless.

Notifications also drain your battery more, but this time it's worth the tradeoff. Despite the small screen size, truncated emails are legible, and WhatsApp messages and Twitter replies even offer quick reply options. How many apps send notifications to the band can be managed in the Galaxy Wear app so you can adjust the number of interruptions. I found the notifications useful, but could be frustrated at times by the slowness of the band to respond when I raised my arm to see them.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Samsung says that in order to achieve a battery life of almost 21 days, you have to do without sleep tracking, a heart rate sensor and automatic workout tracking. It is said to expect around 15 days with average usage. I've used the heart rate monitor, activity reminders, followed regular exercise sessions, and also did some sleep sessions, and it was difficult to get any closer to that number. It loses about 10% of its battery every day without tracking any activities other than sleep.

Price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 costs $ 60 or £ 40 in the UK available now from Amazon and via Samsung's own online shop.

Our opinion

The Galaxy Fit 2 doesn't pretend to be the ideal partner for your marathon endeavors, or it will be there to provide focused data as you battle for Olympic glory. Instead, it covers what most casual trainers want from swimming to biking and horse riding to sailing, being honest about their skills, and having the right complexity to keep you honest in your fitness endeavors.

That general nature and affordability, however, don't forgive the inconsistencies in sleep and exercise tracking, and the very long battery life is only possible if you choose not to use many of the band's features. Other than that, the Galaxy Fit 2 is easy to use and its drawbacks haven't stopped me from wanting to wear it, and that's essential for a fitness band.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, the fitness band market is huge, so there are plenty of great alternatives. While I think the Galaxy Fit 2 is one of the better models, it has stiff competition. If a Fitbit is more appealing because of the recognizable brand name and established platform, the Inspire 2 is the closest model to the Galaxy Fit 2, but it costs $ 100. Plus, Fitbit has a monthly subscription fee to unlock some of its more advanced features. If you want a Fitbit with GPS, we recommend the Fitbit Charge 4.

If you live outside of the US or like to import, the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is great value at around £ 40, as is the Honor Band 5, which is available for even less money. If you don't need specialized fitness tracking features like GPS and you're not a dedicated athlete, then why spend more than necessary on a simple fitness band?

If you don't mind spending more and want something that looks less like a regular fitness band, there are some smartwatch-like alternatives out there too. The Amazfit GTR 2 is priced at $ 179, looks good, and has plenty of fitness tracking features, while the Honor Watch ES costs 89 pounds sterling or around $ 120 and strikes the middle ground between smartwatch and fitness band.

How long it will take?

Fitness bands last longer than your smartphone or smartwatch, as we do not have such high demands on the software or hardware. The strong strap of the Galaxy Fit 2 can be replaced if it breaks. Everything is waterproof up to 50 meters, making it suitable for swimming or showering.

Apart from any discontinuation of support for Galaxy Fit 2 in the Galaxy Wear or Samsung Health app, this will take well over three years. There is one other thing to think about and that is your continued use. The Galaxy Fit 2 isn't really for the hardcore fitness enthusiast. So expect an upgrade if your own fitness goals and tracking need to change.

Should you buy it?

Yes, provided you just want to cover the basics of activity tracking, it is an easy to use, simple, and attractive fitness band.

Editor's recommendations




07 Oct
Blog

DJI OM 4 Review: A Simple Yet Cinematic Gimbal

dji om 4 review 2167

"The DJI OM 4 is beginner-friendly, but includes some advanced camera movements."

  • Easy to use

  • Fast magnetic attachment

  • Pre-programmed movements in stories

  • Good stabilization

  • Advanced app tools

  • Some modes are hidden

  • Follow mode does not use the full pan range

Gimbals mix stabilization with cinematic camera movement, but the combination often creates a system geared toward experienced users. However, this is not the case with the DJI OM 4. With the three-axis gimbal, which requires little balancing, even inexperienced users can work – literally or figuratively – in just a few short tutorial videos.

The DJI OM 4 was developed by a company known for its drones. In story mode, the OM 4 even adds cinematic camera movements with just a few taps of the finger, while modes such as dynamic zoom imitate advanced dolly zoom techniques. Gesture control with tracking even opens the gimbal for vloggers.

