Though there's a wealth of print information available on training programs for serious athletes (recreational or competitive), it sometimes seems that when it comes to DVDs, the mass-market offerings are more oriented toward reforming couch potatoes than helping dedicated athletes become better. Fortunately, smaller coaching outfits like Endurofit are stepping up to take on the task, giving us useful programs like The Next Level: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes.

The DVD's title lays it out clearly: this program is intended to help athletes in endurance-based sports (cycling, running, triathlon, etc.) create and follow a weight-training program tailored to their needs. The program is created, hosted, and demonstrated by coach/athletes Jeb Stewart and Reece Haettich, who take a friendly but no-nonsense approach to presenting the information. I liked the relaxed but focused style; there's no motivational rah-rah stuff here, because Stewart and Haettich assume (correctly) that if you're watching this program, you're already motivated to become a better athlete. What you need - and what they deliver - is a friendly but down-to-business approach.

One thing that's essential to realize is the nature of the Next Level DVD. It's not the typical workout program; you don't do the exercises while watching. Instead, The Next Level is more of a visual reference guide. Stewart and Haettich describe the importance of the various exercises and demonstrate them, with commentary designed to help you understand how to do the exercises correctly, safely, and effectively. The program moves briskly from one exercise to the next, so you should consider the first viewing to be an overview; on later viewings, you can follow the program more closely for the details.

The exercises are organized in the form of a complete strength-training program, with three phases: flexibility and stability (8-10 weeks), strength and power (12 weeks), and maintenance (in-season). Each phase is broken down into specific exercise sets, with recommendations on the frequency, repetitions, and intensity of each exercise. The exercises are also grouped according to muscle group or function, making it easy to create a tailored workout program. The menu design is very user-friendly, letting viewers play the whole program or select specific phases and sub-sections; there's even the nice detail that each exercise has its own chapter, making it easy to skip through to find the exercise you want.

The section presenting Phase 1 runs 31 minutes, and includes flexibility exercises, stability exercises, and a dynamic warm-up. As an athlete myself, I recognized many of these activities as extremely useful and effective exercises. The coverage of Phase 2 runs 46 minutes. Here we get an extensive selection of the strength and power exercises, and two sample "power workouts." These workouts start with the dynamic warmup from Phase 1, and then go on to present new exercises grouped into a useful sequence. Phase 3, the maintenance phase, is covered in 11 minutes; we get some new variations on the exercises with a focus on maintaining form and increasing difficulty.

A nice touch is that the exercises use a variety of equipment. While many of the exercises involve weight machines that you'd need to find at your local gym, many more are doable with just a bench and freeweights, and a number involve the Swiss ball. In fact, Stewart specifically points out how a Swiss ball can be used instead of a leg press for certain exercises.

The DVD

Video

The Next Level is presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and looks clean and attractive. The image is clean and clear, and the on-screen text (labels for the exercises being demonstrated) is clear and easy to read.

Audio

The soundtrack here is straightforward and clear. The coaches are always easy to understand, and the audio sounds natural, whether it's shot indoors or outdoors.

Extras

The one special feature on the disc is a 2-minute set of outtakes intercut with the DVD credits. (Hey, it got me to watch the credits!)

The disc also comes with a set of printed reference cards. These index-sized cards, one for each phase, provide a useful summary of the exercises, grouping them by function and listing the recommendations for frequency, repetitions, etc. I found it useful to refer to the cards while I was watching the main program, as well.

Final thoughts

The Next Level: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes is a useful, fairly comprehensive DVD covering strength-training exercises for athletes who are serious about improving their performance. The fast-paced reference-book style of the program makes it a bit overwhelming at first glance, but the user-friendly menus and chapter stops make it easy to go back and forth to review sections as needed. It won't tell you in detail why you should be doing strength training, but rather assumes that you already have decided to incorporate it into your training program, and gets right down to the business of showing you how to do a wide range of exercises effectively and safely. The included sample workout programs, as well as the DVD's overall three-phase structure, make it easy to see how you can incorporate these strength training routines into your training program. I'll give it a solid "recommended."