Official vo2 Max Thread
Comments
-
I liked this article which adds some context around absolute VO2 Max (irrespective of weight) and relative VO2 Max (using weight as a denominator). Xcuntry skiers end up higher on relative. Rowers higher on absolute.
your VO2 max when kayaking will be smaller than when you’re running, for example, because you’re using smaller muscles that can’t gobble up as much oxygen.
-
Hence why the C2 is the single more useful fitness machine ever invented. Nothing else can touch it for getting all the muscle groups (except chest) to start gobbling up oxygen.
-
Mrs. Feces is trying to get me to drop $2k on a peloton. I’m sure I’d use it, but that’s a lot of coin, and I have a lot of mouths to feed.
-
Just get the Peloton app (monthly subscription) and buy a cheap ass exercise bike or treadmill.
-
It's a useful tool but spendy as Throbber points out. It will take care of increasing your vo2 max, but it's not helpful for strength.
The only machine that will do both vo2 max and add some strength is a C2 rowing machine.
-
My shitty back would probably benefit greatly from a rowing machine.
-
I used to get weird sciatic nerve flares just above my hip that would literally make my legs collapse from the pain. Was an issue that would randomly occur a couple times a year from about 18 to 30. I've not had that happen one time in the 13 years since I started lifting weights.
-
vo2 max + strength trumps all the other shit we talk about on this forum and it's not close.
I lost 4 to5 lbs during the 100,000 Concept 2 Holiday Challenge.
-
Been thinking a bit more about VO2 max and cardio exercise as I go forward in 2025. Want to be more "intentional" with my cardio this year as while I did plenty last year there was too much just doing it to do it instead of trying to build to better. Doing cardio just to do it is fine, blood sugar management, something is better than nothing etc., but doesn't really move you forward past a certain point. It made me remember that VO2 max is an outcome of exercise and you actually have to push with various workout structures (fartlek, HiiT, other interval training, harder steady state) to really benefit beyond that baseline.
Something is still better than nothing, but that is loss prevention, not improvement.
I too lost a couple pounds when I upped the volume and intensity on the C2 after Thanksgiving. Keeping it going this month so far.
-
Seems like the top Tour De France riders are doing massive amount of zone 2 training these days and the results are showing up in their vo2 max scores.
I'm going to experiment with upping the zone 2 hours per week (80%) and then 20% max effort type work and see if I notice any gains.
