Curb Ivanic says don't obsess over your VO2 max number itself. Track what actually produces it instead: your mile time, distance in 12 minutes, or power output on the bike. Those concrete metrics show if your training is working, even when the VO2 max score barely moves.
Hey, I wanted to hop on here really quick and talk about VO2 Max. Don't focus solely on the VO2 Max number that you calculate if you're doing a field test. Focus more on the performance that's getting you that VO2 max number. And this is what I mean by that. If you're doing a mile run, how fast did you run that mile? Or if you're doing a 12 minute run, how far did you go in that 12 minutes? Or if you're doing a cycling or rowing test, what power output did you hit to get that VO2 max score? You can track that over time, and if you're doing the proper kind of training, you should see that performance improve. Your VO2 max may not change all that much, but you could see more improvement in the numbers that are hitting that are getting you that VO2 max score. So focus on the performance versus solely on just the VO2 max number itself. Track that over time and hopefully it improves. And that means that your fitness and your metabolic health is improving as well. Give it a go.
