If you've spent any time in the health and science podcast world, you know Andrew Huberman. The Stanford neuroscientist turned science communicator has one of the most-listened-to health podcasts in the world, and his followers tend to take his protocols seriously — sometimes very seriously.
So what does Huberman actually do for VO2max? And more importantly, why?
His Core Belief: VO2max Belongs in the Same Conversation as Sleep
Huberman is known for treating sleep as the master variable of health — the non-negotiable foundation that everything else is built on. In his hierarchy of health interventions, VO2max sits right beside it.
He's argued repeatedly that cardiovascular fitness, as measured by VO2max, is one of the strongest predictors of both lifespan and what he calls "healthspan" — the quality of those years, not just the quantity.
The data he cites: the VA study showing low VO2max predicts mortality at 2–5× the strength of traditional risk factors like smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol. Moving from the lowest fitness quartile to just the second-lowest cuts all-cause mortality roughly in half. Elite fitness — top 2.3% — reduces all-cause mortality by about 80%.
This is why VO2max predicts lifespan better than almost any other single number.
The Two-Track Approach: Zone 2 and Zone 5
Huberman's training framework separates cardiovascular work into two distinct types, each doing different jobs.
Zone 2: The Foundation
Zone 2 is the level where your effort is sustained and comfortable — you could hold a conversation, but it's a bit of an effort. Heart rate roughly 60–75% of your maximum. Nasal breathing tends to work.
Huberman does approximately three zone 2 sessions per week, 45–60 minutes each. He typically does this on a stationary bike, though any cardio equipment works.
Why zone 2? It builds the aerobic base — specifically, mitochondrial density in the slow-twitch muscle fibers that power all sustained effort. Think of it as expanding the foundation of your fitness pyramid. Everything else becomes more efficient when this base is solid.
He references Iñigo San Millán's work here extensively. San Millán — the coach behind Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar — has argued that zone 2 is the irreplaceable foundation of aerobic fitness that no amount of high-intensity work can fully replace. For the deep dive on San Millán's approach, see the full zone 2 and San Millán post.
Zone 5: The VO2max Spike
This is where Huberman gets specific and where most people's training falls short.
Zone 5 training means pushing to near-maximum effort — roughly 85–95%+ of max heart rate. At this intensity, your cardiovascular system is running at or near its ceiling, and that's exactly the stimulus needed to raise the ceiling.
His protocol: one zone 5 session per week. Typically 8–10 rounds of 20 seconds all-out on the assault bike, followed by 10 seconds rest. That's essentially Tabata structure.
The assault bike — sometimes called the "Devil's Tricycle" in fitness circles — is his preferred tool. It's brutal because it engages your arms and legs simultaneously, driving heart rate higher than most other cardio equipment. It's also low-impact, which matters for recovery.
Eight rounds of 20/10 seconds is only about four minutes of work. But if you're genuinely going all-out in those 20-second windows, your cardiovascular system knows about it.
The Rationale: Why Both Zones?
Huberman frames zone 2 and zone 5 as addressing complementary mechanisms.
Zone 2 improves the "peripheral" side of VO2max — how efficiently your muscles extract and use oxygen from the blood. Mitochondrial density, fat oxidation, capillary network development.
Zone 5 pushes the "central" side — the cardiovascular system itself. It forces your heart to pump at maximum capacity, which, over time, increases stroke volume (how much blood per beat) and cardiac output.
You need both adaptations for optimal VO2max. Zone 2 alone develops one side of the equation. Zone 5 alone develops the other. The combination is more powerful than either in isolation.
This aligns with the framework that Dr. Peter Attia uses as well — in his discussion of cardio for longevity, he similarly advocates for a program that includes meaningful time at both ends of the intensity spectrum.
The Brain Benefits He Emphasizes
What separates Huberman's take from pure performance discussion is his focus on neurological benefits of VO2max training.
He covers the lactate-BDNF connection in depth. Here's how it works in plain English:
- During hard exercise, your muscles produce lactate (not lactic acid — see the lactate myth busting post)
- Lactate crosses the blood-brain barrier
- In the brain, lactate triggers release of BDNF — Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
- BDNF is essentially fertilizer for your brain cells — it promotes growth of new neurons, strengthens connections, and protects against neurodegeneration
Huberman has called BDNF "one of the most important molecules for brain health" and emphasized that high-intensity exercise is the most potent known stimulus for it. The full breakdown of VO2max and brain health covers this.
For Huberman, this means VO2max training isn't just a longevity strategy — it's a cognitive performance strategy. You're literally making your brain work better.
Practical Protocol Summary
For those who want to follow Huberman's approach:
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | 45–60 min zone 2 (stationary bike, conversational pace) |
| Wednesday | 45–60 min zone 2 |
| Friday | Zone 5 intervals: 8–10 × 20 sec all-out / 10 sec rest |
| Saturday | 45–60 min zone 2 |
This fits alongside strength training (Huberman does resistance training on other days). The key: zone 2 and zone 5 sessions shouldn't be on the same day.
Huberman's Gear Preferences
He's been transparent about what he uses:
- Assault bike for zone 5 intervals (full-body, high-intensity, low-impact)
- Stationary bike for most zone 2 work
- Rowing machine as an alternative (also full-body, minimal joint impact)
Running works too, but Huberman has noted that true zone 5 all-out effort is harder to achieve safely running — you need to be careful about mechanics when you're at maximum intensity.
The Honest Caveat
Huberman's protocol is demanding. Three zone 2 sessions plus one HIIT session per week is meaningful time commitment. If that's not realistic for you, the research supports a scaled-down version — even one zone 2 session and one HIIT session per week shows measurable benefits.
The 10-minute VO2max workout is a good starting point if the full program feels overwhelming. And Rhonda Patrick's Tabata approach offers a slightly more time-compressed alternative with strong scientific backing.
The important thing is doing something. Not doing nothing because the full program seems too big.
Hero image of Andrew Huberman by Jamesbrianbounds, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.