The DJI OM 4 offers the ideal mix of beginner-friendly features and advanced movie effects – but it's not quite perfect. As a photographer – not a videographer – I took out DJI's latest gimbal to see how re-friendly it is.

Technical data and features

The DJI OM 4 is a three-axis motorized smartphone gimbal that includes some improvements over the previous version, including a more powerful motor. It's compatible with any phone less than 3.3 inches wide and 10.23 ounces with an app for iOS and Android. (I tested the OM 4 with an iPhone 11 Pro).

The gimbal offers a good range of motion between approximately 333 degrees and 343 degrees on each of the three axes. The gimbal stops panning once it reaches the front of the gimbal handle, and it has a tilt range from the sky to the ground.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The gimbal not only stabilizes videos, but also offers various modes to support creative recordings. Tracking mode follows a person or animal and can be activated when gesture control is activated by raising your hand with the palm of your hand towards the camera. Sport mode is designed to use the gimbal while it is active.

One of my favorite aspects of the gimbal is the different modes that make it easy to add professional looking camera movement. In Inception mode, the camera is rotated with the joystick instead of panning or tilting. Dynamic zoom or dolly zoom enlarges or reduces the subject, but keeps it in the same position and changes the background instead. Hyperlapses and time-lapse are included, as are panoramas, including the option to clone yourself into a photo.

design

The DJI OM 4 uses two different mounting options – a thin metal plate that stays permanently attached to the device, or a detachable smartphone clamp. According to DJI, the plate is faster and does not need to be rebalanced, but should not be used for a fall. I used the clamp option.

The spring-loaded clamp was impressively able to grip and balance my iPhone 11 Pro with its case. However, the clamp needs to be perfectly aligned to keep the horizon straight. I had to regularly nudge one side of the clamp to keep the phone perfectly balanced. The app also provides an option to rebalance the gimbal for phones that are tilted to one side despite being correctly oriented, and will likely be required to use accessories such as auxiliary lenses.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

Once the clamp or plate is in place, mounting the smartphone on the gimbal is as easy as aligning the two points on each magnet. I occasionally had to adjust the position of the clamp once it was installed to achieve perfect balance.

The handle offers an ergonomic design, with which almost every control is easily accessible. On the front there is the joystick for redirecting the gimbal, a record button and a mode button that switch between video and still images as well as from vertical to horizontal. Near the tip of the thumb, there is a zoom switch on the side of the handle. I could barely reach this knob without adjusting my whole hand, and users with small hands may not quite like this button position.

On the back is the trigger to lock the gimbal in one direction. Two taps on the shutter button re-center the gimbal, while three taps on the front facing camera toggle in the DJI app.

Once captured, the upper arm of the gimbal folds down on itself, shortening the overall height of the gimbal. At roughly 6.5 inches tall, the only bag it fits will fit oversized coat packages or cargo pants, but only add about 14 ounces to a bag. The gimbal also comes with an optional folding tripod base on which the gimbal can be used on a tabletop.

The DJI app: a cameraman in your hands

The controls of the gimbal were still transferred to the native camera app of the iPhone. However, the best features of the gimbal are contained in the DJI Mimo app. From in-app tutorials to automating camera tricks, the app is impressively well built and easy to use. Initial setup of the app was easy and didn't have the headache that some Bluetooth devices cause when they first connect.

For the most part, the app helps beginners get started quickly. Mimo starts with a built-in tutorial that walked me through the various controls and shortcuts. Then, if I inevitably forgot exactly where those controls were, I could turn to the tutorial section for a quick refresher.

However, the main part of the app is the camera mode. Many of the options and controls feel like using the basic camera app on my iPhone, including a mode slider under the record button and the same tap to focus and slide to adjust the exposure.

Story mode was my favorite part of the entire app – and I very rarely share social media stories. The feature uses the gimbal to create various motion effects that I wouldn't otherwise capture, and then merges it all into an edited, easily shareable clip of music. It's both a great way to create highlight clips for easy sharing and put together professional-looking video effects without knowing how to record or edit them.

