Everyone has heard of heart-rate training and plenty of people go through the efforts of finding their training zones to optimize their workouts. There’s a lot of validity to that kind of training, but there’s another heart-rate method that just might warrant even better results. Trouble is, it’s not for the impatient.
One of Phil Maffetone's many books
I’m talking about the Maff method, developed by Phil Maffetone, an applied kinesiologist, author of numerous training manuals, and long-term coach to such top athletes as six-time Ironman world champion Mark Allen. His method begins with the theory that you need to train at a truly aerobic level in order to teach your body to tap into fat for fuel. Anytime you become anaerobic, you’re burning sugar. Too much time spent training off of sugar for fuel and your body not only loses its ability to tap into fat stores for fuel, but becomes tired and burned out.
Now I know many of us believe you have to train fast to be fast. The Maff method, however, suggests that the longer you train at a lower heart rate, the more efficient you will become at that low heart rate. Before you know it, you’ll be bringing your splits down and doing it at that low heart rate. Well, maybe not before you know it–in order to achieve this, it takes time.
So how do you know what’s truly aerobic? Maffetone has developed a formula that is loosely based on 180 minus your chronological age. Then you factor in things like recent injury, illness, etc. Below is what he recommends from his web site:
To find your maximum aerobic training heart rate, there are two important steps. First, subtract your age from 180. Next, find the best category for your present state of fitness and health, and make the appropriate adjustments:
1. Subtract your age from 180.
2. Modify this number by selecting among the following categories the one that best matches your fitness and health profile:
a. If you have or are recovering from a major illness (heart disease, any operation or hospital stay, etc.) or are on any regular medication, subtract an additional 10.
b. If you are injured, have regressed in training or competition, get more than two colds or bouts of flu per year, have allergies or asthma, or if you have been inconsistent or are just getting back into training, subtract an additional 5.
c. If you have been training consistently (at least four times weekly) for up to two years without any of the problems just mentioned, keep the number (180–age) the same.
d. If you have been training for more than two years without any of the problems listed above, and have made progress in competition without injury, add 5.
As you can see, the heart rate he recommends for your training is low, really low. In order to stay within it, you’d probably have to walk up hills to begin with. Like I said, not for the impatient.
I know enough coaches and athletes who use this method effectively to believe in its efficacy. Have I done it myself, however? No. I believe in it, but I’m not patient enough to do it. I like my runs with friends, I hate to walk up hills, and I want a race season this year. If I were to adopt this method, those would all go out the window for at least the time being. I know those are stupid reasons to bypass something that would lead to big results down the road. Maybe someday I’ll finally wise up and give it a go, but I know it won’t be this year.
How about you–ever do heart rate training? How about going as far as the Maff method?
Just got a Garmin 910XT a couple months ago. Never had a HRM prior. I have yet to implement it’s use but have scheduled a VO2 test. I’m sure it’s easy to use but want to make sure I’m doing it right!! =)
Heidi @BananaBuzzbomb recently posted..Hiatus Ahead: I’m Heading To Sedona!
I’m terrible about even wearing my heart rate monitor most of the time. I’m definitely not a good heart rate trainer. I know I should focus on it more and I’d probably have better results, but it is time consuming to figure everything out. I have heard other who do this as well. Seems to make alot of sense, but not sure I’m ready for it yet.
Michael recently posted..A Real Pain in the Neck
Yes, I agree with this but I am like you and not ready to jump into heart rate training. I don’t like thinking about heart rate during runs. I do MANY very slow runs though so I am sure my heart rate is low. I am a big believer is slow runs for marathoners.
Kris Lawrence recently posted..I don’t bother with the watch, I just tuck in, and hold on!
After learning this same concept in my RRCA coaching class I have tried slowing down and lengthening my workouts. I put it to the test Saturday at the North Face ECS 50K and poof! it worked, for the first time in an endurance race, I never hit the wall, I felt strong the entire race. I don’t know if I can always train like this but certainly it has changed the way I approach my training. Have a great weekend love! xoxo
LisaM@RunWiki recently posted..North Face Endurance Challenge 50K recap
I haven’t done hear rate training but I do have a hear rate monitor I need to put on more often than not!
