For many of us that live in the northern hemisphere, or for some that have started training for the upcoming triathlon season and need to get a very early morning bike session, we have to turn to our bike indoor trainer to work on our fitness while the snow flies outside.  Some just ride with some kind of plan in their heads which is sometimes not very productive, some get cycling DVDs, others have fancy & expensive CompuTrainer setups.  Well, if you’re looking for some structured plans, there’s something else available and for the price, the value can’t be beat.

Turbo Crank is a FLASH based program that you simply download and run on to your PC or MAC computer.  It was created by Joe McNamara; a cyclist and triathlete that has over 20 years of indoor training experience.  The program includes 12 different workouts; 5 Endurance, 1 Form, 2 Power,  2 Climbing, 1 Sprinting, and also a Ladder Interval.  (Click Here for PDF preview) They’re all designed to keep you motivated and keep you on track as it tells you exactly where you should be, which gear you should be in, and how hard you should be working.  And because it’s computer based, that leaves your DVD & TV free to watch whatever you want as you workout with Turbo Crank.

So far I’ve personally completed 4 of the Endurance, and 1 Power workout.  The interface is very user friendly as all the information you need is laid out on 1 screen.  After every workout, my legs were burning, and sweat was plenty and best of all, I felt I had accomplished something.  These workouts will work for all cyclists, yes even mountain bikers.  You can never have too much power in your legs for mountain biking, and working through the power workouts over the winter will definitely give you a head start on the competition.

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Also, I contacted Turbo Crank support on a couple occasions, and the response was quick and helpful.

The equipment you’ll need is a bike with an indoor trainer, even a stationary bike could do the job if that’s what you have.  Optional equipment is a heart rate monitor and a cadence sensor for the bike.  Although it’s optional, it’s highly recommended to get the most of the program and to really target your workouts.  Here’s a great video created by Turbo Crank on how to maximize your Turbo Crank experience:

One of the best parts of this great program is the price;  For only $19.99 you get the variety of 12 great workouts.  That’s typically price of ONE cycling DVD.  Personally I find this to be great value, and these days, you can never get enough.

I have a little surprise for everyone reading – Post a reply to this review letting me know what kind of program you currently follow with your indoor trainer and what your goals are for the upcoming season.  Everyone that comments, your name will be added to a draw that will be made on January 10th 2011 @ 8 PM EST. The winner will receive a copy of the latest Turbo Crank program for FREE! So make sure you use your real name and email address when submitting a comment.  (Your email address will not be visible to anyone but me, and I only use the email address to contact you if you’re the winner.  I will not be giving out the email or names to anyone.)

Finally, make sure you visit the Turbo Crank website for all the details, and also a free test drive of one of the workouts can be seen HERE.  You can also find them on FACEBOOK!