MAFFETONE LOW HEART RATE TRAINING FOR RUNNERS | And My Experience... 

This is fantastic!

4th week now and 8.58 x 10 mile at 128 bpm age 53 and 50miles plus weeks no injury touch wood!

@@harlequin991 woah you're super fit. I went on my first Maf run 10k and it took me 90 minutes..

@@adeelali8417 us South Asians have relatively poor endurance, so don’t compare yourself to these guys

That is fantastic! Keep up the good work.

I am running about the distance you do. I am running 2 parts or 3 parts to one walking (Galloway model). I am still fighting. Starting my fourth week.

Glad it was helpful!

its from Erich van Acken a german Cardiologist in the 1950 years

Steve Eng so much tougher! I just took the last 6 weeks off and I feel like I am starting over again.

Stick with it Steve. This is the way to go. Yes, it is tough to go slower at first but over time, you will get faster at the same perceive effort....which is very exciting! Patience is key! I started MAF training about 4 weeks ago and am seeing amazing results already. Look to use a chest strap with heart monitor for more accuracy with the heart beat....in case you are not currently using one. All the best.

Miranda C. You are very welcome! Happy to help.

How has it gone for you?

Any update? Did you stick with it? How has it gone?

👍🏼👍🏼

This is fantastic! Good luck with that marathon! Keep it up!

It can be really frustrating at times knowing that you can run faster, but forcing yourself to slow down. Just know that it will take time to see the changes. I am just starting back up after 6 weeks off. I will be documenting my own challenges during my return. Check back in over the next few weeks and let me know how you are progressing.

Welcome aboard! Good luck with MAF!

@@AverageRunningPT just done my week 1 training. I would say it's really challenging, requires lots of patience 😲. I had to walk to slow down my heart rate. I'm doing my MAT training on treadmill since i cant go outdoor atm. Is there any differences? Tq

That is fantastic! A whole 50K at under MAF is amazing!

My pleasure!

This is great! I still find myself trying to out run my easy HR zones from time to time. Ego definitely gets the better of me at times. The plan is to continue with it because I have seen a lot of great improvement over the last year.

Love reading people’s experiences like your own. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻👍🏻

Thats fantastic!

Glad it was helpful for you!

Exactly. We have some pretty hot weather here is Florida too! Hang in there and it will continue to improve.

Awesome man! Let me know how it goes.

It will serve you the Best! It works as Science provez it. Remember, everybody runs "hard" and over trains. That's why very few ever set p.r.'s and never get any better. The "nose to the grind stone" theory may work in making money, but not in running! Only a few runbers kniw this 'secrect!' 😉

hope your health is better

Any updates? I have dealing with heart palpitations for about 18 months as well and hoping running will help.

@@alwayswrite07 I stopped running over the summer and have been dealing with a lot of stress in my personal life and at work and my palpitations are back. Just started up again and my running speed at maffetone heart rate is way down

syntheee love this! My high school PB is 18:22! I would love to get back there after 15 years!

Barbara Anna Kročilová I am really glad you found it helpful!

Patience, patience, patience! Slowing down is something that we can all benefit from in this crazy fast paced world.

It will seem boring at first, but if you stick with it the body will adapt and you will be able to maintain a running form with maintaining the low HR. In the end it will be worth it, because you didn't beat up your body or create too much stress to achieve the fitness.

I would bet if develop running muscle in gym can run faster at a lower heart rate. Glutes hamstring core calves. I bet if did track developing 100m technique would mean better 5k times. Plus a lot more fun to do that type of training then endless maff stuff. Though bet u could do both. If need to make a phone call go maff running. Listen to audio books, get a treadmill and watch netflix. If just cruising no reason can't do heaps. In saying that though I dont know what a maf heart rate feels like for me. Doubt its heaps of effort, just building the tissies which what I need as constant injury, I dont mind thrashing my heart rate and breathing just my ligaments cant handle it.

Yep...sounds about right

You can do it! Just remember that patience is going to be key. The aerobic system takes time to adapt.

