VO2 Max: Unlock EPIC Stamina Like the Pros

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VO2 Max is the gold-standard in measuring aerobic performance. This is your maximum ability to utilise oxygen in the body and correlates with better endurance and performance in a range of activities.
Everyone should train for increased stamina. Not only will this allow you to train harder and perform better NO MATTER your sport, it will also give you more energy throughout the day.
But we can go beyond a bit of running. Even beyond HIIT and metabolic conditioning.
Understanding the many factors that influence VO2 max allows us to tap into far greater results. For example: did you know that your VO2 max can be different depending on the activity being measured?
And did you know that blood flow restriction training can enhance VO2 max?
Do you know the difference between HIIT and "aerobic HIIT." As usual, the rabbit hole goes pretty deep. So, let's dive in!
To the rabbit hole... I guess...

[@CouchtotheSummit]

Hi, I'm a Endurance Performance Coach. It's important to note that VO2 max is not the sole predictor of athletic performance. Factors like mitochondrial quality and density, lactate threshold, aerobic threshold, and running economy also play significant roles for running and other endurance sports. While VO2 max is influenced by genetics, it doesn't necessarily improve with training in experienced athletes. Research has shown that VO2 max remains stable in experienced athletes despite increases in training and performance, suggesting that it has limited utility as a performance indicator. It’s kind of like using a shadow of a tree to tell you how tall the tree is. That may work, but you need to have precise input variables like the angle of the sun and distance to the tree. Even then there may be some variance from actually measuring the tree. VO2 is not the bellwether of performance, it's just one of many variables that go into making a complete athlete. A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that elite runners improved by one percent over three years, but their VO2 maxes didn't change. Similarly, marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe's VO2 max remained steady from 1992 to 2003 despite a massive increase in training and performance. However, less-trained athletes can benefit from VO2 max training, as seen in a study in Clinical Science, where six recreational athletes increased their VO2 max by an average of 13.7 percent over 24 weeks of a 36 week study. However, all of the changes were measured in the first 24 weeks, without any increase in VO2 max in the ensuing 12 weeks. Focusing solely on VO2 max can be misleading, as it doesn't change significantly in well-trained athletes and using it to determine training intensities might not yield the desired results, especially if you overdo or misuse high intensity training. Most experienced endurance athletes get faster but not pushing at their limit in hard intervals, instead keeping blood lactate at or below 4 mmol. To get fitter, athletes should concentrate on various aspects of their training, such as aerobic endurance, running economy, speed, and lactate threshold. Incorporating a combination of easy, steady miles, short intervals, and longer intervals can lead to improvements in multiple performance metrics and result in better overall athletic performance. While VO2 max might not be the most critical performance metric, traditional VO2 max interval training can still provide numerous benefits like improved running economy, aerobic endurance, lactate threshold, muscle-fiber strength and composition, and other physiological variables that contribute to fitness development as long as its applied strategically and intelligently. The takeaway here is don’t sweat your VO2 max number. No matter what, never put too much stock in a single metric related to your fitness. You are not that number, and it’s not going to change much anyway. You can definitely improve your athletic performance year to year even if VO2 remains unchanged.

[@MrJermson]

👍

[@drno62]

Isn't lactate threshold the best overall indicator of aerobic performance? By definition, everything underneath the lactate threshold is aerobic

[@chrisdraper845]

I think the main takeaway really is to try and maintain a decent VO2 max, as it seems to play a somewhat large role in aging well. So not obsessively focusing on it and trying to forever improve it, but to maintain a decent level for long term health. As you quite rightly stated, it shouldn’t be a main focus, but play a part to the larger whole. Appreciate the in depth comment though.

[@CouchtotheSummit]

@@chrisdraper845 yes for untrained people it can be substantially raised with 6 months of focused training. But as you become more advanced as an athlete it reaches an effective ceiling imposed by genetic constraints but you can continue to make improvements through the other variables of fitness. The important thing there is not to think you've reached your potential when VO2 no longer improves. Your potential is when all variables of fitness have been maximised.

[@CouchtotheSummit]

@@drno62 in general yes, for endurance sports, but it also depends on what variable you're measuring aerobic performance by. Speed and duration at lactate threshold is especially important in something like a road marathon where many other variables are reduced like surface, but a 100-mile trail running race on varying terrain, mechanical resiliency and mitochondrial density are going to be more crucial factors to success since very little time will be spent anywhere near approaching this threshold. But this doesn't mean VO2 training isn't relevent for even those longer events, since it can help improve aspects like running economy, that make slower running more efficient, saving energy in those long hours at slower speeds

[@chrisolson3240]

At 54, cardio & peripheral cardio is #1 for me. Erector spinae, shoulders, hips & tight core follows. Everything will follow. Thank You, Bioneer, for all the time and work you put in to share with us.

