I’m a new member, testing out the app before making a decision to continue or not within the 14 day cancellation period, but it already doesn’t seem to be working properly and appears to be very inflexible. Before I contact customer support, please let me know if am I missing something?
I normally train in a gym which has a lot of equipment (freeweights, medicine balls, machines, cables, TRX, etc), but not always easily available when the gym is busy, which it usually is. I can always successfully do a workout, but not always in a precious order or with precise equipment. I need to show some flexibility (I live in a big city!). First, the app seems to only acknowledge the existence of some equipment so much of what’s available (for example, medicine balls, TRX, lat pull down machines, cable row) isn’t used in the workouts, but also doesn’t allow you to swap similar free weights (for example, barbell deadlift for dumbbell deadlift). If I can’t get a barbell, often I can get dumbbells and vice versa. Or if I can’t get the pull-up bar, which is rarely free because it’s part of the cable machine, what can I do instead? According to this app, nothing…? Also, seemingly no way to adjust the set/rep numbers? What if I can access 12 kg dumbells only instead of 8 or 10 kg? I should be able to do fewer reps at a higher weight.
Next, I had to change my original workout program to account for the pull-up bar being difficult to access, which is fine, but it seems quite a few of the programs require a pull-up bar, which means I have limited options for programs in the app, especially if there is no way to swap the exercises for alternatives. (I´ve swapped from the hybrid strength, which seemed the most appropriate for me, but requires a pull-up bar to dumbbell tone, one of the only strength focused programs that doesn´t. So far, it doesn´t seem like an amazing fit.).
Next, I have tried to “adapt my workout” a few times while the app (hopefully!) calibrates itself, but it doesn´t actually adapt properly. For example, today, I excluded core and upper leg because I am a bit sore from the leg and core focused workout from Friday, only to be recommended two intervals that fully focused on these two areas (I have screenshots!) using weights, high reps and 5 sets. No matter what adjustments I put into the app, it insisted on these two intervals. Further, yesterday, the app suggested a progression exercise using dumbbells with no weight recommendation, so I guessed and used the heaviest weight I could without sacrificing form, only to have the app recommend the same exercise (still no weight recommendation) again today with more reps. This implies that the app is not accounting for your needed rest days for muscle groups. However, since I can´t exclude more than two, I can´t “force” a rest day where needed. I ended up skipping my workout today because I couldn´t get it to work properly and I´m simple too sore to 100 squats and 100 crunches. Really poor functionality.
Am I missing something here? I´ve read a lot of great reviews of this app, but it seems incredibly inflexible to me. I´m not sure I can modify my gym behavior and life to adapt to this app, when really it should give me the options to help it adapt to me. Is this app only good for people who have access to the exact equipment and/or limitless time to wait for something to be free? How do I get the adapt function to work properly since I can´t seem to adjust manually and manually recorded exercises are not influencing the coach workouts? I´ve already read through the user guide and FAQs on the Freeletics site, but it implies that the app is more flexible than it seems to be in real life.
Thanks for your assistance and feedback!
