Cyclo-Core Conditioning Program – The Long Term Test

Time sure flies. My first Cyclo-Core review was back in 2005, a little over three years ago!

I’ve been using the Cyclo-Core workouts almost year-round ever since. Funny thing is, it’s still hard! It always gives me a good workout, no matter the circumstances.

At certain times (after lots of training) I’ve done the workouts back-to-back, but then I always end up taking time off, either because I have to rest an injury, or because I’m riding so much that I can only handle a teensy bit of off-bike training. Either way, successfully completing the Core workouts is challenging, even after using the program for years!

I’ve also been using Cyclo-Zen and Cyclo-Speed, and joined in on Cyclo-Club which has even more workout videos. So it’s nearly impossible to get bored with these workouts if you rotate through all of them. (Even if you stick with Cyclo-Core, you can switch up the order of the routines and mix and match, effectively giving you new workouts.)

Enough of that though. If you read the initial review, you already know how much I love the program. So now I’m just going to list all the pros and cons I can think of:

Cyclo-Core Pros

Here are the reasons I recommend Cyclo-Core…

1. A Variety of Workouts

On the DVD, there is a 30 minute bodyweight workout, composed of 3 circuits. Then there is a 30 minute resistance workout, also composed of 3 circuits. Then there is a bonus 15 minute workout that focuses directly on your abs. Finally, there is a 10 minute cool down and stretching program.

You can use these workouts on different days, do the circuits in different orders, or mix and match.

2. You Can Workout Anywhere

The 30 minute bodyweight workout requires nothing more than a little floor space. It could be done in your bedroom, living room, dorm room, small apartment, hotel room, etc.

The other routines require an exercise ball, but still, that doesn’t take up much space.

3. Quick and Effective

A 30 minute Cyclo-Core workout is intense and hits your entire body. There is no wasted time – surely you can fit that into a busy schedule.

4. It’s Like Having a Personal Trainer

Being on DVD, it’s kind of like having Graeme Street right there as your own personal trainer. You just follow along and get a good workout.

He even gets you motivated to move. (Unlike workout plans that are just a piece of paper with a workout set written out.)

5. No Costly Gym Membership Required

A great value here. Gym memberships are usually $30-75 per month. A personal trainer guiding you is about $150 per hour. In this case, you buy the DVD, and you’re set.

6. No Costly Equipment Setups

Just get a yoga mat, exercise ball, and some light dumbbells.

7. Easy to Learn

Cyclo-Core is composed of basic movements, most of which are easy to learn. Just analyze Graeme’s movements in the DVD a few times and you’ll be well on your way.

8. Safer Than Weight Lifting

While weight lifting can be done safely, it requires a lot of practice and proper coaching to achieve the right form. Without proper form, you’ll suffer an injury in no time.

And once you have good form, you still need a training partner there with you, since there’s still that possibility of dropping a weight on yourself or getting stuck in the wrong position. And you could always tear a muscle – even pro lifters get injured like that.

Cyclo-Core is mainly just you moving your body around on the floor. It’s much safer. (No sense in getting injured weight lifting and consequently missing important bike races.)

9. Works Important Core Muscles

Core muscles are very important to cycling, but they don’t get strengthened by cycling. So you need some sort of additional workout like Cyclo-Core to get strong.

Cyclo-Core Cons

But Cyclo-Core is not perfect…

1. Counting The Reps Is Not Exact

After doing the workouts many times, I realized Graeme’s counting is a bit off. If you count your own reps instead of following along, you will probably finish sooner.

And sometimes Graeme says “we’re about halfway through” but you’re only maybe a quarter of the way through.

2. Lack of Clear Instructions

It took me a while to notice these, but there are a few little quirks in the workout. For example, during the “Power T stand,” Graeme says “switch” when you should switch from the right to left side. But on the final rep, you need to switch sides at “Stay with me here.” (And you don’t notice this if you don’t have your eyes on the screen.)

Also, when stretching at the end, you typically reach out to your left leg with your right hand so that you stretch your back. In one move, Graeme says “stretch with your left hand” for both the left and right leg reaches.

(Those little things never proved detrimental to my workout, but I thought I’d point them out because there’s really nothing else to put in the “Cons” section.)

My final verdict is…

Once again, I conclude that the Cyclo-Core DVD is awesome. At first, $60 for a DVD seemed kind of expensive, but I have gotten so much value from it, that $60 seems cheap now!

However, you might want to skip the DVDs and go for the downloads/streaming available in Cyclo-Club. Then you can get Cyclo-Core as well as a new series known as Cyclo-Impossible. Either way, I do suggest getting your hands on a copy of Cyclo-Core.

For Cyclo-Core DVDs: www.Cyclo-Core.com