The Sufferfest Releases Two New Workouts to Build Aerobic Power

The Sufferfest, a comprehensive training platform for cyclists and triathletes, announced the release of two new workout videos: The Trick and The Chores. These two high-intensity interval sessions, which feature exclusive footage from the Tour de France and Velon Hammer Series, were designed by sports scientists at APEX Coaching to target the full spectrum of an athlete’s power profile.

The Chores is a 58-minute workout created by elite coaches Neal Henderson and Mac Cassin of APEX Coaching in Boulder, Colorado, two of the primary architects of The Sufferfest’s newly-released Four-Dimensional Power™ (4DP) training platform. Developed to address multiple aspects of an athlete’s fitness, The Chores is built around 3 sets of intervals, each comprised of a series of short, high-intensity efforts followed by an immediate transition to a longer, sustained effort just below threshold.

“We developed this workout primarily to improve Maximal Aerobic and Threshold Power,” said Henderson. “The repeated hard efforts with minimal recovery serve to deplete an athlete’s Anaerobic Capacity, forcing them to become more efficient at producing power aerobically. This is especially important for triathletes, pursuit specialists, or any cyclist who wants to bolster their ability to put down steady, diesel-like power.”

The Chores features exclusive, first-person footage captured by WorldTour teams like Lotto Soudal, Cannondale-Drapac, Movistar, and more during the 2017 Hammer Series. The on-bike perspective gives the sense of being in the middle of the action, providing an immersive experience that is further enhanced by The Sufferfest’s signature driving soundtrack.

The Trick is a 59-minute speed-building session based around four, one-minute maximal efforts, each followed by an extended recovery period. After the fourth maximal effort and recovery, athletes tackle a fifteen-and-a-half-minute interval just below threshold before ending the workout with a final sprint.

“When The Sufferfest released the 4DP platform in October, it allowed us to design workouts that target specific aspects of an athlete’s fitness much more effectively,” says Cassin. “Both The Trick and The Chores are structured in part to empty an athlete’s anaerobic fuel tank. If we were basing power targets solely on FTP, most athletes wouldn’t get the intended benefits for these sessions. 4DP-optimised targets ensure that every athlete is working at the correct intensity to get stronger, regardless of their unique physiology.”

Following on the heels of the recent release of the race-simulation workout Who Dares, The Trick and The Chores represent a further expansion of the extensive library of 45 cycling workouts across nine categories available in The Sufferfest app. In addition to cycling-specific content, the app also includes 20 yoga for cyclists videos, a 10-week mental training programme, and a full suite of structured training plans.

“The Sufferfest has always been committed to providing endurance athletes with all of the tools they need to maximise their potential, on and off the bike,” said David McQuillen, CEO of The Sufferfest. “By leveraging the expertise of coaches like Henderson and Cassin to create our workouts, training plans, and other resources, we give athletes of all fitness levels access to cutting-edge sports science that delivers results.”

To experience The Trick, The Chores, and the rest of The Sufferfest’s catalogue of structured workouts, download The Sufferfest Training System for iOS, Mac OS, and Windows or visit one of the 162 Licensed Sufferlandrian Embassies worldwide. For more information on The Sufferfest, please visit https://thesufferfest.com.