About us

Hi, I’m Stephen. I’m a milk-drinking, pancake eating, husband and dad of six who loves CrossFit, weightlifting, and basketball, and tolerates running. I started VO2 Testing with the goal to help athletes gain and build confidence in their fitness and training.

I’ve been active in sports my whole life and have especially enjoyed CrossFit since 2020 when I happened across a gym because it was the closest place to my new house. What started as a fun way to workout evolved into a passion that’s led me to train, compete, and coach. Although I competed in sports growing up, I’m in the best shape of my life now because I’ve benefitted from amazing coaching, programs, and consistency.

Using data to train better: My experience with VO2 testing

I did my first VO2 test after reading the book Outlive by Peter Attia and learning how indicative VO2 Max is of overall health. I wanted a baseline measure to track over time.

I tested at a local clinic and received a number, but didn’t know what to do with it and changed nothing about my training.

I decided to retest a year later at the same clinic because I wanted to races with my friends, which meant I needed to start running. I hated running. I was shocked to learn my max had increased almost 20%, but I didn’t know why and still didn’t know what to do with the data. I wondered how I could have such a high VO2 max but also be such a bad runner.

After a ton of research and meeting with professionals, I learned what my VO2 Max data meant. My max score was great, but the heart rate and breathing data showed my limited aerobic capacity. Put simply, I was high horsepower, low efficiency.

My VO2 test data helped me pinpoint my exact heart rate zones. Turns out, I had been running WAY too hard in training to get more efficient. Knowing my heart rate zones gave me the data and permission I needed to go slow so that I could go fast. When I say slow, I’m talking about 12-minute mile pace. I never would have had the confidence to train that slow without data to back it up.

Since the VO2 data gave me the confidence I needed to slow down, I’ve seen my aerobic capacity steadily increase. I’m a better runner than ever and ready to take on Ragnar, Spartan, Hyrox, and maybe even a marathon (even though I promised myself I’d never be crazy enough to run that much).

Your cardiovascular health predicts your quality of life

Medicine and medical technology is more advanced now than ever before in history, yet Americans are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The United States ranks 34th in life expectancy - three years lower than the rest the world - and spends twice as much on health care per person than the next highest country. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US by far.

Having a healthy cardiovascular system is critical for maximizing lifespan (how long you live) AND healthspan (how long you’re healthy), and it can’t be artificially manipulated by drugs like caffeine, steroids, GLP-1 inhibitors, or anything else. A healthy cardiovascular system must be earned. VO2 Max is THE gold standard test for measuring cardiovascular fitness.

I believe in the democratization of health data

Technology can tell us more about our bodies than ever before. Your smart watch can not only track your heart rate but also validate your grandpa that, indeed, that music is too loud. For over 100 years, VO2 Max has been used to monitor health and performance, but, until recently, the testing devices have been so large, cumbersome, and meticulous that they’re only available in hospitals, labs, and elite sports clinics.

We use the first and only state-of-the-art portable VO2 analyzer on the market to bring professional-level data to recreational athletes for attainable prices. We use the same analyzer used by Olympic and Ironman world champions, runners, cyclists, skiers, swimmers, and martial artists. We believe that everyone should have access to data that helps them optimize and be confident in their training so they can achieve their goals, be proactive about their health and fitness, and be better than they even imagined.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.