Can I just say that it was an awesome 45 minute workout, but it was tough! One thing I liked about the workout was that it went through different interval sessions so I never got bored and the 45 minutes went by really quickly. This was nothing like my regular trainer rides where I usually check my Garmin over and over again to see how much time has gone by only to find that I have only been riding for 10 minutes!
One thing I realized though is that I have definitely lost a lot of fitness since my HIM in October. This is partly because it is winter and I haven't been able to ride outside, but if I'm honest with myself, it's because I just haven't been putting in the right kind of miles on the bike. It is easy for me to just get on my trainer and ride for a set amount of time or distance without really pushing myself. However, I know that I can't just "ride" if I want to get better. Doing this workout made me realize that I need to be doing more workouts of this intensity on a weekly basis to increase my bike fitness and get faster on the bike.
In the end I racked up another 12 miles for the 140.6 challenge, which brings my total now up to 77 miles! Woohoo! With 10 days left in the challenge, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do the last 35 miles, which makes me pretty happy! :)
Have any of you used the Spinervals workouts before? If so, what do you think about them? If not, are there other brands or bike workouts that you like?
12 comments:
I have a spinervals DVD and i've used it ~4 times and it's kicked my booty each time!! it was intense. I don't remember which # it is, and it's outside in the studio and I'm too tired/lazy to get up and go look;-), but it had becky lavelle and a few other pro's spinning in it.
I have "No Mercy" and the title is too kind for what that DVD was into store for you. Its 120 minutes, I can make it through it, but not in the gears they want me to be in. Coach Troy has this unheathly obsession with the 15. I cant push a 15 for 2 hours on a trainers.
This DVD are pricey, but I have learned that by just googling trainer workouts, you can find a ton of free ones you can print out, there are even free written on the Spinverals site.
Hi Aimee,
I am unfortunately not a cool biker chick like you!! My neighbor raves about his race DVD's and says that they are excellent for training:) I am glad to hear that your spinning workout went by fast...awesome!!
I wished I had a place inmy house where I could ride with a Spinervals DVD -- I just can't get motivated on my own!
Big DD - thanks for the advice on just googling workouts. I'm definitely going to check it out and see what I can find!
I have a variety of Spinervals and I do like them. Haven't used them much lately as I now teach spin classes.
I'm actually in that first video and still pull it out now and again. I'm also a fan of the ultraconditioning series. It's great for the winter training...keeps the boredom at bay!
www.misszippy1.blogspot.com
Wow - I too teach/take spin class - and was almost in that first DVD but moved to the other Bay Area. My first indoor group cycling experiences were Tuesday Night Spinervals during the winters in the mid-late 1990s with coach Troy at the N Baltimore Aquatic Club. Still have some of the Spinerval DVDs; Have Mercy... I do maybe one or two of those sets per workout. I like that there are visual cues on the screen so I can rock out with the sound off. I think the DVDs would be even more expensive if he had to license 'good' music.
I must admit that I would rather suffer with friends to LOUD rockin' music and trash the gym bikes. In person and on DVD Coach Troy sure inspired me! You can always in some intensity in the cold dark months.
I have 4 Spinerval CDs, Uphill Grind, Suffer-O-Rama, HILLacious, and Mental Toughness. In the winter or bad weather, I alternate these throughout the week doing a different one each day. My trainer will let me dial in % grade, so I set it at 4% grade and never come off my big ring (53), just use go down to 3% grade for small ring. I still use whatever gears on the back the workout calls for. Uphill Grind is the easiest (for me at least) so I typically use that for recovery days.
I love Spinervals - keeps me very fit in the off-season.
I hear your pain about racking up those 112 miles. I'm in such awe that these IM triathletes do that in ONE day and in addition to 2 other sports!
I'm lookign to get a trainer for my bike soon, and that workout sounds perfect. Thanks for the review.
I bought the Spinervals 101 a few months back, I also liked it, and realized that racking up miles on the trainer won't best prepare me for getting back on the roads -- but also find them pricey! I will have to follow Big Daddy Diesel's advice and google some workouts! :)
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