[@manvendrasingh4625]

what about ankles

[@asnark7115]

Everything follows core alignment.

[@paulo-oliveira-best-jump]

Excelente! Great job and fantastic complement to my workout. Thank you for being here.

[@petrospavlidis7747]

I am thinking about focusing on cardio over the summer, so perfect timing for this. 😂 Thanks for another great video

[@lorgar87]

Thanks for the video! I am currently training for my second ever sprint triathlon and can definitely confirm that my body is far more tuned for running and cycling. I wish to continue training this way after the event to improve and stimulate my body in different ways. Perhaps I should start tracking VO2 max as well ;)

[@markusseppala6547]

Good video. After years of fairly high volume of cycling training I'm amazed how some people don't do any cardio. They don't know what they're missing.

[@phillipmccune7511]

Love the ebook and exercises. I train for hypertrophy, strength, and endurance all at once generally. Since I’m a surfer I need stamina, flexibility, strength(especially core) and cardio. I generally do a circuit mixing in curls, push-ups, pull ups, squats and lunges. Then I throw in core work in the middle and some kettlebell swings and rows. For rest I dead hang and then finish with farmers Carry.

[@jacobj.2017]

It's great to hear about the subject of vo2max being mentioned I hope you do more videos on this subject thank you

[@stephenromey6348]

I am 65 and still interested in prime fitness. At my age variety is absolutely necessary to stave off boredom, but also to prevent injury and undue fatigue - no, I don't recover like I did in my 20's! My favorite exercise is a class that we have here in Naples, FL called Spenga (Spin, Strength, Yoga). There are several formats of Spenga, but the one I choose is Spenga Rep - basically, this is exercise done in a HIIT type format - usually some form of a TABATA - on / off training, like 40 seconds on and 20 off. The great thing about Rep is that we a variety of equipment - dumbells, Kettle Bells, TRX, various balls such as medicine and slam balls, benches, and of course, many body weight exercises - each work out is different. This is ideal for a senior like me, and most importantly, I would spend hours trying to plan all of this - here, I just show up and put in the hard work! I can do this class 2X a week - any more is too much. When I am home, I walk, and work out in my home gym doing all the great 'Bioneer' stuff - bar hangs, various pushups, squats, yoga postures, etc., etc. Yes, I incorporate lots of stuff from the Bioneer channel!!

[@inzueo]

Damn, I was just looking into VO2 max within this last month. Love your channel!

[@iambatman8104]

Great video bro. I have been trying to maximise my stamina to the maximum

[@josephforsyth9042]

Always been interested in knowing my VO2 max, didn't realize there was a formula to get an estimate. Great video!!

[@rahkim]

i love all your stuff. been watching for years. thank you.

[@tobygoodman9134]

Your videos are always so interesting, each topic you cover is so specific and well researched. Great video dude. I'm going to implement a lot of what is in this video into my BJJ training, as in a recent competition I won my first match, but I was so gassed in my second match, I just had zero energy. I think implementing more vo2 max style training, rather than just running 5k/10k would benefit me a lot more. Sick video.

[@marky5493]

ha ha ha i remember my first match , i got tunnel vision and basically used up ALL my energy on my first roll, only to be told I'm fighting again in 5 min in the next one. i slept like I've never slept before that night!

[@hornsteinhof7592]

Pretty good video and a good timing as well. More people than ever like to use fitness trackers. I love to improve vo2 max and strength simultaneously. Running is relaxing and I love it. According to my Garmin, I'm very slow and I rarely do fast sessions. I run for relaxation and am among the quarter of slowest runners in my age group (34m). Yet, my vo2max is in the top 10 percent for my age group. Slow jogging as a steady state exercise is good for my mental health and I think almost everybody can profit from investing some time in good cardio. Doesn't have to be an all out effort (although that would also work).

[@markusseppala6547]

Low intensity is where most of they gains come for VO2max, HIT is just icing on the cake.

[@mdnessfreeze1661]

the smile when he touched the ground, at 1:26 made my day, he knows he achieved his mobility goal and he is proud of it.

