THE SHORT ANSWER
Alex Welburn, cycling coach and physiologist; phd researcher at loughborough university focusing on critical power and w'; founder of the performance project, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Welburn lands on VO2 max work. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
WHO IS ALEX WELBURN?
Alex Welburn sits where the lab meets the road — a coach and physiologist whose research is on critical power and W', the maths behind how long you can hold any given effort. His value to amateurs is translating those models into training that actually moves the number: which intervals build the threshold, which build the engine above it, and which metrics are worth tracking versus the ones Pogačar's team uses that you don't need. He's a sharp voice against chasing pro data points that mean nothing for a rider on eight hours a week.
WELBURN ON VO2 MAX
Welburn’s key positions on VO2 max work.
- Threshold and VO2 max intervals build different systems — the trick is knowing which one your fitness actually needs next.
IN WELBURN’S OWN WORDS
Verbatim from Alex Welburn’s appearances on the podcast.
“I think two to three hard interval sessions per week can fit most people and then the volume kind of is moved around that. With kind of more full-time athletes, it does naturally kind of go to a polarized approach because they might be doing 20, 30 hours. So, if you're sticking, you know, six hours or whatever like of high intensity, they're going to be pretty cooked.”
“Each day you have a capacity for stress. So you've got stuff that goes within your life, then you've got your training and you want to typically have a little bit of space left over because then that's kind of your safe space. So if work gets a little bit longer or kind of you push on and do a couple of hero efforts, which you shouldn't, but you do those in the efforts.”
“I might see a session, let's say 4 by 10s, 300 watts. You know, one day you've hit it, the other day you've hit it. But actually one you had an absolute terrible day. Like, you know, really bad day at work. You've had some family issues, etc. And one day you've hit it really well. But that would be in two completely different contexts. You might need to adjust based on those two things.”
HEAR IT ON THE PODCAST
Episodes where Alex Welburn covers VO2 max work and related ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What does Alex Welburn say about VO2 max work?
Alex Welburn, cycling coach and physiologist; phd researcher at loughborough university focusing on critical power and w'; founder of the performance project, has appeared on the Roadman Cycling Podcast. Here's where Welburn lands on VO2 max work. The positions below are drawn from those conversations, quoted directly.
What is Welburn's main point on vo2 max?
Threshold and VO2 max intervals build different systems — the trick is knowing which one your fitness actually needs next.
Which Roadman Cycling Podcast episodes cover Alex Welburn on vo2 max?
Welburn discusses VO2 max work in this episode: "Why Your CTL Is Wrong | Roadman Cycling Podcast".