Freeletics Review – The New Fitness Kid on the Block
- Updated on Jun 03, 2015
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Interested in trying Freeletics? Go to their page here.
Let’s follow each other! Our accounts: Davey B and Howie Fox
Between the two of us, we’ve heard a lot of people talking about Freeletics recently. It’s gaining massively in popularity right now – hugely so in fact, with there now being over 4,000,000 ‘Free Athletes’ around the world. So what is it exactly, and is it worth your precious time and hard earned cash?
What is Freeletics?
In their own words, Freeletics is ‘The Shape of your life. Period. Your individual training plan. High intensity workouts. Perfectly adapted to you’. (Check them out here)
It’s aimed equally at both women and men and essentially the Freeletics website/app offers free exercise and workout ideas, routines, support and explanations.
You can also pay a monthly or yearly fee for a ‘Training Coach’, which offers ‘The most individualized and dynamic fitness program on the planet’.
Why would you choose Freeletics?
The concept behind Freeletics is one of freedom – ‘You exercise with your bodyweight only. Anywhere, anytime: at home, outside, in gyms, in hotel rooms’.
All well and good…anything else?
Howie and I are in the middle of a competition right now – we’re training for a ‘Tough Mudder’ run – a gruelling 19 kilometre race filled with horrible obstacles. Electric shocks, icy water, jumps, climbs, crawls…you get the idea. Your whole body takes a beating and an all-round mix of functional strength and cardio based stamina is well needed. It won’t be fun. We have busy lives (like you too, no doubt) and only eight weeks to prepare.
Freeletics actually struck a chord with me because ‘workouts are tough and highly effective. They take between 15-45 min’. They also include a mix of running, strength training and overall cardio fitness.
The ability to train anywhere you want is one of the unique selling points of Freeletics.
I did my first workout with Freeletics and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and also by how unfit I was. They got the mix just right – I was gasping for air and pearling beads of sweat when I finished just over ten minutes later, but somehow I wanted more.
And did I get it?
After you complete your first workout Freeletics opens right up. There are a load of exercises and workouts available, and help on how to do each one. The layout is clean and crisp, with high quality and easy to follow videos. You can choose from a list of preset workout routines with cool names from Greek mythology, running from Aphrodite to Helios to Zeus. Each routine is split into a set of exercises, which can be further tailored to your personal requirements – you can choose from a focus on strength, cardio or a mix of both. It’s worth noting that half of the routines are blocked out in the free version.
Above is an example of the workout list. There are loads – it runs all the way down to Zeus.
Go on…
I admit it, I was quite impressed. The whole design and style just kinda grabbed me. I decided to sign up for the coach.
After signing up, I was instructed to perform a short fitness test. This was for the coach to see my current fitness levels and ability, then combine it with age/gender/goals etc. More on that later.
The Test
I was asked to do as many press ups, burpees and sit ups as I could within a short allotted time, taking as long a break as I needed between exercises. Videos were provided so that I got my technique right and knew exactly what was expected of me.
For the purpose of this review, here are my fitness test results. Chuckle away if you like, I don’t mind. I’ll be getting better every day (I hope!).
Press ups in 100 seconds: 41. I wasn’t too disappointed by this result, press ups are tough, especially with a full range of motion, but by persevering they really build strength.
Burpees in 300 seconds: 57. My God! Do you have any idea how bloody exhausting a simple burpee is if you haven’t done one for ages, or indeed never seen the need to do one? Incredibly, that’s how. You’ll suddenly realise you actually have muscles that you didn’t know existed.
Sit ups in 300 seconds: 86. Seemed pretty good to me, but I had nothing to compare it against. And that’s the thing.
It doesn’t matter how you do in the test, that’s the whole point. If you can’t manage a single press up, who cares? If you can bang out 1000 sit ups, who cares? You start where you start; it’s all up from there.
So how is it individualized?
With the personalised coach, you do the above fitness test and enter your gender, height, weight and choose what you want to aim for: strength, cardio or both. I selected both, as I figured toning up through strength can never be a bad thing, nor can being in a better condition. I’ll certainly need some cardio if I’m to make 19(!) kilometres. You’re also asked how many days a week you’d like to train from 1 to 5. Feeling pumped and excited, I optimistically selected 4.
With all of those variables thrown together, the coach then did its job and made my personal training plan. And it did it well. My next week’s plan looked scary and challenging – but not enough so to put me off. In fact, it somehow motivated me deep down. I was gonna win.
The Community
Freeletics also includes a burgeoning community of ‘Free Athletes’. You can add and track friends and followers, compare times and results, give applause and support that’ll help to spur others (and yourself) on, and of course, leave comments. We’re on there as Davey B and Howie Fox – come and say hello (or shout ‘faster!’), that’s up to you…
You can also track and map your free runs and workouts that you make up yourself.
Initial Conclusion
From what I’ve seen of Freeletics so far, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s professional, helpful, and serious about its goals. And yours. We’re really excited about it and have even set ourselves up as affiliates to the program – and we’re going to be reporting on our training over the next few weeks – how we get on, our pains, our gains. Click here to head to their website.
Protein
For those of you interested in or worried about protein, you can get our free high-protein meal plan right here (or in the box below). For those of you in the US or the UK you can get 15% discount at Nuzest by entering the code: hurrythefoodup either here (US) or here (UK). Enjoy!