Kierston recently posted..Florida Fitness Aylmer Athlete/Competitor Spotlight: Debbie Laurin-Leclerc
There has been a lot of talk of hr training lately in my circles as well. I have the heart strap with my Garmin but am loathe to want to run with it. I don’t even like running with hydration packs and prefer handheld so the idea of a chest strap, blech. I happened to see in Target yesterday in their fitness aisle that they are now selling two different hr rate wrist watches/straps that are chest strap free and only require you to put your fingers on a sensor from time to time to check your hr. One is by Gaiam and the other by New Balance. Curious about it, but running with a Garmin on one wrist and the HR wrist watch on the other seems a bit much too, ha ha. Also, thoughts I have on the method you mention – I wonder if the Jeff Galloway approach coincidentally incorporates “better hr training” since it has you doing more walk breaks.
Christina recently posted..A miscellany of stuff on my runner’s mind
I can’t even be patient enough to strap on a heart rate monitor! I do have one, it came with my Garmin, but I’ve never used it. The theory does seem sound, though.
Gracie (Complicated Day) recently posted..Going to Miami
I haven’t heard of the Maff method per se, but as a newer runner I am a big believer in training comfortably. I am still slow, but I have improved my times while still staying comfortable during my training. I do believe it is important to get out of our comfort zones occasionally and do speed work, but perhaps the reason that we run our long runs slower is to teach our bodies to tap into using fat for fuel. I like the way he thinks! Thanks for sharing this.
Jennifer@runfortheboys recently posted..Food as Fuel
I’ve never done HR training and don’t own or never owned a HR monitor. The only thing I do is to take my resting pulse rate when I wake up. This gives me an idea of fitness and I know when I need rest or might be getting sick.
Johann recently posted..Withdrawal Symptoms
I use this method. I ran 6mi this morning at a 10:06pace. It works and works well.
Jeff Irvin recently posted..2,160
LOVE this method. It’s working for me!
katie recently posted..on recovery
I’ve never heard of this method, but I agree with the thought behind it. I’m too impatient and I feel “bad” when I’m slow so I don’t do it. Along the same lines, I spoke with Bart Yasso last year about how to get faster and he said to “train slower”. That most of us never let our bodies recover enough to really get faster.
Carissa recently posted..Friday Five- Fitness Bucketlist
Interesting! Runner’s World Smart Coach seems to also have one slow down quite a bit too, they specifically list a target pace often much slower than what I would normally have run on my own.
Christina recently posted..A miscellany of stuff on my runner’s mind
I think heart-rate training is a great idea. But alas, I don’t have the patience for it! I’ve tried it before and it there are so many variables involved I end up giving up after a few sessions.
I totally agree. It is not for the impatient ones. I have tried his method countless of times and failed miserably, not because it does not work. I am totally convinced that it does. The problem is with me wanting results too soon.
Ewa recently posted..Running (not really), hiking and biking
I am a lot like you, I don’t have the patience for this type of training.
It might be the cat’s meow and be very effective, but if it doesn’t meet your personality it won’t work for you. I have a heart rate monitor and when I use it, it is more to see how “fast” I rev the old beast up, instead trying to keep it below a certain point.
The joys of being a stubborn old fart
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Harold
Harold recently posted..The New Nike+ Website is Up
Love your title- talk about catching my attention!
This is really interesting- I haven’t heard of his method, but it actually sounds a bit like my (non)training for the first 5 or 6 years I ran, as a very casual runner, no speed work or hard runs, just doing easy runs because it was fun. Since pushing myself more with some speed work, I’m making a lot of progress, but maybe it has something to do with the running base I set up for myself?
Laura recently posted..Triathlons and baseball
Interesting. My husband would love this idea of training in the lower zone. Drives me nuts to be honest. Up until December, I only had a HR monitor to use for running so I slowly figured out what HR i was out and how that typically translated to my speed.
