That’s great work. Congrats!
Holy crap, your VO2 max is now at the level of a high-level athlete! Great job getting your health on track and then some.
Ashwin said:
Holy crap, your VO2 max is now at the level of a high-level athlete! Great job getting your health on track and then some.
@Florence
How did you achieve this? Would you mind if I DM you for more tips?
Harper said:
@Florence
How did you achieve this? Would you mind if I DM you for more tips?
Sure, feel free to DM me any time, but in case it helps anyone else, I’ll share it here too!
It was mainly due to four things:
• A lot of sport:
I lift heavy weights 4-5 hours a week.
I play 8-12 hours of Padel Tennis every week. I started over a year ago with slow matches since I was bad, but as I improve, the matches get more physical. Recently, I played 4 hours and 30 minutes at an average of 149 bpm and a max of 180 bpm. I burned almost 4000 kcal, and the pizza afterward felt incredible 
.
• Weight loss:
Losing weight helps increase your VO2 max. I went from 92 kg to 78-79 kg, and that shows.
• Genetics:
I have sinus bradycardia and low blood pressure (around 100/60).
My resting heart rate was about 55 when I started, and now I’m down to 45. When I walk and talk on the phone, I’ve done 40-minute walks at an average of 68 bpm at 5 km/h. Sometimes when I sleep, it goes to 38.
I’ve been tested multiple times at the hospital with heart MRIs and ECGs, and thankfully, my heart is good. Knock on wood it stays that way for a long time.
• No stimulants, no alcohol.
I don’t drink alcohol and avoid caffeine (dark chocolate only, and it’s never more than a couple of ounces a day). This definitely helps keep my heart rate lower throughout the day.
The only bad thing I do is eat too much salt, but my low blood pressure balances that, and I’m active, so I sweat it out too .
@Florence
You’re absolutely right! I’m a 22-year-old male, and while I still have a lot of work to do, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far.
Indigo said:
@Florence
You’re absolutely right! I’m a 22-year-old male, and while I still have a lot of work to do, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far.
And you should be! Your VO2 max is good, and as you said, you feel much more energetic, and that’s what really counts!
How?? I’ve been going to the gym for the last 10 months doing a lot of indoor cycling and stair masters. My reading still says it’s below average and hasn’t moved more than 1 point. Sigh.
Shan said:
How?? I’ve been going to the gym for the last 10 months doing a lot of indoor cycling and stair masters. My reading still says it’s below average and hasn’t moved more than 1 point. Sigh.
The Apple Watch only tracks VO2 max for outdoor walking, running, and hiking workouts. Indoor workouts won’t update your VO2 max or cardio fitness.
@Soren
You could use apps like Athlytic, which give a VO2 max approximation based on heart rate during the workout.
Jael said:
@Soren
You could use apps like Athlytic, which give a VO2 max approximation based on heart rate during the workout.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s very accurate. It uses the difference between your resting heart rate and heart rate recovery to estimate your VO2 max. It’s never consistent between days or workouts.
@Soren
I agree, I look at it more for trends than anything else since only threshold and above type workouts give good readings!
@Soren
And not for light walking. It wants to see how you are when your heart isn’t exerting itself. A lot of people think of it as a stress test, but it’s not. It’s more like what your resting heart rate tells you. Just go for a nice brisk walk around the neighborhood on flat ground for 20 minutes, not up and down hills or a jog, just a nice brisk walk.
Shan said:
How?? I’ve been going to the gym for the last 10 months doing a lot of indoor cycling and stair masters. My reading still says it’s below average and hasn’t moved more than 1 point. Sigh.
I honestly don’t know, I just started running nearly daily, aiming for at least 25% of my workout time in zone 4 (85% of max heart rate). We do have to remember it’s just an estimate! Good luck with your training; you sound like a determined individual!
Shan said:
How?? I’ve been going to the gym for the last 10 months doing a lot of indoor cycling and stair masters. My reading still says it’s below average and hasn’t moved more than 1 point. Sigh.
I’m in the same boat; I’ve been running 5k, 6-mile hikes, and doing the stair master for 45 minutes—still below average 
.
Shan said:
How?? I’ve been going to the gym for the last 10 months doing a lot of indoor cycling and stair masters. My reading still says it’s below average and hasn’t moved more than 1 point. Sigh.
Unless you’re getting your heart rate up for a decent duration, you’re not really doing much for your heart. Jogging at 3 mph probably doesn’t do much for you. You actually have to sweat.
Great work!
No matter what I do, my VO2 just goes down, lol.
Intervals, walking, jogging, etc.
It probably doesn’t help that I have exercise-induced asthma, and running for more than 3-4 minutes makes me feel like I’m gonna die .
Congrats! That’s amazing work.
Wow, thanks for sharing, that’s very inspiring!