The Norwegian 4x4: The Best HIIT Workout to Boost Your VO2 Max and Turn Back Time

What it is, why it’s awesome, and how I do it

Photo by David Traña on Unsplash

Once a week, my wife watches me ride what I call the Norwegian rollercoaster.

It involves a highly beneficial HIIT-style workout and a rollercoaster of emotions.

Excitement. Dread. Acceptance. “I can do this”. Hope. “No I can’t.” Misery. Relief. Despair. And finally, bliss.

I hate it and love it so much.

Here’s what it is, why I do it, and how to get started today:

What is the Norwegian rollercoaster?

The Norwegian rollercoaster refers to the up-and-down behavior of my heart rate and mental state before, during, and after my once-weekly HIIT workout.

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It’s a type of workout with alternating periods of high-intensity exertion followed by low-intensity recovery or rest.

There’s a whole spectrum of different HIIT-style workouts with varying interval durations and numbers of rounds. The specific protocol I use is called the Norwegian 4x4, hence the name of my rollercoaster.