Your 6-Week Training Plan to Increase VO2 Max and Run Faster With Less Effort

While most runners set a goal to get faster, an even more pointed (and beneficial) objective is to improve your VO2 max. Not only does this metric—a measure of how much oxygen you can take in and use during exercise—reflect your overall fitness level, research also links it to enhanced heart health, better blood sugar management, and a longer life. Beyond your health, it’s also tied to better race performance as it allows you to hold faster paces for longer at relatively lower effort.To zero in on this metric in your training and give it the attention it deserves, you need a tailored program. Enter our six-week training plan, specifically designed to boost your VO2 max.If you stick to this program as written, and you achieve the target level of intensity outlined, you can see real improvements in your VO2 max, says creator Kate Baird, ACSM-certified clinical exercise physiologist and a running and metabolic testing coordinator at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.Besides seeing your VO2 max score change on your watch, you should notice a lower resting heart rate (and a lower heart rate during easy runs!), faster paces in your workouts without as much effort, and a boost in mental grit.The best part is you don’t need any formal place or equipment to train. You can do these workouts on a treadmill, track, or roads. You also just need to commit to three days a week of training, though you have the option to add more.Follow this six-week plan to improve VO2 max, and you’ll become a stronger runner, with a higher level of fitness going into your next race.CHECK OUT OUR FULL GUIDE TO VO2 MAX TRAININGWho This Plan Is ForThis program is best suited for intermediate to advanced recreational runners with a solid endurance base and previous running experience. You should feel confident and comfortable with following a regular, structured training plan, including weekly speed workouts.If you’re newer to high-intensity training, opt for two interval workouts per week instead of three, Baird says.Runners who have built up significant running volume can maintain some of that volume on easy running days, but keep in mind the priority in this six-week block is to complete quality speedwork. That means running fewer maintenance miles as you tackle increased intensity!How This Plan Improves VO2 MaxResearch shows high-intensity interval training and sprint interval training both effectively lead to VO2 max gains, says Baird. You’re spending lots of time at or near your VO2 max pace with long enough recoveries to rest but not fully recover, making for challenging workouts and greater rewards.Starting the plan with three weeks of high-intensity intervals before progressing into sprint intervals encourages runners to build mental toughness and keeps you from jumping right into sprints if you’re not used to them, Baird adds.An important note: How much this plan helps you improve depends entirely on your fitness level and capacity to train. “A more trained runner who’s closer to their physiological max is going to have less to gain than a person who’s farther from their physiological max,” Baird says.In other words, if your previous training consisted of mostly easy runs, you’ll likely benefit the most compared to runners who are already doing speed workouts twice a week. But no matter what, you’ll still see improvements in your VO2 max with this plan, along with increased fitness and top-end speed.Download Plan6-Week VO2 Max Training PlanHow to Use This PlanThis plan combines two of the most effective training methods for improving VO2 max: high-intensity interval training designed to build aerobic power in the first three weeks, and sprint-interval training designed to challenge both your aerobic and anaerobic systems and boost speed and power in the last three weeks.Each week, you should balance the hard interval sessions with one to three easy days in between and at least one but up to four rest days, depending on your experience level and recovery needs. “We don’t want someone to sacrifice their fresh legs for a prescribed mileage of easy running,” says Baird. “Technically, someone could do no easy running and do this program.”If you’re feeling really depleted or sore from your workouts, you might opt for gentle stretching or a light swim on your easy days to help you recover.As long as you stay consistent and honor your recovery with good nutrition, sleep, and hydration, as well as truly easy recovery days, Baird says, you will finish the six-week program as a stronger runner than when you started.How to Execute the WorkoutsIn the high-intensity interval workouts, your goal is to run at your VO2 max pace, which is approximately your 3K or 5K race pace. If you haven’t run a 5K within the past six months or any race that could help you estimate your current fitness level, you can rely on rate of perceived exertion (RPE), where your goal is an 8 or 9 out of 10, with 10 being all-out effort.For sprint interval workouts, your goal is to run faster than your VO2 max pace, or about 9.5 to 10 for RPE. This might also look like running about 30 seconds faster per mile than your 5K race pace.A good way to differentiate the two paces is thinking about your goal during each interval. For high-intensity workouts, your efforts last about three minutes, so the goal is to maintain a sustained effort for that period, but with sprint intervals, the goal is to cover as much ground as possible, Baird says.Baird also encourages strength training to help improve running economy and prevent injury. This could include weighted or bodyweight movements, single-leg exercises, and/or functional core movements. Strength train one to two times a week throughout this program after an interval session or the day before a rest day, she suggests.GET YOUR STRENGTH WORKOUTS HERE3 Tips for Following This PlanUse This Plan to Periodize TrainingStrategically placing this plan in between different training phases can help you hone your speed and lay the foundation for your race goals. Baird suggests runners may do a base or maintenance plan, then the six-week VO2 max plan, followed by a race-specific training plan. “It’s a great way to think about working on all the different layers or different parts of your engine without overdoing it on one particular part,” she says.This applies to Baird’s advice for lifelong runners: “Think about your year and how your body is going to benefit from changing the stimulus at certain time points,” she says. “I think those things build a really knowledgeable, confident runner.”What most runners want is to become intuitive with their bodies and their training, Baird says, and using this plan can help you get to know your response to speedwork.Add a Deload WeekBaird recommends adding a deload week right after this six-week period to recover from the intensity and give yourself a chance to fully gain the adaptations before moving into another build. In the deload week, reduce your volume by about 10 to 20 percent, and dial back on your high-intensity workouts. In this plan, that means cutting down from two or three workouts a week to one, or doing a full week of just easy runs.This is also a good time to reflect on your training, think about what you struggled with or what felt good, and focus on gentle recovery activities like stretching, foam rolling, cross-training, and easier miles.You could also add a deload week halfway through the plan after the high-intensity interval workouts to decompress, Baird says, if you’re still feeling tired and sore by week three. After that, you could pick up where you left off with the sprint interval workouts.Take the Recovery Days Seriously“The most important part of this program is to come into each workout with fresh legs so that you are consistently able to achieve the level of intensity required to increase VO2 max,” says Baird. A truly easy 30-minute run or shorter on your non-workout days can help with blood flow and circulation for muscle recovery, but only if you’re used to that type of volume.Baird created this plan with flexible options of one to three days of easy running or cross-training, and at least one, but up to four days of rest to let each individual runner balance what works for them in training. For example, if you’re used to running high mileage (50 to 70 miles a week), you might opt for 30 minutes of easy running on your recovery days. If you need to do less, try cross-training like swimming or cycling.Baird also suggests opting for active recovery days with activities like walking, stretching, foam rolling, or even gentle restorative yoga if you’re feeling really depleted after the interval days.Your overall goal in this plan is to improve your VO2 max, so save any weekly mileage goals for another training build, like half or full marathon training. “We’re not trying to progress mileage in any way,” says Baird. “The most important part is that you’re not doing so much that you are coming into these workouts tired.”Kristine Kearns, a writer and avid runner, joined Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.