Cycling training specialists The Sufferfest have unveiled the Half Monty, a new ramp-style fitness test which they say offers athletes a less demanding way of gauging their current fitness levels than The Sufferfest's comprehensive Full Frontal 4DP test.
Developed by The Sufferfest and Wahoo sports scientists, including world-renowned coach Neal Henderson, Half Monty has been refined over the past year to give athletes a less demanding testing protocol.
The Sufferfest say the Half Monty provides "unprecedented insight" into athletes' fitness, allowing "more efficient training and the ability to more easily evaluate improvements during training blocks".
What distinguishes Half Monty from other ramp-style tests is its focus on the metrics that are most important to improving performance on the bike. The new test uses a 55-minute protocol (the exact time may vary, depending on an athlete's fitness) to evaluate Functional Threshold Power (FTP), Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP), and Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR). These three metrics allow for more accurate goal-setting and personalisation within The Sufferfest's workouts and training programs.
The Sufferfest say the Half Monty also allows for more accurate performance measurements and more precise measurement during the testing protocol, even if athletes complete the test without a smart trainer or heart rate monitor.
Finally, the new Half Monty test has adaptive features built in, gauging athletes' progress during the test and providing personalised, real-time feedback to ensure that results are as accurate as possible.
"Half Monty represents a leap forward in fitness testing," said Henderson. "This new protocol is based on the same test I use for the elite athletes I personally coach, including World Record holders, world champions, and Olympians. We believe this new test represents several advantages over existing ramp tests, and we feel that it will soon become the industry standard - not just for Sufferlandrians, but for all athletes."
The Half Monty is designed to complement The Sufferfest's existing Full Frontal 4DP test, which measures Neuromuscular Power and Anaerobic Capacity in addition to FTP, MAP, and LTHR.
Compared to Full Frontal, the Half Monty is less physically and psychologically demanding, and makes training with 4DP more accessible to athletes who are new to structured training. Whereas the Full Frontal test advises a period of rest and tapering beforehand, the less intensive Half Monty test allows athletes to more easily conduct mid-plan testing to ensure their training targets remain accurate.
Half Monty is available in The Sufferfest app now to all new and existing subscribers.
The Sufferfest recently unveiled a suite of "All In" training plans designed to help athletes of all types confront the challenges of living in quarantine. These plans are designed to be completed entirely at home. The All In plans, as well as the Half Monty, are available as part of an extended, month-long free trial that The Sufferfest began offering in response to the current global health crisis.
For more information, visit thesufferfest.com.
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