[@wowandrss]

Weird to think about it being a goal for some. I don't do anything for it and I can touch the ground easily no warmup.

[@yaasikasa17]

I think he bent his knees slightly there to achieve this feat!

[@coach.hybrid]

@@wowandrss same here lol. i think us asians are just born like that.

[@skitzcunt4213]

thats crazy... i can barely get past my knees when im stretching my hamstrings...

[@hamstsorkxxor]

​@@wowandrss Touching ones toes depends not only on mobility, but on proportions as well. Tall people usually struggle a lot more with it than short people, for example. Also, a lot of gym bros struggle with it as well, because being strong usually makes range of motion smaller. Attaining a good range of motion is something most have to train specifically to accomplish, alongside regular strength training. So if you can easily do it, without having trained for it, it could be your proportions making it easy for you. Or you might be short and petite. Or you might have good mobility from genetics.

[@adoaskdaosdkasodkas321]

i love this video, as always so detailed and right on time when i just on time, just when i was thinking about how i get gassed out too easily

[@vivopencil7675]

Can u pls explain what he said

[@waiifii22]

Awesome video, full of ideas to explore! I just recently decided to dedicate my next meso cycle to prioritise cardio vascular stamina training, as I've been letting this slip the last few cycles and started to notice it in effect my performance in my strength workouts and daily life. Personally I've started doing a series of Burpees every morning, starting slow more like yoga stretching, and then as my body warms up picking up the pace, and then doing between 3/5 sets close to cardio failure to finish (depending on the day, sense of fatigue, time etc). On top of this I'm running twice a week(HIIT sprint training), and using my bike to get around much more. It means I'm deprioritising my gym sessions to some degree, but I think my long term work capacity and general daily energy will more than reward purely maintaining my strength development for this period. Great video, thanks!

[@AlvaroLopez1]

Thanks so much for this one Adam. Fantastic video! Keep up the great 😊work and the unavoidable journey to 1M subs!

[@vansteel393]

I have a whole set of Crossropes and love them. They’ve definitely increased my stamina and helped improve my running performance as well

[@moisesjimenez4391]

Just recently viewed Dr Peter Attia’s podcasts on the significance of VO2 max as a key performance indicator and for its strong correlation with longevity. I have to say that nothing has ever been more convincing than that and it’s inspired me to continue exercising more often and more intensely. So if you want to grow old and still be able to play with your grandkids and walk long distances comfortably then you should work like an athlete every day and build good breathing/sleeping/eating habits. It’s like the saying goes, “Health is wealth”!

[@hrvojeodak]

Can you pls share which podcast was that? He was a guest somewhere or his own podcast?

[@chrisdraper845]

@@hrvojeodak he’s been on quite a few lately. I’d say one of the most in depth ones is the one he did with Andrew Huberman.

[@moisesjimenez4391]

@@hrvojeodak kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn-UY5x6iNF5e8U

[@moisesjimenez4391]

@@hrvojeodak kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2POineMn71jfZI

[@RR42636]

@@hrvojeodak He talks about it a lot in his book "Outlive" as well.

[@tonatiuhnino3711]

I did a VO2 Max test when I was college and it was a lot of fun and useful.

[@mikecurtis11]

A few months ago I tried jump burpees following the Tabata protocol (20 sec intense work/10 sec rest, 8 sets, 4 min total) and I used my heart rate as rough guide to VO2 max. I went as hard as I could for one workout and used a fitness watch to get my max heart rate for that session along with some spot readings of heart rate and how I _felt_ at those moments. Then over the next few workouts I tried to settle into a pace (burpees per 20 sec work period) that seems to get me in the 80-90% of max heart rate range. For me that was about 6 jump burpees per 20 sec. To be honest I was disappointed by that low number, but that's where I am. When I jump I touch my ceiling which gives me another metric, I have to jump 8 inches to reach it. I'm not sure if this is good training, but last time I went for a run, after a long winter running hiatus, I felt good. Not the usual, horrible feeling after a long running break.

[@billstewartkyokushinkarate]

I bought my Crossrope set over a year ago and hands down they are the best jump ropes I've ever used!

[@dillanpait9704]

Congrats on 700K subs Sir!!

[@bpb210]

I've noticed that my own VO2 max is different for different activities and it's good to hear that's a real thing (not me just getting old).

[@Scott-tw2jn]

a few months of kickboxing has improved my vo2 max more than 2 years of running!

