Precision Cycling

Jay Blahnik
Year Released: 2001

Categories: Indoor Cycling



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About me: I'm a fairly advanced aerobically, working out often with Cathe, Mindy, and Christi. I got a spin bike to reduce my impact, but keep up the intensity. I'm finding that spinning is definitely tough (as tough as you make it) and fits the bill perfectly.

Precision Cycling was my very first spinning workout (I just start spinning 2 weeks ago!) I've done it twice.

The music is fairly quiet, but Jay is very motivational and the team seems to be having fun (although, they get a little cheesy at times). The second time I did the workout I worked a lot harder than the first.

Jay starts out with a long warm up that gets fairly intense towards the end then goes into hills and intervals, alternating with 3 teams. This is definitely a workout you can grow with, choosing to take 1 - 3 intervals, rather than resting with your team. I love that about this workout.

The workout ends with a nice 3 minute stretch, targeting the hamstrings (standing on the bike), the quads, and the glutes hips (he has you put you bend your leg, and place it on the bike for a standing stretch.)

My only complaints are that the music could have been a little louder and the stretches a little longer.

Instructor Comments:
I love Jay. He seems like a very caring person with a laid back style that is very appealing to me. He's adorable.

Tami S.

11/23/2004

As someone already has given the breakdown of this workout, I will just add my impression.
To give you some background, I just get into spinning and try to find a variety to keep me going. I have some spinervals and Johnny G Goodtimes DVD series.
This tape will be a good (kind of) rest spinning day when you still want to spin and get some cardio effect but do not want to push yourself too hard.
The workout is around 45 mins with two hill climbings and team intervals.
The music is good, upbeat(nothing fancy like some of Johnny G cycling CDs though) and Jay keeps reminding you to go with the tempo of the music.
The background exercisers (Helen from CIA R.A.W. is one of them) are very fun especially during Team intervals (there are three teams taking turn doing the interval spinning).
Overall: I love this tape and would rate it A+

Instructor Comments:
It was the first time I tried Jay's workout. I found him very motivating. Like the other reviewer mentioned, he said the right thing at the right time.

Thanya

04/24/2004

Precision Cycling (2000) is the only video I have that I can use on my elliptical trainer. (I’ve tried others: Johnny G, Mindy - but they weren’t useable).

Others have broken down the workout. I’ll give my impression.

My impression is that this is one terrific workout! When I was using it twice a week, I increased my endurance (and decreased my body fat) measurably. Jay gives a lot of options for adjusting the difficulty of the workout. You can KILL yourself if you want to! After the workout, I am usually beet red in the face (what Gin Miller calls a “tomato-head”). I have to keep a towel nearby as I sweat profusely. And also, I have to keep guzzling water.

The music is good and really helps to keep the beat/cadence of the movements.

I wish this was out on DVD!

I haven’t tried his other cycling workouts. I don’t know if they would work as well with an elliptical.

Instructor Comments:
Jay is great in Precision Cycling. Relaxed, motivating and enthusiastic. He cues wonderfully and adds just the right amount of form pointers. Reminding you to keep tension out of your hands and shoulders. I like that he adds stretches throughout the workout.

Alta

02/26/2004

A little about me before I start - I am an advanced exerciser who works out at least 5 days a week for an hour each time. I also run and often race in shorter races eg 5km, 10km. I wanted to find a fun cardio option which would not involve me having to run outside through the winter and used this video with my elliptical trainer and not a spinning cycle. However, I would like to stress that this was a very flexible workout and I had a very effective cardio session on my e-trainer.

The workout is about 40 minutes - an 8 minute warm up, a 5 minute steep hill climb, about 5 minutes of recovery, 9 minutes of team intervals, another hill climb (5 minutes), a cool down and then a wonderful stretch.

This was a superb video ! The 40 minutes flew by and Jay Blahnik and his team were extremely motivating. He was cycling in what looked like a gym room with about 7 others either side/ behind him. My heart rate was well within its target zone and went up as high as 190 bpm ! My maximum heart rate is 192 so I was thrilled. The hill climbs are gruelling but such a challenge and the team intervals were fun fun fun !! For this the group was split into 3 teams all alternating intervals of 45 seconds - 1 minute each of fast cycling at a high resistance level !! This was tough ! You also get the option of alternating teams to get in more intervals - this was, as I've already said, a very flexible video.

There is a bit of reference to the Star Trac spin cycle and how to use it but I was using an e-trainer so this didn't apply to me. Jay's safety tips were excellent throughout and his form pointers were spot on.

I was extremely impressed by this video and have been using it 5 times a week for over a month now ! I have seen incredible increases in my stamina and general fitness as well as a stronger, more toned body. An excellent fat burner ! I was extremely pleased by the way this video pushed me, an already fit person, to my absolute cardio limits ! The music was upbeat and fun and, as I've already said, time just flew by. I would highly recommend this video !!

Funke Abimbola

09/22/2001

I love this video! Jay is the master of the right thing to say at the right time. This is a beautifully crafted workout with everything you could ask for in a cycling video. It doesn't matter what type of stationery bike you use, the key to this workout is in the intensity an exertion level of the participant.

The setting is Kari Anderson's Pro-Robics brick-walled studio, pleasant and familiar to those who know Kari Anderson's Great moves series. The intimate setting is a class of bikers who are next to and behind Jay, the central cyclist. He is leading the pack of exercisers and does so with great deft, humility and finesse. Among the cyclists are Helen Vanderburg of CIA fame, and Jay's sometime co-instructor, Linda McHugh.

What I liked about the workout were several things. The workout was spelled out completely before you began, both visually (a chart) and verbally (what you would be doing). Jay then encourages you with motivation, reference to your intensity, position, cadence and your heart rate monitor (important to "Spinners"). I also liked that the participants were really exerting themselves and that they were sweating bullets by the end of the workout. Jay's friendly encouragement and his own obvious exertion were exhilarating. The workout had strong interval, hill and sprint segments and then allowed you to relax and recover until the next workload. This is a must have for indoor cyclist and/or instructors of Spinning, Cycle Reebok and other bike programs. It really is the best of all that I have seen and the boredom factor is totally non-existent.

Janet O'Neil

06/03/2001