I had the opportunity to VO2 max test today with #OpenSculling at Tidal Elite Performance Center and J. Braun. This was my second test ever, and I forgot how horrible the last few minutes of this test are. The first video shows me going strong at mid-test and the last video shows it can get pretty ugly at the end.

VO2 max testing is the gold standard to establishing heart rate zones for heart rate zone training. Back before making an Olympic bid would have ever been conceivable for me, I began on the road to a healthy lifestyle at 350lbs and the goal of rowing for 45 minutes a day, four days a week maintaing my heart rate between140-150bpm. Admittedly, this heart range was a “semi-educated” guess but it turns out to have been a great starting point to establish the cardio-base that improbably led to my Olympic pursuit. I am a big believer in heart rate training.

I’ve been fortunate to have an awesome Polar heart rate monitor to not only monitor my heart rate, but to also give me a good estimate of calories burned. After losing more than 100lbs, tracking calories burned and calories consumed were critical metrics to helping me whittle down to the single digit body fat percentage nearly a year ago. I’m back on this train currently, as I strive to hit the sweet spot for competing at as close to 220lbs as I can possibly get (6% body fat for me).