[@cristoferurlaub7499]

Bro this is uncanny. I swear every time you put out a video, its something Ive been trying to work on.

[@SammeerSRaawat]

Great episode! Thanks

[@HamidAli-vk6rb]

Great job awsome video full of ideaa mentally and total boby relaxation thanks for you

[@malikqaiser428]

Excellent video

[@gillani259]

So nice work 💯

[@nflippo6201]

Thank you for your hard work.

[@hellomark1]

Any chance you'd do a video on potentially increasing your VO2max? That's what I was hoping to see. But it's definitely one of my goals for this year.

[@michaelking3206]

Aerobic fitness has just recently become higher priority for me since I’ve signed up to do a Spartan Beast race. My steady state running cardio and mechanics were severely lacking because before I was just focused on resistance training. But now, I do 3 days of running and 3 days of resistance training. I’ll also incorporate some free running for supplemental fun cardio, some shadow boxing and I also enjoy my KB swings.

[@criostoirashtin11]

Good split

[@Ujala-bh7py]

Amazing training

[@jaweriaalisvlogs2038]

Thanks for the video

[@MariaMaria-op3fq]

Excellent Job

[@Hanslo_99]

Great video bro I have been trying to maximise my stamina to the maximum

[@user-vw7mx5yq7v]

Great video 👍

[@MuhammadBilal-ns5do]

Great information work out 👍

[@rimshazaki4223]

Thanks for another great video

[@syedkumailali1031]

Great work

[@hfarhad007]

Amazing very nice way of doing workouts

[@ammaraijaz4541]

Great video.i have been trying to maximize my stamina to the maximum

[@Brndndutton]

Awesomeness 😎💙🙏🏼. Great content.

[@user-in8oq1ly9y]

Awesome video

[@ashfaquehussain6701]

Wow you are giving us great information about Excercise you have many ideas ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Davlavi]

Thanks for the info this very interesting.

[@abu3402]

Great video

[@matixchris9473]

Good info.. for the future. Thanks..

[@user-um3et8ic2y]

So nice workout 💯

[@AbdulAhad-fd6yz]

Ur videos are very informative

[@ZohraBaigum-sx6ng]

Nice work

[@brandonr737]

Training high is one of my favorite ways to train. Literally and Metaphorically

[@matemate8205]

😂

[@Menaceblue3]

High altitude? Or Hi dude take a puff of this sticky icky?

[@xahidali1844]

Man i impressed, you are great man to train people to they perfect thair healthy activaty.

[@canyonzen]

Great video. Frankly, your last remarks about training in different modalities, etc. sounds very much like CrossFit, which advocates training in a wide variety of modalities and time periods and intensities (although the emphasis in CrossFit appears to be more on higher intensities in general).

[@malikatif5224]

Good work 👍

[@section23]

Great video, really interesting

[@zeeshanwaheed5258]

Great workout

[@roger22fed]

Loved this

[@user-wv2uz7vt7o]

Awesome videos

[@SomiaRafiq-wk1jq]

Good work

[@wessel4127]

You should make a discord where people can talk about training with each other! Love the Batman vids!❤

[@drno62]

I think one of the greatest fitness modalities ever made was criminally underrated and overlooked and I wish someone would bring it back to the masses. Heavyhands

[@me0101001000]

In martial arts, you have to be very well rounded. Strength, endurance, cardio, mobility, and of course, skill related fitness: agility, balance, coordination, speed, power, and reaction time. You build the skills on top of the base fitness, of course, but at the end of the day, a shortcoming in skills is much more easily corrected than a shortcoming in the fundamental fitness.

[@tubashahzad1152]

Good job 👏

[@INTPROBIN]

Great Video

[@naqashbandiaduaakhanatrueh5966]

Nice exercise video

[@HeliRy]

Misread the title and got excited. For a moment I thought that someone respected in the community was finally going to review Greg’s GO2Max 😆

[@AbdulRehman-rd6vq]

Very nice workouts

[@angelcydra7858]

Well explained

[@hadiakhalid1765]

Awsome video

[@FDouglasRandakCHt]

Very thought provoking. 👍

[@TheHasham]

Amazing exercise

[@drysalmon21]

i learned so much in this video

[@ovidiuvergil]

Personal advice: Don't run right after or before jumping rope and if you do, don't overexert yourself cause if you are too tired from one of them, your form for the other one will become poorer and you'll be putting more stress on your joints. You can do both, but get enough break in between them. Also jump rope at the gym or on a special surface, cause doing it on asphalt will put stress on your knee joints among other things

[@B..B.]

