Lifestyle

Fit fam, see how strong you are at Under Armour Combine!

The fitness competition makes its debut in Manila, pooling in a total cash prize pool of P680,000

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Heads up, all athletes and fitness freaks!

Under Armour’s COMBINE — the largest fitness competition that benchmarks an athlete’s performance — is back for a second year. The successful debut last year brought in over 1,200 participants across four countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia.

This year, Under Armour expands the competition, pooling athletes from diverse sports and training disciplines in the Philippines.

Testing your limits

UA COMBINE will see competitors testing their limits in a total of eight physical and mental tests devised by Under Armour‘s Global Head of Athlete Performance, Michael Watts.

Each test challenges an athlete’s agility, stamina, vertical, power, endurance, strength, speed, and cognition. The eight tests will focus on the following:

  • Agility Star Drill (Agility)
  • Pull-up Beep Test (Stamina)
  • Vertical Jump Test (Vertical)
  • 20m Sled Push (Power)
  • 20m Beep Test (Endurance)
  • 3RM Bench Press (Strength)
  • 40 Yard Dash (Speed)
  • Reactive Intelligence Wall (Cognition)

A glimpse of your strengths and weaknesses

Under Armour has been hosting Train to Win sessions in the Philippines before the inaugural COMBINE event slated in November. On its fourth leg, Under Armour and Avantgarde Fitness mounted a fitness test at Activate Sports where I got invited to participate. The event also invited athletes from various disciplines such as CrossFit and Obstacle Course Racing.

 

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The session covered seven out of eight tests, pushing athletes to top their benchmarks through shuttle runs, wall balls, bench presses, max height box jumps, strict pull-ups, and burpee box jumps overs.

Going through various tests made me realize what I’m good at and what are my deficits. My stamina, endurance, and vertical are quite good, and I’ve been exceptional at speed and agility — thanks to my background competing in obstacle course racing.

However, I’ve been struggling with strength and cognition which gave me insights on what to work on before the actual competition.

Tweaks and then some

As part of the brand’s continuous efforts to better define athletic performance, the UA COMBINE 2023 will see significant tweaks made.

As opposed to a more traditional sargeant jump from last year, the standing vertical leap test will have competitors assessed through force plates. This accurately measures an individual’s upward propulsion force.

The cognition station will also use the Reactive Intelligence Wall used by professional athletes in Formula 1 and the NBA. With six light pods positioned on a vertical wall, participants will be tasked with tapping out as many blue pods as possible in 30 seconds. The test will measure reaction time, decision-making, and attention skills when doing so.

Happening in November

UA COMBINE 2023 is slated to happen on November 19, 2023, at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall. The competition is open to 350 competitors and all participating athletes will receive a full set of Under Armour competitor gear on the event day.

Points will be earned for each completed test and athletes will be ranked according to their final result, with medals and cash prizes of PHP200,000, PHP100,000, and PHP40,000 awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place athletes in both the men’s and women’s divisions respectively.

Moreover, Under Armour lowers the entry age to encourage younger athletes aged 16 to 18 to compete. Under Armour products worth PhP 50,000 for the top male and female youths await.

For those who want to compete as a team, participants are encouraged to form a group of four. The scores of each individual on the team will be totaled to a team score. Then, the highest team score will bring home PHP80,000 worth of Under Armour gear.


For further information on UA COMBINE 2023, including competition rules and how to register, please visit the official website www.uacombineph.com, or follow @underarmourPH on Instagram using #UACOMBINEPH.

Entertainment

Now Playing: Supergirl

Though a smaller movie, it adds much to the DCU lore.

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When Superman premiered last year, it was carrying over a decade’s worth of baggage from the ultra-gritty Snyderverse. It held the promise of a fresh superhero world that emphasizes fun. Now, Supergirl is no different. Whereas Superman was tasked with restarting a dying cinematic universe, Supergirl wants to prove that the former wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, and it does exactly that amid a few struggles.

Though David Corenswet’s Superman does make quite a few cameos in the film, Supergirl is about Clark Kent’s titular cousin. It’s also based on the award-winning book, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King.

Celebrating her 23rd birthday, Kara Zor-El travels to planets with a red sun, the only places where she can get drunk as a Kryptonian. In one planet, she meets Ruthye Marye Knoll, who, after seeing Supergirl’s resilience, asks Kara to hunt Krem, the leader of the Brigands who killed her whole family. Kara initially refuses, but when Krem poisons Krypto, her dog, she goes off on her own to find the Brigand.

A classic tale of revenge

As with the original book, Supergirl is a tale of reluctant revenge instigated by a child desperate for it and a more mature mentor who knows better. Despite Kara’s nihilistic tendencies, she believes that revenge isn’t the right path for Ruthye.

It’s your standard fare of a revenge tale, somewhat bordering on a classic Western. In essence, it follows much of the structure of the original book. There are, however, some interesting changes, which may or may not be helpful to the story.

By switching to a more traditional plot structure, Supergirl trades away the book’s fleshed out relationship between Kara and Ruthye. Though Kara still cares for her young protégé, Ruthye has unfortunately been reduced to a fiery platitude, telling people who she is and how much she wants to kill Krem. At one point, Kara even makes fun of her little speech.

