Maffetone Method Review – UPDATED 2021 – MAF Low Heart Rate Training

Base training is quite essential for athletes as it helps build the foundation. It helps get the body ready for race-specific exercises by focusing on endurance. Maffetone Method is a training style that most runners use for base training.

The Maffetone Method is developed by Phile Maffetone as a style of training that focuses largely on aerobic running. This program is known to deliver a number of benefits including lowered stress hormones, minimized risks of injuries, increased fat burning and reduced inflammation.
In this post, we review the Maffetone Method and try to understand whether these claims are right, how the training method works and what you can expect from it.

 

Maffetone Method Review – UPDATED 2020

The Maffetone Method intends to improve an athlete’s aerobic development and calories burnt. The base of this program is improving endurance through aerobic training. It stresses the importance of prioritizing aerobic running for runners because it is the foundation upon which other sports-specific training regimes are based.
The method uses a formula of aerobic maximum heart rate which is obtained by subtracting your age from 180 and then modifying it on the basis of various criteria. You should never exceed this number to be able to build aerobic fitness. Runners use this Maffetone Method for base training up to six months practicing low-intensity paces which never raise their heart rate above this value.

The Maffetone Method consists of a variety of tools to analyze health, track progress, improve nutrition, manage stress and exercise. It is an open system that anybody can use either as it or as a part of any other approach you are using. It is all about combining different components to perform better and get stronger.

MAF Low Heart Rate Training – How It Works?

MAF stands for Maximum Aerobic Function and it works on the concept of running slow to run fast. MAF low heart rate training is perfect for new and old runners who want to reduce their risks of injury. It is also ideal for those who want to lose weight and fat and are interested in improving their overall health.

The MAF training works on the theory of building up aerobic base so that the body learns to run faster at a lower heart rate. This will delay the time the body needs to use its anaerobic system which means you can run faster and longer before the body gets exhausted.

A lot of people don’t realize that races longer than 800 m use a combination of aerobic and anaerobic systems. And there is a critical and comfort zone within these systems. It is mostly the critical zone where races are lost or won. Longer the duration of a race, more you depend on your aerobic system so it is worth improving it with the help of MAF low heart rate training.

You can also benefit from strengthening the aerobic system for short races because you can rely more on it and delay moving to the critical zone. This is why it is really important to develop a strong aerobic foundation. This training not only gets you running faster at a lower heart rate, but also provides a number of other benefits.
With the MAF low heart rate training, your heart muscles get stronger and more energy is focused on your muscles. Your physical stress levels reduce and you can easily start losing weight because you burn fat for energy and not carbohydrates. As there is less stress, you can run for longer and develop endurance necessary for marathons or other events.

MAF Training For Beginners – Getting Started

To start with the MAF Method, you should focus on exercise, stress as well as nutrition. Addressing each of them properly is necessary to achieve a strong aerobic system. To get started with MAF training, you first perform a MAF test by running, walking or cycling for 20 minutes at the measured MAF heart rate and record how much distance you could cover.

You can then exercise on a regular basis at your MAF heart rate while making sure the body gets time to rest between sessions. The test can be repeated every month with the same elements and you will see your aerobic system improves in about 3-6 months.

Apart from the MAF test, there is a diet that recommends eliminating processed foods from the diet. The MAF training teaches the body to burn fat instead of carbs to fuel the body. Once you start this training, you can run faster at a low heart rate and need less energy to run, meaning you can run farther.

You can complement this low heart rate training with speed work by getting on a treadmill with a negative incline to practice faster turn over with low HR. You can also introduce one speedy workout per week once you are healthy and have made good progress on MAF training.

 

Maffetone Diet & Carbohydrate Intolerance Test

Determining the tolerance to carbohydrates is a great way to improve health and fitness quickly. This is possible through Maffetone Two Week Test. The evaluation system developed by Phil Maffetone helps personalize the diet by understanding your carbohydrate intolerance.

To perform this test, you not all your abnormal signs and symptoms like depression, mood swings, hunger, fatigue, insomnia, high blood pressure and more. You also weigh yourself. Then, you follow the diet suggested by Maffetone for two weeks before reevaluating your symptoms and signs including your weight.

During the test, you stay away from carbohydrates and eat other recommended foods. You are allowed to consume unprocessed foods including dairy and meat. You avoid processed foods like sugar and sugar-containing foods, sweets, pasta, canned foods, potatoes, fruits and legumes. You also avoid milk, processed meats, processed cheese and fats.

After two weeks, you can determine which natural carbohydrates you should consume so that your signs and symptoms don’t return. If you feel better during the two-week time, it means you have carbohydrate intolerance to some extent. You also lose fat and weight during this test time due to reduced insulin. If you feel exactly the same as before the test, it means you don’t have any carbohydrate intolerance.

The Maffetone Method is, in essence, a personalized approach that any athlete can incorporate into his daily lifestyle to determine his unique needs in different areas of health and fitness, from exercise and nutrition to stress management. The process results in improved performance delivering increased endurance, better brain function, improved energy, continuous speed, strength and reduced risk of injuries.