Comments
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119 comments
glad that you’re loving it!! have you done Aphrodite yet? I did that once and thought i was going to vomit + die at the same time.
Noooo the coach hasn’t given me the full Aphrodite yet! I’ve done the 4/5 version, so it’s without the final ten reps of each exercise. Before that, Howie had laughed at me ‘cos I said I was looking forward it. He was right…live and learn I suppose! I had Iris today for the first time – it included 500 jumping jacks and 500 froggers! Glad I didn’t meet any frogs on the way home…
Hi I really liked your article. I just have one question, since I’m too thin and skinny will they also help me out with a diet plan of some kind? As to how to gain a bit of weight along with the training exercises.
Would really appreciate a response from you.
Thanks.
Hi Kanishk,
I just talked to Dave, he’s on his way to England with the family, so he’ll probably not be around the next couple of days 🙂
I know the problem, since I’m more on the skinny side as well. Freeletics does offer a nutrition app that you can use along the fitness app. I’m not sure, if it’s included when you buy a fitness coach or not. I bought the nutrition app a couple of weeks ago. But I had to pay extra if I wanted to use a fitness coach.
Buuut alternatively you could try out our high protein meal plan over here. Not sure if you’re vegetarian, but it definitely helps you gain muscle. I can tell from experience 🙂
hahaha, what’s your time? I did it a couple of times already, but I have trouble to finish it under 30 minutes. A friend of mine does it in just more than 20!!
Wow, you all look fitter than that 😉
I’ve only done it twice, but my last time was under 16 mins.
Must be my raw food nutrition 😉
That’s cold, brother.
So what’s the difference between freeletics and bodyweight exercises? I’m currently following the routine at bodyweightstrengthchallenge.com and was wondering if a switch over to freeletics would be good?
As I understand it from your review it is based on bodeyweight exercises anyway?
Hi Stefan, yep Freeletics is indeed bodyweight based. You don’t really need anything for it (to buy etc), though as access to something to do pull ups on is a boon. One of the core advantages of Freeletics is the dynamic and individual workout plans – they’re great! Let us know how you get on if you make the switch 🙂
great review. thinking of buying this but wasn’t sure how it was personalised. and i knew i probably can’t do it everyday. but your review pit my fears at bay, but i also wonder if i can make my own schedule!
Hi Cindy!
Yes, those guys from freeletics do a pretty good job. Maybe you want to start off with their free version?
About the schedule: You can decide how many sessions you want to do in a week and you can decide how long a week will be. So, if you go for 3 sessions, you can take 7 days to accomplish them, or 8. Once you’ve finished all sessions, you just hit the complete button and go to the next week.
Hi Cindy, yes Howie is right – give their free version a go and see what you think. Also, as to personalising it yourself, if you decide you don’t want to follow their schedules you can do indeed choose from a huge list of pre-made workouts – there’s bound to be something to fit everyone. Very glad the review helped 🙂
Hi Guys, is anything included on the nutritional side of things? Does the program look at the food aspect or purely exercise. Generally for me exercise is the the easier part, its nutrition where most of us fall down.
I see they have a nutrition guide as well, did you sign up for this or is it included in the paid version?
Great review and good luck with the training!
Hey Graham!
Thanks for your comment!! Yep, they have this nutrition guide, but we didn’t buy it, so I can’t exactly say how they guide you along when it comes to nutrition. But your right, I also struggle more with the nutrition part (as a food blogger, lol).
Are you looking for a mealplan kind of thing?
Hey,
I just signed up to Freeletics and was wondering if you have ever done a session without shoes? (going on a work trip and would struggle to fit it in my carry-on luggage).
Also, do you do (or have you done) additional exercises to what the coach suggests in a given week?
Cheers,
Nicola
Hi Nicola!
Yes!! Definitely possible 🙂
But there is one backdraw – burpees! When you jump back you usually land on the tip of your toes. No problem, if you have shoes on. If you don’t you’ll have to find a softer way to “land”. Also you might want to be a little more careful with the running excercises!
Cool Nicola!! Freeletics is tough, but I have to admit, it brings results 🙂
Yes, I always do with without shoes (and without socks, because they tend to slip doing burpees)
Socks are the worst option, I agree!
I don’t think workout without is recommended but I do mine at home without shoes on
I almost always go barefoot when doing bodyweight exercises, whether at home or outside (as long as I’m allowed to do so, that is).
Hiya! I was just wondering if you guys have any good meal plans for building muscle? I’ve recently started freeletics and I am in need of a good diet plan.
Hi Sam!! Glad you ask, we’re on it! But for now I cannot serve with any 🙁
I wouldn’t even know where to recommend you a decent meal plan to support muscle growth that includes cool recipes, arr
You might want to check out The shredded chef by Michael Mathews
Thanks, will do! 🙂
Would you recommend this for weight loss? I am looking at losing 60 pounds and have purchased a treadmill. I am not sure what is a good balance of everything to do this effectively. I have cut out sodas from my diet and attempting all sweets as well, not as easy as I have found. 🙁
Please let me know your thoughts or if you have any further suggestions.
Hi Jennifer!
