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How do YOU increase your VO2max?

Atropos's picture
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started by Atropos on January 16, 2007

I'm reading up on ways to improve VO2max and I'm getting what seems to be conflicting information.

One article said that anything between 65-85% of your HRmax will improve VO2max, while another article says that super hard, short workouts are the way to go.

Which is it, or do the both work, only in different ways?

[URL="http://lincolnp.blogspot.com"]Sprinting to Ironman

The breakdown that happens at the seven-hour mark often starts 200 meters off the beach
--Gordo

Red5's picture
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Red5 posted 1 year ago.

Although I have had 3 VO2 test over the past 8 months, I do them more to establish my AT and AeT training zones rather than in an effort to confirm VO2 max improvements. You are better off doing base work at 65-85% to improve your AT heart rate levels and becoming faster there as opposed to trying to raise VO2 max per say. In response to your question, both forms of training specificity you sight will help improve your overall cardiovascular efficiency, including VO2.

_______
Bryan

Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!

AdventureBear's picture
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AdventureBear posted 1 year ago.

Hi Atropos, this is my first post on this forum, I was excited to see this topic!

The best way to increase your VO2 max is by performing repetitions that have you working right at the intensity at which you first reach your maximum oxygen uptake. you can go at a harder intensity, but you are not taking up any more oxygen when you work too hard. So "super hard, super short" is not the answer.

Without having a VO2 max test performed using expired gasses, the best way to guestimate is by performing intervals for 3-5 minutes at the hardest pace you can go and still sustain it for that period of time. A short rest interval, say 30 seconds, will give you a chance to recover briefly, and then start your next interval.

If the rest period is too long, your oxygen consumption will drop so far that it won't be until the end of your 5 minute interval that you reach yoru VO2 max again, so you are getting in a minimum period of interval time actually working AT your VO2 max.

If the work interval is shorter, you can go harder, but there is no benefit if you specifically want to improve your VO2 max. If the work interval is longer, you can't sustain your VO2 max, and again, you are not working at the level that's needed to improve your VO2 max.

There are other (infinate) types of intervals and rest periods to work different physiologic systems, but specifically for VO2 max, what I wrote above applies.

Hope that helps, I am going to double check my numbers when I get back to my references.

-Suzanne

Pittsburgh's First All-Women's Bike Racing Team
racing.steelcityendurance.com

Iron Man's picture
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Iron Man posted 1 year ago.

I'm with adventure bear. in the train right time trial video, Chris Carmichael instructs that doing power intervals will increase the VO2 range.
in the video the main set is 3 X 5min at the highest power output you can maintain for the entire interval, then recover for i think 2 mins the repeat.

i used these intervals to boost my VO2 from 48 to 70 in 3 months.

Speed Kills. Strength Punishes

http://www.myspace.com/100898027

Atropos's picture
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Atropos posted 1 year ago.

Cool, I'll try out some of this stuff and see how it goes.

Do you all find that doing these workouts pretty regularly (e.g. once per week) is best, or more infrequently, like a couple times per month?

[URL="http://lincolnp.blogspot.com"]Sprinting to Ironman

The breakdown that happens at the seven-hour mark often starts 200 meters off the beach
--Gordo

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KenMierke posted 1 year ago.

The answer above is good. Research shows that optimal intensity for increasing VO2 Max is the highest output that you can sustain for a single effort of 6 minutes. Intervals of 30 seconds to 3 minutes are generally used, but most athletes mistakenly go faster when doing shorter intervals.

I have an article on aerobic capacity training that I'll be happy to send to anyone who writes me at

Ken

Ken Mierke Ken@Fitness-Concepts.com
Fitness Concepts Fitness-Concepts.com
Author, The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training
www.EvolutionRunning.com

sflynn's picture
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sflynn posted 1 year ago.

Optimal work rates are at about 65-85% of max for 30-40 minuntes (through broken up interval work or continuous activity) 3-4 days per week. Anything, below that will give you smaller gains. Anything above may cause diminishing returns.

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AdventureBear posted 1 year ago.

Read this article right here on Tri Fuel by Linda Wallenfels, she has some excellent info on VO2 max workouts, and points out that no two athletes are alike and there is no one - size fits all workout.

http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/bike/interval-training-the-scientific-way-000885.php

Pittsburgh's First All-Women's Bike Racing Team
racing.steelcityendurance.com

severino's picture
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severino posted 1 year ago.

Vo2 max training is super hard , intervals from 2-3 minutes such as 3-6x800 on the track 0r 6x3 min on the bike. Your working above Lactate Threshold.This type of training is best done when in the build stages of your season and pretty much depends on what race distance your targeting.

So why would you be so interested in this type of training for half IM racing?

Threshold training is where it's at when it comes to half's and up , then , maybe a little Vo2 max stuff when peaking.

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brock1234 posted 1 year ago.

You can increase your VO2 max with a healthy diet of junk food (Watch your veggie consumtion as it can make you fat and bloated) and TV (Watching the sport channel will kick your VO2 max and motivation up to a whole new level), smoking will raise the capacity of your lungs as the excess smoke will have them needing to make more space for oxygen.

Man follow this advice and I promise you'll be a champ.

Oh and don't train, its hard, time consuming and stupid.

Mark.