David Wiener is a Training Specialist at Freeletics, the #1 fitness app in Europe offering personalised AI fitness coaching which continuously adapts to your feedback and situation to always deliver the perfect workout, no matter what.
Here David walks us through some great exercises for his My Lockdown Workout interview.
How did you get into fitness?
Having had a lifestyle that most would consider to be unhealthy – both physically and mentally – I took control of the way I chose to live my life and reach the full potential I knew I possessed.
After years of hard work and consistency, improving both my body and mindset, I wanted to give back; to guide, motivate and support others on their journeys. This is the reason why I became a Personal Trainer. I love to bring out the best in my clients and watch them achieve goals they never thought was possible.
What is one of your favourite lockdown workouts?
I love using a combination of HIIT training, Tabata and strength training with my clients and for myself. I also use the Freeletics app as it offers a variety of workouts so it’s perfect if you like mixing your routine up.
Perhaps the best thing about Freeletics is that it offers dynamic warm ups. This enables you to warm up your body and muscle temperatures, increasing the oxygen and blood flow throughout your body. Your muscles and joints will be stretched out properly before you get into the more intense activity and prevents you from pulling a muscle.
All workouts on the app also include a drill or skill progression section. This helps you gauge how much of an improvement you have been making throughout your journey. The below is an example of one of my favourite workouts from the app:
Dynamic Warm Up
- 10x squats
- 10x windmill
- 20x bicycle crunches
- 10x side lunges
Drill – Negative Push Ups
Get into the regular push up position, lying flat on the ground with your hands either side of you. Fully extend your arms, lifting your body off the ground. Begin to lower yourself back down until your chest and knees are touching the floor. Using your arms, lift your chest off the ground, with your knees still touching the floor, then lift your knees off the ground.
Interval – 3x rounds of the below exercises
10x knee push ups – Get into the regular push up position, lying flat on the ground with your hands either side of you. Fully extend your arms, lifting your chest off the ground, while your knees remain on the floor.
10x sprawls – Begin in a standing position. Move into a squat position with your hands on the ground. Kick your feet back into a plank position, and lower the body to the ground. Make sure your knees, hips and shoulders are aligned and reverse your steps quickly returning to a standing position. Jump upwards with your hands on your head.
15x shoulder bridge leg raises (left) – Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees raised. Lift your hips of the ground and extend your right leg while our left foot is on the ground. Rotate your hips so that your right ankle is above your hip, then slowly lower your right leg so that your knees are together.
15x shoulder bridge leg raises (right) – Repeat previous exercise with your right leg.
30 second rest.
You can also find more workouts on the Freeletics Instagram account, such as the one below:
What’s your nutrition like when doing a lockdown workout?
It is essential that you have something before a workout. My go-to is normally something quick and easy if I’m working out earlier in the day, such as a handful of nuts or a banana. After my workout I try to eat something high in protein. This is because during your workout, particularly strength training, protein levels are diminished. So, by building those levels back up it will help with recovery. For this I tend to make avocado on toast with a poached egg or a tuna Nicoise salad.
Apart from the main training app, Freeletics also has a nutrition app. It provides full workouts for everyday of the week, but also a healthy meal plan and recipes. It allows you to make the most out of the time you have.
Do you have any tips for those new to working out?
Be realistic: When you first start out, be realistic with your expectations. No one starts off being able to do 50 push-ups, so make sure that you’re aware of the difference between long-term fitness goals and short-term goals.
Break your workout into smaller chunks: Doing an hour-long workout (or more) can get seriously tiring, both mentally and physically. So, if you’re finding it hard to complete an hour-long sweat session, try breaking it down into 15-minute chunks.
Set goals and allow yourself rewards: Setting goals is a great way to ensure you stay motivated and on track. For maximum success, take your bigger goal and split it down into smaller, mini goals so that you can celebrate your successes often.