@@AverageRunningPT So did just over 9 miles day before yesterday at about 11min/mile pace (longest run in years). The sun was shining and I listened to a podcast the whole way. I really enjoyed it. Ran just over 3 miles yesterday with my 12 year old son at a fairly slow pace. Ran 4.6 miles today HARD - thought it was fast but turns out slower than usual! Seems I’m going to have to be much more patient and let my legs recover. The thing I’ve taken out of this though is I can actually enjoy the process rather than running full on and killing myself on every run. I’m going to change my routes, slow down and just enjoy it.

Slow easy running during the summer months are the best way to train for cross country season in the fall!

I feel that benefits of slow running don't really become apparent until you are running at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, then longer runs will give you a greater aerobic stimulus. What is interesting about HR training is the fact that you WON'T be as tired, and you WILL feel like you can go longer. This is because the stress on the body is so much less. Just know that as you continue with this method, you need to be thinking long term. I didn't really start seeing any results until about the first 3-4 weeks, then didn't really feel like I was really getting a significant effect until about 3 months. But I also have goals in mind for 3 years from now. When I think along these lines it becomes much easier to be patient.

I'm a bit further along but sounds very similar to me, I started running about 2 years ago (1st year was not a lot of running) as my fitness was bad, could not run 1 km without walking. Last september I ran a 10k race without walking and after that, I'd go out every other day, my avg pace was 6:30km, I didn't know how to run different paces etc. June this year I got a watch, realised my heart rate was high and always in zone 4/5 when running these 6:30/km, hitting the red zone at anything 6:00/km or quicker. So I slowly started to try to keep my heart rate below 140, I was doing around 8:30/km. I started with my usual 5km run, as that would take around 50 mins, every other day. As my fitness got better I lengthened my usual running route, and was running around 7:30/km and also running 2 days in a row, 1 off. Now i'm running 5/6 days a week and my usual route is 9km. 1 month ago I got a heart rate chest strap and realised, my 7:30/km pace was too much (I thought I was fitter than I was), so I'm going to try this maff thing for 3 months. This week I started running 7km route but keeping my heart rate between 128-138, and my times so far are 9:00/km. So my advice is keep going, adding more days when you feel you can (it will really improve your fitness from running every other day), run slower, I'd say 1 hr runs are a good level to work to/stick to for daily runs, do longer run on weekend. For me time is a factor when you're running more, it starts taking up more and more time. And definitely run slower, your body will thank you! And you will improve, good luck!

I'm a bit more than a month into it now, but to be honest I've not exactly followed it strictly. For the first 2 weeks or so I was really trying to keep it at the MAF number but I was basically walking most of the time. Generally doing 9-10 minutes km, sometimes over 10 minutes/km (so that's like 16 minute miles). I could speed walk faster, I tested that and it was disappointing. I also got a chest strap for improved accuracy. I don't mind the slow running so much, but I felt like I'm walking more than running and just wasn't really enjoying it so much. Although I've transitioned to general low HR training, which I've determined to be about after much experimentation 150. At 150 I can maintain a pace somewhere between 8-9 minutes/km which is still super slow, and I still need to take walk breaks to stay in that range, but I can actually run for sometimes up to 5 minutes without my HR going over. This feels much more beneficial. The last two weeks or so I've also to do about once a week a run with no walk breaks. I'm doing about 7 minute/km and keeping HR around max 160 on those and usually do a sprint the last 500m-1k. I've put the strict MAF aside for now, but the whole experience has gotten me to pay closer attention to HR and I feel like I'm getting some overall improvement. That said I will eventually try MAF again but for now it's just way too much walking. I feel like the training I'm doing is still beneficial and we'll see in a few months I may try MAF and if I can stay at 140bpm at a pace that's faster than speed walking maybe I'll stick with it longer.

Due to COVID, I have not had the opportunity to run any races. I am looking forward to doing some more time trials in the fall. But I did take 1:14 off my 5k time in the 3 months of doing MAF. Measured out on a track for a solo time trial. Also ran fastest 1 mile in the last 10 years. As far as pacing goes, I have always had difficulty with it. But I am gaining a better understanding all the time. Improved pacing comes from experience with racing, something I don't have a lot of over the last many years.

