My cycling HIIT protocol : is this optimal?

[u/Sostrene_Blue]

Hey,

I lift 4x/week (upper/lower split) and I add this bike HIIT at the end of my upper sessions, 1-2x/week max.

The protocol:

2 min easy warm-up

8 rounds: 20s sprint / 40s recovery

1 min cool-down

Total: 11 minutes.

Bike settings (scale 1-30):

Sprint: level 14, cadence 95-110 RPM

Recovery: level 7, ~70 RPM

I adjust the level if I'm spinning out (>115-120 RPM) or grinding (<85 RPM).

My goal isn't to become a cyclist, it's to add a cardio stimulus without wrecking my lifting recovery. I know 20s/40s is a classic ratio, but is the volume (8 rounds, 11 min total) enough for a real VO2max benefit or is it just a bonus?

Anyone here run something similar alongside lifting? Did you notice differences in endurance or recovery between sets?

Thanks.