For over a decade, Freeletics has been key to helping Julien maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Coach's flexibility and adaptability have kept him balanced through every phase of life.
From managing the demands of being a C-level executive to balancing a busy family life with four kids, Julien has mastered the “No-excuses” mentality, finding ways to prioritize exercise no matter the circumstances. Here’s his journey:
“I started using Freeletics ten years ago when I was in my thirties. I've always been relatively sporty, but I'd never managed to be consistent in my workouts before, probably because my results stagnated so quickly.
I tried just about everything – weight training at home, a gym membership, following YouTube tutorials to build up a routine, choosing the right exercises, the right weights... but nothing really worked for me.
That is until the day I came across Levent's transformation.
So I thought, why not give it a try? Next thing you know, 12 weeks turned into 10 years.”
Balancing family life, career, and fitness
“For me, the main challenge was to maintain a regular training schedule. As my professional career progressed, I had more responsibilities and had to travel abroad more. Therefore, I had less time for myself.
My personal life was equally busy, as I'm the proud father of three boys and a girl. To complicate matters even more, I started building a new house, doing most of the work myself.
The Freeletics Coach was a game-changer for me. By constantly varying the workouts and adjusting the intensity according to my results, I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone continuously. I could see myself literally progressing from one week to the next.
I still remember the day I completed Aphrodite in less than 20 minutes. One year earlier, I would have never imagined myself capable of such an accomplishment.”
20 minutes is all you need
“On paper, I didn't have time to train. That’s what most people would say. But I can confirm that it's totally possible to knock yourself out with a 20-minute HIIT workout.
Yes, I have a demanding job, and yes, I have a busy family life, but the truth is, we all have 20 minutes in our day for a workout.
I would use my lunch breaks – no more restaurants with my colleagues. I'd get changed, do my session in the park next to the office (Parc Monceau, such a wonderful spot!), and grab a sandwich on my way back to work.
And I did that for years, 4 days a week, summer or winter, even when the hot water tank in the office shower broke in the middle of February, and I had to take freezing showers for over a month.
I even ended up convincing some colleagues/friends to join me. In the park, I also made a few training friends with whom we started chatting because they were using the Freeletics app too, and we've remained buddies to this day. That's another very cool thing about Freeletics, the community.”
Evolving with the Coach
“Over the years, I've become less hardcore in my training. Although I still trained 5 times a week, I've taken a few liberties with the Coach, focusing on the workouts I liked best (or avoiding those that were too challenging) to the point where I wondered if I needed the Coach anymore.
After all, now that I know the workouts by heart, maybe I no longer need anyone to teach me how to do my Burpees properly, right? That was a big mistake.
Even with regular training, I saw my performance fading out. First, I put it down to age – isn’t it what is supposed to happen when you’re over forty?
Yet, I thought to myself that these good times weren't necessarily behind me and that if I wanted to, I could get back to my best, so I went for the Coach again, and the difference was obvious. Soon enough, I was back on top of my game.
Today, I'm 42. I do hikes, run trails, play basketball, and have never been in better shape.
So I have to say - thank you, Freeletics.”