★★★★★
“For the first time, I’ve stayed consistent with strength training, and I really felt the difference with strong legs during my last marathon.”
KKMFGoogle review · Oct 2026
Fitness test · Central Zürich
A VO₂max test shows how fit your heart and lungs really are.
Most people do their cardio by feel, or by what a watch guesses. In about an hour we measure your VO₂max with a mask while you exercise. You leave with your own training zones, so your easy sessions stay easy and your hard sessions are really hard.
★★★★★5.0 on Google from more than 170 reviews
- 60′About an hour, debrief included
- 5Training zones from your test
- PDFYour report to keep
- 235CHF if you train at VAULT
What we hear most
Lots of cardio. No idea if it works.
Most people who ask about the test already train. These are the things they tell us, and what the test changes for each one.
01“I run every week, but I don't get faster”
You get zones from your own test. Then you know which sessions to keep easy and which to push, instead of doing every run at the same medium pace.
02“I'm out of breath on the stairs”
Your VO₂max shows where your fitness is today. It can be trained, and when you test again you see if it has moved.
03“I have a race coming up”
Your plan starts from your own numbers. Zones from a test fit you better than zones worked out from your age.
04“My watch can't make up its mind”
Your watch makes a guess. In the test you breathe through a mask, and we measure the oxygen you actually use.
Why it matters
A number that says a lot about how well you age.
Large studies keep finding the same pattern. People with fitter hearts and lungs tend to live longer and get fewer chronic diseases. These are links found in big groups of people, not a promise for one person. But the direction is clear.
5×
In 122,007 adults who did a treadmill test, the least fit had about five times the risk of dying during the follow-up as the fittest. The researchers found no point where more fitness stopped helping.
Mandsager et al., 201811–17%
A review of 199 studies and more than 20.9 million observations: every small step up in fitness was linked to an 11 to 17% lower risk of death from any cause. Fitness also predicted heart disease and other chronic diseases.
Lang et al., 2024≈10% per decade
Without training, VO₂max drops by about 10% every ten years from around the age of 30. In people who keep training regularly, the drop can be around half that.
Burtscher et al., 2022And day to day, you notice it too.
- More energy
- Stairs without running out of breath
- Better recovery between sessions
You can't improve what you don't know. Measuring your VO₂max is the first step to improving it.
Sources: Mandsager et al., JAMA Network Open, 2018 · Lang et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024 · Burtscher et al., Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2022
In plain words
Your five zones, explained.
VO₂max
The most oxygen your body can take in and use when you go as hard as you can. Your heart and lungs bring the oxygen in and your muscles use it. The higher it is, the longer you can keep going before you run out of breath.
Easy days and hard days, both on purpose
Most people train everything at a medium effort. With your zones measured, your coach can plan the week: easy sessions that build your base, and hard sessions that are really hard, each at its own intensity. When an interval is meant to be high intensity, you know it is.
What your body burns
Your body always burns a mix of fat and carbohydrate. At easy intensities more of the energy comes from fat. The harder you go, the more it relies on carbohydrate. Your zones show you which one you are training.
Your five zonesEasy → all out
- Zone1
Recovery
Gentle movement. Helps you recover between harder days.
- Zone2
Aerobic base Base
The pace you can hold for hours. It builds the base the hard work sits on.
- Zone3
Steady pace
A sustained pace that feels like work. This is where most sessions end up when nobody measures.
- Zone4
Threshold High intensity
Hard intervals of a few minutes. They raise the pace you can hold before you have to slow down.
- Zone5
Maximum High intensity
Short, all-out efforts. These are the sessions that push your VO₂max up.
Your zones come from your own test. The fuel line is general physiology: the test itself measures the oxygen you use.
How the test works
About an hour, step by step.
You don't need to prepare much. Come as you would to a training session, and your coach takes it from there.
- 01
You arrive
We talk about your training, your goal and anything we should know before you start.
- 02
We fit the mask
It sits over your mouth and nose. You breathe normally, and it measures the oxygen you use.
- 03
You warm up
You start easy, so your body is ready before the test begins.
- 04
The intensity goes up
Step by step it gets harder, until you can't keep going. Your coach is next to you the whole time, and you can stop whenever you want.
- 05
Your results, explained
Your coach goes through your VO₂max and your zones with you, and what they mean for your training. You also get a PDF report.
Get a free sample report →
Measured with
A light mask that measures the oxygen you use while you exercise.
What you leave with
Numbers you can train with.
Your VO₂max
Where your fitness is today. Test again later and you see the change.
