After three consecutive rounds of Dumbbell journey (I loved this journey, learned a lot, enjoyed a lot, gained a lot) I decided not to go for a fourth, but insted to try the Barbell journey
It’s my second day so these are very early thoughts…
1- The coach doesn’t seem to take into account my results with the 3 DumbBell journeys .
For example, with the Dumbbell I have never been assigned squat heavier than 2x20 (if my memory is good)
The first day of Barbell journey started by series of 10x 55Kg
In the opposite, today (day 2) I had series of triceps extension with…7.5 kgs when I was doing (again from memory) around 16 kg with Dumbell… as a result I did these series with 14,7 then 19,7 kgs (beside the standard 20 kgs bars, the lightest bar I have at disposal at my gym is 9.7 kgs, it’s a short one)
2- there is no real alert about Barbell journey, when it’s in a totally other league than the Dumbell one. I’m lucky I do my workout at a gym with a lot of sophisticated equipment at disposal, so I’m quite secure. But for someone alone at home, the gap between Dumbell journey and Barbell journey could easily cause an accident.
3- I spend a huge amount of time calculating the weight (“…well let’s see, this bar is 20kg so that means 5kgs + 2,5 kgs each side…” and son on )
It would be great to have the option of the app giving the weight to add on each side (at least on the basis of a standard 20kg bar )
Sorry for my creative english, it’s not my native language….
The coach does not take into account the progress made with the TJ Dumbbell Gain program, but instead will adjust based on the feedback you provide during your training sessions. Feel free to increase or decrease the weight depending on how you feel. Keep in mind that after each session, the coach will increase the assigned weight for the exercise performed, so I recommend starting with a low weight and then increasing it gradually. The purpose of this program is very different from the dumbbell program, as the goal here is to improve technique and the loads used. After an initial period in a range of 10-12 repetitions, the coach will reduce the number of repetitions to 8-10 with a heavier weight, and finally to 6-8 repetitions. This will allow you to get used to lifting increasingly heavier weights, and when you start the program again, you will surely use heavier weights than when you started.
Dumbbell training is much simpler and more straightforward, while with the barbell you should try to focus on your technique meticulously. I manage to train at home with a very simple barbell rack without safety bars, but I realize that it is risky and that sometimes I avoid pushing myself to the limit to avoid the risk of being crushed by the barbell. Lucky for you that you have a well-equipped gym at your disposal!
As for the weight calculation, you are absolutely right, and for this purpose I use an Android smartphone app called “FitNotes” which automatically provides me with the indication of the plates to use based on the loads entered.
In my case, since I don’t have 0.25kg plates, I always have to round up or down the weights (for example, if the coach suggests I use 62.5kg, I will have to use 62kg or 64kg). Just be careful because there is a persistent bug within Freeletics, already reported several times in this forum, for which if in the warm-up phase you indicate a lower weight than the suggested one, in the sessions of the following days you will find the same exercise with a suggested load reduced by half compared to what you lifted last time. This happens regardless of the feedback you have left. In short, never indicate a lower weight in the warm-up otherwise the algorithm goes crazy!
Unfortunately, the Coach does not seem to remember your used weights in other journeys. This is especially silly if you finish the Barbell Journey and switch over to Hybrid Strenght: The Coach will ask you what weights you can lift, although you just did the exact exeercises a minute ago.
So the first week will always have some sets way too hard and some others way too light. Just do them as good as you can and give proper feedback, the weights should be set after about 3-5 workouts.
Well, if you decide to buy the quite expensive equipment needed for the barbell journey for your home, I hope you also read about how to safely use this new equipment.
You get used to this very fast. It took the Coach longer to figure out fitting weights than it took me to calculate the needed plates.
Hi @LStelie , agreed with @CrystalEYE ‘s third point, you get used to it very quickly, after a while you won’t even pay attention to the plates’ weight. For example, I now only see a 10kg plate as being 40kg, as I’ll put two and a bar is 20kg.
Hi @TomG
You’re perfectly right and I start to memorize the global weight… but I have two points :
1- it’s the lightest of my remarks
2- the perfectly valid answer defeats the whole purpose of Freeletics. We use a computerized system, if we need to do calculation by our own there are numerous barbel program around, un excel sheet would be enough, no need or Freeletics.
More seriously the barbell journey needs a hug amount of rewriting, even the videos are strange they only show the guy from the back (hands are nearly invisible) so for some position I have bee forced to find explainations elsewere)
I discovered bodyweight exercises with Freeletics and I gained a lot (and lost a huge amount of weight / Fat), then I discovered the dumbbell with Freeletics and loved it.
Using weight makes exercises non-traumatic and it’s great for elderly people like me (with bodyweight the jumps and various chocs ended to hurt me).
I loved the dumbbell journey (I did it 3 times in a row) and now I have switched to the Barbell and love it even more than the Dumbell…
It’s a pity this journey doesn’t have the same level of polish and attention the bodyweight journeys have, because it deserves it !
)
