spinervals dvd's?

i was thinking of getting a couple of the spinervals dvd's what are some good ones? or, are all of them good? thanks.

 

Based upon some feedback I got yesterday when I proposed a similar question I went and purchased two of them. I picked up Competition 2.0 - Time Trial Special and Competition 5.0 - Mental Toughness. I did the Competition 2.0 this morning and found that it was a really good workout. I can see how these could help you improve your fitness. I only wish that I had a way of knowing what tension to set my Minoura MagAlu Rim on so that I can simulate the road better. I think that 3-4 seems to be close at times and at other times it's way too much. I'm going to try Mental Toughnss later in the week, so I can let you know how it is.

 

I have used numerous Spinerval DVDs and have always been satisfied. I feel that they keep me focused when I'm forced to stay inside. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them, just be sure to get the ones that target what you want to work on.

 

im looking to improve overall riding so ill just try to pick a couple out at random.
thanks guys

 

I found a page that breaks down the Spinverals based upon the type of workout or training you are doing.

Improving Technique
All cyclists should spend a certain amount of their training time working on proper technique. Learning how to pedal efficiently is the key to improving all around cycling performance, regardless of your current ability and fitness levels.

To help improve your technique, Coach Troy recommends the following workouts:
Spinervals Competition 1.0 – No Slackers Allowed
Spinervals Competition 2.0 – Time Trial Special
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery and Technique
Spinervals Competition 11.0 – Big Gear Strength w/ Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms
Spinervals Audio 1.0 – Fast Legs! Fast Legs!


Recovery Workouts / Easy Training Days
An important (and often overlooked) part of the performance equation is REST & RECOVERY. Spinervals addresses the need for cyclists to recover with workouts designed to be completed at a lower intensity and with the focus on technique, not effort.

Do these workouts on days you plan as recovery from your harder, more intense Spinervals workouts.

As recovery workouts or easy workout days, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Fitness 1.0 – Ride Strong w/ Team Clydesdale
Spinervals Fitness 2.0 – Sweating Buckets
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery & Technique
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge
Spinervals Competition 16.0 – Aero Base Builder I
Spinervals Competition 17.0 – Aero Base Builder II
Spinervals Competition 18.0 – Aero Base Builder III

Beginning Cyclists
For anyone just getting involved in a serious cycling program, Spinervals can help you improve your cycling fitness in leaps and bounds!
To get started, we recommend that you use our Spinervals FITNESS Series workouts and our Spinervals Competition “Recovery Workouts” until you are comfortable with the high intensity nature of interval training. After awhile, you’ll be ready to graduate to the higher intensity workouts found in the Spinervals Competition Series.

For beginning cyclists, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Fitness 1.0 – Ride Strong with Team Clydesdale
Spinervals Fitness 2.0 – Sweating Buckets
Spinervals Fitness 4.0 – Lean and Mean
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery and Technique
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge
Spinervals Audio 1.0 – Fast Legs! Fast Legs!
Spinervals Competition 16.0 – Aero Base Builder I
Spinervals Competition 17.0 – Aero Base Builder II
Spinervals Competition 18.0 – Aero Base Builder III

Track Cyclists and Sprinters
All Track events require maximum power and strength. Short, explosive efforts in training will result in your ability to sprint with greater force and speed.

For success at Track racing and Sprinting, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Fitness 2.0 – Sweating Buckets (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 1.0 – No Slackers Allowed
Spinervals Competition 3.0 – Suffer O Rama
Spinervals Competition 4.0 – Muscle Breakdown
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery & Technique
Spinervals Competition 11.0 – Big Gear Strength w/ Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge
Spinervals Competition 16.0 – Aero Base Builder I
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms
Spinervals Audio 1.0 – Fast Legs! Fast Legs!
Spinervals Audio 2.0 – MegaWatts

Crit Racers
Criterium racing requires a combination of endurance, speed, explosive power and the ability to change speeds quickly. Crit racers must develop the ability to go anaerobic and then recover immediately, only to ‘jump’ hard again and wallow in anaerobic agony!

To maximize your criterium racing abilities, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Competition 1.0 – No Slackers Allowed
Spinervals Competition 3.0 – Suffer O Rama
Spinervals Competition 5.0 – Mental Toughness
Spinervals Competition 6.0 – The Zoot Challenge
Spinervals Competition 7.0 – The UpHill Grind
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery & Technique (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 9.0 – Have Mercy
Spinervals Competition 11.0 – Big Gear Strength w/Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 13.0 – Tough Love
Spinervals Competition 15.0 – Have Mercy, The Sequel
Spinervals Competition 16.0 – Aero Base Builder I
Spinervals Competition 17.0 – Aero Base Builder II
Spinervals Competition 18.0 – Aero Base Builder III
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms
Spinervals Audio 1.0 – Fast Legs! Fast Legs!
Spinervals Audio 2.0 – MegaWatts

Riding Up Hill Faster
Defying gravity requires that you create a better ‘power to weight’ ratio. Lightening up your bike and losing a few unwanted pounds of excess fat are both effective ways to ‘climb like a mountain goat’. The other part of the equation to becoming a faster climber is to increase your power output!

Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts to help you climb faster!
Spinervals Competition 3.0 – Suffer O Rama
Spinervals Competition 5.0 – Mental Toughness
Spinervals Competition 7.0 – The UpHill Grind
Spinervals Competition 9.0 – Have Mercy
Spinervals Competition 11.0 – Big Gear Strength w/Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge (Recovery)
Spinervals Competition 13.0 – Tough Love
Spinervals Competition 15.0 – Have Mercy, The Sequel
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms
Spinervals Audio 2.0 – MegaWatts

"Sprint Distance" Triathletes
Sprint distance triathlon's (12-18 mile bike legs) require maximum power output over a relatively short distance. For this type of racing, you need to perform short, high intensity efforts in order to increase your power output as well as longer 'tempo' efforts to increase your lactate threshold.

For success at this distance, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Fitness 3.0 – Enter the Red Zone
Spinervals Competition 1.0 - No Slackers Allowed
Spinervals Competition 2.0 - Time Trial Special
Spinervals Competition 4.0 - Muscle Breakdown
Spinervals Competition 8.0 - Recovery and Technique (Recovery)
Spinervals Competition 9.0 – Have Mercy
Spinervals Competition 10.0 – Ride & Stride
Spinervals Competition 14.0 - Totally Time Trial
Spinervals Competition 15.0 – Have Mercy, The Sequel
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms
Spinervals Audio 2.0 – MegaWatts

"Olympic Distance" Triathletes, Duathletes and USCF Time Trialing
The Olympic Distance Triathlete has similar training needs as the pure cyclist preparing for the 40k Time Trial. The 'race of truth' requires maximum focus, strength and a high level of endurance. The key here is to build your lactate threshold and your tolerance to sustained discomfort over the 40K distance.

For success at this event, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Competition 2.0 - Time Trial Special
Spinervals Competition 5.0 - Mental Toughness
Spinervals Competition 7.0 – The Uphill Grind
Spinervals Fitness 2.0 - Sweating Buckets (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery & Technique (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 9.0 – Have Mercy
Spinervals Competition 10.0 – Ride & Stride
Spinervals Competition 11.0 - Big Gear Strength w/Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 13.0 – Tough Love
Spinervals Competition 14.0 - Totally Time Trial
Spinervals Audio 2.0 – MegaWatts

"Half Ironman” and “Ironman Distance" Triathletes, Long Distance Duathletes, Stage Racers and Touring Cyclists
The Half Ironman Distance and the Ironman Distance both require a clever combination of strength, endurance, patience and pacing. Ride too conservatively and you’ll be ‘off the back’ and out of contention. Ride too fast and you’ll be walking your ½ or full marathon.

Stage Racing Cyclists must have the ability to respond to attacks and then recovering over and over again over a long distance as well as recover sufficiently for the next day of racing.

Touring cyclist ride long distances at a steady pace sometimes covering hundreds of miles over several days.

For success at these events, Coach Troy recommends the following Spinervals workouts:
Spinervals Fitness 2.0 – Sweating Buckets (recovery)
Spinervals Fitness 3.0 – Enter the Red Zone
Spinervals Competition 2.0 – Time Trial Special
Spinervals Competition 5.0 – Mental Toughness
Spinervals Competition 7.0 – The Uphill Grind
Spinervals Competition 8.0 – Recovery & Technique (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 9.0 – Have Mercy
Spinervals Competition 10.0 – Ride & Stride
Spinervals Competition 11.0 – Big Gear Strength w/Team Excel
Spinervals Competition 12.0 – Recharge (recovery)
Spinervals Competition 13.0 – Tough Love
Spinervals Competition 14.0 – Totally Time Trial
Spinervals Competition 15.0 – Have Mercy, The Sequel
Spinervals Competition 16.0 – Aero Base Builder I
Spinervals Competition 17.0 – Aero Base Builder II
Spinervals Competition 18.0 – Aero Base Builder III
Spinervals Competition 19.0 – Bending Crank Arms

 

wow, that is extremely helpful. thanks.

 

Wow! Coach Troy seems to recommend almost every Spinerval DVD for almost every training goal...

I especially like the name of the recovery workout.. "Sweating Buckets"

I have the Big Geal Strength DVD and I've used it once or twice. It's nice to have a structured routine with countdown timers for the intervals and rest periods, and it's somewhat more relevant than watching ordinary TV. Also, when you begin the video you know that there is an "End" so it may help you to push through to the "End" rather than getting bored with the trainer and quitting early.

Music and your own interval routine will likely be just as beneficial after going through the video a couple times, and the video probably just serves as entertainment after that.

 

I have no opinion on the DVDs but just think the title "Coach Troy" is hilarious. Sounds like some thing from The Simpsons "... Coach Troy recommends ...".

 

I'm Coach Troy McClure. You might remember me from such cycling DVDs as Flaming Glutes or Spinning in Anger....

 

What is funny is that I have thought the exact same thing many a time since I am a cyclist and Simpsons fan. The other thing I find amusing is that Coach Troy's hair changes from DVD to DVD.

 

I bought No Slackers Allowed on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. I was hesitant to buy on Ebay, not wanting to support counterfeiters, but the DVD appears to be authentic.

There's no doubt that I would have difficulty maintaining the same intensity without the structure and motivation from the DVD. I've used it three times, and twice during the cooldown I was visited by my old friend Pukie, who I hadn't seen in a long while.

The workout only lasts 45 minutes, including warmup and cooldown. I also have the Carmichael criterium tape, which is 65 minutes long and has more minutes of actual 'work' in it. I prefer it to Coach Troy's. It focuses on not allowing complete recovery from each effort in an attempt to simulate a crit.

The type of intervals in No Slackers are more varied, and include spinning as fast as you can and some out of the saddle work.