I like your plan and I think changing to a good diet will already be 70% responsible for your weight loss. Yes, Freeletics definitely will help you to lose weight, since many exercises focus on cardio. Plus you’ll also tone your muscles with them, which again increases your metabolism (you muscles will burn more calories than before = you’ll lose more weight).
Now here’s the catch: You need a strong will or an exercise team! Freeletics is very demanding and knackering. Check out the free version and see if you like it 🙂
this will be good, but also as you have a treadmill try out the c25k (couch to 5k)by zenlabs, has a very high success rate and is soo easy to achieve, i lost 20 kgs using it, it was good to get me started but now i am looking at something like freletics to finish me off hopefully. good luck
Freeletics is fantastic. Just signed up and after day 1 my abs were hurting legs were knackered but I felt great. Looking forward to more pleasurable pain. Shows how unfit you are in 10 minutes
Hahaha, very true!! The app shows you reality pretty quickly 😀
Hi, could you tell me if you can work freeletics into a training split with my weight training at the gym?
Freeletics in the morning and Weight Training about 12 hours later.
Thanks
Wow! Hi Jake, I have my doubts to be honest, because Freeletics is pretty tough and your body will need some time to get used to it. I suggest you try a few times freeletics and see what you think about the intensity. Still, even if you feel fine, I’d ask a personal trainer at the gym if that makes sense.
I personally wouldn’t recommend it, because Freeletics is tough enough if you go full intensity.
Right that makes sense, i’m pretty fit but i havent done a freeletics workout yet, just doing some research before i start.
I would imagine a split which involves alternating days between gym and freeletics would work though right?
Yes, I think that would make the most sense! Actually I think, this is one of the best ways to stay fit, because you shock your muscles every time in new way.
I’ve just completed my 1st workout! Wow, it really tests everything you’ve got doesn’t it!?
But I want more, I can’t stop watching videos, reading blogs, websites etc just to get more info. I’m so looking forward to the next exercise. It’s gonna hurt I know, bit I feel so positive and driven by freeletics.
that’s really cool to hear, Paul!! At the moment I’m back in the gym, lifting weights, but I’ve been thinking about going back to freeletics in March or April to burn a little more fat 🙂
Good luck to everyone, I’m feeling your pain too.
hahahaha, yess it’s a pretty knackering program that is 😀
Hi, I downloaded the app and struggled with figuring out a good routine and just how it all works really. After reading all the above I think I’m going to give the coach a go. So thanks.
Also, I have a Fitbit Charge HR and love it. It’s great for motivation. Love tracking my exercise, calorie burn etc and often challenge friends to see who can do the most steps Mon-Fri for instance. it does exactly what I wanted.
coach….. Here I come!!
Hey Fran! Yess, I think the coach makes things a little easier. I like the free version for my needs better at the moment, though. I’m back in the gym and only do freeletics for when I’m not in the city. BUT! Summer is coming along and I really think freeletics is a great way to gain great “short time endurance”. At work we participate in many short runs (around 5km) and I saw my speed and stamina going up a lot after training with freeletics. You’ll see why 😉
Oh that’s actually really good to hear. Doing my second Tough Mudder in April so I’m hoping for stamina and strength to improve.
oh cool!! Where abouts you’re doing it? 🙂
In April I’m doing the London West one (Culden Faw – Fawley) and doing a half one up in Grantham in May. Really looking forward to it although after being away on holiday for 3 weeks, I’m struggling to get back in the gym.
Oh wow, in April already! Well, then it’s about time to get started 😛
The good thing is with freeletics I think you’re preparing yourself well for any kind of obstacle race.
I was worried about getting the app and coach until I read this review. Now my only concern is staying motivated. I used to be in the gym 5-6 days a week. Unfortunately, I haven’t gone in months and I’m tired of looking at myself in the mirror lol Any advice on staying motivated?
Also curious as to which program to do for cutting fat and cutting up my chest and abs
Hi Justin,
if I had to pick one thing that motivates me the most to work out, it’s having a workout buddy. If you have someone who calls you to make sure you’ll be there at 7pm, that works best for me. I even like to go just by myself, because then I have a chance to get stronger than him, haha.
Other than that I think the Freeletics community is a good start. It’s very cool that it’s possible to share stats and workouts with others via the app.
Regarding cutting fat and improve your chest/abs I think freeletics is definitely not a bad choice. There is lots of cardio in it, but enough strength exercises to build muscle. Of course you won’t bulk up a lot with that program, because the reps are too high. Still, I think going lean is not a bad idea at all!!
Hello! I have been doing the free version of freeletics, starting with Athena-endurance, but not sure if I should do only that in a day… my struggle is to have a schedule for the week. I normally do at least 4 times a week. Any tips for a schedule? I also don’t want to loose weight, but to strenthen muscles.
Hi Nani!
Wow, 4 times a week is massive, my respect!!!
Well, I have a mate at work who can actually pull of a workout in the mornings before work. I tried it but failed miserably. Just not that type of guy.
Still, when I do a coach I manage to get in 3-4 sessions per week. I just take my sports gear to work (I ride by bike) and on my way back I stop in a park close by, do my routine and go home. That works really well for me because I don’t have to get up again once I’m home.
Another motivator is a good friend of mine. He’s so competitive he’d get up at 3am to do a workout if he suspected I do the same, lol.