With the story shortcut in camera mode, you can record and edit a video at the same time. In this mode, the app and gimbal work together to automatically create short, edited videos with motion effects based on the template you selected. For example, the gimbal can create a 360-degree video glitch, add tilt effects, or create motion blur between cuts with rapid gimbal movement.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

The app counts down to the start of the recording and then automatically moves the gimbal to achieve the effect. The process is repeated for each clip in the template. Some templates use camera tricks, while others just add music, text, and filters. The custom template option allows you to adjust the camera movement (unfortunately not factors like the length of the clip). Stories can be saved as drafts so that you can record the clips at different times of the day.

By accessing the stories from the home page, instead of using camera mode, pre-recorded videos are edited with templates that include clip transitions, music, filters and text. Although the camera effects are not added for you, this is the mode you want to use if you are taking a one-time shot because the shooting mode will count down and stop after a few seconds based on the number of template you select.

My only complaint about the app is that I wish Stories could do even more, including longer videos and custom clip lengths. When using Stories in Selfie mode, some movements are also reversed in ways that don't always make sense, e.g. For example, if you tilt the camera down instead of up when using the front camera.

user friendliness

As a photographer, rather than a videographer, I can count the number of gimbals I've tried on one hand. However, the OM 4 was easy to jump in and use right away. At the same time, thanks to the integrated tutorials and the various modes of the app, the OM 4 offers more advanced camera tricks that almost anyone can use to take photos.

I was ready to use the basic controls after just a few minutes of playing. The gimbal stabilization is excellent – I've used the OM 4 inline skating and even jogging backwards with excellent results.

The OM 4's ability to follow a subject in front of the camera is good, if not perfect. If a single topic remains in front of the gimbal, e.g. B. for vlogging or creating tutorial videos, the performance of the gimbal is excellent. However, the gimbal has problems following people who move to the side of the gimbal long before the swing limit is reached. When tracking people, the gimbal sometimes switched another person and followed her.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

That's not to say that a little practice and time with the gimbal won't be beneficial. The gimbal has several shortcuts to the same button and I had to take pictures with it a few times to remember them all. One click of the mode button changes the mode from photo to video, two clicks from vertical to horizontal and three switches to standby mode.

With a few tutorials, I was up and shooting with a little practice. However, access to the advanced modes required a lot of patience because they are not organized in a single location. Many of the advanced recording modes are in camera mode in the mode dial at the bottom of the screen. For example, to activate Inception mode and rotate the camera, you need to go to Settings and change the Follow mode.

Hillary K. Grigonis / Digital Trends

Others aren't even a labeled button or even part of the original in-app tutorials. When you switch to underride mode for low-angle shots, the gimbal turns upside down. The low-settlement mode, which was called up by holding the trigger and tilting the gimbal forward, didn't work for me. I couldn't adjust the angle of the smartphone to accommodate anything other than the ground.

The OM 4 was also not very tripod-friendly for third parties. While I had no issues with the included tripod, I encountered some challenges when using a full-height tripod. In story mode, some of the automated movements jolted the camera, a strange bug that didn't repeat itself when used on the included tripod. Tightening the tripod screw helped but didn't fix the problem. The patterned ribs on the underside of the gimbal also tore off the handle on the mounting plate of my tripod.

Our opinion

The DJI OM 4 is not just a smartphone gimbal – it is a tool that will add cinematic movement even for beginners. The well-designed app, simple mounting system, variety of shooting modes, and portable design make the gimbal simple and modern at the same time, a combination that is nearly impossible.

Although the DJI OM is 4 eons before the gimbals the company created a few years ago, it's not perfect. The modes could be more organized and some of the more advanced features require some digging. I couldn't get the low-angle shooting modes to work well, the follow mode didn't use the full pan range, and the OM 4 didn't play well with a third-party tripod.

Is there a better alternative?

Smartphone gimbals are becoming more common – and there is a bit of competition. However, none seems to be as beginner-friendly as the balanced design and intuitive app of the OM 4. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is a bit cheaper, but has advanced controls. Advanced users will like the focus dial, as well as the other physical and app-based controls, but beginners can be more intimidated by the extras.

How long it will take?

The DJI OM 4 has already asked us to download a firmware update, a good sign that the OM 4 will continue to experience new improvements via software. Aside from major glitches, the OM 4 should last a few years thanks to these updates, a solid design, and a mounting system compatible with a wide variety of smartphones.

Should you buy it?

