Ask a Question

How to Train VO2 Max for Cycling?

0 votes
by (120 points)
Are there some workout routines which I can do cycle to improve my VO2 max?

1 Answer

0 votes
by (740 points)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can boost your VO2 Max specifically for cycling. A few sessions include 40/40 intervals, or 40 seconds of work followed by 40 seconds rest; 2 minutes at 115-150% of FTP, 4 minutes at 115-125% of FTP and more complex ones like 30-15 intervals (30 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest). Such sessions must be performed 2 times in a week with sufficient recovery, and are ideal 6-8 weeks before a major competition.
by (740 points)
Thanks for reading! For anyone looking for additional training information, I've included links to other content with John, covering base training, improving your FTP, plus a 7 and 28 day training plan every cyclist can follow.
by (100 points)
This is incredible content! I may shorten them slightly but as a relative beginner who enjoys pushing it, this gives me some structure
by (100 points)
I love 30/30's and 40/20's.  I ride with plenty of folks who only focus on sweet spot/ threshold efforts and have high FTP's but when they need to go hard up that 2 minute kicker they get dropped.
by (100 points)
Great content Tristan,
I am coming off a lot of base, and some regular high intensity, and launched straight into a block of 30/15's - before even reading. They are great and I'm starting to see what proper Vo2 training should feel like now.
by (100 points)
Love these content's! You know what would be really helpful is a spreadsheet with an overview of the sessions. I'm now manually typing the data in excel and I might not be the only one
by (100 points)
Very nice. An idea for content, if I may: show us how those look like.
I used to run and trained mostly by myself. I learned so much just by training with others and looking at how the most experienced executed these workouts.
by (100 points)
Great content, will definitely be using some of these this summer!
by (100 points)
Great stuff Tristan. Really like how you overlay the session charts, helps me visualise what I can’t process quickly enough when described verbally! One thing I’d really value is if you could make a “how to set your Wahoo up for planned sessions outdoors”. Wahoo’s documentation is terrible so some real user guidance would be awesome.
by (100 points)
What is the difference between longer efforts of 5-7 mins at low Z5 and higher Z5/Z6 efforts for only 1 and 2 mins?
by (100 points)
Love the content! Definitely will incorporate these VO2 workouts on my training. I'm a 2nd year cyclist who fell in love with the sport and looking to join some local races this year... These kind of content will really help us out a LOT especially when it comes to our training regimen... Thanks Tris and Coach Jon! You guys are the best
by (100 points)
thanks for sharing this training tips...
by (100 points)
For the 3 x 13 x 30s / 15s @ max. I'm ready to vomit after literally 2 reps if I do these at 100% effort.

Well, looking forward to trying the other 5 sessions lol.
by (100 points)
Great content! Quick question though: What are the metabolic intervals recommended on day three of the example training week?
by (100 points)
Great content ! I wonder what is John's thought about shorter vs longer vo2max intervals !
by (100 points)
Question ‍♂️
For the 30/30s or 40/20s etc. is it better to: A) Target the effort that one can sustain over the duration of all repeats, e.g. hit 500W for every one of 10x 30s repeats or B) Go as hard as one can for every single burst risking that the first effort will be done at e.g. 700W but the last one at only 400W?
by (100 points)
3x 13x 30/15 is actually not ment to be all out sprints but the upper end of your vo2max watts otherwise you just blow up after two reps... doesnt make sense. 40/40  I would replace with 40/20 since recovery time is to high to stay in the vo2max zone.  can recommend Steven Seiler for that stuff.  I often use to do decreased intervals, so first min of a 5min interval going harder to faster reach the vo2max zone and then settle to a certain output for the rest. its a bit similar to the "winner" intervals but without 10sec sprint and no all out at the start.
by (100 points)
What are metabolic intervals? Threshold?
by (100 points)
What are “metabolic intervals?”
by (100 points)
These HIIT workouts trigger mitochondrial biogenesis. VO2Max is a measure of mitochondrial mass. It's the focus of Greg LeMond's book "The Science of Fitness".
by (100 points)
Might be a stupid question but how do you train outisde ? I'm used to train inside where I can be consistent but outside should I pick a climb, do the intervals then go down during rest if the climb isn't long enough ?
by (100 points)
I managed to increase my vo2 max from 44 to 59 in just 4 weeks... Is this a lot? It seems quite crazy?

While I naturally mixed it up in terms of intensity and did a few different types of sport, i actually just focussed purely on time and doing stuff I was in the mood for. Do you think this is just n00b gains?
by (100 points)
How do u set up your Garmin head unit to any of these sessions ?
by (100 points)
Some really horrible ones amongst that. Could you maybe do content on warm up? When I just do a normal ramp before a VO2max session, my legs just hurt and there is no power, if I do a few 5s sprints before, somehow my legs remember that you can also produce lactate instead of just hurting and the power is there.
by (100 points)
Good tip is to fuel these sessions well as you will be burning through the carbs
by (100 points)
30x15s at 200% of FTP????  I'm not sure that's physically possible if your FTP is calculated correctly.
by (100 points)
Anybody know if Zwift has any workout blocks that replicate these sorts of efforts? Instead of having to custom one myself
Welcome to Akaguide Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...