The Benefits of Training Your PMA (Maximum Aerobic Power)

Endurance, strength, and speed are often cited as the foundations of cycling training. It’s true that these are qualities generally worked on by cyclists who want to improve their physical condition. Nevertheless, at the other extreme on the intensity scale (specifically I5 on the I1 to I7 model developed by Frédéric Grappe) VO2 max training is essential for progress, regardless of the cyclist’s age or level.

By Olivier Dulaurent – Photos: Depositphotos.com / Adobe Firefly / All rights reserved

Difficult but essential training

VO2 max stands for Maximal Aerobic Power. It is the highest intensity you are able to sustain for an effort of 4 to 5 minutes. This value is expressed in watts.

The higher the VO2 max, the higher the engine’s displacement. We cannot say that physical level is a unique reflection of VO2 max, but a trend is clear: the stronger you are over 5 minutes, the stronger you will be over 2 hours, 4 hours, or on a sportive such as the Étape du Tour.

VO2 max training methods

Three types of intervals can be differentiated:

– Short intervals: This involves developing VO2 max. To do this, you will work at a supra-maximal intensity (between 105 and 120% of VO2 max). Effort times are in the order of 20 seconds to 1 minute, with recovery times (also called counter-effort) equal to or slightly longer than effort times. It is important to note that in this type of work, heart rate is not the most reliable way to check if you are at the right pace, as you might do in sessions aimed at developing endurance. We will come back to this a little later when discussing the concept of cardiac drift.

– Medium intervals: This time, it’s about working at VO2 max (at 100%) for intervals of one to two minutes. Knowing that an effort at VO2 max is sustained for 4 to 5 minutes, “fractionating” it into several sequences will allow you to go beyond this famous sustained time. For example, 10x(1 min at VO2 max / 1 min recovery) represents 10 minutes of cumulative work. Here, the recovery time should be more or less equal to the effort time.

– Long intervals: This time, it’s about sustaining an effort between 90 and 95% of VO2 max for sequences of 2 to 4 minutes. Recovery times will often be slightly shorter than effort times. This is called working on the sustained time at VO2 max.

What makes a good VO2 max session?

Specifically working on this famous VO2 max will help you reach a new level… provided that these specific sessions are correctly performed, i.e., calibrated.

Do not lose sight of the main rules for VO2 max training:

– The intensity during the effort phase is near-maximal, but it is not a sprint! You need to feel that it would theoretically be possible to maintain this intensity for several minutes if necessary.

– From the first to the last repetition and from the first to the last second, the intensity must be constant: so, have the impression of holding back at the start of the first sequences (and the first seconds!) of effort to feel like you’re finishing all out at the end of the session. In fact, you will then have demonstrated consistency in terms of power output. If you fail to complete a given VO2 max session, it means you started too strong.

– What is true within a series is also true within a session: if you have completed two series (for example, 2 series of 8x(30” at VO2 max / 30” recovery)) do not throw all your strength into the first half of the session.

– Another criterion for a successful VO2 max session: you need to gain a few beats with each repetition, with the HR rising crescendo until the end of the series. If you develop too much power in the first 2 or 3 repetitions, you will reach a very high HR, but at the same time, you will flood the engine. In other words, the increase in lactic acid will be too sudden, and you will not be able to find your second wind: your HR will rise less and less, a sign that the power developed is collapsing.

– Recovery phases are active: this means continuing to pedal but very smoothly (at about 50% of your VO2 max). Of course, the HR will remain high during the recovery phases (on short intervals).

Do not rely solely on heart rate. The stress test will indicate that VO2 max is being worked on if 95% of HRMAX is exceeded. That said, of course, this value will not be reached from the first seconds of the first repetition. Cardiac drift is progressive. A VO2 max session must be conceived in terms of power output (even if you are not equipped with a power meter): you must develop 100% (sometimes slightly more or slightly less, as explained above) from the first to the last second of each repetition. If there was only one sentence to remember, it would be this last one!

Heart rate will only be the result of the power developed, of the effort produced. It is not important. Worse, it can be misleading if you rely entirely on this tool. For example, it is normal for HR to drop very little during a VO2 max session with short intervals.

12-week program

Twelve VO2 max sessions are proposed here, which will ideally be spread over as many weeks. The sessions become progressively more difficult, so it is possible to adapt the number of repetitions.

This program can be started once a good basic fitness level has been established.

It is obvious, if these twelve sessions are spread over as many weeks, that you should not do only VO2 max during this training cycle.

If you only ride twice a week, it is preferable to schedule a VO2 max session only every other week. At best, VO2 max training should only concern one session out of four, to promote good assimilation.

Regarding the proposed sessions, they will ideally take place on an indoor trainer, if possible, away from the Sunday ride. In other words, if possible, between Tuesday and Thursday.

The session lasts 1 hour, with a 15 to 20-minute warm-up beforehand and ends with a 10-minute cool-down.

Warning

VO2 max deserves attention because, when you think about it, it is indeed the basis of performance. Therefore, it must find a prominent place in the training program.

The sessions proposed here are just examples among hundreds. You should not exceed the rhythm of one session every two weeks if you ride twice a week. If you ride three to five times a week, then one weekly session is possible. So, what should you do besides that? In other words, how do you fill the training weeks?

Several themes will very logically complement these in the coming weeks:

– Base endurance, with one long ride per week (depending on your region and the weather)

– Speed work

– Strength work

– Explosiveness work

In conclusion

VO2 max training is intimidating. Even if it is gradually becoming more common, many cyclists do not wish to engage in this type of training, considering it too far removed from the usual criteria of their own practice, especially among cyclists who do not race.

However, every cyclist, regardless of their level, goals, and age, will benefit from working on their VO2 max. After many years of practice, it is often the only way to reach a new level.

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