I still felt a bit wiped out on Monday this week after spending the previous week laying low from Covid-19. I was hoping to pick up my routine and head out for a run, but my body had other ideas so I didn’t exercise.
On Wednesday I felt up to it, so I ran. I was going to adapt the coach session to an easier run, but in the end I thought I’d just go for it, so I did a 4km run and it was absolutely fine. I even quite enjoyed it.
So then on Friday I continued with a 1km run followed by an interval run, and that was fine too. So I guess I’m back on it again.
Next week I have some progression exercises, including progression to handstand walk. I think I can fairly confidentally say that I won’t ever be able to do that, but hey, let’s give it a go. The first step is plank shoulder taps.
I also have Metis next week, which means the dreaded burpees.
Anyway, it feels good to be back in the saddle. Just a shame I lost that seven week streak 😦
My previous streak on Freeletics is 4 perfect weeks. I like that they now have similar badges that Apple Watch offers. Here I am at the end of my third perfect week on Freeletics. I’m now determined to get my next badge – six perfect weeks.
Meanwhile, this week was another two runs and a HIIT session. Wednesday’s run was a 4km interval run. I kept walking in between runs and so my total distance was 5.6km which felt good. I also cycled to work and back twice which is a 30min round trip. The HIIT was Persephone – burpees, leg raises and lunges. I don’t think I’ll ever love burpees, but they do work. I was a sweaty mess at the end, even with adding 3mins onto my PB.
I’ve lost 3kg in three weeks, which feels good. I’ve been combining a consistent Freeletics schedule with 16:8 (or just about) intermittent fasting, and so I’m mostly exercising when I’m in a fat-burning state and I think that is making a difference.
So on I go to week 4. Hoping for more sunny, frosty winter mornings
I’m writing this while I wait outside the pool for my session to start. It’s a Sunday and I’m back for another swim, second week in a row. And I had another perfect Freeletics week. So I’m feeling pretty smug right now.
Week 2 of my Freeletics Journey was pretty similar to week 1. Two short-ish runs (an interval and a 2.5km run), and a HIIT Bodyweight workout. For both of the runs I gave Coach feedback that it could be working me harder. The runs are fine, but I reckon I could be running for longer.
My HIIT was Metis. I’ve done it many times before, but am seriously out of practice so I added nearly 3mins onto my PB. I’m not used to doing burpees (forgotten how much I hate them). I took it slowly — I wanted to focus on technique rather than speed. Even though it’s only 8mins or so I still felt exhausted and sweaty at the end.
This consistent approach seems to be working for me too. Not trying to do too many workouts a week. Just Monday, Wednesday and Friday and a bonus weekend freestyle, hence today’s swim.
I’ve also stuck with the intermittent fasting this week, which is getting easier.
So far, so good then for 2022. Going to do my best to keep going.
Pretty pleased with myself. I powered through Hell Week at the end of my last Coach Journey. Almost missed a day but forced myself to do it. And when I finished I had a real sense of achievement. Lots of squats, and lots of burpees. Tough but worthwhile.
And now I’m in Week 1 of Run and Burn. I had about a month off running because I was focusing on Freeletics Bodyweight workouts. So I’ve been easing in gently.
So far I’ve had a 2.5km run, and today 3km split into two 1.5km. It’s been nice to run within my comfort zone, not pushing too hard. Getting back into my stride. I’ve got some interval runs coming up next, but nothing too strenuous.
And I’m liking some of the new(ish) features on the app — particularly the streak badges. They’re good motivation to keep consistent.
And I’m also enjoying how the warm ups for run and burn are thorough. You do genuinely feel like you’ve warmed up – heart beating a bit faster.
Looking forward to building distance and speed over the next few weeks of runs.
This morning I had to check that I didn’t have a setting that was excluding upper body exercises, because I’ve been so many squats, jumps and burpees.
I’m noticing a difference in my legs though. They might be aching a lot, but they feel stronger and they look bigger.
It’s also been nice to bring back a bit of discipline. I’m determined to do this week consistently. And this morning’s workout was with a slight hangover 😳
I’d kind of forgotten how much regular exercise lifts my mood and makes me feel more energized. It’s great. I’m even kind of looking forward to the next three days’ sessions.