Hello, I greatly appreciate your review, It has made me excited and motivated to begin! I did have a question however which can be answered by anyone. How does it compare with Insanity? I have been doing insanity because I’ve always been a fan of the boot camp kind of training. Would you say Freeletics is just as challenging or dare I say it INSANE 😀 ?
Hi David! Thanks for the comment, and good question! I haven’t done Insanity, but I have done P90x and would say that Freeletics is definitely right up there with it (or even more so). Because Freeletics is interactive and dynamic, it adjusts as you go along. For example, when you do the first fitness test, if you’re already in great shape because of doing Insanity then it starts you at a MUCH tougher level. And as you go along, if you’re feeling it’s too easy for you, then you can tell ‘Coach’ and it’ll ramp up the difficulty even more. Would I call it insane? Wait until you get your first ‘Hell Week’ and tell me what you think 😀
I’m really glad we’ve inspired you to have a go – good luck and enjoy!
Its not really free!? €60 for 6 months and renewal subscription is automatically removed from account without any warning….find that sneaky.If you can stand over a service as being value for money then be transparent.
Well, I think the “Coach” costs some cash (around 35€/3 months), but there are some basic workouts for free 🙂
Not hundred percent sure what you find sneaky?
I’m very interested in Freeletics, I have a question: can I mix the freeletics workouts with weight training? I’m currently weight training and would like to combine with freeletics.
Hi Scott!
Yes, that’s possible, but would require at least about 3-4 training days per week (incl. your gym workouts). A full session of freeletics is quite knackering, which is why I think it makes sense to have one recovery day, at least for the first 2-3 weeks and then amp it up a little. On that note: freeletics released “Freeletics Gym” a couple of weeks ago. It’s basically crossfit without getting heat from crossfit haters 😉
Another suggestion would be to do a week of freeletics then a week of weight training keep the body guessing it’s what I plan to do once I start my freeletics as I would like to loose some weight but stay big, great review as well !
I do like that approach!
Hi guys,
Great review! I’m currently looking into getting the coach as a couple of my cousins use it and say it’s great. I’ve been a regular gym goer for the last 10 months or so and I’ve increased my strength plenty, the problem is that I’ve also put a fair bit (by my own standards) of body fat on as well, due to boosting the calorie intake.
I’m interested in using freeletics as a cutting stage, would you say that there would be much in the way of muscle loss while doing this or should it be ok?
Cheers!
Hey Liam, and thanks! We’re glad you liked the review 🙂
Right, to answer your question – Freeletics would definitely be a good way to go if you’re looking at cutting/shredding. The Freeletics plans include both HIT and HIIT (high intensity training and high intensity interval training) and are a very, very good way of losing weight. Because Freeletics adapts to your own standards, if you’re already strong (and/or muscled) then it’s just gonna give you tougher and tougher workouts to make sure it’s always a challenge. Losing muscle mass is really not something I think you need to worry about with Freeletics at all – it’s a tough old bastard! Talking of tough old bastards, as Arnie always says ‘shock those muscles!’ – you’re most likely going to be doing a whole new range of exercises with Freeletics – you might well even notice some rapid improvements. One other thing I would mention that’s very much worth keeping an eye on is your nutritional intake – not all calories are created equal and by just making a few small changes to your food you can make some big improvements to losing the body fat and making those muscles shine through 🙂
The premium version of Freeletics does actually include a whole load of food tips that are worth taking a look at – and we’ve got a plenty on our site too. Hope this has helped – give us a shout if you’d like to know any more!
Fantastic, I think I might be sold! 🙂
One thing I have noticed is that Freeletics has its own nutrition app with a coach system… any idea if the coach subscription carries across their whole range or is it one sub per app?
I like the idea of it as you can set your requirements to being veggie etc.
Thanks again!
Hi Liam!
I’m not sure about that unfortunately. But I assume you have to buy it separately. They had a recipe book before that and I remember you have you had to buy it on top of the coach. The workout coach will be fun though 😀
Hi guys. Just found your review and I’m glad to see all the questions and answers, which in turn have answered a lot of my questions. I am onto week 2 of the freeletics program, having watched it from afar on YouTube for the past 6 months, and I have the coach function (suggest other readers of this page get the coach as well. You won’t regret it!) Anyway I just wanted to know how you guys feel about extra workouts on top of what the coach prescribes as sometimes I feel I should be doing more than what I did for the session? I’m doing 5 workouts per week at this time and am loving it.
To answer Liam’s question, yes you have to purchase the nutrition coach, however, there are lots of clean eating programs out there and I’m sure anyone of them would be fine.
Hi Nick! Really glad you’re enjoying it, and thanks for clarifying the nutrition coach 🙂
Right, so… extra workouts. You definitely could do more on top of course – I think it really depends on what your final targets are! For example for losing weight or becoming super all-round fit then running/cardio workouts would be a great addition, or if it’s for really building those muscles then certainly more Freeletics strength workouts could be done on top. To begin with though I would urge caution – at the end of each week you can tell Freeletics how ‘tough’ the week was, and if it was too easy it’ll ramp up the level for you. Also, soon enough you’ll get ‘Hell Weeks’ – two workouts a day 😉
The final thing to remember is that a huge part of seeing good gains in fitness is recovering properly, and so not doing toooo much and getting enough sleep (something I never manage!) is also very important. That being said, if you don’t feel like you’ve done enough and have plenty of spare energy, do a bit more! Just listen to your body – if you start to feel sick or drained you’re probably overdoing it – bring it down a notch. I hope that helps – keep enjoying your Freeletics journey Nick!
