These 2 Simple Workouts Can Improve Your VO2 Max in Record Time for HYROX
Dylan Coultier
When most people think of key fitness indicators, they think of brute strength that comes with a big squat, a low body fat percentage that uncovers six-pack abs, or a sub-six-minute mile. And while some health professionals used to turn to BMI as the gold standard of health (news flash; it’s not), the new age of fitness has started to look to VO2 max as a gauge for peak physical condition.
It has many names: “maximal oxygen consumption,” “maximal oxygen uptake,” “peak oxygen uptake,” “maximal aerobic capacity.” Simply put, your VO2 represents your body’s ability to use oxygen, which defines how aerobically fit you are. That means your VO2 max is the absolute highest amount of oxygen your body can use in a set amount of time.
Here’s how to calculate your baseline and learn how to increase your VO2 max.
What Is VO2 Max?
Your VO2 depends on a number of factors: how many red blood cells you have, how adapted you are to endurance activities, and how much blood your heart can pump. In short, your VO2 max is a measure of how fit you are. And improving that number? Well, it’ll make you more efficient and economical in your sport whether you’re a marathoner, cyclist, or hybrid athlete competing in CrossFit or Hyrox.
But having a good VO2 max isn’t just for the fittest athletes; it’s a good indicator of overall health and fitness. In fact, one study published in the Internal Journal of Exercise Science, even went as far as to call VO2 max “the strongest predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.”
Generally speaking, the average person has a VO2 max of 30 to 60, with elite athletes hitting the 90s. A healthy man in his 30s might have a VO2 max of roughly 49. With the right workouts, he could easily bring that closer to a 20-something’s average VO2 max of 54.
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How to Improve Your VO2 Max
“While genetics are a huge factor in max potential, most of us can improve our current VO2 max through training,” says NYC-based running coach Elizabeth Corkum. “The better you are at using oxygen, the faster and/or longer you’ll be able to run.”
To improve your VO2 max, you can do two things: train to improve it, and lose weight since VO2 is scored relative to body weight, Corkum says.
One of the best ways to improve your VO2 max levels is through intense bouts of exercise (even if you only do them on occasion), according to research published in the International Journal of Exercise Science. While this type of exercise may look different for everyone, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), like short bouts of intense cycling or the workouts below, can help improve your levels.
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How to Measure Your VO2 Max
To get an accurate measure, you’ve got to get on a treadmill or bike in a lab. “The ‘simple equations’ floating around are usually really vague, but many physical therapy centers or performance centers are equipped to test athletes,” Corkum adds. Basically, you’ll get on a treadmill and run while the speed and incline are methodically intensified, all while you’re wearing a mask that measures your exhaled breath.
If that’s not in the cards for you but you have a GPS watch, most modern iterations can calculate your VO2 max. It’s not with 100 percent accuracy, but they have a good gauge. For instance, Garmin’s Firstbeat Analytics™ technology analyzes and interprets performance data during runs to calculate.
Below, Corkum has mapped out two workouts that will increase your VO2 max. There’s one you can do on hills and another meant for the track. Note that you can do either on a treadmill so long as you adjust the incline as indicated.
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The Workouts to Increase VO2 Max
Be sure to warm up and cool down at a very easy pace for 10 minutes each before and after any of the below workouts. Perform dynamic stretching and a dynamic warmup to mitigate injury.
“These routines can be modified and adjusted to keep things fresh; just remember the sweet spot for improving VO2 max is to work for 2 to 6 minutes per interval with close to equal work and recovery ratios,” Corkum says. “Sometimes the recoveries will need to be 2:1,” she adds.
This will depend on your heart rate and breath—if the workout isn’t making your breathing ragged and heart rate difficult to control, the rest period should be quicker. Just make sure you don’t cut that recovery too short. Go into every interval sufficiently recovered—or extend it. Keep the recommended numbers consistent.
Workout 1: On the Track
How to Do It
Run 4×1,000 meters (or 3 to 4 minutes if you don’t have access to a track) at your VO2max* (think 1-mile race pace) with 2 to 3 minutes of recovery in between.
*Your VO2max is the slowest sustained running pace at which you reach your VO2 max; it’s intense.
Why It Works
Research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that runners who completed a workout similar to this one boosted their VO2 max by 10 percent. Their time to exhaustion, vein and artery function, blood volume, and calculated stroke volume levels (the amount of blood pumped out of the heart) were measured before and after the training period, and all improved positively.
Pro Tip
If the weather is crappy or you don’t have a track nearby, get on a treadmill and set the incline at 1%, which most accurately simulates running outdoors.
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Workout 2: On a Hill or Treadmill
How to Do It
Run hard uphill for 2 minutes (you’ll need to find a decent incline), then jog back down to your starting point and repeat.
If that sounds way too difficult, start with a workout of 4 x 2-minute runs. As you get accustomed to it, gradually work up to 10 x 2-minute runs.
“Pace yourself so you don’t burn out at the top of the first hill, but make sure you finish the workout feeling like you couldn’t do more,” Corkum says.
Why It Works
The heart achieves maximum stroke volume when it’s pumping at 85 to 95 percent of its maximum beats per minute. To increase VO2 max, you need to work out in that range of cardiorespiratory intensity for as long as you can. If you do it right, you’ll end up with a heart that’s bigger, contracts more forcefully, and relaxes quicker.
Pro Tip
The pace and incline should be hard work, but sustainable for 2 to 6 minutes. “If the hill/speed combo can only be held for 1 minute, that’s ineffective for improving VO2,” she adds.
If you’re indoors on a treadmill, start with a 2% incline. If that feels too easy, work your way up.
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