Sprinting off
The first reps feel easy, and the temptation is to cash in. A minute at vVO₂max is run at an even speed: on a track, check your 200 m split rather than starting fast and finishing slow.
RunningVO2maxIntermediate 50 min
1-minute intervals at vVO₂max (2 × 6)
1-minute running intervals: two sets of 6 × 1 minute at 100–102% of your vVO₂max, with 1 minute of jogging between reps. 12 minutes at that speed in a 50-minute session. Efforts long enough to really drive your breathing up, with recoveries that stay short.
Session profile26 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 50 min
- Main target
- 100–102%vVO₂max5 Z5 · VO₂max
- Time at target
- 12 min
- Estimated load
- 52
- Structure
- 2 × (6 × 1′ at 100–102% vVO₂max, 1′ recovery), 3′ between sets
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- GPS watch · Track (optional)
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z133 min
- Z25 min
- Z512 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100–102% | 5VO₂max | 12 min | 4:17/km–4:12/km 233–238 m per rep | 3:45/km–3:41/km 267–272 m per rep | 3:20/km–3:16/km 300–306 m per rep |
| 50–60% | 1Recovery | 10 min | 8:34/km–7:09/km 117–140 m per rep | 7:30/km–6:15/km 133–160 m per rep | 6:40/km–5:33/km 150–180 m per rep |
| 25–35% | 1Recovery | 3 min | 17:09/km–12:15/km 175–245 m per rep | 15:00/km–10:43/km 200–280 m per rep | 13:20/km–9:31/km 225–315 m per rep |
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What this session is for
One-minute reps train your vVO₂max with efforts long enough for your oxygen uptake to climb properly during each rep, which 15 or 30 seconds don't always allow. The minute of jogging that follows is too short for a full recovery: every rep starts with your breathing already high.
Above all, it's a stepping stone. After 30/30s, this is where you learn to hold your vVO₂max for twice as long on each effort, before moving on to 3-minute reps. No study has tested this exact format: its case rests on coaching practice and on closely related studies.
Who it's for
Runners who've done several 30/30s and want longer efforts before moving on to long vVO₂max reps. The format is also a staple of fitness work in team sports, football especially. You need a recently measured vVO₂max: over a minute, an overestimated value catches up with you by the second set.
When to do it
One vVO₂max session a week is usually enough. Put it after an easy day or a rest day, never the day before a long run, another hard session or a race. To progress, add reps first, 2 × 7 then 3 × 6, before lengthening the efforts to 90 seconds, then to 3-minute reps.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min10′ at 60–65% vVO₂max + 5′ at 66–72% vVO₂max
10 minutes of easy running at 60–65% of vVO₂max, then 5 minutes at 66–72%. Slip in two or three strides at the end: the first minute at speed goes better on legs that are already awake.
Main set
25 min2 × (6 × 1′ at 100–102% vVO₂max, 1′ recovery), 3′ between sets
Two sets of 6 × 1 minute at 100–102% of your vVO₂max, with 1 minute of jogging at 50–60% between reps and 3 minutes of walking between sets. At 16 km/h, a rep covers 267 to 272 metres, from 3:45 to 3:41/km, and the minute's jog 133 to 160 metres. On a track, rep plus recovery comes to roughly one lap: you start each rep from about the same spot, which makes any drop in speed easy to spot.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max. If you lost speed before the end of the second set, make a note: either your vVO₂max is set too high, or the session has come too early in your progression.
How it should feel
Your breathing climbs within the first 20 seconds of each effort, and the end of the minute properly stings. The minute of jogging is, by universal agreement, shorter than the minute of running. Guide: 7 to 8 out of 10 on the reps.
Common mistakes
Walking the recoveries
The recovery minute is jogged. Walking lets your breathing drop too far, and the next rep starts from scratch. Only the 3-minute break between sets is walked.
Skipping steps
Jumping straight from 30/30s to 3-minute reps is a big leap. One-minute reps exist for the in-between: once the 2 × 6 goes by without losing speed, add reps before lengthening the efforts.
Pressing on when the speed drops
If you can't hold your vVO₂max before the end of the second set, stop there. Finishing at a lower speed no longer trains what the session is for, and just adds fatigue.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A recently measured vVO₂max.
- Several short-interval sessions already done, such as a 30/30.
Skip it if
- You have pain or a recent injury.
- A long run, another hard session or a race is planned for the next day.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Limited evidenceLevel 2 of 5
Widely used, origin not found. One-minute on, one-minute off appears in coaching documents from the French Football Federation (Hérault league, 2024-2025 preparation: 3 blocks of 7 reps with 3 minutes' rest) and in PE materials from the Grenoble education authority. Indirect evidence: Millet and colleagues (Can J Appl Physiol 2003, 8 triathletes) measured about 531 seconds above 90% of VO₂max in 60 s/30 s at 100% of vVO₂max, against 149 seconds in 30/30. That isn't exactly this format, whose recovery is twice as long. The 100–102% range, the 2 × 6 split, the 3-minute break, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: widely used, weak to moderate evidence.
Sources
- Millet G. P. et al., Can J Appl Physiol 2003;28:410-423
- Fédération française de football, Ligue de l'Hérault, préparation athlétique 2024-2025
Frequently asked questions
How fast should you run 1-minute intervals?
At 100–102% of your vVO₂max. At 14 km/h that's 233 to 238 metres in a minute, from 4:17 to 4:12/km; at 16 km/h, 267 to 272 metres; at 18 km/h, 300 to 306 metres, from 3:20 to 3:16/km. The recovery minute is jogged, at 50–60% of vVO₂max.
How many 1-minute reps should I do?
Two sets of 6, so 12 minutes at vVO₂max, if you've already done several 30/30s. Once they go by without losing speed, move to 2 × 7, then 3 × 6. The 3 blocks of 7 format, taken from a federation document, is very demanding: save it for later.
1-minute reps or 30/30s: what's the difference?
The 30/30 strings together shorter efforts that are easier to hold, ideal for a first go at vVO₂max work. One-minute reps ask you to hold that speed twice as long each time, with a longer recovery too. It's the natural step after 30/30s, before long reps.
Where does the 1-minute on, 1-minute off session come from?
No original protocol has been found. The format is widespread in athletics clubs and in fitness training for team sports, football especially. Related studies, such as Millet's work on 60/30, show that one-minute efforts at vVO₂max keep oxygen uptake close to its maximum for a long time.
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