Freeletics Review 2021: A Customized Fitness App for Home Workouts

Since we’ve been spending so much time at home over the past month, I’ve been trying to use it as an opportunity to test a number of different at-home exercise platforms (as well as the best sports bras for said exercises!) Under ordinary circumstances, I’m the type of person who works out 3x week, so I felt like I needed to do something while at home in order to stay sane (and in shape.)

Over the past month, I’ve tried at least a dozen streaming workouts, downloaded multiple fitness apps, took a bunch of great yoga classes (on YouTube!), and even roped my husband into participating in some fun dance cardio routines with me. (I have also spent ALL of my money on comfy loungewear and now have a wardrobe that consists entirely of matching sweatsuits lol)

One of the apps I downloaded a few weeks ago is called Freeletics, and I’ve been super impressed by it, so I figured I’d share a little bit of my experience with you. There are a lot of things I love about the platform and the specific plan that I’m following—particularly because you don’t need any equipment to do it.

Below, here’s a detailed Freeletics review that outlines everything you need to know about the app.

How Does Freeletics Work?

When you first download the app, it’ll prompt you to answer some basic questions about yourself and your fitness level (on a scale of “not fit at all” to “really fit”).

You’ll also be asked to choose your top 3 goals: increase endurance, relieve stress, improve fitness, gain strength, or lose weight.

It then asks you how you’d like to train: either by using your own bodyweight, by running, or with a barbell and weights. (Since my only option for this one was using my own bodyweight, I can’t really share insight on what the Freeletics Running or Freeletics Gym experience is like!)

After the questionnaire (which takes less than a minute), it analyzes your data and provides a list of recommended “training journeys” based on your responses.

The training journeys are essentially different workout plans to choose from—things like “Fit & Toned,” “Balance Fat Burn,” “Calorie Burn,” and “Full-Body Fitness”—and they’re designed to be completed over a 6 or 12 week period.

You can click on each one to read a bit about what it entails, and then choose the program that sounds like the best fit for you.

Is Freeletics free?

You can access a list of single exercises (with 1-minute demos of each) on the Freeletics app for free, but if you decide to move forward with one of the customized workout plans, it requires a paid subscription.

So how much does Freeletics cost?

Not much. You have the option to pay for for 3 months ($34.99), 6 months ($59.99), or 12 months ($74.99). The price breaks down to less than $3/week for the 3-month subscription; or if you spring for the 12-month subscription, it’ll only set you back $1.44/week (because they lower the price when you pay for the year up front.)

Freeletics also offers an optional nutrition component, which adds on about $1/week (depending on how long you sign up for.)

For the purposes of this review, I’ll just be focusing on the training portion.

My Freeletics Review

Since I really wanted to test out the app first to decide whether I liked it, I chose to go with a 6-week plan. The program that was the top recommendation for me was called “Fit for Life” and focuses on a combination of no-equipment cardio and bodyweight exercises.

I was able to choose how frequently I wanted to do my training sessions, which makes the scheduling aspect super flexible.

For example: if I only wanted to work out twice a week, the sessions would be longer and more intense; or if I wanted to do them 3-4x a week, they’d be shorter workouts.

You’re able to change your preferences at any point during the period, so if you have one week that’s busier than another, it’s not a big deal.

To start, I opted for frequency of 3-4x a week, making each session under 25 minutes (which I love.)

My biggest issue with working out at home is getting motivated to actually do it—and what I’ve found so far is that the 25 minute sessions make the program so much more palatable for me.

I feel like I’m able to wrap my head around a workout when I know I can knock it out in under a half hour, because as much as I hate to admit it, I’m inherently a lazy person (lol).

What is the Freeletics Workout?

In terms of the actual Freeletics workout—it’s like a cardio & strength hybrid. Here’s an example of the workout I have coming up tomorrow, which represents a typical routine based on my experience so far:

1. Dynamic Warmup (3-4 minutes)
2. Skill progression (jackknives; 1 minute)
3. Interval (legs, abs; 11-14 minutes)
4. Active Cooldown (4 minutes)

The interface of the app is pretty straightforward. You just tap the screen to start each section, it shows you a video demo of the person doing the exercise, and then you follow along for the number of reps they tell you.

After you finish a section, you mark it as completed (very satisfying) and then it moves you on to the next section. 

Based on what I can tell so far, each session is slightly more challenging than the one before it. (Emphasis on slightly.) For example, my first session involved 10 reps per exercise, and the next few sessions it increased to 15. The incremental difference makes it doable and not discouraging.

If you’ve ever taken a workout class or if you’ve ever stepped foot into a gym, you’ll already be familiar with the type of exercises you see in the app.

Freeletics isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel in terms of the fancy moves—it’s really just putting you on a set schedule that’ll help you focus on accomplishing your stated goals. 

Freeletics Pros & Cons

For me, the pros are: the flexibility, the fact that it’s customized to my specific ability and goals, the price, and the fact that it’s challenging but not to the point of being discouraging (at least not yet.)

My ONLY con: I wish there was music playing throughout each session! I’ve been putting on a Spotify playlist in the background while doing the workouts, but it would be more seamless if the app had music built-in. (I’m guessing this has to do with copyright issues, but not entirely sure.)

Is Freeletics Worth It?

If you’re like me—aka the kind of person who needs a set schedule and a bit of direction in order to be held accountable—I think it’s 100% worth it. It’s not expensive, the workouts are challenging but not impossible, and I really do feel a sense of accomplishment for sticking to the plan.

It’s like having a personal trainer, but 99% less expensive. You can do it completely on your own time, in the comfort of your home, and—not that I’ve ever done this—but can even do it in your pajamas.

(Ok fine, I’ve totally done that twice. I figured it was better than not working out at all, and you know what? I didn’t have to worry about a trainer judging me for it.)

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