That is great progress after 1 month! I have the same struggles with the hills.

Average Running PT , I live in a hilly area so my best runs have been when I’ve got the biggest hill out of the way early in my run. Then I run a loop that is undulating back down to my house for 7-10miles. I’ve found this makes the runs much more enjoyable.

If following the MAF guidelines, you are supposed to continue with only MAF until you no longer see any improvement. However, in my opinion, you should do what you enjoy. I also stick to a 80/20 principle where 80% of my time running is spent at MAF and 20% is done with more speed. For me this breaks down to 5 days of running per week with one of those days being a “faster” workout.

@@AverageRunningPT noted! Thanks a lot

Stick with it! Be patient. Improvements will come.

And? Did you improve? It’s been 4 months 🧐

Now it’s been seven months and I’m here bc I’m the one just starting now. How’d it go for you??

@@edholtgi I've been working on it for a year and finally starting to see results gone from a good hr of 134 to 127 at a slightly faster pace per km

That is something I am not really able to speak to, but of course if your doctor gives you the go ahead...

MAF works well for marathon and half marathon...probably better than the shorter distances due to the greater aerobic nature of those longer distances.

End of November means you probably have about 10 weeks until you put in that effort. You have 2 weeks under your belt of just base training. I would spend the next 4 weeks doing purely easy running. Then add in 1 day a week of faster or race pace workouts for the last 5-6 weeks. Thank you for the question!

@@AverageRunningPT That's a great suggestion, thanks! I think I'll definitely do something like that :-)

The dosage is dependent on the person. I run 5-6 days a week and average about 25-30 miles a week.

When I first started, I could easily run 7:30 minute miles for 4-5 miles. But trying to stay under MAF I was reduced to 12:00 per mile and was walking constantly. Walk/jog is the way to go and your body will adjust over time. It might take 3 weeks to see an improvement, then it might take 3-6 months before you feel like you are actually getting somewhere meaningful. But it is completely worth it in the end. Check out this video where I talk about the frustrations with MAF: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7wf90nnqmE4.html

It was surprising to me how much I had to slow down to start. Took at least a month (might take you more) for me to start seeing any change.

When I first started, it took me about 2 months to start to see significant improvements.

Also, it depends on the weather where you are. It is getting hot and humid where I am right now, and everything is a little slower.

You have just described my exact training plan at the present time. I would say in the initial 4-10 weeks of base training it should stay all easy, but as you get into the meat of a training plan you should definitely add some increased intensity. And I always maintain the 1 day per week of rest.

@@AverageRunningPT thanks so much for your advice 👍

Sounds like a great idea. Stay consistent and you should progress nicely

It seems to work well for a lot of people!

Looks good. Don't be surprised if you have some runs that go in the opposite direction to though. The trend over time is what you need to be looking at.

What did you use to measure HR

4ndy123 I use my Garmin Forerunner 235

If the majority of your training in aerobic, and you just supplement with anaerobic, the effect on progress should be minimal.

@@AverageRunningPT Thanks! Keep up the good works as your videos are inspiring and encouraging!!!

Dylan Chan thank you so much!

I count my walking as part of my MAF training as long as it is staying in the MAF training zone. Full body strength workouts are another thing completely, but just add overall fitness and strength, which is always a good thing.

Might want to consult with you doctor about the synthroid and safe exercise parameters

I'm 66 as well. According to the formula, my MAF heart rate should be 114. I have to walk alot to keep my rate from 114 to 124. This is quite an adjustment.

DarthBane1024 how long have you been using MAF?

10 months on and off.

I really resonate with your comments about running hard cause before I would do 5k and blast my heart rate to 190-195 trying to get like a 6:55 avg pace. Same 110% mind set.

@@DarthBane-zf8wv Yeah! It really comes down to just setting it in your mind that not every day is race day.

For me it would only be about 30-35 miles a week. But I am just limited on time.

Not everyone responds the same. And I am still trying to figure out what some of the variables are.

@@AverageRunningPT I will say, that it's easier on my body in general. Injuries haven't been a thing.

That is correct

Thanks!

I am assuming that Garmin set your zones for you. Not sure exactly what your question is...