If you've never tried a gimbal but want to eliminate the shaking of your videos and add cinematic camera movements in a few simple steps, buy the DJI OM 4. The OM 4 is incredibly beginner-friendly and unbalanced. In-app tutorials and automated camera movements with stories.

Editor's recommendations




23 Sep
Blog

Garmin Venu Sq Review: Great Health Tracking, Simple Styling

garmin venu sq rating in hand

"This is an excellent health and fitness watch at an affordable price."

  • Reliable and accurate activity tracking

  • Incoming data collection and analysis

  • Simple and lightweight design

  • Support for dozens of workout types

  • Almost a week of battery life

  • $ 50 for music features

  • Touchscreen can be fussy during exercise

  • Limited "intelligent" functions and notifications

You will have a hard time finding someone who doesn't know Garmin, and most of the time you will know the company's extensive range of fitness smartwatches. It has a well-earned reputation for making the highest quality, most accurate watches for runners, bikers, triathletes and every other possible outdoor sport.

But Garmin doesn't just want to play in the "pro" room. There's reason to believe that the Garmin name could lead to affordable sales that rival entry-level smartwatches and high-end fitness bands. This is where the Garmin Venu Sq comes into play.

Hardware and functions

You can't see it any other way. The Venu Sq looks like an Apple Watch. I know there are only so many ways to make a smartwatch with rounded rectangles, but it's hard to miss. Just a few days after getting the Venu Sq, I was in soccer practice and a teammate asked how I liked my Apple Watch.

However, that's not a bad thing. Unlike any other Garmin fitness watch, this isn't a polarizing design. It's simple, straightforward, and decidedly not looking robust. You can wear something other than workout clothes and keep wearing the Venu Sq without explicitly shouting to everyone around you, "You're damn right, I'm running!" Not everyone wants this recognition.

The plastic body is effective, albeit lightweight and cheap (remember, it's only $ 200). The brushed aluminum piece that surrounds the curved glass display cover, however, is a nice contrast and on the back, where the sensor array is located, neither thick nor bulky.

The display is just 1.3 inches diagonal and 240 x 240 resolution, but it definitely gets the job done. It has an ambient brightness setting and was easily visible in sunlight while it also got much darker at night. There is a large bezel on the screen that doesn't look too good, but honestly it doesn't affect how well you can use the watch considering how simple the software is.

This is a fitness-first smartwatch, not a generic "little phone on the wrist," so its smart functionality is fundamental. You can customize watch faces with some basic designs and data layouts, but it's nowhere near as extensive as Apple's. Notifications come to your wrist and you can act on them when paired with an Android phone. Otherwise, there is not much you can do outside of health and fitness. There are no news, apps, or advanced features here. And the vibration motor is very loud.

Even with a color touchscreen, the Venu Sq offers excellent battery life according to general smartwatch standards. Even with a constant Bluetooth connection that brought in notifications from my phone, overnight sleep tracking, and 4-5 hours of GPS workout tracking, I was able to get 5 days of battery life without any problems. This is without the "always on" display which would certainly put a few days off, but I found that a long delay in the display timeout is a good compromise.

Health, activity and training tracking

For a $ 200 fitness watch, the Venu Sq delivers where it matters. Sensors and tracking functions. You get the same core tracking and analysis as a $ 600 Garmin Fenix ​​6 running the same great Garmin Connect app on your phone. Here you will find constant, precise heart rate monitoring as well as the usual number of steps and the active minute value. Garmin's reputation for having accurate GPS tracking for running and cycling has also proven itself in my tests and perfectly tracked my activities.

Garmin uses the idea of ​​a "body battery" to measure your overall physical condition, which can be fun to track every day. But you also get a display for physical stress, calorie consumption, sleep analysis, training load analysis and training suggestions – again identical to much more expensive Garmin watches.

Every popular activity has a pre-built mode that you can jump into with a few taps and start tracking, from running and biking to stand up paddle boarding, cross country skiing, rowing, stretching, yoga, elliptical training, golf and More. The list is long.

The Venu Sq, like many of its other watches, also offers SpO2 tracking (aka Pulse Ox), something you otherwise only get on the latest Apple Watch Series 6. You shouldn't be putting a lot of weight into an SpO2 reading from a consumer smartwatch, but if it's something you focus on as part of your overall health picture, then it is here.

