Improve Your VO2Max With 2 Cycling Intervals

There are a LOT of blog posts about “What is VO2Max in cycling” and all of the science behind what VO2Max entails, so I will NOT be going into that in this post. If you lookup VO2Max cycling, you’ll find a lot of those articles.

What we want to look at is how to increase your VO2Max in cycling.

What intervals should you be doing to increase your cycling VO2Max?

What is VO2Max?

VO2Max is the maximal amount of oxygen that can be inhaled and used by the body to produce energy. This is extremely important in endurance sports, like cycling, which are mainly aerobic. This means that we use oxygen to create energy to pedal the bike. The other end of the spectrum is the anaerobic side, which was discussed in this blog. 

The higher your VO2Max, the more efficiently and effectively you can use oxygen to create energy and stomp on the pedals. You can read more about VO2Max here.

While VO2Max can be a good determinant of aerobic fitness, it will not always equate to someone winning races, as tactics and other factors come into play. That being said, the more energy that you can produce aerobically, the greater advantage you will have in a sport like cycling.

How long can you hold your VO2Max? Well, if you’re thinking more about MAP, or maximal aerobic power, that is going to usually be around 5 minutes. If you’re looking for a range of VO2max interval time, I like to recommend 3-8 minutes, but we’ll talk more about specific workouts in a bit.

VO2Max is when you are going VERY HARD for longer than about 1.5 minutes or so.

VO2Max is when you are panting for air, and there is absolutely NO WAY you’re having any type of conversation.

Said differently, it’s when you’re trying to drop someone. So, what VO2Max cycling workouts can you do to start dropping your friends? Read on!

See Also: Complete Polarized Training Guide for Cycling

A stout VO2Max cycling Interval from an early season training block

A stout VO2Max cycling Interval from an early season training block

If the duration is shorter that 90-120 seconds, you’re really getting more anaerobic here, and that’s not VO2Max cycling. That said, can you can physiological adaptations from this workout, or does the VO2Max workout have to be only in Zone 5? We’ll touch on that in a bit when we see the study from Tabata.

We have to remember that there is a lot of overlap between energy systems, so it’s not like 2 minutes is ONLY anaerobic and then magically at 3 minutes we go to maximum aerobic efforts. We often think of that since the classic viewpoint was that VO2Max cycling workouts were 3-8 minute durations, and anything shorter was Zone 6 or anaerobic.

Definition reminder as we move forward: VO2Max workouts are often referred to as Zone 5, or if in recent years with WKO there are intervals referred to as Max Aerobic.

How To Increase VO2Max

There are two types of workouts that will help you increase your VO2Max: endurance riding and intervals performed above Functional Threshold Power.

Yes, endurance riding helps to increase VO2Max! Well respected physiologists like Alan Couzens and IĂąigo San MillĂĄn preach the benefits of endurance training to improve VO2Max. The reason it helps is because it increases the mitochondrial density within your muscles which is necessary to put out the big watts over FTP.

The other side of the equation to improving your cycling VO2Max is by using VO2Max intervals, which improves our performance through cardiac remodeling and increasing the amount of blood that gets pumped to those working muscles. You can read more specifically about VO2Max cycling workouts and intervals in this article.

To increase your cycling VO2Max, make sure you’re getting an ample amount of endurance time on the bike and some focused high intensity VO2Max training. This will increase your ability to ride above threshold and increase your aerobic ceiling, which is very important for endurance sports like cycling. Your aerobic ceiling represents the maximum amount of energy that you can create when using oxygen and increasing it can also give you more room to grow your FTP.

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VO2Max Cycling Intervals

The extreme classic VO2Max cycling workout was 5 x 5’s. Go out and rail a 5 minute effort, finish absolutely dead.

Before power meters, that’s what we had to work with. Now, the game has changed, and thankfully so. It’s really hard to keep yourself honest on an ALL OUT 5 minute effort.

Max Aerobic intervals tend to fall in that classic 3-7 minute range. Sometimes a little shorter to start with, sometimes a little longer.

Related Post: If you like these workouts and want our full Top 10 Workout files and Training Guide, check it out here!

30/15 Tabata Intervals or Classic 3-8 Minute

Of recent, there have been some 30 second ON, 15 seconds OFF, where you do about 13 of these to get 6.5 minutes of work in.

With a 2:1 work to rest ratio (so 30/15, or 20/10), you can theoretically get more time in the zone, but there are a few issues with this.

These are often performed at MAX effort, so while you’re working anaerobic contributions, but you can still make some physiological gains for your VO2Max system. That’s great!

However, if you never train yourself to grit your teeth and HOLD THE WATTS that correlate to VO2Max, while you’ve made adaptations, the mental side of cycling comes into play.

Not only have you trained your mind and body to think that the effort will end very shortly (after 20-30 seconds), you haven’t experienced that BURN that comes when you’re 2 minutes into a VO2Max interval with 3 minutes or more to go!

Problem With Only Tabata VO2Max Cycling Intervals

I have a major issue with this. Mental fortitude is CRUCIAL in cycling. If your brain expects a 10 second break every 20 seconds, when the big dogs go and play, you will be left behind!

What’s the solution: you need to graduate to the full on Zone 5 intervals!

Train how you want to perform, there will not be a break when the strongest athletes in your race DROP THE HAMMER.

After a few weeks of these, throw the 30/15 or 20/10 back into your schedule to work on that snap and ability to go over and over and over again.

At the end of the day, you need to work both of these.

VO2Max Training For Beginners

If you are a new cyclist looking for a cycling training plan for beginners or VO2Max intervals for beginners, start with the 30/15’s, as many feel these are easier to complete, and get a lot of time in zone. You’ll make those physiological adaptations that Dr. Tabata is referring to in his Tabata Intervals for cycling.

Then, move in the longer efforts, and learn to accumulate more time in that zone, aiming for 15-20 minutes per session.

When you can add more watts for longer durations, keep that going as your main method of VO2Max training. Then take a break and work on something else, while sprinkling VO2max workouts in (maybe one every ten days or so). I’d only go back to Tabata style if you continue to find yourself struggling with hard surges and pace changes in the group.

Struggling With VO2Max Cycling Intervals

This is an update from the article, and a new episode of Cat 4 Questions.

Why can’t you go hard? Are you actually failing?

Do you periodize Vo2max blocks? Aka progression with this block?

There are a variety of Vo2max workouts; Why not do a FULL block of just 5 x 5 ? Is it easier to see improvement that way?

Would you ever select the power off a dip or bump in the PD Curve?

How much of a vo2max effort is Anaerobic?

Interval selection: micro vo2max vs extended duration; MAP matters!

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Thank you to everyone for your comments and questions, let’s continue to foster a constructive conversation about cycling.

Are you ready to become a stronger and faster version of your current self? Contact me if that sounds like a transformation you want to see happen.

I was overweight and feeling like a blob before I found cycling. Things have changed in my life and I am so grateful for that; I’d love to help you with a cycling training plan to reach as many of your goals as possible, no matter how small or grandiose you think they are.

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Let’s Crush,
Brendan

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Brendan@EVOQ.BIKE

VO2MaxBrendan Housler2 Comments