Settings>user profile>heart rate>zones and ensure it’s based on %HRR and ensure Garmin connect is the same that fixed the same issue I had

Depends on what you are currently doing right now. If you are doing nothing, then adding 2 runs a week is going to benefit you greatly. If you already do a lot of running, then you might benefit from slowing down just for the sake of preserving the body for your more difficult runs.

I am assuming that 148 is your MAF number. If your HR goes beyond this, then I would suggest walking until it comes back down to the bottom of the MAF range (138). Then you can resume running. Distance? This will just be dependent on your fitness.

@@AverageRunningPT Thanks for the info. Will start this soon

If you check out my strava account (linked in the description) you will notice that I am low in my mileage because I had to take about 7 weeks off from running during the COVID-19 craziness. Going to hit 17-20 miles this week. Building back to 30-35 over the next 6 weeks.

@@AverageRunningPT thanks !!

The treadmill can actually simplify things a lot for you. You can set a pace and not worry about whether you are going too fast. Duration depends on the person and where he/she is at in their training.

I have not made any adjustments to my diet, but that is something I would like to do. I am just not very good at meal planning and struggle to make those changes easily.

Give it a month or so. Predicting will do intense workout every third day. If super sore just dp the bar but stick to that 5 sets 20 reps. Maybe wedge in calf work so tough enough to handle some running. I like a treadmill as set up in front of TV, set up a fan or heater. Dont habe to worry how look. Run in under pants if want. Have snacks on a shelf beside or a fridge. ImGine mqffetone dont have to worry too much about indigestion...maybe not.

Can you jog in place and keep your heart rate at MAF zone? Try that then gradually start to move forward. It will be very slow, but I bet it works!

Evan Miller yes it is. That was my experience as well. Now if you are playing high level soccer, you will probably understand that other forms of training will be necessary, but if you are in the off-season then you can probably spend 70-80% of your time in zone two.

@@AverageRunningPT Yeah. I play twice a week, so most days outside of that I am recovering. I do other forms of training as well, just think I should do Zone 2 for the majority of time when I'm not on the field.

Evan Miller it is a great way to stay injury free and build your base for the harder training later on.

@@AverageRunningPT I have just trained high intensity interval and soccer for most of my life. It almost seems like my heart is used to zone 4 and 5 consistently, so it overworks in a light jog. I'm hoping this training will keep me stronger in the 80th minute of a match.

Evan Miller I started at 13:16 mins per mile down to 12 something,I am 52 yrs but have been fairly consistent last two years

You can...MAF formula is just an easy way to get into HR training. But yes, Karvonen will be more specific to your fitness.

Started at 4 days a week. Bumped up to 5-6 days after a month. Runs are anything from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.

@@AverageRunningPT thanks.. really helps 😊

@@robyfirmansyah2348 my pleasure.

I did not.

It is only day 3, so your body hasn't even recognized what you are trying to do. Give it 3 weeks at least to start seeing any results. Give it 3 months to start seeing significant results. You are experiencing cardiac drift. Here is a video about that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KRlw3gWWorM.html Also, here is a bit of encouragement: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NeNvIGkkF5E.html

@@AverageRunningPT many thanks

Yes...this will be normal in the beginning because the intensity is so low compared to what your body is used to. But if you are patient, you will start to see changes in a period of months (not weeks). These changes will be an incredible base for those harder efforts down the road.

Yes, this is happening to me too. VO2max is decreasing daily but I’m staying focused and disciplined and trusting the plan.

That is the goal! Enjoy the run! Nice work!

I ran a 5:29 mile time trial after the 3 months.

@@AverageRunningPT Ok, that's a nice result. Thanks for the answer.

Lately I have been using it for every run except for 1. That 1 run is something anaerobic.

@@AverageRunningPT I'm on day 2 using this method. Yesterday was a real dent on my ego. The pace was so slow I couldn't quite accept the fact. Today was 30s faster per km. Looking forward to the results. Thank you for the introduction.