Nice read,
I started doing some freeletics like 2 weeks ago. I was in a bad shape.
I started doing Promotheus workout to begin with. After 1 week I managed to complete 5/5.
The second week been checking out those other home chest workouts and followed them.
I personally rather want to stick with freeletics.
I kinda see improvement already. I am also on a diet (low carb diet). So 4 days I eat for breakfast and lunch low carb meals, and evening no carb. 3 days I have my cheat days and can eat whatever I want.
I would love to get some advice on strength training now. Its time to get more buffed up as I already achieved my first goal and that was losing 5kg (cutting) getting back to 70kg (1m74 is my height). I hardly have any fats now. What would you suggest me to follow. I do not have a coach at my freeletics app as I cannot afford it (tight with money).
Could I follow this: https://workouts.yolox.net/strength.html#week15
Thanks in advance
Hi Jeroen, and thanks. Congratulations on hitting your first target of losing 5kg, that’s great to hear! It’s also very cool you’re enjoying Freeletics so much. I had a look at the schedule you mentioned, you could certainly follow that. It is quite tough so I in my opinion I would recommend easing into it, and make sure you allow yourself full recovery – too much too soon isn’t great, especially as you say you were in bad shape. If in doubt I would always say listen to your body – if you’re feeling overly fatigued then drop down the intensity a little (I notice your proposed workout is mostly two sessions per day). Again, in my opinion, and from my own personal experience I would say that a solid one workout per day with adequate recovery would be a great start, moving up to the ‘Hell Weeks’ after perhaps four or five weeks. Would love to hear how you get on!
Excellent review. Been thinking of trying it (with caoch) and I think you may have convinced me. Slight reticence I still have is I’m doing a training plan for a half marathon so would rather not do any running, also don’t want to do it outside. Is this possible do you think?
Hi Gordon, thank you! I think you’re sorted there – if you choose the ‘strength’ version of the trainings then there’s very little running (if any), as the cardio work is focused more through the burpees and frogs and so on. Not going outside is definitely possible, relatively recently Freeletics added a new option to their schedules, the 2×2 version, meaning you only need a couple of square metres for your workouts. More info can be found here. That sounds perfect for your needs. Hope that helps, good luck with the training and half marathon!
Thanks Dave. I actually signed up. Will be doing my fitness test today, to start tomorrow. I know the running uses GPS but do you know if there’s an option for you to do the runs on a treadmill? Doing the workout at the gym in the morning would be very handy for me.
Hi Gordon!
Dave’s on hols, so I thought I’d jump in for him. Hmm, good question! As far as I remember I don’t think so, but they might have updated it. Hope you found out yourself already 😉
Great Review Dave, must say, read all the comments and am completely sold on Freeletics!!!
So here is the thing! I have been using “Runtastic Results” (very similar to Freeletics App) and am in 7th week (of 12 week plan) now. Would you have any idea about, which one among “Runtastic Results” and “Freeletics” is better off! Planning to complete 12 week plan of “Runtastic Results” then jump on to Freeletics. Would that be a good idea, you think? Or should i ditch Runtastic Results and jump on to Freeletics right away?
I was a regular gym goer – before getting on to “Runtastic Results”, looking at getting rid of extra belly fat and building 6 pack abs would be my ultimate goal!!!
Thank you Nick! Really glad to hear our review was so helpful 🙂
So, I haven’t tried Runtastic Results (yet), so I can’t say with direct personal experience – but my advice would be: stick with it ’til the end. You mention it’s like Freeletics, so I imagine the weeks are getting tougher as you go and you’re progressing in tandem with the routines. Give it the full twelve weeks to get the maximum benefits before switching over. After that, you’ll be raring to go on Freeletics and after smashing the fitness test they’ll throw some horrible routines at you 😀
Good luck, and enjoy!
Thanks Dave, Much appreciated. Will continue using “Results” for another 5 weeks and then will jump on to Freeletics! Yes, “Results” are getting tougher day by day but i don’t think it falls in the category of HIIT (as Freeletics).
Going by your reviews, cant wait to get my hands on Freeletics!!! 🙂
Hi, i’m male 32, 175cm and trimmed down from 86kg (body fat 23%+) to 71kg now from combination of lowcarb/highprotein and lots of HIIT exercises over a 1 year period. Body fat reduced to 16% but with a slight gut (32 inch) and bigger hips/thigh.
My issues are I am losing both motivation and muscles.
My goal is to reduce another 2 inches from the waist and hips/thigh but yet build those muscles around upper body and arms.
Which of these programmes would suit ? Freeletics gym or Freeletics bodyweight or does the coach subscription provide access to both? Accepting free advice, thanks!
This review website has been a kickass – very informative and I’m about to make the jump to a freeletics subscription and kickstart myself!
