When we originally purchased our trainers we knew that we wanted to use cycling workout DVDs to get the best workout possible while training. We had heard of the DVDs Spinervals and we received a free Spinervals workout with our purchase of our Kinetic Trainer. We used the free DVD to do our first workout and as usual, I tweeted out that we had done it. The amazingly quick marketing team at The Sufferfest immediately tweeted me back and suggested that I check out their cycling workouts.

Once I clicked on their link to the website, they had me at Hello. Not only did I love their motto “I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow,” I loved their price point – $11.99 per video. Compared to Spinervals $29.99 price point, these videos seemed practically free. Upon further research we discovered that  rather than watching a bunch of nerdy cyclists spin on trainers, we would get to watch actual cycling race footage from some of the most famous races in the world.

There are 8 cycling video downloads available and each has its own personality and its own pain provoking name. From Revolver, the 45 minute super intense workout characterized by 1 minute intervals, to Local Hero, the 85 minute workout that starts with 3 x 6 minute pyramid intervals, moves on to 6 x 3 minute tempo laps and finishes with 4 x 2 minute sprints, there is a workout for every goal.

Although we downloaded the package deal and we have access to all videos, we’ve only had the chance to try three so far: Fight Club, A Very Dark Place and Local Hero. Each was epic in it’s own right. Local Hero left Mike with a puddle of sweat under his bike that you could have found in the street after a night of rain. Fight Club is probably the most intense of the three – characterized by 5 x 6:30 intervals with lots of surprise attacks that require you to push yourself to the max. My legs were toast after this workout.

Each video is set to music, from rock to techno to indie to electronic so you can jam out while you fight Cancellara or Gilbert to the finish.  There is no corny host encouraging you through the workout – instead there are just big bold words across the screen that both taunt and encourage you (a citizen of the land Sufferlandia) to suffer as much as possible. The words on the screen are often witty and humourous but always command you to suffer and remind you that pain today will pay off tomorrow.

The intervals are set on a scale of 1-10, with most rest periods being at a 3/10 and most intervals somewhere between 6/10 to 10/10 depending on the video. The intensity is always posted in the bottom right hand corner of the screen along with the required cadence. Most sprints are done at 90-100 rpms and hills are conducted at 75-80 rpms.

Luckily we have our bike computers that tell us our watts and cadence so these workouts are even more effective because we can track how hard we are pushing it each time. I’ve been recording my average and max watts for each workout so that I can compare them. I’m sure that come June when we are about to do the Ironman we will see some pretty dramatic increases in power output.

I’ve always liked spin classes and now I can get an incredible workout on my own bike in my own living room thanks to The Sufferfest. I am sure that these workouts are going to be 100% more effective than my hour-long rides down the coast where I’d aimlessly increase or decrease my effort levels and stop for stop lights every few minutes. As I mentioned in my post about the benefits of indoor cycling, an intense indoor session can be as effective as 1.5-2 hours of outdoor cycling. I have no doubt that The Sufferfest is going to make me a much better cyclist!

p.s. The Sufferfest did NOT pay me to write this. I just think they are awesome!

Filed under: Triathlons Tagged: | cycling DVDs, cycling videos, cycling with a trainer, indoor cycling, sufferfest review, The Sufferfest