Cycling · VO2max
VO2 DESCENDING LADDER
5-4-3-2-1 min, harder as they get shorter, equal recovery
WHAT IT TRAINS
VO2max with rising intensity — the shortest effort is the hardest.
WHO IT'S FOR
Riders who like variety in their VO2 work.
HOW TO DO IT
- 01Warm up 15 minutes.
- 025 min at 106%, 4 at 110%, 3 at 115%, 2 at 120%, 1 at 130% FTP.
- 03Recover as long as the effort after each.
- 04Cool down 10 minutes.
SCALED VERSION
4-3-2-1 minutes.
Build the scaled version in Forge →TARGETS THAT FIT YOU
Every target is a percentage of FTP. Your Garmin applies it to the FTP saved on your device or in Garmin Connect, so the same workout fits every rider — keep your FTP up to date.
THE WORKOUT, STEP BY STEP
CYCLING54min
VO2 Descending Ladder
5-4-3-2-1 min, harder as they get shorter, equal recovery · Fit File Forge Workout Library: www.fitfileforge.com/workouts/library/vo2-descending-ladder
WARMUP15 minTarget: 50-75% FTP
Build from 50% to 75% FTP.
INTERVAL5 minTarget: 102.82-109.18% FTP
RECOVERY5 minTarget: 48.5-51.5% FTP
Easy.
INTERVAL4 minTarget: 106.7-113.3% FTP
RECOVERY4 min
Easy.
INTERVAL3 minTarget: 111.55-118.45% FTP
RECOVERY3 min
Easy.
INTERVAL2 minTarget: 116.4-123.6% FTP
RECOVERY2 min
Easy.
INTERVAL1 minTarget: 126.1-133.9% FTP
COOLDOWN10 minTarget: 48.5-51.5% FTP
RELATED WORKOUTS
- CyclingVO2maxDifficulty 5 of 5 — Elite
VO2 Pyramid
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 min at VO2max, equal recovery
1 h 20
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