This is one of my favorite Spinervals DVDs. This is a compilation of various segments from a number of other DVDs. The title is right as Coach Troy will have you saying “Have Mercy” after almost 2 hours of sweating and moving. Coach Troy is fairly motivating and somewhat humorous at times. In this particular DVD, there is a point at which Coach Troy says “way to go Mike, way to sweat”. I have always liked this as my name is Mike.
I have found this DVD in particular to really aid me in developing stronger biking legs in the winter months. If you can find two hours a week and mix this in with your other training, it will help to make some serious biking legs. There are plenty of rest opportunities to go with the high intensity bursts and lower intensity burns.
The warm up is pretty good, and I remember thinking the first time I did it, “my legs are burning after the warm up, how am I going to continue?” There are a couple of intervals type scenarios that require periods of high effort and periods of low effort over a specific time. This works on speed and works the anaerobic system pretty well as it produces a nice even burn. There is then a longer series of efforts that attacks more the aerobic system, but at times seems to be thrashing both systems.
About half way through, Coach Troy slaps you with some isometric squats that can be very tiring and hard to maintain the first couple of times. There is a longer tempo ride, with some hill climbs, and then some super spins. The DVD ends off with some very intense intervals that always leave me gasping for air as it is tough, especially if you are trying to beat the people of the screen, which I have a tendency to do. I try to our RPM them and achieve higher max hart rates.
I have found this Spinervals DVDs to be very helpful in achieving winter fitness goals. It usually helps to build great hill and road legs.