@@andrew-ng Absolutely. If you are an experienced runner, the body will become more efficient at those slower paces fairly quickly (a week or so) due to you figuring out the biomechanics of the slower pace. But from there the progress generally slows down a bit as the cardiovascular system starts to adapt. From that point it is all about patience and sticking with it.

@@andrew-ng What made you start this method?

@@AverageRunningPT I actually felt that my legs were more tired running this slow. But it the nice and easy kind of fatigue. I started because I have been feeling a bit sore on my plantar fasciitis, and I thought to myself if I really needed to run this hard to achieve the desired results. I heard of the concept of running slow to run fast that led me to this Maffetone system. Seems logical and very easy to apply. So here I am :) How did you get into this?

atifebrahim what pace are you running? You might need to run slower, which can be difficult, I know! How long have you been training like this? You might just need to let your body adapt a little more.

​@@AverageRunningPT Im running very slow. Its hard on my joints to run any slower - my pace is around 11.45 min per mile. Growing up, i played a lot of soccer, and like you know, it's a lot of sprinting, changing direction, very fast pace, so naturally my HR just shoots up really high. i haven't done any long aerobic cardio and this is my first time doing this - so maybe it will take a while to get my HR to drop and be steady. I went on three runs this week, all of them were the same - 5k distance and not increasing 149bpm Heart Rate. When i did surpass 149bpm i stopped walked and let my HR recover around 20 beats (until it dropped to 130bpm then i would carry on running again). I had to stop maybe 3 times in a Kilometre. Monday 1st June - 36.23 mins | average HR Rate - 144bpm Tuesday 2nd June - 35.25 mins | average HR Rate - 142bpm (dropped significantly from the day before) Wednesday 3rd June - 36.06 mins | average HR Rate - 142bmp (went back up, maybe it could be fatigue or i was running slightly faster) At the moment i am doing a half marathon plan on the Garmin watch but i am going to fit in some MAF slow runs when i can. Does running generally improve the heart rate to decrease and steady. For example - if i was to run 5k or 5 miles and not worry about MAF, i know my average heart rate will be very high probably for a 5k around 160s and for 5miles maybe 172 but would this help my HR to drop and be steady? The reason i ask this is i'm planning to run a half marathon in a few months and i feel like i would be in good shape to do it if i my HR was lower, running at 170bpm average i would only be able to do that for a few miles. Thanks for your reply and help!!

atifebrahim as you know, running anything over 1 mile will cause you to use the aerobic energy system as the primary method of delivering energy to the body. So whether you run it super slow or the heart rate is in the 170s you will still improve the conditioning of the heart. However, the heart will never get used to training in certain zones if we don’t train it there. So the short answer is that you will still gain fitness, but it won’t be training the aerobic system as specifically as you might like.

@@AverageRunningPT Thank you for the reply! i might switch my training up so i'm more focussed on MAF Training!

atifebrahim do what works best for you. Right now I am starting a new training cycle and focusing 99% on MAF. Eventually I will factor in more speed work until I am probably 80% MAF and 20% speed/tempo paces.

maybe not all at one time, but the idea is that it should be REALLY EASY!!!

What is your heart rate during the walk breaks?

@@AverageRunningPT It's around 133-143bpm during walk breaks. The walk breaks in between is around 4-5mins

@@jansenchew1384 Are those brisk walks or are you taking it down to super slow? You may have to spend a lot more time walking at a brisk pace to allow the heart to build efficiency before starting to run. I know that is frustrating, but you have to allow the cardiovascular system to adapt to stress before adding more.

@@AverageRunningPT Brisk walks. (around 11:00 - 13:00m/km pace). Yes, I do agree that patience is everything for now haha Anyway I am experimenting on different methods to keep the heart rate low. Here are some of the methods that I am currently trying out: 1) 3km Shorter runs instead of the usual 5km -7km runs( 3 - 4times per week) to ensure that I finish running before my HR shoots up. My avg HR stays at 152bpm (max 168bpm) after the run. 2) Concentrating on the belly to breathe instead of the lungs, I find that it keeps my heart rate low and steady (max +/- 10beats fluctuations) Does this method work? 3) Lastly, I head out for morning cooling runs instead of my usual 5-6pm sunset runs. The morning temperature makes it cooling for my body. Not sure if it works, but just gonna give it a try too. Let me know your comments on these methods? :)

@@jansenchew1384 I have personally experienced that weather (heat vs. cold) can absolutely affect your heart rate. My runs during winter are much easier to control heart rate than during the warmer months.

