CoachingAnswer

HOW DO I INCREASE MY VO2 MAX?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

ANSWER

Raise VO2 max with 2–3 sessions of properly targeted VO2max intervals per week — efforts of 4–8 minutes at 106–120% FTP with equal recovery, no more than three hard sessions in total. Most cyclists have a VO2 max 10–15% lower than their training should produce because of avoidable errors: too much grey-zone riding, under-fuelling, and never pushing hard enough to actually stress the system.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

4–8 minute efforts at 106–120% FTP are the most direct VO2max stimulus — shorter sprints don't get there, longer ones drift below it.
Grey-zone riding is the most common suppressor of VO2 max; fix easy/hard distribution first.
Under-fuelling hard sessions blunts the adaptation — fuel VO2max intervals with carbohydrate.
Most amateur ceilings are a training error, not a genetic limit.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The structured rider whose FTP has stalled

You train consistently but your VO2 max and FTP ceiling haven't moved in months.

The rider who's never done real VO2max work

You ride 6–10 hours a week but your hardest sessions hover at sweet spot, never pushing above threshold.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

VO2 max gets talked about like it's fixed at birth. It isn't. Anthony covered the seven fixable reasons it's low on the podcast, and the list reads like a checklist of the most common amateur training errors: grey-zone riding, under-fuelling, never actually training at VO2max intensity. The ceiling is higher than most riders know because they've never actually tested it.

The physiology is simple enough. VO2 max is your body's maximum rate of oxygen uptake. The way to push that ceiling up is to repeatedly stress the system near its limit — long enough to force the heart rate to max and hold it there. That means 4–8 minute efforts where you're working genuinely hard, not hovering at sweet spot because it feels productive.

John Archibald — national pursuit champion — has been clear on this in his podcast appearance: the riders who improve VO2 max most reliably are the ones willing to go uncomfortably hard for uncomfortably long, then recover properly and repeat. The gains are available. Most riders just avoid the sessions hard enough to unlock them.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

John ArchibaldBritish national pursuit champion
Cyclists who want to raise their VO2 max ceiling need to train specifically at those intensities — long enough efforts to drive maximum cardiac output, not short sprints or steady sweet-spot work. The stimulus has to be specific to get the adaptation.
Hear it: How To Ride Faster Than 98% Of People | John Archibald
Professor Stephen SeilerExercise physiologist, polarised-training researcher
VO2 max training works best when it's properly polarised — genuinely hard efforts above threshold, supported by a large base of genuinely easy aerobic work. Grey-zone riding in the middle suppresses adaptation without delivering the high-intensity stimulus the ceiling needs.
Hear it: Secret To Cycling Fast At A Low Heart Rate | Prof Seiler

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Add one VO2max session per week
5×4 minutes at 110–120% FTP with 4 minutes easy recovery. This is the standard entry point. The last minute of each rep should feel hard to complete — if it doesn't, the power is too low.
Progress to 8-minute efforts
After 3–4 weeks, move to 3×8 minutes at 106–112% FTP. Longer efforts at slightly lower power drive more total time near VO2max per session. Equal rest (8 minutes) between each.
Fix the base that the hard work stands on
VO2max intervals only work if easy rides are genuinely easy. Pull all non-interval riding down to true zone 2 — conversational pace — so you arrive at each hard session fully recovered and able to hit the target power.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEUsing 30-second sprints and calling them VO2max intervals.
FIX30 seconds doesn't get heart rate to the ceiling. Efforts need to be at least 3–4 minutes to drive sustained maximum cardiac output.
MISTAKEDoing VO2max work on top of grey-zone base rides.
FIXFatigued from moderate-intensity riding, you can't hit target power on the hard sessions. Fix easy rides first — make them actually easy.
MISTAKEDoing VO2max intervals fasted or under-fuelled.
FIXHard interval work above threshold is a glycolytic effort. Fuel it with carbohydrate before and during, or you cap the quality and blunt the adaptation.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long does it take to improve VO2 max cycling?

A structured VO2max block of 6–8 weeks typically produces a 5–8% gain in well-rested, previously untrained amateurs. Riders who have trained for years see smaller gains — 2–4% — but those gains still move the performance dial.

What is a good VO2 max for a cyclist?

A trained male amateur typically sits between 50–60 ml/kg/min; trained female amateurs 45–55 ml/kg/min. Competitive club racers often hit 60–70. Professional cyclists typically exceed 70, with the best above 80. Where you sit matters less than whether you're progressing.

Is VO2 max or FTP more important for cycling?

Both matter, but they answer different questions. FTP determines your sustained power output; VO2 max sets the ceiling your FTP can chase. A higher VO2 max gives you more headroom to raise FTP. For most amateurs, FTP is the more direct performance driver on most rides.

Can I improve VO2 max with zone 2 alone?

Zone 2 builds the aerobic base that VO2 max work stands on, and for completely untrained riders it nudges the number early on. But once you're trained, zone 2 alone won't push the ceiling. You need targeted high-intensity efforts to stress the system to its maximum.

How many VO2 max sessions per week is too many?

Two hard VO2max sessions per week is the ceiling for most amateurs — three if the rest of your week is genuinely easy. Each session takes 48–72 hours to recover from properly. More than two without adequate recovery produces junk miles, not adaptation.

Does losing weight increase VO2 max?

It raises your VO2 max in ml/kg/min (the relative number used for comparison) because the same absolute oxygen uptake is divided by a lower body weight. Raw aerobic capacity in litres per minute doesn't increase — the number just looks better on the chart. Both the relative and absolute numbers matter for actual performance.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

7 Fixable Reasons Your VO2 Max Is Low | Roadman Cycling

How To Ride Faster Than 98% Of People | John Archibald

Secret To Cycling Fast At A Low Heart Rate | Prof Seiler