Krem, on the other hand, feels much more ferocious. Though the book’s Krem was evil in his own right, he was more of a mundane type of evil, just-an-average-Joe evil. The movie’s Krem is the type you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. He looks like he took a few too many steroids.

On the one hand, these changes make for a smoother film. Though the movie starts off slow, it eventually rolls towards a superhero-level fight at the end. On the other, it loses the message of the original story about the complexities of revenge.

On James Gunn’s universe

Normally, it’s a compliment to have a movie comparable to a James Gunn movie. There is another side to the coin, though.

Despite being tagged as fundamentally different from the tone of Superman, it’s clear that Supergirl was influenced by Gunn’s vision. There are jokes, random aliens, and a liberal use of older songs. On a micro level, it just doesn’t hit as hard as a Gunn flick, though.

For one, in a Gunn movie, each unnamed alien has so much character that you’d hardly believe that they’re just extras. In Supergirl, background characters, even those with speaking roles, don’t lift up from the screen. They just blend into the background. Likewise, the Brigands, despite how much eviler their actions are, don’t look like anything beyond generic sci-fi villains.

On a larger scale, keeping up with Gunn’s vision makes sense. Supergirl’s take on Kara’s story complements Superman’s story so well. Kara’s origin, explored in the film, contrasts with Clark’s. Ultimately, it helps turn Clark and Kara into fully fleshed out characters, rather than the tired stereotypes of Mr. Goody Two Shoes and his apathetic sidekick.

It also helps that Lobo, played by Jason Momoa, adds an interestingly cosmic element to the universe’s growing cast of characters. Finally spreading his wings away from Aquaman, Momoa has finally found a role perfect for him. He steals all the scenes that he’s in.

Should you watch Supergirl?

Supergirl is not on the same level as Superman. While the latter is Gunn at his absolute best, the former is a Gunn-esque film that drops the original story’s message in favor of a plot friendlier to the big screen.

That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad movie. In fact, it does well to expand the lore started by the first film. Supergirl is still a worthy, albeit smaller, addition to the growing DCU oeuvre.

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Entertainment

LE SSERAFIM to perform at BlizzCon 2026

BlizzCon’s closing act.

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LE SSERAFIM BlizzCon 2026

Global K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM is returning to BlizzCon.

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the five-member girl group will perform as the closing musical act at BlizzCon 2026. LE SSERAFIM will take the Main Stage on Sunday, September 13 (PT), bringing fans another live performance after its BlizzCon debut in 2023.

The appearance also comes ahead of the group’s upcoming U.S. tour. Blizzard teased that the performance will make it a “Perfect Night” for fans attending the convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

 

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LE SSERAFIM returns to Blizzard

LE SSERAFIM debuted in 2022 under SOURCE MUSIC, a label of HYBE. The group is composed of Sakura Miyawaki, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha Nakamura, and Hong Eunchae.

The group’s name is an anagram of “I’m Fearless,” reflecting the confidence that has defined its music since debut.

This won’t be LE SSERAFIM’s first crossover with Blizzard. The group previously collaborated with Overwatch 2, bringing themed cosmetics and a special event to the hero shooter.

LE SSERAFIM BLIZZ CON

BlizzCon 2026 is sold out

BlizzCon is Blizzard Entertainment’s annual community celebration. It brings together fans of World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and other Blizzard franchises for game announcements, developer panels, esports, cosplay, and hands-on experiences.

Passes for BlizzCon 2026 have already sold out. However, Blizzard says tickets may still become available through the Tixr public resale marketplace.

Fans can learn more about LE SSERAFIM’s appearance on Blizzard’s official blog.

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Her GadgetMatch

Dyson’s viral portable fan arrives in the Philippines

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Dyson HushJet Mini

If there is one Dyson launch that has generated unusual levels of anticipation this year, it is the Dyson HushJet Mini Portable Fan.

The compact cooling device quickly gained a following after its international release, reportedly selling out within a day in several markets. Now, just in time for the hottest and most humid months of the year (no thanks to climate change), it is finally arriving in the Philippines.

With temperatures continuing to climb, the timing feels almost inevitable. Lightweight and designed for use on the move, the HushJet™ Mini brings Dyson’s airflow technology into a portable format that fits easily into everyday life—whether commuting through the city, attending outdoor events, traveling, or spending long days under the sun.

Its appeal extends beyond functionality. Finished in Dyson’s Stone/Blush colorway, the device combines cooling performance with a sleek aesthetic that feels at home alongside the accessories people already carry daily.

The new Dyson HushJet Mini is your new companion against heat and humidity.

The launch also marks one of the most accessible entry points into the Dyson ecosystem. Priced at PhP6,499, the HushJet Mini offers consumers a practical way to experience the brand’s engineering and design in a product built for everyday use.

Given the strong demand seen overseas, interest is expected to be high when the fan officially launches in the Philippines.

Where, when, and how to get your own Dyson HushJet

The Dyson HushJet Mini Portable Fan in Stone/Blush will be available beginning June 25, 2026 at 3 p.m. at participating Dyson stores, including Mall of Asia, Podium, Greenbelt 5, and One Bonifacio High Street.

For those hoping to get their hands on one, it may be worth keeping a close eye on Dyson Philippines’ official social media channels and Dyson.ph. If international demand is any indication, this could be one of the season’s most sought-after releases.

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