Sounds like it would certainly be pretty difficult. Dr. Maffetone does say that things can be adjusted for different age groups stating, "The 180 Formula may need to be further individualized for people over the age of sixty-five. for some of these athletes, up to 10 beats may have to be added." -The Big Book Of Endurance Training and Racing (page 71)

Great question

This is absolutely true. Your body has a significantly larger amount of fat storage than glucose storage.

I have started doing this ,it can be frustrating but it’s nice finishing a run and not being F..... completely agree that it would be a really good way to get people active ,also gains on body strength

Are you a complete beginner, or have you been running for a little while?

@@AverageRunningPT same question here. I've been running for a month. Do we need to run based on time or distance ?

Mohd Shafeeq Shuib I went by time.

You body and connective tissues will thank you.

MAF is not based off max. 180-age. +5/-5. You’re at 130. Run your 30k at that heart rate for a month. Your actual pace will eventually increase. Also, warm up first. HR creeps up initially. This is about capacity to do more utilization (ie. for a race)

@@LagmasterB Thanks for the reply :) My point is that I have a really high heart rate. I cannot run at 130. 130 is a power walk for me :(

@@BilderbergCEO well another non-quantitative measurement (blood draws, etc) is you should be able to carry on a decent conversation, breathe in through nose, out through mouth. I’ve found I can carry on a convo about 5bpm beyond nose breathing limit.

Hi! Assuming you didn't have to do any of the additional adjustments indicated by Maffetone to your MAF HR, it would be 131. Then you should keep your work time between 121 and 131bpm. The MAF HR is the maximum limit of a training range, not an average. It seems most of us suffer the walk/jog/shuffle at the start. But also for most of us it pays off greatly. Keep up the good work!

@@mtorressahli Hi, I too just started MAF for a week. And right now, I couldn't run fast. I suffer Shuffle/jog and jog. I doubt if this really works. My smart watch has indicated that my VO2max has dropped even. It's frustrating and I am trying to tell myself to be patient.Wondering how long will i see some improvement =(

Hi @@timsofast ! I totally understand. Any estimation we have is based on personal experiences of people that have tried MAF. The scientific articles available are synthesis of the evidence and principles in which it is based. What I've read more often is that people start to see progress after between three and 6 weeks. Maffetone says that someone with really poor aerobic fitness or overtrained may need up to three months. I started at a ridiculous 17min/mile or 11 min/km shuffle, after three weeks I was at 10:15 min/km and then kept progressing. Although, my Garmin dropped my VO2Max to the floor and said for some days I was "unproductive". I guess these devices are better tuned for widespread training practices and average-to-good performance. Nonetheless, I was progressing. It is important to note: I was also overweight when started. Had taken up running a couple of months before with 30kg/66lbs of bodyweight to loose. Began MAF training with still 20kg/44lbs to go. I embraced also part of Maffetone's recommendations on nutrition and others; I guess they helped. The main things I adopted were: (1) no more refined carbs, (2) more healthy fats in my diet, (3) ideally 8-9 hours of sleep, at least 7. I've heard of many people succeed greatly with MAF training, but its most difficult part is definitely patience. I do not know anyone that didn't need loads of it to keep going until seeing results. The good thing is that they seems to be longlasting achievements - aerobic capacity is very resilient once you develop it. Phil Maffetone's website has a section with an "8-step" method that guides you through some basic assessments and recommendations. It's free to use and it may give you hints about what you are experiencing and what you could expect.

@@mtorressahli Thanks so much @Manuel. Really appreciate your detailed explanation. I will stay patience and be determined to embrace MAF method over 3 to 6 months and review the results. Happy running =)

In all honesty, this method is super frustrating to start. But your body will start to dial in the paces soon and it will get easier.

Mike Mosby my version! Adapt to works best for you.

It does require some time investment, that is for sure.