The Secret to VO₂ Max Gains in 30 Days
If you're serious about improving endurance — whether it's for a race, Hyrox event, or just daily energy — your VO₂ max is a number worth knowing. It tells you how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise. And the best part? You can improve it faster than you think.
What is VO₂ Max & Why Does It Matter?
VO₂ Max (maximal oxygen uptake) is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume & use at peak exercise. It’s widely regarded as the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness & is a strong predictor of longevity & all-cause mortality.
Improving your VO₂ max means:
You can train harder & for longer with less fatigue
Your heart & lungs are more efficient
You recover quicker between sessions
Long story short…the higher you can get your VO₂ max, the better!
How to Improve VO₂ Max in Just One Month
You don’t need to train like a pro athlete. All you need to do is manage your workload (or structure your intensity). Those of you that follow me closely will notice how I’m always posting pictures of HR-graphs with #beintentional
Here’s what works:
Anaerobic Intervals: Extremely hard efforts of 30 sec - 2 min w/ 50-100% recovery time
Up to ~10 min of work-time per session (1x/week)
Pro tip: Using HR is unreliable for efforts lasting under ~60 sec (go by perceived effort)
VO₂ Max Intervals: Hard efforts of 3 - 8 min w/ equal recovery time
Up to ~20 min of work-time per session (1x/week)
Pro tip: Go by perceived effort for first 1 - 2 min, then HR
Zone 2 Training: Relatively easy & sustained efforts of 30 - 60+ min per session (2 - 4x/week)
With diligent progressive overload, these sessions could end up lasting hours or days! 😳
Active Recovery Days: Low intensity & low-to-no impact to keep volume high w/o burnout
Real Results from Real Testing
At KP3, we test your VO₂ Max and identify your exact heart rate & power/pace zones, so you know exactly the target intensity for each of these sessions. That means you’re no longer guessing — you're training smarter, not just harder.