Hey Floris!!! I’m in the process of preparing for a marathon but encountering so many niggles.. I am seriously contemplating getting onto the program, I’m 10 weeks out, is it too late to start this approach?
I have watched this interview a few months ago and implemented MAF into my training. After around 4 months my heart rate became very stable and I became sort of more an efficient runner. What also has changed is that the volume of my training almost doubled. I can now run easily 75-85km per week with around 2000 -3000m positive incline without much effort. Faster doesn't mean better.
I just turned 38 - my athletic goal is to train for and run mountain races for the next 20 years. This is Great, Gold. What a great piece of audio content, perfect. and for free! Thank you
Cool. Im Set on a 20min 5k when just a beginner which I feel a bit of a mistake but feels set in stone for some reason lol. I've excepted it's long long term goal. I've been focusing on types of training but nothing on diet which is going to make a huge difference in the rate of body change. Imtrying to change all the tissues in my body so need the building blocks. Running trail hills sounds an awesome goal and for decades rather than just marathons, one thing wrestling with is most runners just too skinny for my aesthetic.i don't want a lot of upper body muscle but do want to look muscley with good posture and head position. Also not wiling to go vegan.
What I luv most about this interview Floris is that you allow your guest to speak uninterrupted. No stupid jokes behind every other word of the interviewee. I get the full understanding from this interview. Thank you so much for this. I'm entering my 2nd month of Maff training. I enjoy it. The fact that he doesn't recommend stretch for runners. I warm up and stretch next to null.
This is a very good interview. Thank you Floris for championing Dr. Maffetone's work. MAF has really worked for me. I recently ran two half marathons, three weeks apart and won my 65-69 age group in both races. The things he talks about in this interview reinforce my experience with MAF. I am glad I started doing MAF training two and a half years ago. It revived my running.
A great reminder about the impact of stress in its various forms. Our training is really 24/7. We sometimes forget that and then wonder why things aren't working out!
A stressful day at work always leads to a slower MAF run for me. I gave up coffee several weeks ago and it has helped but work stress is still a MAF killer for me. Then I get mad at myself for letting work stress get to me. It's a endless cycle. Some days are good though and I live for those. Cheers
Back in 1987 at the age of 30 started with the MAF formula , 180 minus 30 . Stuck with it and now at age 65 glad I did . Running slower is better than not being able to run at all . Now see people my age or younger, trying to run as if they are 5 to 10 yrs younger. And also see fewer men 5 to 10 yrs older than myself running at all .
Very good and I'm really happy about that; cuz im 63 and hurt and can't seem to shake my lower leg injury and very depressed to say the least, running is my therapy , I run for fun also once in awhile I enter something just so I'm training but not often, anyway wish me luck
My favorite quote is "humans get better naturally because our brains know how to get better" I'm already rolling this around in my head to see what else it applies to and if there are any exceptions. I love the idea that if I get out of the way and let my brain and body work together they will optimize for a better solution then I could achieve if I tried to beat either one of them into submission.
I rollerblade lots. And only since wim hoff and OMAD changes in life. Losing lots of weight and feeling better. Did i then reflect and say. I should not be out running or blading looking like a beginner. Sloppy. FLOW is my new mantra. Thanks for sharing. Nose breathing was another way to calm down and then exercise with nose only has helped performance too.
Hi Floris - Words will be very less to thank you enough. I have listened to every single podcast in your channel and all of them are so apt and to the point on what runners can take with them as tips/guidance and implement to improve and see a better version of themselves. Specially I have started training MAF 6 weeks ago and everyday is a joy... Life perspective has changed and there is more joy and happiness... Keep doing this selfless work for the world of runners 🙏🙏🙏
As I may have mentioned before, I completely adhere to this type of teaching. And it has made my training very enjoyable. I am very grateful for the teaching. I have rarely stretched prior to a run, despite the comments from others. But recently I have found that stretching the legs, especially the quads AFTER a run, after having solicited them, especially for a longer run, has prevented these larger muscles from tightening up, and has shortened the recovery and the healing from the micro-injuries. I wonder if others have found the same. Thx for sharing. Robert.