Hi James! First off congratz to your results so far, very impressive!! And I know how hard it is to keep motivated. Sounds like you really go through with your goals. Well, you can only buy a coach for one or another unfortunately. I#d go for the bodyweight version. First, because it’s summer. Who wants to be in the gym now? And more importantly you have more “cardio-like” exercises in there. Once you’re happy with your belly fat, I’d switch to more weights to build muscle. But after all to stay slim your diet is most important imho 🙂
My first month of freeletics will be up in 5 days. The burpees are definitely the one that kills me. I do feel fitter and stronger (cardio and strength focus), but I don’t see any physical change, even though every session kills me. I wanna feel good and look good. That’s my goal as a 40 year old. I am gonna complete my 15 weeks, and I hope everything will go as I had imagined.
Burpees are a killer!! I think I’ll never get used to them. After 3 weeks I#d argue it’s difficult to see much of a change yet. Buuut there is always the possibility that you don’t focus enough on your diet yet. The rules are pretty simple: reduce sweets and chips to a minimum, focus on whole foods.
Good luck Seetoh!
Hey, great review and feedback for others. I’m in my first week and have only done 2 workouts, both of which were the Morpheus workout. It doesn’t take me more than 12 minutes so I was wondering if that is too short of a workout to do 3 times a week. It does its job, but I really want to get the best workout w/o buying the coach. I was thinking about trying Prometheus, but I just may die attempting that; I’m in pretty bad shape. So how long do you think a good workout should take?
Hey Zach, Thanks for the kudos! Haha yeah, Prometheus is certainly a step up from Morpheus. Well done on beating Morpheus though! So, of course a good workout is different for everyone – and definitely dependent on current fitness levels! If you’re in bad shape as you say, then three workouts a week sounds like a good place to start. BUT I always say listen to your body – if you feel it’s too easy and you’re not getting enough from it – throw in another! Or extend by a few minutes. Over time you can certainly increase your workout loads as you get stronger and fitter. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt (the hard way) throughout my workout experiences it’s to only increase your physical activity levels slowly, the 10% per week rule is a good one to follow. I had a spate of injuries from not adhering to this, and it really sucked! So I’d say go for it – push yourself – but do it gradually and listen to your body. Just to be clear, I’m not any sort of qualified medical expert, this is purely my opinion and medical advice should always be sought and followed before starting a new fitness regime. That aside, good luck Zach, and keep enjoying Freeletics! Keep us up to date with your progress if you like, it’s always great to hear how people are getting on!
Hi Dave
Great article I should say. Still, I can’t understand one thing in Freeletics.
I can see I’m offered 4 things: Gym, Running, Bodyweight and Nutrition. Is that an all-inclusive deal for my payment? or each of these 4 should be purchased seperately?
And in case the answer is seperately, say, I would like to lose body fat and grow muscle mass… how can I know then what is suitable kit (is it only running? or is it running + gym + nutrition, or any other combination)?
Thxn for answering :))
hi Idan, Howie here – Dave doesn’t have internet at the moment unfortunately.
I remember they added a few new features. All of them have to be paid seperately. We tried the classic bodyweight workout coach. It’s perfect for losing body fat and adding muscle, since its a mix of cardio and strength exercises.
I hope I could help 🙂
Hi for your information the body weight, running and gym are now all inclusive, so you can use whichever one you like when you purchase the Coach. The nutrition app is seperate in cost.
Good to know!! Thanks Nick!
Hello guys,
Just found out about the app (bodyweight). Was looking at the different workouts from the free version and was contemplating paying for the coach app. Do you really think its necessary to get the paid version, at first i THOUGHT it was an actual coach who talked to you over the phone or via SkypeXD. I understand that you don’t use the paid version now because you do strength training correct? If you were to use it again for at least 6 months, would you get the coach version now that you know how it works?
Hi Andrew,
sorry for the late reply! Dave and I have been disconnected from the net for a couple of days unfortunately =/
Exactly: the “coach” is just a program that gives you workouts based on your previous performance and goals (not bad though). Good question! My answer is yes: I think my overall fitness was never better than after the three months of freeletics. The coach definintely helped to stay motivated.
Hi Andrew! I agree with Howie here – my time with the paid version of Freeletics was probably the fittest I’ve ever been too. Although technically you could make your own workout schedule from the workouts listed in the app, the coach responds to you and makes it tougher and tougher to help you reach peak fitness. Only about half of the workouts are included in the free section too. Also, as Howie says, there’s something about the coach that motivates you to go on – and will power and motivation are the real keys here! If you’re serious about getting into shape, I’d go for it 🙂
Hi Andrew, I currently use the Freeletics body weight app and my answer to you is yes, yes, yes. As stated above by Dave the coach makes it easy plus the community is very encouraging. I hope you give it a go. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for the comment Nick, you make a very good point – the Free Athlete community is exceptionally welcoming and motivating. Glad you’re getting on so well 🙂
Hey, I was thinking about getting Freeletics, but I was not sure if it is the best option for me. If you buy the coach what does that all come with? Does it come with the body weight exercises and nutrition or just on or the other?
Hi Hunter! You get the coach for the body weight exercises and freeletics gym. The nutrition part has to be purchased separately as far as I know. At least we had to, when we started using the app 🙂
Hello,
do you know if the nutrition guide has vegan options?
Hi Natalia! I tested the nutrition guide just last month in december. To be completely honest, I wasn’t impressed. I know I was able to set it to vegetarian. Vegan I’m not sure though.
Thank you for replying!
