{"id":642585,"date":"2026-08-17T23:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T23:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/642585\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T23:10:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T23:10:26","slug":"this-30-second-interval-method-boosted-vo2-max-by-8-7-in-10-weeks-heres-how-to-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/642585\/","title":{"rendered":"This 30-Second Interval Method Boosted VO2 Max by 8.7% in 10 Weeks \u2013 Here&#8217;s How to Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"4\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">With research linking a higher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/fitness\/cardio-exercise\/a71215154\/improve-vo2-max-workouts\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/fitness\/cardio-exercise\/a71215154\/improve-vo2-max-workouts\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"VO2 max\" data-node-id=\"4.1\" class=\"body-link css-10fnnmt emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">VO2 max<\/a> with longevity, there&#8217;s no shortage of training methods promising to improve your aerobic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/fitness\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/fitness\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"fitness\" data-node-id=\"4.3\" class=\"body-link css-10fnnmt emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fitness<\/a> \u2013 and, in turn, your running or cycling performance.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">One that&#8217;s worth knowing about is the R\u00f8nnestad method, popularised by Norwegian exercise physiologist Bent R\u00f8nnestad, whose <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/sms.13627\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/sms.13627\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"research\" data-node-id=\"9.1\" class=\"body-link css-10fnnmt emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a> has explored how different interval-training protocols can improve endurance performance and VO2 max.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">The good news? The hard efforts last just 30 seconds. The bad news? You&#8217;re going to be doing quite a lot of them.<\/p>\n<p>What Are R\u00f8nnestad Intervals?<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">Similar to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/workouts\/a64739865\/norwegian-4x4-workout\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/uk\/workouts\/a64739865\/norwegian-4x4-workout\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Norwegian 4x4 method\" data-node-id=\"19.1\" class=\"body-link css-10fnnmt emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Norwegian 4&#215;4 method<\/a>, R\u00f8nnestad intervals are designed to accumulate time at a high aerobic intensity. The difference is that rather than relying on longer, sustained efforts, the method breaks the work into much shorter 30-second intervals, separated by just 15 seconds of easier recovery.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"24\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">The full protocol looks like this:<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"28\" class=\"body-tip css-1nai55u emevuu60\">3 rounds<\/p>\n<ul data-node-id=\"30\" class=\"css-12c7ta7 emevuu60\">\n<li data-node-id=\"30.0\"><strong data-node-id=\"30.0.0\">30 seconds hard<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"30.1\"><strong data-node-id=\"30.1.0\">15 seconds easy<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"30.2\"><strong data-node-id=\"30.2.0\">Repeat for 13 intervals (9 minutes 45 seconds in total)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"30.3\"><strong data-node-id=\"30.3.0\">Recover easily for 3 minutes before beginning the next set<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"34\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">That&#8217;s 39 hard intervals in total, giving you 19 minutes and 30 seconds of high-intensity work.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"Person running on an urban street wearing black athletic clothing and white shoes.\" title=\"Side view of man jogging in city\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6e40fb51-6f1d-4ff0-861d-f33454e7327d.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hayden Scott \/ 500px<\/p>\n<p>What Does the Science Say?<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"40\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/sms.12165\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/sms.12165\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"study\" data-node-id=\"40.1\" class=\"body-link css-10fnnmt emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">study<\/a> led by R\u00f8nnestad found that trained cyclists completing two short-interval sessions a week for 10 weeks improved their VO2 max by 8.7%, compared with 2.6% in those completing longer intervals.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">The short-interval group also saw greater improvements across several measures of cycling performance, suggesting that breaking hard efforts into smaller chunks may allow athletes to accumulate a significant amount of high-intensity work without having to sustain one prolonged effort.<\/p>\n<p>How to Add R\u00f8nnestad Intervals to Your Training<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"49\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">You don&#8217;t need to hammer these intervals every day to see benefits. In the 10-week study, participants completed two interval sessions per week alongside lower-intensity training.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"53\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">For most recreational runners or cyclists, one or two sessions a week could therefore be incorporated alongside easier aerobic work and recovery days.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"57\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">And there&#8217;s no need to jump straight into the full 3 x 13 protocol. If you&#8217;re new to high-intensity interval training, start with fewer intervals or fewer sets and gradually build your volume as your fitness improves.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"61\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\">Thirty seconds might not sound like much. By interval 39, you may feel differently.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"66\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"66.0\">If there\u2019s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it\u2019s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in \u2013 all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"70\" class=\"css-1ood0zq emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"70.0\">Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/link.menshealth.co.uk\/join\/signup-mens-health-summer-2026-titlesite\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/link.menshealth.co.uk\/join\/signup-mens-health-summer-2026-titlesite\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Click here\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-node-id=\"70.1\" class=\"body-btn-link css-1pnd5gs emevuu60\" target=\"_blank\"><strong data-node-id=\"70.1.0\">Click here<\/strong><\/a><strong data-node-id=\"70.2\"> to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the <\/strong><strong data-node-id=\"70.3.0\">Men\u2019s Health<\/strong><strong data-node-id=\"70.4\"> app.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"kori training plan\" title=\"kori training plan\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"3995\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787008225_128_a0458edc-7621-4ee9-b810-f61ea8e958c2.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787008226_417_c22e28ba-9876-4154-858b-a75026daf497_1685109453.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Kate Neudecker\" title=\"Headshot of Kate Neudecker\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kate is a fitness writer for Men\u2019s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men\u2019s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn\u2019t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With research linking a higher VO2 max with longevity, there&#8217;s no shortage of training methods promising to improve&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[2320,271753,343,18,525,135,19,17,201411,342,271752,240005,177992],"class_list":["post-642585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-dc306803-8f30-419c-b110-369809c99d02","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-the-ronnestad-method-could-be-the-secret-to-a-higher-vo2-max","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-cardio"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117113378603443225","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}