T-Rex 3 Pro vs Cheetah 2 Pro: Always-On Display during workouts & Recommendation for my routine

Hi everyone,
I recently tested a T-Rex 3 Pro and noticed something during my workouts: the Always-On Display (AOD) looked very dim while training. It only brightened up when I explicitly tapped the screen.
I usually keep the "raise to wake" (wrist gesture) turned off, so I’m not sure if that dimness was caused by disabling that setting, or if it's just how the watch behaves during active tracking.
I’m currently leaning towards getting a Cheetah 2 Pro, and this specific detail is quite important to me. For those who have it:

1. Does the Cheetah 2 Pro also stay that dim during workouts if the wrist gesture is off?
2. Can you manually set a higher baseline brightness for the AOD while training?
   Also, I'd love to know if you recommend the Cheetah 2 Pro for my use case. My weekly routine is:
   Running: 3-4 days/week
   Gym/Strength: 2-3 days/week
   Mountain Biking (MTB): 1 day/week
   Hiking: 2-3 times a month
   Thanks in advance for the help!