It will not damage the joint if you train properly for developing tendons like steel, traditional martial arts training help a lot in that

[@ovidiuvergil]

@@B..B. Tendons are not the only issue, the meniscus which acts as a shock absorber might tear and the knee itself might deteriorate. Ultimately the key is proper form, but that can be an issue, cause some people don't even realize that they have problems with their form or they might not realize that their form got worse as they got tired. That's why to avoid problems at an old age, running and jumping on proper surfaces, proper forms and as you mentioned strengthening the muscles and tendons that are most important for those activities are all important.

[@DG-EditsYT]

​@@B..B. 😂

[@JOHNOOH]

Skip, whenever, however, pre or post whatever, on whatever, solong as form is good.

[@PhiyackYuh]

Just ask hard core triathletes. Its called brick session 😂 stay hard mate!

[@saribqureshi6488]

Useful video

[@snakeace0]

Great video! I learned quite a few new concepts! Though i have to nitpick the boxing technique at 4:30 . Dont lower both hands at the same time when doing a jab into a cross /straight. Thats bad telegraphing and leaves you vulnerable for a counter. When Boxing for aerobic training never compromise technique, otherwise youre trading aerobic fitness for martial prowess when you can have both!

[@danielfarrell3534]

He just does it for enjoyment and variety in training. He's pretty aware his technique isn't anything special ;)

[@cookingwithayesha8039]

Thanks for thisamazing video

[@JoshuaCurey]

How are you liking the Sports Mask Adam? I just started using the Oxygen Advantage app, and it’s making a huge difference. I got the O2 trainer, and is so far helping a lot. I planned on getting the sports mask too. Have a good year bro, take care. 🙏🏼

[@MateenSh-pl7id]

Good effort

[@ShahrozRajjpoot-be1dq]

well done 👍

[@mohsinshah3117]

Nice workout

[@sobaanadeel-mh6ih]

good work

[@handlesrstupid123]

Ill definitly give the straw method a try, still trying to get into 5k fit while doing the protean routine. The running has been hard, but been trying to do 150 mins of moderate cardio a week to lose weight its been working 20 lbs gone in 4 months and I can do L sits which I mever even heard off before your watching your channel.

[@Bp4FSniper]

As somone who has a lot of experience using and applying TOURNIQUETS due to beeing in the army. PLEASE BE CAREFULL with using these, because if you arent experienced and you put em on to tight you can cause PERMANENT DAMAGE to your body parts !

[@danvelarde446]

Nah you can go for 4 hours until perm damage (also army)

[@Bp4FSniper]

@@danvelarde446 you could have it on for weeks if it isnt tight, but if you put it on to tight even a few minutes can lead to permanent damage. Please do your reasearch before wiriting such things.

[@dbo4506]

@@Bp4FSniper stop tying your service to your comments. Lots of us have served pal. Just have your comment without the typical entitled veteran asshat flex of saying “i am army”.

[@dbo4506]

@@snake1_ zip it simp

[@SmedleyButlerII]

Bro that would require you to put them on so extremely tight it would hurt like a mother fucker. Have you ever had a tourniquet applied in a way that it actually cuts off the blood flow? It hurts so damn bad, no one is going to accidentally put something on that tight ever

[@AmanAli-yr5sb]

Awesome exercise 👌❤❤

[@usmans0220]

Thankful 🙏

[@christopherwinrow3878]

Brilliant video respect brother YNWA

[@maliksajid5350]

Good job

[@Natureboypkr2]

I’m really happy you made valid points regarding fitness because many people these days really believe only lifting weights makes you fit. Fitness is a wholistic concept. You need strength, stamina, flexibility, mobility, diet, and mental health.

[@Mahirajput12..]

Good job😍

[@whalingwithishmael7751]

Great video! I use a HIIT workout from Pavel Tsatsouline’s “The Quick And The Dead” once a week. Not sure if it’s most efficient, but it ensure I hit HIIT on a regular basis 😉

[@masoodfarooq5612]

Nice work out about fitness

[@christophermccrea7133]

I was just reading a study on how including hiit after resistance training, can not only increase V02 but strengthen the capillaries density.

[@kieronlewis1101]

Nice explanation thx

[@waqarnazir7349]

Good workout

[@wardatariq3797]

Good video

[@zareentariq11]

Perfect one