Wonderful, wonderful video. I was intrigued by what Phil said about stretching and warming up. Over the years, I have found that stretches should be under done, rather than what your body can take at its limits.. I am a huge believer in Yoga asanas, and these have kept me going after every run. A huge thumbs up to the importance on warming up, before a run. I find that a warmup of 15 - 20 minutes can make a good positive impact to a run in session. Also trying out Danny’s Chi running has helped in making each running session very meaningful. Thanks again Floris and Phil for a very educative video.
I'm really glad to have tuned and subscribed into this channel. Been learning so much whatever episode pops up into my notifications. I'm really benefitting a lot now that I'm retired.
This is a great interview. Next time you have a discussion with Dr Maffetone would you ask about medications. I was on beta blockers and my HR was lower, as a result my pace was dramatically improving over time (as one would expect on MAF training). However once I came off beta blockers (due to improved health) my pace slowed down. I believe beta blockers screw up the bio feedback and Lactate Thresholds for a particular HR. I am now retraining using MAF to get my HR/Aerobic function back. I think this relationship should be explored. I also feel that beta blockers are a form of doping and needs proper research as they artificially change the adrenaline/Heart-rate relationship. This in turn changes the Lactate Threshold/Heart-Rate relationship too which would affect the aerobic function.
Thanks Floris for putting out these shows relentlessly. Great job again! My ultimate takeaway is to HAVE FUN and ENJOY WORKING OUT even when you aim at reaching your race goals. Take care!
Glad to hear that Csaba, it surely is all connected, the fun and joy to train consistently and work towards your race goals. Have a great running weekend ahead! Cheers
I'm 53 and found my max HR to be 175 from pushing hard in a run. Using 220-53 = 167 as avg max HR for 53, but I believe I need to adjust my calculation to that of a 45 year old, ie. 220-45 = 175. Therefore using MAF method my MAF HR would be 180-45 = 135. This is what I use for my MAF running and I think it is better to do this than just say every person of any specific age has the exact same max HR.
Good point. There are a number of coaches that tell us that age related formulae are poor predictors of max. heart rate for many people (eg. Sally Edwards, John Parker). Why would Maffetone be the exception?
You are doing what Dr. Maffetone said not to do. You are cheating. Your MAF heart rate has nothing to do with your Max HR. If you are fit, your MAF HR should be 180-53+5= 132. I understand the desire to cheat because the pace for MAF when you start the program is very slow. If done properly it will pay off.
I am a total fan of this method. I was well on my way having just completed a couch to 5k type program and ran 5k's every other day for a month. I started then to apply MAF training as I began increasing my distances to a 6k, mostly walking at first. Two weeks into this and I suffered an injury, patellar tendonitis which I'm still trying to recover from after 4 weeks. Hopefully I can resume training in the spring.
I have a question: What science is behind MAF formula? I am 44 years old and I did some hill intervals and I have found out that my Max HR is 205. My MAF HR is 136 which is in WarmUp zone. If I train at 136 I certainly won't see any improvements. I know because I wasted 3 years from my life with an average of ~2000km running, ~4000km cycling and ~30km swimming. I improved my Marathon Time from ~4h to 3:45 and my Half Ironman time from ~5:30 to 5:10. My Treshold HR is 170. I do my Repeats at ~190, my Intervals at ~180, my threshold run at ~170. After 3 years of MAF with no improvements I have started following VDOT and I already improved my 5K time from 24 minutes to 22 minutes. I don't have anymore sore calves all the time because I started to eat some dried dates and figs before, during and after the run. I now eat some more sugar and I feel really great. I have started to sleep the whole night from one end to another. When I was following MAF's nutritional advices I was able to sleep only until 3 AM. Then I was awake in my bed thinking all the time about food. I was hungry all the time and I was obsessed of losing weight... but I wasn't being able to go under 81. I now have 79 kilos, I am more relaxed, and I eat everything I want and as much as I want. I diched any diet but I have to admit that I eat healthy foods. No more bullet coffees and stupid fats in my food. Just beware what are you are promoting, looking at you I see myself back in the days, all the time tired and trying all kind of miracle formulas like ice baths and other stupid stuff. My advice to anybody reading this comment is don't follow false prophets, we are so different as individuals. Diets especially are known to do more harm than good. Follow examples from Nobel Prize winners like Yoshinori Ohsumi, do some fasting once a year to clean your garbage in the cells, read science papers and stay away of people that have no science to back them up.
