CyclingVO2maxAdvanced 78 min

Laursen's Pmax and Tmax intervals (8 × 2 min 25)

Laursen intervals: eight 2 min 25 efforts at your maximal aerobic power, estimated at 120–130% of FTP, with 4 min 50 of easy recovery between them. A 78-minute session. An individualised protocol for advanced riders preparing for time trials.

Written by Pierre Halloo · Updated 25 October 2026

Session profile19 blocks

At a glance

Duration: 78 min
Main target: 120–130%FTP6 Z6 · Anaerobic
Time at target: 19 min
Estimated load: 77
Structure: 8 × 2′25 at 120–130% FTP, 4′50 recovery
Level: Advanced
Equipment: Power meter · Smart trainer

The session in detail

FTP

Time in zone

Z149 min
Z210 min
Z619 min

What the targets mean

The session's targets, in watts for three reference FTPs
Target	Zone	Time	FTP 200 W	FTP 250 W	FTP 300 W
120–130%	6Anaerobic	19 min	240–260 W	300–325 W	360–390 W
45–55%	1Recovery	39 min	90–110 W	113–138 W	135–165 W

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What this session is for

Most VO₂max sessions give everyone the same effort length. Paul Laursen started from the athlete instead: first you measure how long you last at your maximal aerobic power (Pmax), the power you reach at VO₂max in a ramp-style test. That time to exhaustion is called Tmax. Each effort then lasts a little over half your Tmax, long enough to spend time near VO₂max without riding to exhaustion, and the recovery lasts twice as long.

In cyclists and triathletes who were already highly trained, four weeks of this protocol improved VO₂max and time-trial performance. It's one of the few VO₂max formats tested on performance, not just measured in the lab over one session. The 2 min 25 used here is a default, to adjust if you know your Tmax.

Who it's for

Advanced riders, already used to VO₂max intervals, looking to find a little more for a time trial or triathlon. The session makes most sense if you've measured your Tmax, in a lab or in the field after a ramp test. Without it, it's still a good VO₂max session, but an approximation of the original protocol.

When to do it

In the study, riders did it twice a week for four weeks: a short, dense block, not a session to keep all year. Keep at least one easy day between hard sessions, and avoid the day before a race or long ride. To progress, re-measure your Tmax and adjust the effort length rather than adding more efforts.

How to do it

Warm-up
15 min
5′ at 45–55% FTP + 5′ at 56–65% FTP + 5′ at 66–75% FTP
15 minutes building from 45 to 75% of FTP, in 5-minute steps. Eight efforts is a lot: feel free to extend the warm-up a little if your legs are slow to come round.
Main set
53 min
8 × 2′25 at 120–130% FTP, 4′50 recovery
Eight 2 min 25 efforts at 120–130% of FTP, or 300 to 325 W for an FTP of 250 W, with 4 min 50 very easy at 45–55% between them. Aim for the same power on all eight: the first shouldn't be stronger than the last. Stay seated, with a high, steady cadence. If you know your Tmax, replace the 2 min 25 with a little over half that time, and keep the recovery at double.
Cool-down
10 min
10′ at 40–55% FTP
10 very easy minutes at 40–55% of FTP. After nearly an hour of work, take the time to come right down before you get off the bike.

How it should feel

Very hard from the end of the first effort, which leaves your legs heavy and your breathing ragged. The long recoveries do their job: you set off almost fresh each time, which is what lets you hold the same power to the eighth. The last two take some grit. Guide: 9 out of 10.

Common mistakes

Cutting the recovery short

4 min 50 feels long, and the urge to go early is strong. But the double recovery is part of the tested protocol: it's what makes eight quality efforts possible. Less recovery means a different session.

Going too hard on the first efforts

The first two feel easy and tempt you above 130%. The eighth makes you pay. Start at the bottom of the range and only nudge up if the first six have stayed even.

Treating 2 min 25 as a rule

It's an average, not yours. If you last much longer than average at Pmax, your efforts should be longer; if you last less, shorter. Without a measurement, stick with the default.

Doing it all year round

The protocol was tested as a four-week block. Beyond that, there's nothing to say it keeps paying off, while the fatigue certainly keeps building.

When to skip it

Before you start

A recently measured FTP, ideally a measured Tmax.
A solid endurance base and several weeks of VO₂max intervals.

Skip it if

You're tired, or a race or long ride is planned for the next day.
You're new to interval training: start with shorter formats and fewer repeats.
You have doubts about your health: get medical advice before near-maximal efforts, and even more so before a Tmax test.

Origin and evidence

Level of evidence

Good evidenceLevel 4 of 5

Laursen et al. (Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002): 38 highly trained cyclists and triathletes, 2 sessions a week for 4 weeks. The 'Pmax × 60% Tmax' groups improved 40 km time-trial performance (+4.4 to +5.8% across the intense groups) and VO₂peak (+5.4% and +8.1%). The first group recovered for twice the effort duration; the second, until heart rate fell back to 65% of maximum. A third group did 12 × 30 s at 175% of Pmax. The 2 min 25 duration is a default: in a study by Laursen (2004) of 43 well-trained cyclists, mean Tmax was about 4 minutes, and 60% of that is about 2 min 25. Pmax is the power reached at VO₂max in an incremental test; estimating it at 120–130% of FTP is a Wattson approximation, as are the warm-up and cool-down. Bottom line: good evidence.

Sources

Laursen P. B. et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002

Frequently asked questions

What is Tmax in Laursen intervals?

How long you can hold your maximal aerobic power, Pmax, before exhaustion. It's measured after a ramp-style test: once you know your Pmax, you ride at that power for as long as you can. Each effort in the session then lasts a little over half that time, and the recovery twice as long.

What power is an effort at Pmax?

Here, 120–130% of FTP: 240 to 260 W for an FTP of 200 W, 300 to 325 W for 250 W, 360 to 390 W for 300 W. It's an estimate: Pmax is properly measured in a ramp-style test. If you've done a ramp test, the power of your last completed step gives you a good idea.

Can I do Laursen intervals without knowing my Tmax?

Yes, using the default 2 min 25, taken from the average Tmax of well-trained cyclists. You'll get a good VO₂max session, but not quite Laursen's individualised protocol. If all eight efforts feel very easy, or impossible, your real duration is probably different.

How many Laursen sessions should I do a week?

In the original study, two a week for four weeks, in highly trained athletes. It's a short block to place before a target event. In a normal week, one session like this is plenty, with at least one easy day either side.

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