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I’ve previously posted (here, here, and here) about becoming more fit and losing weight. A couple of years ago, I reached my weight goal. Since then I’ve done the same kind of exercises and very similar eating for the last couple of years. I think two things that happened: one is I given in more often to those moments when I allow myself to go over what I know I should eat (especially on any ”special occasion” and there are many of these). The other is I’ve allowed myself to do a bit more drinking than in the past. All of this is to say that while I’ve essentially maintained the same weight the last few years, I started creeping up a bit towards the end of 2018. So, It seems I needed to shake up my complacent routine once 2019 came around. That meant two things: tweaking down what I eat and drink with a focus maintaining good habits in those “special occasions” and mix up my workouts. (This isn’t to say that I’m adopting an ascetic lifestyle or becoming a gym rat, but simply using more disciplined moderation and venturing in new fitness directions.) The above-referenced workout routine that I’ve been stuck on is using rowing machine three days a week and then a mixed circuit training/dumbbell workout for two days a week. I do not have formal exercise on the weekends; typically, my movement usually comes through chores and walking the dog on weekends.
I had to get out of my comfort zone of doing that with which I was familiar. Through some connections at my work, I decided to try Camp Gladiator. At least in the Triangle area (Raleigh, Cary & Durham), they have a bunch of sites (churches, parks) and schedule where you can join others in a guided work outs, typically requiring only some dumbbells, a mat, and some blood, sweat, and tears (just kidding on the blood and tears part). They are an absolutely fabulous group of people. The coaches are spot on and helpful. The other participants are some of the nicest people I’ve met, and everybody is very welcoming. One of the great things about this group is that nobody is made to feel second-class because they’re not super fit already. So when we do exercises, some do less strenuous variants of them, while others do a more strenuous version. Also, those who are fitter will typically do more reps during the same duration. Enthusiastic encouragement is rampant and shared equally amongst the participants, even to someone like me, who is a good deal older than the average camper. People are very polite and nice to one another. The coaches are jazzed (hey Zach and Karah) and dedicated to what they’re doing. For having a scheduled, location-based program, it couldn’t be any more convenient (at least in our area). There are lots of different times available with close by sites. It is about as easy as it can be to have in-person, instructor-led classes. I’ll say this again later, but if you’re the kind of person that either gets jazzed by being with others during your workout, needs the accountability coaches and a group offer or needs in-person, hands-on guidance, Camp Gladiator is a fabulous way to go. If you commit to six months to a couple of years, they’re pretty reasonable, while month-to-month is a little bit steep.
However, I was used to the convenience of being able to work out in the gym at work on my schedule. I could walk down two flights of stairs, jump in for a focused half hour, be done and home. (I’m probably the least social creature in the gym – in and out is my focus). So, I have this big advantage to a convenient, free gym (we love you Builders Mutual) done on my schedule and within a short, focused time. I could get in a reasonable workout with 45 minutes maybe an hour for all of it – changing, “travel time” and cooling down afterward. Camp Gladiator has a warm-up, core exercise, and cool down activities, so they take a full hour. Now you’ve added travel time, as well as the typical recovery and changing and you’re looking at 1 ½ hours – not bad, just a bit more. I also have to fit their admittedly flexible schedule. Not a huge deal but just a bit less convenient.
A couple of my quirks are that 1) I actually prefer working out alone (I don’t require the accountability to keep going) and 2) despite the niceness of everyone, I’m always going to go for the all-out version of the exercise which makes the Camp Gladiator sessions lean towards a little more intense than I prefer to keep up day-to-day, at least in the short term. Finally, I don’t have good visual memory – in other words, I don’t quickly pick up on an exercise move by watching it quickly once. While the coaches were helpful and patient, I initially messed up on some aspect of an exercise but improved with their guidance.
Now that I knew that I had a great option in Camp Gladiator, I’d try one more thing. Several companies are using AI to provide a guided workout experience through an app. Freeletics is probably at the forefront of those, and I decided to give it a try. It had a few advantages over Camp Gladiator. First, I could do it on my own, on my own schedule, and it doesn’t require lots of equipment (which Camp Gladiator didn’t either). Part of the great thing about Freeletics is it will largely use your own body to do the workouts. There are some additional pieces of equipment that are nice, especially for strength training, but even those are minimal like a bar. So basically, with my mat and my phone, I’m ready to work out. Another benefit is that I can do this from home. If I happen to be taking a day off but am staying in town, I used to come into work to do my workouts (or, occasionally, end up skipping it). Now, I can unroll my mat at home and I’m good to go.
Both Freletics and Camp Gladiator would allow me to break up my routine and do some new things. Freeletics provides coach-based recommendations for the week that I can then follow. And while there is a finite range of the kinds of workouts that it schedules, it’s more than enough variety for me. Camp Gladiator seems to have a larger repertoire, but Freeletics variation is currently working for me. Moreover, Freeletics periodically update their app with new workouts. It builds in a warm-up and cooldown stretching and other activities (similar to those provided by Camp Gladiator).
One of the cool things Freeletics does is provide a video for every move that it includes any workout. Those videos are expertly done with clear visuals to the point where it’s super easy to follow. They show the exercise at a moderate pace, then slow it down while highlight ways in which you want to follow it. These directions are things like – fully extend your knees, keep your feet together and will show at the end the alignment of your body. When I used the Microsoft band, it too had videos, but these are even better. They take it to the next level and demonstrate every single move. They also provide alternate instructions if you’re not yet able to fully follow the exercise. Freeletics also integrates nicely with Spotify (and they even have their own pumping playlists).
To assess where to start you, you answer a couple of questions on your current exercise level. I started out probably a little bit easier than I should’ve, but you provide feedback to the AI coach on each exercise set and, trust me, they will ramp up the exercise to match your level. Just when I think I know the pattern for the week’s exercises, Freeletics throws me off and mixes it up. Nicely played Freeletics. I’m also using their nutrition app and have made a number of those meals. They’ve been great, some excellent and they’re relatively straightforward to cook. Since I already use Lifesum to count calories (I hate counting calories) which provides recipes designed for you, the nutrition piece, while nice, doesn’t make sense for me to continue.
Freeletics has reenergized my work out, made it fresh, and allowed me to get many of the benefits that I got out of Camp Gladiator, but in my schedule at my pace. If I were to have stayed in Camp Gladiator, I suspect I would have pushed myself a bit more and might be a bit fitter now. The point for me, however, is a healthy overall lifestyle with sustainable fitness. I’m not trying to ramp up for a particular event. The convenience and timing of Freeletics make sustainability just a bit more likely. The reduced cost doesn’t hurt either. Roughly a year of Freeletics + Nutrition is equivalent to a month of Camp Gladiator (paid month-to-month); to put it another a year subscription to Freeletics alone (no Nutrition) is equivalent to 1 ½ months of Camp Gladiator on the 2-year plan.
If you’re the type person that needs the accountability of others, is energized by being with other people, or needs a more personalized touch, I would highly recommend Camp Gladiator. I think it’s worth the cost. Especially in this time of near epidemic-levels of loneliness in our contemporary society, Camp Gladiator may be just the excuse you need to connect with more people helping you become mentally and physically healthier. They have great people, great coaches, good work out, and about as convenient as any in-person class will be. The coaches also do a nice job of helping you execute the exercises correctly. If you are a taciturn, old-curmudgeon like myself, or even a gregarious person who prefers the convenience, Freeletics is a great way to have the benefit of a guide-workout at your own pace guided by an AI Coach that learns new ways to cause you pain.