5 VO2 Max Workouts

What can training change?

VO₂ max describes maximal oxygen uptake. Training can improve it, but starting fitness, the programme and individual response affect the result. It is misleading to say that half of an individual’s VO₂max is genetic and the other half is available to train.

In the HERITAGE study, 481 previously sedentary white adults from 98 families completed 20 weeks of training. Responses varied substantially. Its heritability estimate concerned variation within that study population; it did not measure each participant’s personal genetic ceiling or the percentage of unused potential. Bouchard et al., 1999.

An interval study, in context

Helgerud and colleagues compared four running protocols in 40 healthy, moderately trained men over eight weeks, with three sessions per week. One group used four 4-minute intervals at 90–95% of maximum heart rate with 3-minute active recoveries. The interval groups improved VO₂max more than the comparison groups in that study. Original trial.

This is evidence for a particular training intervention, not a prescription to add three hard sessions to every HYROX^® week. It does not show that everyone should chase 100% of maximum heart rate, that more weekly hours always produce greater gains, or that trained athletes improve by a fixed percentage each year.

Applying the idea to your week

As a practical planning approach, consider your current running, strength and station workload together. Choose sessions you can complete with consistent technique and recover from. Record interval duration, recovery, pace and perceived effort so later comparisons describe similar work.

A repeatable improvement in running performance can matter even if a watch’s VO₂max estimate barely changes. Avoid reducing body mass just to increase the relative score: changing the denominator is not the same as improving oxygen delivery, and the score is not the sole goal of training.

Questions

Are four 4-minute intervals mandatory?

No. They are one researched protocol, not a universal HYROX^® requirement. Suitability depends on your background and the rest of your programme.

How much will my VO₂max improve?

No fixed annual or eight-week gain can be promised. Use repeated, comparable measurements and training outcomes to assess your response.

Will a higher value guarantee a faster HYROX^®?

No. Aerobic fitness is relevant, but a race also involves station skill, strength and pacing. The measurement guide explains the limits of current HYROX^® evidence.

Marketing text preserved unchanged

Repz recent seasons of race data points consistently in one direction: men finishing in under 60 minutes carry an estimated VO2 max of approximately 55+ ml/kg/min[^7]. Women in the sub-65 bracket sit in a comparable relative range. Athletes who plateau in the 75–90 minute zone are frequently limited not by their strength or technique at individual stations, but by the aerobic capacity available to sustain pace across all eight running segments. Improving VO2 max by even 5–10% (a realistic outcome from 6–8 weeks of structured high-intensity training) translates directly to faster sustainable running pace and faster recovery between stations.