Your training zones
Five zones from your test, from easy base work to real high intensity.
A PDF report
Your results to keep, and to share with whoever plans your training.
A debrief with your coach
What your numbers mean, and how to use them in your training.
Train with us? Your coach uses the numbers.If you train at VAULT, your coach plans your week around your zones: easy sessions to build your base and hard sessions that are really hard, each with a clear target.
Book a free trial →
Free PDF · sample report
See the report before you book.
This is what you take home after your test: your VO₂max, your two thresholds, your five zones in heart rate and power, and a plan for the next weeks. Leave your email and we send you the full sample.
4 pages · in English
Get the full sample report.
Every page of a real VAULT report, with example numbers. We send it to your inbox.
Please check your email address.
Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again or email info@vaulttraining.ch.
One email with the PDF. Privacy policy
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On its way.
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Want your own numbers? Book your test on WhatsApp and we find a time.
Book on WhatsApp →
Who it's for
For anyone who wants their cardio measured.
Runners and cyclists
Know which days to go easy and which to go hard, at a pace that fits you.
A race or a big goal
A marathon, a long ride or a hard hike. Start your plan from real numbers.
Getting fitter
You want more energy in your day and to stop getting out of breath on the stairs. Find out where you start.
You already train at VAULT
Add your cardio to what your coach already tracks. For you the test is CHF 235.
This is a fitness test, not a medical test. If you have a heart condition or any doubt about your health, speak to your doctor before you book.
Price
One test, one clear price.
VO₂max test
Your VO₂max and your zones, explained by your coach.
- Your VO₂max, measured with a mask while you exercise
- Your five training zones, from easy to all out
- A PDF report
- A debrief with your coach
300CHF per test
If you train at VAULT, with any pack or membership, the test is CHF 235.
Also available
Ask us
Your metabolism at rest
A separate test, done at rest. It estimates how much energy your body uses when you are not moving. That helps you plan your food with your coach or with our nutrition coach.
There is no online booking for the test. Send us a WhatsApp or a message and we find a time with you.
Reviews
What our clients say
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google, from more than 170 reviews
★★★★★
“I forgive Vault for the first month, when … walking up the stairs felt like climbing K2. Brutal workouts, but honestly top quality. Now I actually look forward to them…”
NNaser A.Google review · Oct 2026
★★★★★
“They keep track of all your progress and can adapt the training to your need. I’ve been going there for a few months now and can see the difference.”
XXavier D.Google review · Oct 2026
★★★★★
“It is almost a year I come here once per week. My posture has improved, I get less tired in my daily life and, of course, got some new muscles.”
RRaquel F.Google review · Sep 2026
★★★★★
“… has the talent to push you to your full potential! I highly recommend for anyone looking to level up their fitness journey and leave the couch-potato life behind.”
AADRAGoogle review · Oct 2025
★★★★★
“They're highly knowledgeable, encouraging, and have been genuinely invested in helping me achieve my fitness goals.”
AAda L.Google review · Oct 2025
Questions
Questions about the VO₂max test
No. The end is hard, because the intensity keeps going up until you can't keep going. That part is short, and you decide when to stop. The mask can feel strange for the first minute, then you get used to it.
Your training clothes and shoes, and something to drink. Come rested, and don't eat a big meal just before the test.
Plan about 60 minutes. That includes the talk at the start, the warm-up, the test itself and the debrief with your coach.
Every few months is a good rhythm if you want to see your progress. It gives your training time to work.
No. Anyone can book the test, and it costs CHF 300. If you train at VAULT, with any pack or membership, it costs CHF 235 and your coach uses your zones to plan your training.
No. It is a fitness test to guide your training, and it doesn't diagnose anything. If you have a heart condition or any doubt about your health, speak to your doctor before you book.
A separate test that you do at rest, apart from the VO₂max test. It estimates how much energy your body uses when you are not moving, which helps you plan your food with your coach or our nutrition coach. If you are interested, ask us.
Send us a WhatsApp or write to us through the contact page, and we find a time with you. The test is in our studio at Brandschenkestrasse 150, 8002 Zürich, in the centre of the city. It is 4 minutes on foot from Bahnhof Enge, and there is parking right in front of the studio.
Book your test
Find out where your fitness is today.
Send us a WhatsApp and we find a time with you. New to VAULT and want to train too? Your first training session is free.
Would you rather write? Use our contact page or call +41 78 337 73 77.
Brandschenkestrasse 150 · 8002 Zürich · 4 min from Bahnhof Enge