The only thing you are missing out on is a barometer so you won't get any altitude related tracking. No daily tracking of climbing stairs and, above all, no altitude information for hiking or running / cycling on paths. This isn't that important to most people, but anyone who takes their running or biking seriously will really miss getting accurate elevation data and an altitude-adjusted speed analysis.

While the touchscreen is good for everyday use and navigation, it is not the best interface for using the watch while exercising. Touchscreens work poorly with sweaty fingers and are accidentally triggered by sleeves and rain. After accidentally ending a run once, I turned on the screen lock, which unfortunately also disabled the side buttons – an annoying compromise, but a general improvement. It may seem gaudy to have a watch with 5 physical buttons like the other models from Garmin, but it really is the option to interface with a watch while exercising or while wearing gloves.

Like most of its watches, Garmin has an upsell fee to add music features to the Venu Sq. You pay an additional $ 50 for local storage on the watch, which can be used to sync music to Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer and play it right on your headphones. This isn't a big deal for me running or biking as it doesn't support YouTube Music (come on!) And I always have my phone with me, but I know a lot of people want to go off the phone and still have their Spotify playlists. For all-purpose smartwatches with integrated music functionality, a price premium of 25% for the Venu Sq is difficult.

Our opinion

The Venu Sq is well positioned to stand out from basic fitness bands like the Fitbit Inspire 3. It has a watch shape and a large screen, but without the big price hike when switching to a fully featured smartwatch from Apple or a high-end fitness watch from Polar or Garmin.

You get accurate tracking of activity, health, and training backed by the summary and analysis of Garmin's smartphone app, which gives you the same features you would expect from a much more expensive watch. It doesn't look like a hardcore fitness watch, however, which is likely a bonus for people who are only looking to spend $ 200 on this type of wearable.

There are definite shortcomings here if you take your fitness very seriously and need more accurate tracking, more sensors or hardware buttons. But think of the price here too. The Venu Sq is a great fitness-focused smartwatch that divides the difference between casual and professional users while also looking more like an all-purpose smartwatch.

Is there a better alternative?

Garmin's biggest competitor is hands down the Apple Watch Series 3, which is relatively old but still fully supported and is being sold brand new by Apple for $ 199. The Watch Series 3 is clearly unable to track workouts and provide detailed fitness data. However, if you own an iPhone, it offers a more holistic lifestyle smartwatch experience with better apps, notifications, and a better user interface. And the draw for services like Apple Fitness + shouldn't be underestimated.

If you want to specifically focus on tracking your runs, bike rides, and serious workouts, a more specialized fitness smartwatch like the Garmin Forerunner 245 makes more sense. It's more expensive at $ 275, but it has more buttons, a touchless screen, and a clear, always-on, low-reflectivity display in daylight.

How long it will take?

As an inexpensive fitness watch, the Venu Sq is not designed to last a decade. But it's well designed and built to be knocked around, and that's a good sign of its longevity. You may need to replace a belt a few years later, but it's an inexpensive proposition. Garmin also supports the Connect app and platform well. As far as data retention and analysis is concerned, you will continue to be able to use these functions for years to come.

Should you buy it?

The Garmin Venu Sq is a good fitness-focused smartwatch that is north of a fitness band's budget. Some people really don't want to spend more than $ 200 on a fitness tracker but want to get something that looks like a watch – the Venu Sq fits that market. Garmin's activity tracking and app are great, and that brings exceptional value here. Don't expect too much from the other “smart” functions outside of healthcare.

Editor's recommendations




22 Sep
Blog

Simple Tips to Transform Your Back

A big, thick, well-developed back can lift a physique from good to great. Unfortunately, the muscles of the back are the toughest most lifters have to develop.

This struggle is partly due to the tendency to train the mirror muscles, but it is also heavily influenced by poor exercise selection and repetition execution.

The back is a large area of ​​muscle mass made up of several different muscles that are capable of other actions. The complexity of fully training the back is illustrated by the wide range of machines and attachments.

The grip you choose, and then the intent of the movement with which you initiate a repetition, will largely determine the quality of the stimulus you generate. In order to get results from your training, you need to create the appropriate incentive to achieve the adjustment you want. A significant stimulus combined with adequate rest is what you need to build muscle and strength.

