Feedback? Questions? Help?

Email TheMinions@TheSufferfest.com or check out our open forum at Get Satisfaction.

VIDEO FORMAT, ETC.

Are these downloads or DVDs? What can I watch them on? — These are downloads – THEY ARE NOT DVDs. They’re in an .mp4 format, which means you can play them on just about any computer, laptop, ipod, blackberry, iphone, PSP, iPad, xbox, television (by connecting a media player) or whatever. If you want to watch them on a DVD, then you can burn them to DVD yourself (you will need to know how to do this and have the right kind of software. Some DVDs/BlueRays do play .mp4 files – check your machine). You can copy it for your own use, too – so if you want to download it onto one computer and then transfer it to another you own, you’ll be able to do that.

How do I know if these are any good? We have earned rave reviews from sites like Cyclingnews.com, Bike Radar, Velonews, Pez Cycling News and more. See our reviews page. We also have a no-questions asked, money-back guarantee. So you can’t lose.

How does this work? Is there a coach or something yelling at me what to do? – Each video is based on a specific workout. That includes a warm-up, transition to the main set, main set, and warm-down. On-screen instructions tell you what to do at each stage. So, you’ll be told that you need, for example, to do a 2:00 minute interval at an effort level of 8/10 (the videos explain the effort levels) and what cadence you need to do it at. Then, during the interval, you’ll watch professional racing footage of cyclists doing what you’re supposed to be doing. So, if you’re supposed to be doing a climb, you’ll see climbing footage on screen. If you’re supposed to attack, you’ll see an attack. Of course, you’ll probably be working so hard that you’ll just be chewing on your stem, but that’s ok.

I thought turbo training was supposed to be boring, but I actually had FUN doing your videos. Is this ok? — As long as you suffered, fun is ok. This is enterPAINment, after all.

Is this legal? — Yep! All the video and music is officially licensed.

How big are the files? — Anywhere between 800GB and 2.5 MB depending on the length of the video and quality of resolution.

BUYING

Which video should I buy first? — That depends on what kind of workout you’re looking for. At one extreme sits Revolver, which is seriously intense, flat-out, short intervals. At the other extreme sits videos like Hell Hath No Fury and Blender, which have longer efforts. There is a video comparison chart right at the top of the videos page. They are all very hard, though, so be ready! You could try our Starter pack, available at the bottom of this page.

I’m not ready for really hard workouts or intervals. Can I still use these? – Of course! It’s really down to you how hard you want to go. The videos will give you suggested effort levels, but if you want to go a bit easier than that, you can do whatever you like!

I don’t have a PayPal account. Can I still buy these? — Yep. The PayPal check-out process will allow you to pay with your credit card, even if you don’t have a PayPal account. No need to register or anything.

I ordered the back-up CD along with my videos. How long will that take? — About 3 to 4 weeks.

Can I give these as a gift? Sure. We have gift certificates available at the bottom of this page.

DOWNLOADING

How do I download these? — Easy. Just purchase the video and you’ll get a link in your email (check your junk/spam folder if you have anti-spam turned on). Click on that link and you’ll be able to download the file to wherever you like on your computer. Be sure to ‘save’ and not ‘open’ the file when clicking on that link. Once you’ve downloaded it, click on the .zip file and extract the .mp4 inside. You can then play that in whatever media player you like (see the points under ‘Watching’).

My download is taking forrrrrreeeeeeever. What can I do? — That shouldn’t be the case. The email you received to download has two links on it. Try using the ‘alternate’ link (the one that ends in ?alt=c). That should speed things up for you. Also, be sure to just download one video at a time if you’ve bought more than one.

My link expired before I could download. What can I do? — Just email us at TheMinions@thesufferfest.com and we’ll send you a new link.

I use GoogleMail (gmail) and the link doesn’t seem to be working? — Sometimes gmail has trouble with the link for some reason. Try copying it and pasting it into your browser address bar rather than clicking on it.

WATCHING

What can I watch these on? – Any machine that plays .mp4 files. Which is just about anything, really.

What media player is best to watch these? — As for playing the video: iTunes is our favorite media player. If your media player is struggling with the file (Windows Media Player is particularly troublesome on some machines), try the free VLC player here. / If you do like Windows Media Player, make sure you have the most recent version (as some older versions have a problem with playing .mp4s).
We do not recommend Real Player.

How do I get this on my iPad/iPhone? — You can’t download directly to your device. If you want to watch the video on your iThingy, then here are the steps:

Download the .zip file to your computer.
Unzip the file and save the .mp4 somewhere you can find it.
Open iTunes on your computer.
Click on “File > Add to Library.”
Browse for the .mp4 file you just saved and click ‘Open.’
When that is done (might take a couple of minutes), the Sufferfest video will most likely be in your ‘Home Videos’ area of your ‘Movies’ section.
Make sure your iTunes is set up for ‘manual’ synching of movies to your iPad/iPhone.
Plug in your device, select the Sufferfest video and hit synch. You’re done.

My video is jerky/stopping/pixelated/all messed up – There are two reasons why this might happen. The first is that the file got corrupted during download. If you think that’s the case, then let us know and we’ll resend you the links. The other reason is a media player problem. If you think it is a media player problem, see the What media player is best to watch these?’ question above.

Can I watch these on my television? — If you have a digital television that has the ports to take external media files, you’re partway there. You’ll then need the cables and the technical ability to hook up your media player to your television.

TRAINING PLANS