I’ve also been out and about a bit more on my bike, so getting some extra cardio exercise in.
Once this week is over I’m going to have a day off and then start a new running journey. Can’t wait.
Gosh, how is my last post January? I promise I have been doing Freeletics, just not writing about it very regularly. I did have bit of a break as I was dealing with a recurring shoulder pain and had a few weeks of sports massages to sort it out.
But I’m back on it now and as the weather is improving, I’ve been training outside a few times. It’s been nice.
I’m really enjoying how the updated bodyweight app has options for only having 15 minutes, no space to run, no equipment etc so that you can tweak your coach week during the week rather than just at the beginning. Much better and really useful for me if I don’t leave enough time in the morning but still want to work out.
But the BIG NEWS is that I finally caved in to Freeletics’ constant promotion of the nutrition app on their emails and took advantage of a 50% off offer.
I think I’ve been feeling like I can only make real progress if I actually change the way I eat rather than just rely on exercise. And so far I’m impressed. I think I’ll write a proper review post in the coming week, but I’ve enjoyed some of the recipes, especially those using ingredients i don’t usually cook with, and as I’m a sucker for habit trackers/streaks, I enjoy trying to get my star/perfect day.
I’ve also largely replaced beer with wine / G&T when I’m drinking, and thanks to the app, massively reduced my bread and pasta consumption. I think those three things are definitely what stops me from being leaner.
Some things I’ve noticed:
I find pullups easier these days – those assisted pullups I’ve been doing have paid off, so if you’re struggling with pullups, don’t lose faith, keep going
Clapping pushups – never once managed to actually clap my hands. Feel like I need more power in my arms to be able to really push high enough
Do burpees ever get any easier? I know they’re good for me, but my god I hate doing them
When I don’t train I am much stiffer and less flexible. I find that when I’ve had a break I find touching my toes difficult, but when I’m training regularly it’s much easier.
Next time, I’ll write a full review of the Freeletics Nutrition app.
I’ve cut myself some slack after that last post. I’m so busy with work that training is taking a back seat.
Last week I trained once. This was my work out:
10 x Side Lunges
8 x HH Standups
Interval (Legs, Lower Back), 3 sets of:
— 8 Cossack Squats
— 10 Single Leg Hip Raises Right and Left
— 10 Squat Jumps
— Rest (60 Secs)
2/3 Persephone
Wasn’t too bad. Although I’m out of practice on Burpees, so Persephone took a little longer than I wanted it too.
Also this week, I’ve been trying to do 10 Assisted Pull-ups a day to try and build strength in my arms and shoulders. Still hoping to be able to do Strict Pull-ups one day.
Today I went for a swim; a Sunday tradition these days. I’m not a particularly strong swimmer – always in the medium lane – but it’s a great head-clearer for me and it makes me feel good if I’ve been out drinking on Saturday night; it’s a kind of low intensity exercise that gets the blood flowing again.
My Coach week next week is Hell Days (if they’re still called that). I’ve chosen three work out days instead of the usual four, with the hope of being able to easily do that by Saturday. My week looks like this:
I quite like Venus (no burpees!), but always feel it in my legs after all those squats. And then there’s Aphrodite, which I really hate. And Coach has given it to me TWICE this week. How kind.
There I was, Monday morning, feelings smug that I’d got out of bed and done 2x Metis (strength), which incidentally, is pretty tough on the old thighs (and the downstairs neighbours – all those jumps).
I completed the ‘week’ that I’ve been doing for about the last three weeks (sorry Coach), and was looking forward to what was in store, when blam, HELL WEEK. Jeez.
So this is tricky. If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I’ve been struggling with motivation these last few weeks. And last time I did Hell Week, it was after a similar period of inaction (maybe Coach knows). I found it really gave me the boost I needed to get back into regular training.
But here’s the thing, this time, the timing isn’t great. I have a major deadline this week at work, and next week I’m away for the whole week in another country, so not even sure where/when I’ll be able to train.
