An athlete’s performance and focus is always heightened when there’s something to work towards. With this in mind, we asked some of the Freeletics Ambassadors from our brand new “Real People, Real Results” campaign video if for them, that goal is summer.
Discover what real athletes set their sights on, how they achieve it and if summer really is their most successful time of the year.
Meet the athletes:
Hanna
Age: 25
Occupation: Student
Homeground: Essen, Germany
Joined Freeletics because: “I was unfit and needed a change in lifestyle.”
Free Athlete since: 2015
Favorite workout: Aphrodite
Favorite inspirational message:
“Don’t just dream of a better version of yourself – put your plan into action. It may not always be easy, and you’ll have doubts, but you’ll make it! Stay focused and believe in yourself and what you want to achieve. Show the world what you’re capable of!“
Quentin
Age: 26
Occupation: Supply Technician
Homeground: Lille, France
Joined Freeletics because: “I wanted to see if the 15 week transformation worked.”
Free Athlete since: March 2015
Favorite workout: Kronos and Dione
Favorite inspirational message:
“If you never try, you will never succeed, but if you try, you might just impress yourself.”
What do you look forward to most about summer?
Hanna – “Summer is my favorite time of the year. I become more active and spend all my time outdoors training with my Freeletics group or running in the countryside close to my hometown.”
Quentin – “Of course the sun is the best thing about summer. I can’t wait to get outdoors and find some new Freeletics training spots and groups of people who share my passion.”
Do you believe in setting a summer goal?
Hanna – “Yes, definitely. I plan all winter for events in summer so when it arrives I’m super hyped and motivated. It’s what gets me through winter, as I really struggle with the dark and cold.”
Quentin – “I set myself goals all year round, but summer is the time when I really challenge myself. There’s so many more races and events in summer so it gives me something to aim for.”
Is it all about aesthetics or is your summer goal more performance-based?
Hanna – “It’s a mixture of the two. Of course I would like my whole body to be more defined for the summer, especially my legs and abs. This means lots more running and core exercises like leg levers – they are brutal but I know they work. Performance-wise I have some obstacle races lined up in the upcoming months like the Spartan Race, so the running and core work will come in useful for this too. I know that aesthetics don’t come without the performance.”
Quentin – “For me it’s performance. This summer I really want to achieve my best fitness level yet. I’ve signed up to a few runs and obstacle races, so I’ve stepped up my training schedule to around 2 hours a day, 6 days a week and started combining all 3 Freeletics apps – gym, running and bodyweight. In terms of aesthetics, sure I’ll be training my upper body more, but that’s because I enjoy upper body exercises, and this strength will come in useful for obstacle racing – not just for the beach.”
How do you balance training and vacation?
Hanna – “I take my training mat everywhere I go. Even if it’s a relaxed holiday, I see no harm in having it just in case I get a sudden rush of energy or desire to train – which happens quite often. When I schedule trainings, I always workout in the morning. This way I have the rest of the day to chill or do some sightseeing.”
Quentin – “I always make time for training no matter if it’s on vacation or at home, so I don’t really feel as though I need to balance anything. It’s already pretty balanced, so I’ll stick to it.”
And what about nutrition? Do your eating habits change in summer?
Hanna – “Yes. I enjoy more refreshing foods like fruit, veg and salads rather than sweets and chocolate. The only “bad” thing I crave more is ice cream – my weak spot is strawberry and hazelnut. But since I’m more or less consistent with my clean eating, I think it’s ok to treat myself from time to time. For me it’s also important to enjoy my summer holiday and experience the different kinds of food on offer. Especially because I know I’ve worked hard up until now, and it’s back to normal as soon as I get home.”
Quentin – “Not really. I stick to a pretty healthy diet all year round including soya yoghurt with fruit for breakfast, meat with vegetables for lunch and a small snack like eggs for dinner. The only difference is that I eat more seasonal fruits that are available in summer.”
Any nutritional rules you swear by?
Hanna – “Steer clear of fast food and alcohol.”
Quentin – “I’m not sure if it’s a rule but I eat every three hours. I also avoid all sugar that isn’t natural and eat whole-grain carbs only. From time to time I will allow myself a cheat day, where I don’t focus too much on what I eat, but overall my diet it usually always clean, all year round.”
And finally, why do you think you were chosen for the “Real people, Real results” campaign?
Hanna – “I think a lot of girls can relate to me. I’m not super muscular and actually there are many people who appear more sporty and have better times than me, but this doesn’t make me any less of an athlete. I still have a goal. I’m still disciplined and I always look to inspire and motivate others. And that’s what it really means to be a Free Athlete.”
Quentin – “Because from the minute I started with Freeletics I gave it my all and worked hard. It changed my entire life – before I was more shy and introverted. I lacked goals and didn’t have a real focus. But through my training and dedication, now I’m the complete opposite. I guess this is the message Freeletics wants to communicate.”
All the faces you see in this video are real Freeletics users. Real people with real results. Meet the others – Jeanne and Gustavo – on the Freeletics Blog or follow them in the app and discover how you too can become a Free Athlete and achieve your greatest goals.
