The only question is: What will you choose to do with it? Doing sports helps you to stay mentally fit, to sleep better, to be happier and to kick ass at your job because you are more active and have more self confidence. Freddy quit sports when he started his career in management. He let his health deteriorate for nearly a decade. Then he made a decision to change. This is his story.
My name is Freddy. I’m 32 years old and I live in Nantes, France. When I was a teenager, I did a lot of athletics. Several times I was selected to participate in the national championships for the 100 meter sprint and the long jump. I stayed pretty athletic until 2004, when I started my job as a manager in the automobile industry. Unfortunately, my professional career brought my sports training to an end. I stopped everything else and devoted myself to my work. For 9 years I let my health deteriorate. I felt stressed all of the time, and I did not pay any attention to my nutrition. As a result, I gained more than 20 kg.
I was caught in a downward spiral. My sedentary lifestyle made me feel fatigue all of the time. I became overweight and lost my self-esteem. Finally, I could not stand seeing myself in the mirror. I hated feeling lethargic, and I refused to neglect my health any longer. So I made the best decision of my life. I chose to get ahold of myself and take responsibility for my health.
On January 1, 2013, weighing 103 kg, I started running. I ran slowly at first, and only for short distances, and still it was very difficult. My objective was to run in the Nantes 2014 marathon. Unfortunately, I had to stop running because of a sharp pain in my knee caused by my weight. Then I joined a gym. I lost about 15 kg there. One day by chance I came across Levent’s video on YouTube. It was like a shock! For the first time I was faced with a training program that required nothing else than my own will power: no material (except for a pull up bar). No gym fees. And a “body-weight-only” concept that appealed to me from the start.
I gave up my gym membership and started at home with the workouts IRIS and then APHRODITE. The first sessions were physically very demanding, but for the first time I enjoyed a feeling of control, well-being and personal satisfaction I had never experienced at the gym. This was a real encouragement to me. I rapidly lost weight, saw my body get back into shape, and progressively felt the muscular aches (so familiar at the start) disappear as I gained endurance. My eyes were still set on the goal of running the marathon.
Watching myself progress was an extra source of motivation at the most difficult moments (and there are obviously difficult moments). When I started to lose morale, or when the fatigue was a little too much, the phrase NEVER GIVE UP! kept running through my head. Watching my body transform made me stronger both physically and mentally. I was proving on a daily basis that I was capable of controlling my health. Week after week I kept improving my PBs. Finally, on April 27, 2014 I achieved my objective and ran the Nantes marathon in 4 hours and 31 minutes.
Today, I continue my Freeletics training. I can’t imagine stopping. Freeletics has become a way of life for me and is an integral part of my daily routine. If I had one piece of advice to give to people who are just starting out, it would be this: Never forget what pushed you to start training in the first place. It’s an excellent reason for never giving up. Remember your motivation during the difficult moments and whenever you have doubts. It’s going to hurt! But you will experience incredible results, both physically and mentally. Your only limit is you.
Some people think Freeletics is just a body transformation program. It’s not. Freeletics is a sport. Never give up! Stick to your decision. You will get rewarded, if you are willing to sweat.
Take control of your life. Commit. Get the Training Coach and discover a better you. For beginners and pros alike, the Training Coach will adapt to you. 100% individualized to boost your performance. Get the Freeletics Coach.
