I’m not training for any race right now, just looking to shed some lbs (and doing weight training also). I got all the Sufferfest videos because I do have a triathlon background and I enjoy those kinds of videos and I love the trainer but I got them solely to lose weight.
Which would you say are the hardest?
They can all be really easy if you are sandbagging on RPE, or even power if your FTP is set low. If you are using them with a power meter and have a fair estimate of your FTP from a test where you tried your hardest, then they are all rock hard!!
In particular, Hell Hath No Fury running at 100% with an accurate FTP is really really hard. Almost impossible!!
They can all be really easy if you are sandbagging on RPE, or even power if your FTP is set low. If you are using them with a power meter and have a fair estimate of your FTP from a test where you tried your hardest, then they are all rock hard!!
In particular, Hell Hath No Fury running at 100% with an accurate FTP is really really hard. Almost impossible!!
CLOSE THE GAP YOU GAP OPENER!
I hear this in my head everytime i see someone drop a wheel.
well if you dont have a powermeter and are doing it by rpe, and not cheating i think revolver is the hardest, but if going by power it would be hell hath no fury or islagiath. simply because 2 hours at almost ftp is like hell on wheels.
and if you just want to have the feeling of getting off the bike and lie down curling into a ball and crying “im a monster” then go to http://www.thesufferfest.com/uncategorized/sufferlandrian-cocktails/ and find “the gatling gun” if done correctly you will be toast when completed 
My vote for top 3 hardest in no particular order -
9 hammers, hell hath no fury, downward spiral
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I have TrainerRoad and a Cycleops Fluid 2.
ISLAGIATT is the one video that actually became easier (or rather, possible at all) when I started working with power. I used to overcook myself on the opening climbs so hard I couldn’t finish the next ones. But with power it actually averages out, if you follow it to the letter, to a reasonable effort, around 85% of FTP I think.
Hell Hath No Fury is absolute bloody murder though.
its the test but Rubber glove will kick your ass every time. There Is No Try is also a favroite
Hell Hath No Fury…
that sad moment when the cranks stop moving… 
ISLAGIATT is the one video that actually became easier (or rather, possible at all) when I started working with power. I used to overcook myself on the opening climbs so hard I couldn’t finish the next ones. But with power it actually averages out, if you follow it to the letter, to a reasonable effort, around 85% of FTP I think.
Hell Hath No Fury is absolute bloody murder though.
+1 on this.
My hardest three would be Hell Hath No Fury, Revolver, and A Very Dark Place. They make me feel ill
HHNF, Revolver, and Fight Club. Honorable mention to Long Scream - which I would advise not doing two days after Rubber Glove / new FTP.
Holy crap. I hadn’t seen that list before. Very funny.
I’ve already picked the one I’m doing next.
As mentioned, Hell Hath No Fury done with a powermeter and hitting the targets is REALLY hard.
Another vote for Hell Hath No Fury as hardest. It’s hard enough to hold your threshold for 2x20’s, much less with all the above-threshold time plus attacks. I will say, however, that the 3:30 TTT at the end is my absolute favorite 3:30 in all of Sufferlandria. The visuals and soundtrack are amazing. I have literally cried afterwards, multiple times. Of course, that may have been because of the previous 2x20’s …
I find 9 Hammers and Revolver to be very manageable if you ride to accurate levels. Minimal number of RPE 10’s in 9H, none in Revolver. Angels OTOH is sneaky-hard; by the time you get to the last 8 minute section you’re ready to crack if you overshot by even a little early on. And agree that ISLAGIATT is brutal. Long, long, boring, and did I mention long?
Favorite: 9 Hammers. Incredibly perfect workout. Just when you think you’re going to crack, it’s time for a recovery. Very, very well-designed workout. Kudos to NealHe. Second favorite: The Blender. Same comments. Local Hero is pretty well-designed, too.
I’m not training for any race right now, just looking to shed some lbs (and doing weight training also). I got all the Sufferfest videos because I do have a triathlon background and I enjoy those kinds of videos and I love the trainer but I got them solely to lose weight.
Which would you say are the hardest?
They are all hard. I don’t think any one is “harder” than the other as they are all different kinds of workouts used for different reasons.
That said if you are doing this to drop weight you will want to mostly use the ones that have reasonably steady-state long intervals that are all just under/around LT (which also happen to be the ones best used for triathlon anyway).
The Rookie: 3x10:00
HHNF 2x20:00
ISLAGIATT: 15:00, 20:00, 20:00, 8:00, 7:30
The Hunted: 10:00, 20:00
Angels: 3x8:00 (This one starts crossing the line into SuperLT)
The Wretched: 35:00 of LT torment
Fight Club: intervals are 7:30, similar to Angels
Then there are the ones that bring you into SuperLT and VO2 for shorter intervals. Also very useful:
Nine Hammers: 9 VO2 and SuperLT intervals of mixed timing between 3 and 4:30
Local Hero: Pretty much the same as Nine Hammers, only there are 13 intervals
Revolver 16x1:00 (The fastest way I know to utterly destroy myself on a bike)
Blender: A mixed bag of everything - nothing longer than 10:00, but all going shorter
The sprinting videos (Violator and Half is Easy) are less useful for triathlon, and I don’t think they really assist much in losing weight - but they are excellent training in general for cycling.
I haven’t found much of a use for There Is No Try and The Downward Spiral in terms usefulness to triathlon - but I still like to do those on occasion to mix up the training. However like the sprinting workouts these have short-ish intervals that probably don’t exactly assist in your goal.
I don’t have them all, But I have 7 of them…
I do them with a powermeter and trainer road… trainer road being an impartial judge of power described by the video…
I always have the biggest issue with “A Downward Spiral”
Another vote for HHNF, I find I get through the first half fine. But the “climb” in the second 20 minutes where you are at a sustained 115% of FTP for a few minutes absolutely destroys me and is tough to recover from. The time trial at the end is awesome and usually can hit the targets, but its at the end so maybe its an all or nothing mentality.
I think their ‘newer’ videos ie. Rookie and Nine Hammers much more manageable and really well done videos, they have come a long way.
I agree, they are all hard if you’ve set your FTP at the right level. That said, the 9th hammer, in nine hammers is always VERY difficult because there is no rest between the 8th and 9th hammer. The key is to mix it up, the more you get use to a particular video the easier it becomes.
Yep. Great workout, and great Ironman training, IMHO. Two hours at about 80% of FTP for me has me ready to order my coffin.
-Robert
As mentioned, Hell Hath No Fury done with a powermeter and hitting the targets is REALLY hard.
REALLY becomes almost impossible on CT Erg mode…