8-WEEK VO2MAX BUILDER
An 8-week VO2max training plan for cyclists with 7 to 10 hours a week, built for a power meter or a heart rate monitor. Two VO2max sessions a week using three named interval formats - Norwegian 4x4, Rønnestad 30/15 and fast-start 5x5 - with everything else kept easy on purpose. Ramp test in Week 1, retest in Week 8.
WHY VO2MAX IS YOUR CEILING
Think of VO2max as engine size. FTP, climbing power, the ability to follow an attack - all of it sits under that ceiling. Raise the ceiling and everything underneath has more room. The key is not more hours. It is the right intensity, twice a week, with the recovery to absorb it.
THE SESSIONS - NAMED, WITH SOURCES
• Norwegian 4x4 (Helgerud 2007) - 4 min hard, 3 min easy. Learn the intensity. Weeks 2-3.
• Rønnestad 30/15 (Rønnestad 2015) - 30 sec hard, 15 sec easy, 13 reps, 3 sets. More time at VO2max per minute than the formats it was tested against. Weeks 2-7.
• Fast-start 5x5 (Rønnestad 2020) - hard opening, then hold. Teaches you to stay at VO2max when it already hurts. Weeks 5-6.
THE 8 WEEKS
• Week 1 - Base and the ramp test. 7h
• Weeks 2-3 - Build I. 4x4 and 30/15 introduced, progressed. 8h-8h30
• Week 4 - Recovery. The week most cyclists skip and shouldn't. 6h
• Weeks 5-6 - Build II. Full 30/15, fast-start 5x5, long rides to 3h30. 8h30-9h
• Week 7 - Taper. Sharp, not exhausted. 6h
• Week 8 - Retest, same conditions. 5h30
WHO IT'S FOR
• Time-crunched racers and gran fondo riders who have a base and want a higher ceiling
• Riders whose FTP is already above 80% of their 5 min power
• Riders who want to know why each session is there
WHO IT ISN'T FOR
• Riders whose heart rate drifts badly on easy rides - build the base first
• Riders chasing "more hours = more fitness" - this runs on intensity discipline
QUESTIONS
Can I do this plan without a power meter? Yes. The 4x4 was designed as a heart rate protocol. The 30/15 is ridden by feel. You test with a 30 min time trial.
Can I ride it indoors? Yes. Intervals in resistance mode, not ERG.
How much will my VO2max go up? No honest coach promises a number. Trained riders in the source studies gained 5-8% in 8 to 10 weeks. Your Week 8 ramp test is your number.
Which plan first - Base, FTP or VO2max? Base if your heart rate drifts. FTP if it holds but your 20 min power is low. VO2max if FTP is above 80% of your 5 min power.
INCLUDED
• Every workout with Purpose, Main set and Fuel - nothing to decide
• PDF execution guide - zones, tests, weekly logic
• Personalized Loom from Coach Toms on your Week 1 and Week 8 numbers
THE COACH TOMS 8-WEEK SYSTEM
Zone 2 Base Builder builds the engine. FTP Builder raises the hour power. VO2max Builder raises the ceiling. Same weekly shape, and the Week 8 retest tells you which is next.
Ride fast. Lift heavy. Perform.
Coach Toms Flaksis · cyclingcoachtoms.cc · Instagram @tomsflaksis · toms.flaksis@gmail.com
High-performance cycling coach working with World Tour riders, Olympians, and the Guinness World Record holder in ultracycling. Expert in endurance, strength, and recovery. Coaching backed by a sports doctor and physiotherapist team trusted by pro cyclists.