So, do I just crack on with Hell Week on my usual schedule and take a few days out if needs be, with the knowledge that it will take longer than seven days, or do I postpone until I return from being away?
If I postpone, I’ll have to select my own workouts in the meantime. And I’m not sure I’ll get the most out of training. It might not do my motivation any good. I’ll feel like I’ve got some time off. If I just get on with it, I might feel frustrated that it’s not ‘pure’ Hell Week.
Here’s what Coach has in store:
Day 1: Uranos, Krios Day 2: Venus, 200 burpees Day 3: Hermes, 2x Morpheus Day 4: Kronos, 2x Krios Day 5: Venus, Artemis Day 6: Kentauros (Strength), 200 burpees Day 7: 2x Ares, 100 pullups
Ugh. The first three days aren’t too bad (apart from all those burpees). It gets tough mid-week, and I don’t know if I’ll have running space and pull-up bar when I’m away.
Hmmm… I’m of a mind to just get on with it and adapt as needs be. What do you think?
Despite all my enthusiasm and renewed energy at the beginning of the year, I’m finding January really hard. I’m sleeping lots, feeling tired (work is also quite full on at the moment), and finding the motivation to exercise is really low.
I last did proper workouts nearly a week ago. I’ve still been cycling to work, and I did my first yoga class last week (more on that later), but Freeletics has been a really struggle.
Today I did 50 jumping pull-ups and 50 burpees, which is one part of a day that Coach has given me this week.
So here’s the thing. I think I need to make some routine changes. First, here are the problems…
I never work out in the morning, but when I do, I feel amazing
I’m always too hungry to work out after work
Here’s why I think these things are happening (bear with me on this)
I try and be in bed by 10:30pm, but then I often don’t go to sleep until about 11.30pm, which means that to get eight hours sleep I don’t wake up until 7.30am. I like to have a cup of tea in bed, check the news, plan the day. Which means I’m not usually in the shower until 8.30am, and then it’s a rush to get to have breakfast and get to work for 9.30am. And ideally I’d like to be there at 9am.
I tend to eat porridge/fruit or yoghurt/granola for breakfast and something light for lunch (salad, sandwich etc), so by the time it gets to 5.30pm, I’m starving and just want to finish work, go home and cook dinner.
So at either end of the day, I don’t have the energy / time / desire to exercise.
Now the solutions.
Go to bed earlier. Lights out by 11pm.
Get up at 7am
Spend less time drinking tea and looking at the internet in the morning
Work out in the morning
Eat a big breakfast and a bigger lunch
Then I can relax in the evening, or do other fitness stuff, having completed my Freeletics workout.
Which brings me on to… Yoga!
I did my first class last week. I’m doing Iyengar, which involves a lot of held poses, rather than yoga with ‘flow’. I enjoyed the discipline of holding stretches and poses, and I felt great afterwards.
Also, I was really surprised with how much Freeletics had improved my ability to hold the poses and my general flexibility. I’ll definitely be going back.
Tell me – what’s your routine? When do you work out?
I’ve been selecting “cardio and strength” for my Freeletics workouts for the past few weeks, as I felt the strength algorithm was becoming a little repetitive.
And while it’s certainly getting my heart rate up, I’m becoming a bit tired of the endless burpees.
Yesterday I had 175 burpees to do alongside 2x Krios.
I’m a big believer in eating the frog first (the maxim that if you eat a frog for breakfast every morning, nothing else could be worse for the rest of the day; in other words, do the thing you least want to do first), so I started with the burpees.
God, they’re boring, and exhausting. I didn’t beat a PB on any of them. I hadn’t eaten much beforehand and my energy wasn’t that high, so they were a real struggle.
I pushed through and did them all, plus 2xKrios. I was fucking shattered by the end.
Even though they’re boring, I can just feel how good burpees are. They really do work loads of muscles. But I just don’t know how to pick the speed up. I can’t break my PBs. Basically, I can’t do more than 10 a minute. And I see that loads of people I follow on the app are way faster than that.
So – any tips?! Or do I just need to push myself harder?
A Freeletics Journey 