Hmmm…. I must be doing something wrong because I’m not finding the workouts to be easier.
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Pretty sure this was meant as a joke! 
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Yes that was a feeble attempt at humor although when I first went from virtual watts on a dumb trainer to real watts on the smart trainer I did ride the ramp not once but twice!!
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@Dafydd Ah - ok. Missed that one.
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I’m just a dumb Marine and a history major to boot, but here is what I do know as a former fighter pilot/current airline pilot. Anything related to science and technology doesn’t sit still…constant change is name of the game. Faster, lighter, easier is the name of the game. From the Wright Flyer to the 787 and Joint Strike Fighter. Model T’s to the latest Corvette/Ferrari/EV. The ENIAC computer to today’s MacBook/PC/smartphone. Sports nutrition from the early days of baseball/football to today’s world class cycling stars. The only constant is change. So questioning Sir Neal Henderson’s credentials because he is now taking into account the latest and greatest sports science vice what he advocated for 5 years ago is rubbish. I personally, and I’m guessing all of the athletes, want them to stay up to speed on what works now in our quest to get faster, lighter, and better while suffering. If they aren’t doing that, why am I paying for my subscription??? Come on man!
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Hi all - just copying another reply to users with questions about the adjustments to workout intensities.
I’ve seen some strong feelings regarding the changes to the workout intensities, and I can guarantee you all that the changes were solely my doing - and that all of the changes were done to help all users to have a more effective training experience.
SYSTM, and specifically The Sufferfest sessions, is still very much oriented toward high intensity training. It’s true that there are many fewer sessions are truly maximal effort workouts overall (examples include the ramp of Half Monty, all efforts in Full Frontal, portions of Violator, most of the efforts in The Trick, and the last couple hammers in Nine Hammers are expected to be completely maximum effort sessions) there are still 15 out of 62 SUF sessions that are >.9 IF and 41 out of 62 are > .85 IF.
For giggles, I just reviewed Rohan Dennis’ training from April through July (including all of the lead-up sessions indoors on his KICKR preparing for Tokyo) and none of his workouts were > .85 IF save for a couple of race days.
For another example, I reviewed Steve Worley’s training for this year and also found only a couple of sessions around .85 IF over the last 8 months. Steve is featured in the Velodrome workout in my A Week With, and he just set a 70-74 age group world record in the 2K individual pursuit (2:26.9) in October 2021 and also won his master’s national championship criterium, while also earning silver in the road race and bronze in the ITT at USA Cycling master’s nationals in early August this year.
The adjustments in workout intensity were based on analysis of workout completion rates and my years of experience working with all kinds of athletes - from NHL professional ice hockey players, ProTour cyclists and Olympic cyclists & triathletes as well as junior, age-group, and master’s athletes at all levels.
I understand that it is a departure for many of you, but know that the greatest value in training does not come from achieving failure…or barely finishing sessions, but in finishing workouts such that your body is not just tolerating the workload, but is capable of adapting and improving from the work done. More isn’t always better. And harder is just that - harder, but not better.
If your true goal is to simply smash yourself, then just do everything in Level mode and go as hard as you go. But if your goal is to improve your health and fitness, then keep working hard - but specific and smart. Leaving something in the tank is smart and effective training.
Happy training & racing, Sir Neal Henderson, KoS
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Ummm, that’s what I said 
P.S. I still hate you.
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Thanks @Coach.Neal.H that’s a fantastic insight.
It’s what I said also, but apparently I’m now in training to be a cow out to pasture. Clearly Sir Neal is training me to be a Laser cow or one of those crazy fighting cows in the Alps that Sir @michael.cotty talks about. Better watch out.
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I’m onboard with this completely, but:
Is at least part of the reasoning for Rohan and Steve’s predominantly sub-.85 IF workouts down to the volume of time they can spend training, while most of those of us who can, at best, offer ~1hr day are better off still with more HIIT above that level, or should all of us be looking to reduce the general strain of individual sessions, even of around an hour?
At present, I’m making the presumption that the current state of videos (66% > .85 IF) is good for us because we’re not spending the vast majority of our days, every day, on a bike and we’d only look to reduce that IF in a swap for volume.
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If you truly want to just smash 
yourself, can’t you just adjust your numbers manually. As a bit of a laugh you should try setting your ftp and map to what a decent pro would be, and then try and do Norway. It’s hilarious fun!! 
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For about 3 minutes, I suspect 
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I’d be happy with an AC of the pro’s FTP 
That said, I’d kick their assets in a sprint
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@aerobrain has proven it can be done! 
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@titanicus indeed!! 
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Love it!!! 
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Ok, but, why are TSS & IF so different between The Sufferfest’s workout summary-Garmin Connect-Training Peaks?
I get higher than 1.XX in the app and at times Garmin and in TP, close to 'planned; TSS/IF.
My zones barely match between app/Garmin-TP …
BUT, I have noticed that, I am using less calories on the same workouts as before. ie, last night I did Cadence Builds and Holds and used 234cal!!! Before it would have been a 350cal+ workout … Having a hard time keeping “body mass” off … I burn that many cals with Aby trying to do her yoga poses!
If these guys are rethinking the approach to training… then…
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My 2 cents in already a long thread:
My partner is a coach, and former pro-athlete (triathlon), and what I hear from her is: the importance of proper balance between hard (and I mean the really hard ones) workouts and easy(-ier) ones (and rest) cannot be overstated.
For me the new adjustments work great - I am amazed that I can finish the most difficult ones (which are targeting my weakness of course) and still have some in the tank left for whatever comes next day.
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That is juist the problem: is it optimal to have something left in the tank? Wouldn’t it be better to have the tank empty at the end of the hard sessions?
The day after the hard sessions is usually a lot easier, so even if recovery isn’t 100% you should still be fine.
Yes, it is optimal to still have something left in the tank, because when the tank is truly empty that is when you run the risk of falling over the edge into exhaustion, or your body has no energy to fend off minor illnesses it would otherwise have swatted aside, at which point you are suddenly not able to train at all.
There is no point getting an extra 0.5% benefit out of a single session that then leaves you unable to train properly for a period of days/weeks when simply backing off that half-percent left you ticking into tomorrow happily.
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