Were u strength training at the same time? Tempted to think if strengthen key muscle u get faster to a point. Reverse nordic curls and hip flexors for running eg.
Totally valid about the point of diminishing returns regarding excessive overtraining/underrecovery. I want to note the psychological implications that are multifaceted but not limited to: addiction to high-intensity exercise byproducts, and dissociation from body/presence. I think this is important to state, the human is so complex.
I recently well a week started maf training.. As I've had issues I thibk over training looking at the load given to me and me as like many running my easy days to fast without thinking it... My first run was 11mm...in week it was at 10.30ish so I'm looking forward to see how I improve in next few weeks... I did find it easier on my bike to keep it in a good zone... :)
to do everything you like but watch the max MAF HR helped me. I was not sure if I shoud adjust the MAX HR while biking or not. Thanks for the confirmation that the max HR is valid for all sports.
Can you mix different kinds of exercises inside the MAF method system ? Let say one day treadmill running, next day maybe rowing machine or elliptical. But staying focused to your MAF heartrate whatever exercise.
There are days when I can just about walk fast to maintain my hearbeat at MAF. The next day itself is a lot better? Has anyone faced this? Any insights how to make this more consistent?
Thank you both for this really interesting interview. The bit that resonated with me was if you "cheat" at your calculation then you are just cheating yourself and your training. I'm a slow runner and often feel I should be faster but in the end I enjoy every run I do and actually I am progressing over the year so I'm going to keep slow, maybe go slower! For me everytime I look at my HR or if I feel I have to stay in HR, it makes my HR go up so I'll try and relax about it.
Respect for Dr Maffetone. True gold . Quick question . I am 71 and would like to know if I can build mitochondrial density in zone 1. I plan to be able to stay in zone 2 after some more hours of training. Best,
Hi Richard, yes that's possible. I'd use an adjust your HR accordingly. The 180-age will most probably give too low of a number. The talk test can provide some additional info too. Running at conversational pace and seeing what that HR number is. Enjoy your journey
Today running folks were running loops around me, but then I viewed some that where stopping their run and I was preparing myself to help them and call an ambulance... 😂 I ran for more than 2 hours and then went to work (home) energized ⚡
I was really excited about this method of training and perhaps still am. I just listened to an interview with Dr. Maffetone where he claimed you can get off of insulin as a type 1 diabetic. Being a type 1 diabetic I would like to know where he got this information from.
I wish your path projects had women's clothing. Looking for earbuds with the heart rate monitor to do MAT training. Any suggestions? Maffetone had some of their own, but they are discontinued.
Hi Floris, great channel ! I have a question I recently got a polar HR watch and I'm following their Polar running program for a HM. Having zero previous experience with HR based training I obviously "ran" :-) into the issue that all beginners have, needing to walk often etc .. Being puzzled about this (is my watch broken?!) I did some research and only then I learned about your channel and Maffetone. This personalized Polar program is mostly Z2, Z3 training, and it looks kind of similar to the Maffetone philosophy. Do you have any thoughts on this, is this also based on the same philisophy you think ? I really like how easy it is to follow, but I'm not sur if it is a good strategy. thanks !