Stimulus + recovery = adjustment

Creating an effective stimulus is important in growing your back. What is less obvious is that the effectiveness of your back training can essentially have an impact on the rest of your muscle groups as well.

As I mentioned earlier, the back is a huge area to exercise in. If your repetitions and sets aren't stimulating efficiently, you will need to do more sets to get an effective workout.

Exercise your back

Effective back workouts could be achieved in as little as six sets, but poor execution and choice of exercises could mean that double the number is enough to get muscle building stimulus. That is twice as much as with the same effect, which is completely inefficient.

It is very exhausting to do twice as many sets for the back. This fatigue affects your overall systemic recovery capacity. The body has only one tolerance for so much exercise per week. If you have to work your back twice as much, it will drain your reserves for other muscle groups.

The total number of sets you can edit per week will be affected. If the back takes up twice as much space in your program as it should, it means something else is suffering. For example, maybe your biceps workout needs to drop.

In short, we want to maximize training efficiency wherever possible. Being efficient opens up a larger window of time to allocate resources to other muscle groups and gradually increase the overall training volume. Because exercise volume has a dose-response relationship with muscle gain, the potential to do more over time is a handy tool to have in your toolbox.

Key takeaway: More effective back training makes your back grow faster and also makes it easier for other muscle groups to grow better.

Paying attention to your grip choices and the way you do your reps can greatly optimize your back training. A few basic anatomies will help you make the smartest choices for grip position and arm travel.

As a rule of thumb, a neutral or supinated grip is better suited to training the lats on rows and pulldowns. One of the actions of the lats is to stretch your shoulder. You can perform this action more effectively if you are in a neutral or slightly outwardly turned position.

Train your lats

When aiming at the lats, use handles that allow a neutral or slightly outward hand position. Examples are broad (ish) neutral or supinated lat pulldowns and rows. Grip widths of shoulder width or just outside are just right for this. The lats are attached to the upper arm. Hence, it is the upper arm path that we care about, not how far your hands move.

When you are exercising a muscle, you want to go from fully elongated to shortened while maintaining tension throughout the area. Take the origin and introduction of the muscle (each end where the muscle is attached to the bone) as far apart as you can actively control, then try to bring those two points as close as possible.

To do this effectively for your lats::

  • Start the lift phase of a pull-down or lat-focused row by moving your upper arm down.
  • Don't perform by pulling your biceps.
  • Think of your hands as hooks.
  • The lats are attached to the upper arm, not behind the elbow.
  • Focusing on bending the elbow shifts the focus to the biceps.

This mistake in technique can turn an excellent lat exercise into a crappy biceps exercise.

Remember, the goal here is to train the lats so you need to initiate with them and keep the tension on them. By taking a neutral or semi-supinated grip and starting the lift phase by moving your upper arm down and towards your hip, you can dramatically increase the activation and tension of the lats.

The arc of your arm path on a lat pulldown should be almost like doing a lat sweater to maximize this effect.

Exercise your upper back

The upper back:

When it comes to upper back training, we want to focus more on shoulder blade movement. The upper back muscles all act directly on the scapular (shoulder blades). To train them effectively, we would like to see movement in this area.

This movement is best achieved with a strong grip (palms down) and higher arm travel. Exercise these muscles over their entire area by thinking about doing a full stretch forward into an elongated position. Then start by moving your elbows back and trying to pull your shoulder blades back and together at maximum contraction.

Imagine trying a reverse hug and trying to touch your elbows behind you (this won't happen unless you suffered a terrible injury) but that is the general movement and arm path that You should pursue.

Links to a bigger, stronger, V-shaped back

Lats = neutral or supinated grip and initiate by pulling the upper arm down and then towards the hips.

Upper back = pronounced grip and rowing with elbows up and out to start and end the repetition by trying to push your elbows together as far behind you as possible.

21 Sep
Blog

Simple Tips to Transform Your Back

A big, thick, well-developed back can lift a physique from good to great. Unfortunately, the muscles of the back are the toughest most lifters have to develop.

This struggle is partly due to the tendency to train the mirror muscles, but it is also heavily influenced by poor exercise selection and repetition execution.

