“Growth is achieved when we face something that challenges us.” - Pierre-Nicolas

Pierre-Nicolas is Freeletics’ highest-level user, hitting level 300. But this incredible feat didn’t happen overnight. It took years of unwavering consistency, of showing up when it’s the last thing he wanted to do. Burpee after Burpee – day-in-day-out. He completely overhauled his lifestyle, swapping the partying and booze from his student days for early morning workouts and a healthy diet.

An 8-year journey that began as a personal challenge has turned into a life-altering transformation – boosting his self-confidence and giving him a freedom he never thought possible. Here’s his story:

“Before starting Freeletics, I wasn’t into fitness whatsoever. I did a bit of swimming when I was younger, rode bikes with friends in high school, and played rugby in Engineering school. I also did some skiing in the winter.

But even with all these activities, I didn’t have a real “routine” or clear goal. And my day-to-day life was quite sedentary.”

“In 2015, during my last year of Engineering school, I found myself unhappy after three years of excessive partying and alcohol. I tried Freeletics with friends, but I hadn’t committed to a consistent routine.

That winter, a skiing accident left me with a twisted knee. I could barely walk and felt disconnected from the student city life. My weight climbed during my studies from 72 kg to 86 kg (I am 180 cm tall) – and it was more fluff than muscle.

The only thing I could do to distract myself was to play video games, which ended up leaving me more frustrated, or attempt a few Pushups and Pullups – which were hard for me at the time but made me feel a tiny bit alive.

Those several months of forced immobility really made me realize that I needed to change things up and find a lifestyle more suited to my needs.”

“When I was just getting started with Freeletics, my goals were more about building healthy habits. I wanted to gain confidence, get back to running, and feel pride in overcoming hard stuff while challenging both my body and mind.

Looking better was part of the ego/fun side of the process, but deep down, I wanted to feel alive and free.”

“In the beginning, the intensity of the workouts – especially Burpees – was a challenge. I trained 5 days a week from Monday to Friday and ran on the weekends.

The soreness that followed in the days after was tough, but the following workouts seemed to push it aside. I didn’t know if I could handle the daily workouts, so I took one day at a time.

I also started focusing more on my diet, so it was a lot of changes at once. Back then, my diet lacked enough calories, leaving me hungry a lot during the day! Food is fuel and we need a lot of it to do intense activities.

I think I lost 10 kgs in six months, losing fluff and gaining muscle, but it was quite tough on the body. At the time, I couldn’t fully understand what my body was telling me, but I kept going as best I could, despite the soreness and fatigue.

I quickly found my daily grind, but balancing it with work as I finalized my Engineering degree and social and family life on the weekends wasn’t easy.

Some friends were supportive of the challenge and joined my workouts, but my family was indifferent. I guess the hardest part was the isolation – the loneliness from my work’s remote location and the fact that my surroundings weren’t used to such a lifestyle.

But I loved it so much. Seeing the progress and the changes was so motivating that I kept going.”

“What got me through some of my toughest moments was that my best friend also started Freeletics seriously back then so we had a lot of fun motivating each other and trying to beat our PBs.

Also, during the first 6 months, most of my workouts were done at home on my terrace, with a beautiful sunrise over Mont Ventoux. I loved to own such moments and the feeling of accomplishment after a tough workout. Plus, I also loved a good breakfast with homemade muesli and eggs afterward!

Getting PBs (personal bests) on a dreaded workout was the ultimate motivator in the beginning. The more burn in the muscles and out of breath I felt, the best I judged the workout.

Over time, the most memorable workouts have become the ones that I did away from home, during my holidays, or work trips. I can easily connect the workout I did to a specific place and time.

Whether it was before sunrise or after sunset, feeling that drive to find a time and place for my routine, adapting it if required, gave me such an incredible sense of freedom.”

“After a few months, I couldn’t start my day without training first. Finding time each day for some type of physical activity became non-negotiable. No excuses. Now it's eight years later…

Freeletics helped me to focus on what really matters and to make time for it while removing all the unnecessary stuff. It impacted all aspects of my life: social, nutrition, work, fields of interest, and so much more.

‘Do hard stuff, and the hard stuff becomes easy’, I guess. Growth is achieved when we face something that challenges us. And usually, it’s achieved long-term.

Freeletics allowed me to go all in and trust that I could reach my goals –  physically, mentally, socially, and professionally. I had to prioritize what mattered and dedicate myself to it day-in-day-out, doing the best I could each day. Consistency is key.

I strongly believe that physical well-being has a huge impact on mental well-being which is why I prioritize it. Now the challenge is to maintain my standard in sports – bodyweight training and triathlon – while balancing work, family, and social time.

I’m lucky to have a supportive boss, the best possible friends (I don’t need a ton), and a more than exceptional wife. My young son makes me really happy and provides a new perspective on life!

We can’t control everything, but we can control our thoughts and actions. Sometimes they control us and that’s part of the struggle. Ultimately, they define who we are.”

“Here are my top tips for someone just getting started:

1. Listen to YOUR inner voice: do what makes YOU feel good – whether that’s physical, social, or professional activities. Set YOUR priorities and make them fit YOUR lifestyle. Consistently.
2. Eat quality food: in a quantity that fits YOUR needs.
3. Be open: be open to positive, open-minded people and feedback. Ignore negative and close-minded people. Get inspiration from other people's stories.
4. Just start: when you’re tired or don’t want to work out, warm up, start the workout, and see how you feel. If you are really tired, go slow, don’t injure yourself; you’ll beat that PB the next time. But you could end up with surprising, positive results and feel great afterward.
5. Trust the process: long-term efforts always prevail and the more you give, the more you get. KEEP PUSHING."