Heather (Where’s the Beach) recently posted..Resting & Relaxing & Doggy Sitting
The only time my HR is that low is when I’m on a stationary bike on an easy rest day… While it sounds good in theory, I’m not sure I could keep my HR that low on a run (maybe I could on a hike?)
That said, I have finally started to figure out that I need to slow my long runs WAY down and keep a consistent pace… 12 years of running, and only in the last 9 months have I gotten patient enough to stop running 10k pace for the first few miles of my double-digit runs.
Maybe in another decade, I’ll be able to do this HR training.
Beth (i run like a girl) recently posted..Friday potluck
Sounds interesting but alas I am not patient enough to utilize this method but I may check it out down the road!!
Toni Church recently posted..Running and Illness
I heard about this from someone who trains for Ironman races recently, very interesting! He is a big believer in this method.
Paulette recently posted..A Big Oiselle Announcement
I’ve just recently started HR training for my upcoming event – a 30k which will be my longest run to date.
HR training is tough – at least I find it is. Patience is definitely required. I hope I can stick with it. I’ve already been tempted to rip my beeping monitor off my wrist as it likes to tell me “too high, too high”! I’ve done more walking this week than I”d like and the F-bomb is thrown out quite regularly!!
The results will be worth it, right, right??!!
Paula Downey (@journeyto42) recently posted..A Midsummer Night’s Run – Training Plan
I heard of this method, if I was going to give it a try, it will be in the off season
BDD recently posted..Deer Creek Olympic Aquabike Race Report
I have never actually heard of this method of training but I can see how it would take are really long time and a whole lot of patience to be effective. I train with the HRM on my Garmin 405CX and have tried to keep my runs at an easy pace lately. Oddly enough, my average heart rate has been just a few points higher than what is recommended by this method. I would be interested to see if how this affects my marathon training that starts next month.
Rachel @ Runner’s Tales recently posted..Refreshingly Different (Trop50 Juice with Tea Review)
I’ve never done heart rate training because I hate wearing those monitors, but it is cool to see what your heart rate does. During my kinesiology classes in college, we had to wear them to prove we were working hard.
Kari @ Running Ricig recently posted..rushed
I plan to do the Maff method and am looking for a heart rate monitor. I might get to test out a timex but waiting to hear back.
I don’t mind starting over
I have nothing to loose right now so the time is right.
Angie Bee recently posted..photos from a barefoot/natural running coaching session
I just read about this in “Chi Marathon” yesterday! Weird. Apparently both Lance Armstrong and Mark Allen (several-time Ironman champion) used this method. I was thinking of trying this after my half marathon tomorrow.
When I first got into running I had a coach turn me onto this type of training. It was so frustrating. Run, crap, walk, run, run, ugg to high, walk. It sucked. But over time and a few VO2max tests I lost body fat and got faster. Then I just stopped looking at my heart rate because it started holding me back. I got scared to push past certain numbers. I needed more guidance, I think.
Now for Ironman I’m back at it. We will see how it goes.
Missy recently posted..I am sticking to the plan
I am religious about my HR when teaching spin or HIIT, but I rarely use it for running–this is an eye-opener! Thank you for being ever informative!
Jess @ Blonde Ponytail recently posted..My Journey to Lean: How I Lost Body Fat
I trained exclusively MAF for about 6 months 2 or so years ago and my MAF pace went from 9:00/mi to 8:00/mi – a pretty significant boost if I do say so. And currently, it is hovering around 7:30/mi pace. Not sure how many other training methods you’ll find out there that you could say that of so quickly. I don’t do MAF training all the time, but do dedicate at least 1-2 months of it each season as part of base training. The greater your aerobic capacity is, the less you need to stick with it for, because you reach a point of diminishing returns. At that point, your body is ready to move into the next phase on training. Now that said, it doesn’t mean you can’t race during the MAF period. One or two instances of higher HR efforts aren’t going to screw up the consistency of frequent runs at MAF, so while you do have to be somewhat patient, it isn’t like you sit in a training cave for ages and aren’t allowed out. Anyways, just thought I’d throw my 2 cents in there of how it has benefited me. I’ve been a long time runner (18+ years) and believe in it as one method of becoming a better runner no matter what your experience level is.