Cheers
Sure thing! 🙂
Hey, I just started using the app and like a very new kid I follow you guys. I have seen so many reviews and done part of the free exercises and so far, I like the variety I get as I have (with this) 3 different sources of exercises – this is fun! 🙂
That’s great Laura! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it :). Yes, I think variety really can be key when it comes to getting fit – and Freeletics certainly provides that! What else are you doing? Have fun!
Hey Dave, I need to train for Tahoe Tough Mudder in June and a full Marathon in July. I have been doing cardio training and free weights for a while and have experience running a half marathon in 2:02 hrs.
Recently I downloaded the free version of the app, but I am not sure sud I go for the paid version. Does the in app coach only creates your future exercises schedule and put it in form of a list, for me to refer to ? Or the coach play the timings and other audios when I actually do those exercises reps which will keep me motivated and push me to do a little extra. Something like “4 mins done, only 1 minute to go”
Hi! Well done on the half marathon :). Ok, well the coach creates the workouts for you, and will change them every week depending on how quickly and easily you complete the exercises. They are kept in a list, similar to the workouts available in the free version. When you start a workout, you tap the button on your screen/smartphone, and then tap it again to move onto the next exercise. When you’re finished you can also say how hard you found it, and the coach will adapt the training levels in the next week’s workout (and takes into account your time too). The coach also calls out how long you’ve been doing an exercise (every minute if I remember rightly), but there is no time limit, so they never say ‘one minute to go’ or similar. One of the key principles Freeletics sticks to is that they want you to focus on technique and form, and they won’t rush you through a workout. They’d rather you finish well and strong no matter how long it takes rather than rush through and not get the full benefit from each exercise or cause yourself an injury (which makes sense of course!). I hope that helps your decision, good luck with the tough mudder and marathon!
Hi. Great review.
Looking at Freeletics now and did my first workout yesterday on the free version of the app. Well this morning my body is complaining but obviously all in a good way 🙂 However being incredibly tight on cash at the moment would there be a way to use the free version of the app until I could afford the coach? I thought I was getting quite fit at the gym but certainly Freeletics has shown me I still have a way to go.
Thanks
David
Hey David, and thanks. Haha yeah Freeletics is a beast, it certainly reminds you how much more your body can take 😀
Absolutely! My advice would be to keep following the pre-made workouts – keep a note of which ones you do and how much they challenge you. Go for the tougher ones or repeat for longer as you get better and better. You can also mix it up between standard, endurance and strength, depending on your personal goals. Without the coach you need more discipline and self-motivation, but that’s half the fun right? 😉 Good luck David, happy workouts!
Hi im male 34 180cm and 72kg. And the question is if freelance will be good for me? As I really like it 🙂
I think you should give freeletics a shot! It definitely gets you in shape. If you eat enough you’ll build quite some muscle too. 72kg on 180cm is more on the skinnier side I can imagine. So yeah, if you want to go more into the “lean and muscly” direction, freeletics is not bad at all 🙂
Hi guys, I’m male aged 54 and about 90kg. My ideal weight would be high 70s to 80kg.
My question is I had knee surgery (left only) last year and was advised not to run (hi impact). Are there alternatives to the running / sprinting part of the program.
Also your review of the program has really enforced my decision to get healthy
Thank you
Hi Dave! Really cool you liked our journal 😀
Uh, I hope the recovery goes well! Surgeries are a pain, I learned that as well end of last year.
Just from the stats you gave us I have the feeling freeletics is not the right program for you to get started.
There is one mayor downside on freeletics: you train often against the clock. One exercise might be: do as many burpees within 2 minutes. That leads often to bad execution. I don’t think that is a good idea for now, especially if you still have to worry about your knee. You could leave out the sprinting exercises, but yeah, I’m not totally convinced.
Hi Hawke,
Thanks for your reply and honesty. Yes I think your right it’s probably not for me at this time until my knee is fully recovered also my age will slow down the healing process.
I have checked out a few other fitness challenge programs and some have less intensive (hi impact) moves that could be more suitable like treadmill & rowing machine that I can do.
Once again many thanks for your feedback.
You’re welcome, Dave! Yep, I think a less intensive and more “wellness” based program would be better. Did you already pick one? I’m curious which ones you consider 🙂
Hi Hawke, yes I checked out a few over the past few weeks and most have a varing degree of hi intensity / hi impact programs. The one I have only just started is “Runtastis Results”, I just did day 2 so maybe a little early to give a full review but to date I’m finding it just what I’m after. I have opted for the 12 week challenge with 4 workouts per week, each workout takes around 25 minutes, this includes the warm up & cool down. It’s very comprehensive and works in sync with Apple Watch perfectly. I could go on but you can check out via iTunes / web. As this system works on body weight exercises (and there are plenty of them) so I’m also doing 3 days per week of weights for an all round program. I’ve also changed my diet to more healthy options and minimising my alchole intake.
Happy to give you additional feedback after a month and when I finish in 12 weeks.
Thank you for your interest, I’m really committed to do this.
Regards
Dave
Good luck with it Dave, it sounds like you’re raring to go! I always liked the Runtastic app for running, so I definitely be interested in hearing more as you get further into it. Yes, diet plays a huge role in any fitness regime. I found the fittest peaks I get to are always when I’m eating well too. It’s a kind of circle – exercise, feel better, see results and realise it’s working, eat better because you’re pleased, see even better results. It’s a great motivator!
