MAF Training review series

Every few months someone pops up on Strava or Youtube enthusiastically talking about Maffetone Method and how it feels great for their training. A few months later, they’ve stopped talking about it and it goes by the wayside until someone else gets enthused. I gave MAF training a decent try back in 2014 ending in little-to-no improvement and a busload of frustration.

The posts I wrote on the Maffetone Method are among the most popular on this site and so, this page lists them together in one place for easy reference. Just click on the links to open each part in a new page.

Part 1 – detailing what the real Maffetone method is, not just the age-related formula which gets all the attention.

Part 2 – telling the story of how 41-year-old me spent a whole summer training religiously to the Maffetone heart-rate limit with no significant improvement.

Part 3 – a twenty minute read summarising the good, the bad and the ugly points of Maffetone training as most people use it.

Part 4 – telling the story of how 49-year-old me trained like a 20-something (according to MAF formula) and saw the improvements promised by the method and no ill-health or overtraining.

Part 5 – explores why people get excited by MAF training until they give up on it. It’s based on my own memories of why I gave low heart-rate training a go. If you’re considering MAF training perhaps this post will resonate for you.

Part 6 – details what training looks like when you’re getting it wrong, getting injured and failing to make progress. For comparison, I show what injury-free training looks like.

While I’m not a fan of the age-related formula, I have great respect for what Phil Maffetone knows and has written in his books. I’m sure if you were to go to him as a client he would be able to diagnose your situation and help you improve. Remember his method is much, much more than training to a low heart-rate.

If you would like to consult with me online about endurance training, to understand my take on MAF training, to receive ongoing coaching or a training review and recommendations then please Contact me.