How To

Six things you need to know about… VO2 Max

VO2 Max is seen as a good measure of aerobic fitness - here's why

6. Training session to improve VO2 Max

VO2 Max is the maximal amount of oxygen you can breath in and use in a given period of time
VO2 Max is seen as a very good measure of aerobic fitness (pic: Sirotti)
The figures listed above are for cyclists - it isn’t really possible to compare VO2 Max figures between different sports
HIIT is said to offer more bang for your training buck (Pic: Media 24)
Geraint Thomas soloed to E3 Harelbeke victory (Pic: Sirotti)
You can use a polarized training programme to improve your VO2 Max (pic: Media24)

6. Training session to improve VO2 Max

In my article on lactate threshold, I gave you two training sessions to include as part of a polarized training plan.

However, this week I want to show that the 80:20 rule can apply to an individual session as well as across a block of training.

Three hours at zone two, including 6x5mins at zone five

One hour zone two
3×6 mins zone five with six minutes active recovery between efforts
30 minutes zone two
3×6 mins zone five with six minutes active recovery between efforts
Complete the rest of ride at zone two

Splitting the six efforts across two sets adds in some recovery and should mean that you are able to still produce good power even in your last interval.