The Bat - I liked the positive mental training aspect combined with solid training
ISLAGIATT - the brutality with an entertaining story (but I guess I don’t do it very often as its long and did I mention brutal)
In general, I like the humour, the music, the stories, the orders to stand, the cadence switches, the way the videos make me feel part of what’s going on so that I can push myself harder than if it was just a no vid graph with star trek playing in the background.
Team Scream - super immersive, time just flies by during this workout. I really like the feeling of being part of the TTT paceline.
HHNF - great story line, excellent way of making two 20 minute FTP blocks entertaining, using women’s race footage.
Nine Hammers - gloriously tough workout, love the variations in intervals, and that it’s right on the limit of doable. And Coke Machine! And riding with Esteban Chavez in the last interval.
Honorable mentions:
Recharger - great recovery workout, and does wonders for my frame of mind
Butter - love this workout style, and the Paris-Roubaix footage is excellent
And pretty much all the other Sufferfest workouts are enjoyavle to do. In general, I really like having the storyline within the workout, the humour works for me, and I enjoy the soundtracks (well, almost all of it, not so much the opera in Violator!).
The Chores: storyline really works, and watching the desultory attempts at housework is weirdly satisfying, except the window washer who is NOT EVEN TRYING.
Recharger: it’s just exactly what it’s meant to be, refreshing and fun, with an excellent soundtrack.
Joyride: amazing punch for a short workout, and Dylan makes me laugh.
But ask me tomorrow and I’ll have three different nominations. Even now, I’m thinking, what about HHNF, AVDP, FC, 9H… There are none that I don’t like. I guess the best ones, for me, have some combination of an engaging story or silly elements, upbeat music, a workout that makes me proud of myself, and a strong dose of Sufferlandrian patriotism.
This was way harder than I expected. Taken me all day to come up with this much. I have a lot of honorable mentions and it’s been hard to whittle them down this far.
Defender is one of my eternal favorites. I love the story line and the music and the jokes. And it’s dammed hard, but I can always finish it with some of my highest power numbers. It makes me feel strong, and I almost enjoy it while I’m suffering. This was my final video of my knighthood quest.
The Bat - I love the mental training incorporation snd the music and the footage, plus the workout fits my riding style. This was the first video I used my my knighthood quest.
Thin Air - This should probably be the It Seems Like Thin Air mash-up, but my most favorite parts are the end to Thin Air. Love the music and the workout and the chills and adrenaline I get at the ending.
Honorable mention - my nemesis workouts The Omnium and The Shovel. And Violator. And The Chores. The 2 things that make a workout great for me (other than the workout) are the music and the jokes. So I also don’t want to fail to mention Joyride, Cobbler, and Attacker. And especially Recharger which is amazing - best recovery workout ever. I could mention so many others right now, but I’ll force myself to stop.
I don’t “enjoy” Full Frontal, but I do love the bagpipes in the 2 sprints. Definitely a personal bias.
Nine Hammers - Really, a classic. The variety of each interval, that tune on the 4th and the sneaky last surprise. It’s Sufferfest embodied.
Recharger - Always leaves me with a smile on my face
The Omnium - it feels like I’m being tested, without actually being tested. The variety is brilliant, so many unique workouts that don’t appear elsewhere (so many are 3-5 minute FTP/MAP variations)
HHNF. I love the story line, love the videos, love the workout. I’ve waxed lyrical before about the final TTT. For me the best 3 mins in the whole of SUF. At times I’ve suffered more in that than any other session, but it makes me keep going.
I can’t ever not be engaged during this HHNF.
NH. It’s not often I finish it (I’m yet to do the new one, though it’s coincidentally on the plan for today) but it’s a superb video. Every interval is long enough to get fully in to it and yet they’re all different. And I love how it really exposes me. Sometimes I’ll get to the 9th hammer before I fail. Sometimes it’s half way through the 5th, though I love trying to out-sprint Froomey. If I get to 6 then I’ll get to 8, but then still perhaps not through it. I just love how close it takes you to destruction, before letting you come back and going there again. Probably the most variable workout for me in terms of how far I get (vo2 weakness), so it’s really interesting. It’s rare I don’t finish any of the others (a couple aside, but it’s usually at a pretty similar point).
Oh, and Coke Machine.
FF. There, I said it. There’s something about taking yourself to the limit and testing yourself like this that I like. Half Monty is a good test, but it’s not like this. Sure, it’s brutal, of course I always regret going so hard in the 5mins (but that’s the point) but I love the Sagan Flanders video. I’ve never been capable of seeing a video in the 1min, nor hearing the music, but I understand it’s good too.
As people have said, there’s no way I could get through some of these sessions/intervals without the accompanying media. I could bring up my own music or video choices, and do so for the recovery sessions, but for the proper workouts the job the guys at SUF have done is incredible. This is why I am here. I couldn’t care less what the colours are like or if the intro has changed.
I can’t think of a single workout that I dislike either (Inspiration aside. Not my bag, but that’s ok). Honourable mentions for Thin Air, The Wretched, Fight Club (it was hard to miss that out of the top 3), Defender (ditto, love the story line, the humour is nice). Primers is genius. GOAT is superb (also a close call. I’m amazed at the collective love for this. It’s great but for some reason I thought people would gravitate to Revolver et al), AVDP, Angels, the list goes on. The Omnium is an amazing video. More like this that framed it as a proper track event would be cool.
The Omnium - a great concept and a quality video. I agree with @Imminent in that the variety of events really adds to the workout and it almost feels like I am competing in the events.
The Chores - a workout that seems to suit my strengths. A great mix of map/ftp work with sustained efforts that are all tough but manageable. The music on the last sustained effort is just perfect to help you settle into a steady rhythm right through to the end.
The Shovel - it simply has everything. The profile alone is enough to give anyone the fear! For me, the reality was nowhere near as bad as the sense of trepidation I had on my first attempt. Once I’m through the halfway point in the second set of interval I know I’ve made it and I always finish with a real sense of achievement.
Answering this question is harder than the 15 (no, 16th) interval on Revolver…
So many good workouts, but if I had to pick only three (in no particular order)
Cobbler - great sound track, great workout. Like the new graphics.
Fight Club- Actually I hate it, it always pushes me to the edge, when it’s on the plan I have to psych myself up for it, and I feel so good mentally after I finish it. Also really like the sound track.
Butter - love the story, music and the workout, surges and back to tempo. Also, Hyman’s emotions at the end is touching.
Many many honorable mentions: AVDP, 9H, FF, ISLAGIATT, Thin Air, Blendr, Omnium, tool shed, 14 VG, ….
