I'm 63 and recently had a proper VO2 max test on a Concept2 rower. Result was 47.6 ml/kg/min, which is pretty solid for my age and roughly where I expected to be.
I became an on-call firefighter in April this year, so I've been through the required fitness tests and have also had a much more practical test of my fitness. Some wildfire jobs this summer involved long shifts in heat and PPE, hauling and dragging hose over steep, rough ground. By the time I did the VO2 test, I already had a pretty good idea that I was reasonably fit.
The interesting comparison for me is my previous lab VO2 test in 2023. I got 26.5, classified as poor for my age, despite thinking I was reasonably fit then as well. I was about 240 lb versus 209 lb now, and I'm clearly fitter today, so there's been a real improvement.
But it isn't a clean comparison. The 2023 test was on a bike. I'm not a cyclist and I remember my thighs being the limiting factor. This one was on a rower, which I know well. I'm certainly not an elite rower, but I row regularly and had three top-100 Concept2 results in my 60–65 age group last year. I've also done enough horrible 2Ks to have a pretty good idea of how hard I can actually push myself on one.
My training is pretty straightforward: Apple Fitness+ rowing with Josh Crosby about three times a week, strength twice a week and lots of walking. More recently I've added a weekly Norwegian 4x4, walking/jogging on a treadmill because that's closer to what I actually do as a firefighter — moving under load and stress.
One takeaway for me is to do a VO2 max test on equipment you know, if you have the choice. When you're being asked to go all the way to your limit, knowing the movement and knowing what you can tolerate makes a difference.
The rowing protocol also had an aspect I hadn't appreciated. As each stage gets harder, you have to produce the extra power yourself. Nobody turns up the machine and forces the increased workload on you. Just when you really want to back off, you have to consciously row harder and hit the next target. It's an interesting mental challenge on top of the physical one.
The other surprise was the difference between the fitness estimates and the lab result. Apple Health currently has my Cardio Fitness at 34.7, although that comes from outdoor walk/run/hike data rather than this rowing test or my Fitness+ rowing.
I also recorded the actual test on my Apple Watch with Athlytic, with the watch and the lab using the same Polar H10 chest strap for heart rate. Athlytic estimated my VO2 max at 58.6 for that workout. The lab, measuring my respiratory gases at the same time, got 47.6.
So Apple currently shows me at 34.7, the lab measured 47.6, and Athlytic estimated 58.6 during the test. I expected consumer estimates to differ from a lab measurement, but I was surprised by just how wide the spread was.
Those were the bits I found most interesting from finally doing a VO2 max test on a rower.