LesserisMore recently posted..Making It Work
Never tried the Maff method. I’m interested in Heart Rate training though. Our local sports health offers VO2 max testing to determine your max heart rate without relying on a formula, and after my mountain climb, I think I’m going to do it.
Mandy recently posted..National Running Day = Zoo day?
I don’t do heart rate training. I tried when I first got my Garmin but the chest strap wouldn’t pick up my heart rate no matter what I tried.
Joanne recently posted..FOFF Spring Mix Salad with Spiced Walnuts
I haven’t tried it but I think it makes sense to me. I’m a pretty slow trainer but a comparatively fast marathoner. I have friends who are fast runners in training and shorter distances but can’t hold it together for the full marathon and are comparatively slow marathoners…so there must be a reason. Gonna recommend this to my fast running, slow marathoning friends….
Robin recently posted..She’s Amazing
I just recently started training with a heart rate monitor, and it does take an extreme amount of patience! But beyond getting faster (which I really want) I’m sold on the theory that it may be better for your overall health. Not thinking about heart rate doesn’t mean that we’re not doing long term harm when we constantly overwork our hearts, and I hope that HR training s a means to help me run healthy forever. So, I think it’s worth it. I’m still racing and doing speed work, but my slow runs are suuuuuuuuper slow. I managed to PR in my last 5k with a 24:23 finish though, so I think even in just 4 weeks I’m noticing a difference! I’ve found that most of my running group friends are willing to run slower with me… just not all the time
GreenGirlRunning recently posted..Let Your Heart Guide You
Ahhhhhhhh. Timely post for me!
Today I wore my HR monitor for a recovery run, and I stayed within the Zone 1 range for “active recovery” (I added a fudge factor of +20 bpm to account for the heat outside). Holy cow! I ran a 10:02 pace for 5 miles. I NEVER run that slow!!!!!! But I am trying to be smart and give this HR training a chance. We’ll see how it works out!
Allison Johnson recently posted..Teaser… Or is it Spoiler?
I have to tell you – I love your blog b/c I feel like I’m always learning something I’ve never heard of before! This is the first time I’ve heard of this method – and, like you, am definitely too impatient to try it out. I can’t imagine keeping my HR below 150. That’s basically what I’m doing now since I’m preggo and I’m ITCHING to start doing some higher intensity runs! LOL.
I also don’t monitor my HR. Something I definitely want to start doing – esp once I get into triathlon training…
Michele @ nycrunningmama recently posted..Happy Bump Day! (25 weeks)
Very interesting! I’ve never heard of this specific method, but I’m familiar with the general idea. I’ve been training based on heart rate since Ruby was born and I’ve been doing it at what feels like an easy pace. (I basically picked a heart rate zone that feels easy.) I do end up walking a lot of hills. My only challenge to this method is that 180 minus your age is too generic. Everybody’s max heart rate (and aerobic heart rate) is different, and I’ve done a lot of reading that suggests the 180 minus age is actually a really bad marker. I’m curious to see how training slow treats me! So far I’m still just slow. Ha!
Laura recently posted..My little binge drinker
Interesting…I may try this. I like when I don’t have to push myself.
Kate recently posted..This is not a fairy tale — 2012 Dirty Kanza
I’ve read about the Maffetone method and seriously tried it – once. I just don’t have the patience to run slowly (or in my case walk).
Char recently posted..Returning To Normal
I dug out my heart rate monitor a couple of months ago as the running books I was reading made references to keeping the heart rate low on easy runs and alternating easy runs with hard runs. My ranges are loosely based on additional online reading but not as low as the MAF method. Am finding the heat is messing with my heart rate some. Probably too early to estimate progress but I was happy with the results from this weekend’s 10K.
I have had the opportunity to be associated with a couple of elite rowers (two of my kids rowed competitively). One of them won Gold and Silver in the Olympics. My kids trained under both of them, and they both made aerobic training (long and slow sessions) a major part of their training sessions! The bottom line is that people really are impatient and aren’t willing to put in the time.
Glenn Jones recently posted..Still Alive….