What makes Freeletics sooo much better than other workout apps is the ability to customise workouts to your needs - limited space, train quietly, short on time, available equipment etc.
However it’s a real shame that the eliminate exercise function is so limited. It’s limited to just 10 exercises for some journeys and for others - dumbbell gain and barbell gain - you can’t eliminate at all.
Some exercises you can’t do - for physical reasons or limitations in equipment or training environment. For example I train in my loft conversion and the ceiling is too low to lift dumbbells over my head. However after starting the dumbbell gain journey, I was unable to eliminate standing shoulder presses, even though I’m sure the app could give me seated shoulder presses or a different shoulder exercises.
Other exercises you just plain don’t want to do. Single leg deadlift for example - I hate them.
Please extend the ability to eliminate exercises in the app as this is one of the most useful features where available. And I’m sure with the huge number of exercises in the database, good alternatives could always be found.
Personally think the purpose to exclude exercises is because of medical issues and not because you hate them.
In the end you are limiting the ability or variety of the coach itself which ultimately result in a coach day or week which you don’t like in the end.
A coach is meant to push you out of your boundaries no matter if this is a digital or a personal one.
I get myself up at 6am to do my Freeletics workouts. If I know I’m going to be doing exercises I don’t enjoy (of which there aren’t that many), then I won’t have the motivation to get up. Is it better to do a workout I enjoy that may exclude a few exercises or no workout at all?
Also putting a dumbbell through your roof because your doing standing overhead presses is a low ceiling loft conversion is pushing the boundaries a bit too far don’t you think…
well yes, you’re right. And not
Discipline beats motivation. You and me get up at 6am because we need to, not want to. We need to keep working on ourselves and our goals. Because Quitting is not an option. And yes, that also covers exercises we do not favor and workouts we may not really like.
Using the Freeletics app (or any app for that matter) doesn’t mean you to have stop thinking for yourself. If you don’t want to push you dumbbells through the ceiling, then find a clever alternative that is working roughly the same muscles. The Freeletics app is awesome, but it is not perfect! You’re allowed to tweak, adapt and overcome its weaknesses.
The coach wants me to do Overhead Kettlebell walks all the time, but - same as you - there are lamps on the ceiling and doors too low for that So I replace them with KB Snatches. Is it the same? No. Is it a feasible workaround? I think so…
A coach is meant to push your boundaries, you need to decide on your own, if this is you (because you don’t like) or there is a real boundary.
Motivation comes and goes, discipline is the key and unless you are looking for (too many) excuses you holding yourself back.
Doing a dumbbell journey and excluding exercises will limit the journey. If your loft is to low, you might need to rethink your choice or find a way to train eg outside.
You can even adapt the coach.
During my marathon training phase I woke up at 4, ran 3 hours to be back when my family woke up.