Hi, I’ve started freeletics bodyweight 7 weeks ago. been using the free version and I can say that i’m more fit than i used to be but i am not losing weight. I am gaining muscles and I really want to lose like 20 pounds. Any suggestion?
Hi! Great to hear that you’re getting so successfully fit! Well – that’s a big question, but absolutely a lot of it will revolve around your diet. Are you following an eating plan to maximise muscle growth/weight loss? There are many available, ours is here for reference: https://hurrythefoodup.com/high-protein-vegetarian-meal-plan/. It’s a generally accepted notion that body weight/shape is about 25% what you do and 75% what you eat. So without knowing further details about your personal situation and the fact that you’re doing so well with Freeletics I’d say taking care of your nutrition is quite likely the next big step. Also the old adage that muscle is heavier than fat is true, so if you’re growing muscle but staying at the same weight then you’re probably losing fat without knowing it. But it’s still possible to step it up a gear. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi there ! I’ve been working out with the coach for 4 weeks . I am curious about the conclusion.
Although i feel that my endurance is improving, I still find burpees too difficult to complete. Instead of 40 repeats, I do 10-12 so far. I hope it will change, too.
My question is : what is the common feedback , the result of these exercises? When do we realize the visible change on the body mass ?
Hi Ozzy! Good questions 🙂
I’ll do my best to answer through my own experience. First – it’s great to hear you feel your endurance is improving – I’m sure it is. Don’t worry about the burpees, they’re absolutely exhausting and if you’re not ready to do more then don’t overreach yourself – that can lead to injuries, and Freeletics make it clear it’s important to do the exercises well and cleanly. That being said, I would still try to add on one or two more each time – but take a little longer. In my opinion it’s about finding that balance between challenging your body and not going overboard. Of course I’m not a doctor nor fitness trainer, and everything I say here is just an opinion. With regards to visible change on body mass I would say 8-12 weeks of consistent training is a rough period for the differences to start to show (and consistency is key!) – a lot will also depend on nutritional intake. If you’re fueling yourself correctly then you’re going to see benefits a lot quicker. We have a meal plan to help here: https://hurrythefoodup.com/high-protein-vegetarian-meal-plan/ and following something like that will very likely help you reach your goals quicker. I hope it helps, good luck on your Freeletics journey!
I just downloaded the app. But how do you get the free version app to try the workouts to see it this is for me.
Hi Cristina! So, after downloading the app you’ll need to sign up/login (it doesn’t cost anything). Then if you choose the little stopwatch symbol at the bottom of the screen (on smartphones) then you’ll be taken to the workouts/exercises/running screen. Click ‘workouts’ then you can choose one from the list. I have no idea what level of fitness you’re at, but ‘Athena’ is one of the least difficult workouts, so that might be a good place start. There are difficutly ratings next to each workout, so you can choose a different level if you prefer. You can also watch the videos (and I recommend you do) to get a reminder of how to do the exercises well 🙂
Hi Dave! I’m 40yrs of age now 5’6″ tall and weight only 132lbs. l’d like to gain more weight but I have hypertension. does freeletica good for my health and do you think I can do the workout even I’m a bit old now? I tried doing burpee but ive done only 3reps and already feel dizzy. should I continue doing freeletics?
Hi Don! Thanks for the question – and it’s a complicated one. Age-wise I’d say you’re fine – you’re only seven years older than me! But with the dizzyness and hypertension and so on, I’d say you’ve really got to see a doctor about that and get their advice. I know that probably doesn’t help you right now, but I honestly wouldn’t feel comfortable to say about going further with Freeletics/other exercise right now. Sorry Don!
I just started joining a gym which does a boot camp training, more likely a freeletics thing.
However I am not sure if they are guiding me to the goal that I want, which is to gain weight.
Does freeletics has a program for weight gaining? if yes, does it require a lot of machines to do the exercises?
Hi there,
yep there is an app called “freeletics gym” that includes weights. Personally, I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t give you feedback on how good it is. But there’s a good reddit review that might make it easier for you to take a decision: https://www.reddit.com/r/freeletics/comments/4h255i/freeletics_gym_review/
Enjoy the time at the training camp, will be fun I’m sure 😀
Hi,
Nice review I know its been posted long ago but happen to come across it during a search.
I’ve been doing the convict conditioning program recently and have made reasonable progress over the past 3-4 months. However, I’ve reached a point where workouts have become kind of monotonous. I came across freeletics and was thinking of purchasing the coach. My aim is really to increase strength but not sure of I should choose strength and cardio or just stick with strength? Any tips would be helpful.
Hi, and glad you like it. Yes, the info is still pretty relevant! You get a mix of everything regardless of which you choose, but if your primary focus is strength then I’d definitely take that option. Following it exactly, I’m almost certain you’d see good gains :). If you want to see what Freeletics is like (and if it shakes things up a bit from the Convict Conditioning) then just try the free version, and pick a couple of the tough workouts!
Nice review! Freeletics is pretty good for physical exercise! I use it mainly when I travel. Have you used Rookee? I saw it advertised whilst in America, let me know your thoughts: http://www.rookee.com.au
Hi Caitlin, yep was deffo fun using Freeletics. Nope, not heard of rookee yet. Are you in any way affiliated with them? 🙂