The back is a large area of ​​muscle mass made up of several different muscles that are capable of other actions. The complexity of fully training the back is illustrated by the wide range of machines and attachments.

The grip you choose, and then the intent of the movement with which you initiate a repetition, will largely determine the quality of the stimulus you generate. In order to get results from your training, you need to create the appropriate incentive to achieve the adjustment you want. A significant stimulus combined with adequate rest is what you need to build muscle and strength.

Stimulus + recovery = adjustment

Creating an effective stimulus is important in growing your back. What is less obvious is that the effectiveness of your back training can essentially have an impact on the rest of your muscle groups as well.

As I mentioned earlier, the back is a huge area to exercise in. If your repetitions and sets aren't stimulating efficiently, you will need to do more sets to get an effective workout.

Exercise your back

Effective back workouts could be achieved in as little as six sets, but poor execution and choice of exercises could mean that double the number is enough to get muscle building stimulus. That is twice as much as with the same effect, which is completely inefficient.

It is very exhausting to do twice as many sets for the back. This fatigue affects your overall systemic recovery capacity. The body has only one tolerance for so much exercise per week. If you have to work your back twice as much, it will drain your reserves for other muscle groups.

The total number of sets you can edit per week will be affected. If the back takes up twice as much space in your program as it should, it means something else is suffering. For example, maybe your biceps workout needs to drop.

In short, we want to maximize training efficiency wherever possible. Being efficient opens up a larger window of time to allocate resources to other muscle groups and gradually increase the overall training volume. Because exercise volume has a dose-response relationship with muscle gain, the potential to do more over time is a handy tool to have in your toolbox.

Key takeaway: More effective back training makes your back grow faster and also makes it easier for other muscle groups to grow better.

Paying attention to your grip choices and the way you do your reps can greatly optimize your back training. A few basic anatomies will help you make the smartest choices for grip position and arm travel.

As a rule of thumb, a neutral or supinated grip is better suited to training the lats on rows and pulldowns. One of the actions of the lats is to stretch your shoulder. You can perform this action more effectively if you are in a neutral or slightly outwardly turned position.

Train your lats

When aiming at the lats, use handles that allow a neutral or slightly outward hand position. Examples are broad (ish) neutral or supinated lat pulldowns and rows. Grip widths of shoulder width or just outside are just right for this. The lats are attached to the upper arm. Hence, it is the upper arm path that we care about, not how far your hands move.

When you are exercising a muscle, you want to go from fully elongated to shortened while maintaining tension throughout the area. Take the origin and introduction of the muscle (each end where the muscle is attached to the bone) as far apart as you can actively control, then try to bring those two points as close as possible.

To do this effectively for your lats::

  • Start the lift phase of a pull-down or lat-focused row by moving your upper arm down.
  • Don't perform by pulling your biceps.
  • Think of your hands as hooks.
  • The lats are attached to the upper arm, not behind the elbow.
  • Focusing on bending the elbow shifts the focus to the biceps.

This mistake in technique can turn an excellent lat exercise into a crappy biceps exercise.

Remember, the goal here is to train the lats so you need to initiate with them and keep the tension on them. By taking a neutral or semi-supinated grip and starting the lift phase by moving your upper arm down and towards your hip, you can dramatically increase the activation and tension of the lats.

The arc of your arm path on a lat pulldown should be almost like doing a lat sweater to maximize this effect.

Exercise your upper back

The upper back:

When it comes to upper back training, we want to focus more on shoulder blade movement. The upper back muscles all act directly on the scapular (shoulder blades). To train them effectively, we would like to see movement in this area.

This movement is best achieved with a strong grip (palms down) and higher arm travel. Exercise these muscles over their entire area by thinking about doing a full stretch forward into an elongated position. Then start by moving your elbows back and trying to pull your shoulder blades back and together at maximum contraction.

Imagine trying a reverse hug and trying to touch your elbows behind you (this won't happen unless you suffered a terrible injury) but that is the general movement and arm path that You should pursue.

Links to a bigger, stronger, V-shaped back

Lats = neutral or supinated grip and initiate by pulling the upper arm down and then towards the hips.

Upper back = pronounced grip and rowing with elbows up and out to start and end the repetition by trying to push your elbows together as far behind you as possible.

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