Hi Floris, Dr Phil, I'm really confused now! I've been using my MAF zone for running for the past 3 months. I'm 57 so have a basic MAF zone of 113-123bpm and been managing to run daily with this. In 3 months I've managed to go from 10min runs to 70min runs but have not been able to increase my speed at all.. not even 0.1kmh! (Ah..glad you talked about weight lifting! I do this heavy 3 times a week and notice this really does affect my next runs!). However, today I checked my Zone 2 HR zone on the Polar site (and others) and have found that it's meant to be 60-70% of my max HR and at just 159 (I expected 163!) This puts my Zone 2 range at just 97-112bpm and my Zone 3 at 113-128bpm! So according to this my MAF zone is Zone 3! Is everyone like this? Then I went onto the Myprocoach HR zone calculator site and put in my age and it tells me my Zone 2 is 118-128 which is what my MAF zone would be if I'd been training over 2yrs with no injuries etc! And my Zone 1 is 108-117. How can Polar and most others say 113-128 is my Zone 3 and Myprocoach say this is Zone 2? At least Myprocoach seems to be more in line with Dr Maffetones levels. Now I don't know whether to ease up which would mean I have to just walk again to stay in Zone 2 or stick with the MAF which is apparently Zone 3! Edit: On further investigation it seems that Zone 2 training at 60-70% Max HR is very much slower than MAF training! Is this right? E.g. a 20yr old average fitness MAF zone would be 150-160bpm whereas Zone 2 at 60-70% would be just 120-140bpm! I think I'll stick to MAF! Any advice would be most welcome. Thanks. Edit again.. Having listened to this interview and looking further into it myself I think I know what I need to do now! 🙂 Fingers crossed..
My maff has improved a lot in 2 months, but still I'm running around 115-120 beats on most run (I'm 36), because I can run much more, more time, more km. Also, slowly I feel my feet, ancles etc getting stronger. I would say that to be able to run more miles and get a fitter body is more important than Maff Km time. I don't even care about it. In 6 month maybe... When I'll run my first marathon. Still, you can messure time on Your feet as a win, also your bones are getting stronger.
@@alandiegovillalobos Absolutely! I am amazed that this method has helped me improve my distance and time by so much. I just can't wait to get faster! 😋 I applaud you for running at an even slower HR than you could be. I need to slow down even more. At my novice level I should be running at 108-118bpm. Thanks for your input.. you've inspired me to slow down and get it right! 👍🏽
can you have a conversation while you run? If yes, you're running easy. Who cares if it is exactly your MAF? The takeaway message is to slow down and enjoy your training. Listen to your body and what it tells you.
to add that many volume in 3 month is brilliant and i am very sure if it is not done on a low heartrate most people would injure themselfs easily. i have just started to do maf only a 100km in it i had a lot of previous training but never really improved much neither volume or speed so i have nothing to lose. suddenly my always a lil bit bothering here and there knee pain is gone and been able to increase volume a lot without actually slowing down too much from my previous speed. it actually a minute per km slower most of the days. from my best understanding high amount of volume and quite a bit of time needed to be invested in this to see results and it will possibly come slowly for most people so patience is key. but here is the thing i have never really been very fast before but limited with aches and pains and reduced volume and even if i never get faster being a minute slower runner and actually able to run is not worth it?
Does this mean I shouldn't even do bodyweight pushups and squats during this initial 3-6 month phase? I'm already skinny and scrawny and would like to do some curls, deadlifts, and shoulder press at least once or twice a week. Does doing this simply make the MAF progress slower or does it nullify it out completely? Are there any exceptions?
You can still do some strength training during the base building phase, just don't overdo the intensity and duration. Pushing too much strength can slow your progress and even block aerobic development if its too much stress on your body.
Hi @Christie, see response to crackedglasses below. Also, in a few weeks I'm releasing a new podcast with Nate Helming from The Run Experience that talks about running injuries, prevention and rehab in detail. Stay tuned.
@@FlorisGierman I have been doing Nate's "How to fix Shin Splints" video for the past couple of weeks. Can't wait for the release of your interview with him! Thanks Floris.
Hello, I just turned 60, 3months ago. I was never into running and only jogged a few times. When looking at my weight and feeling the fatigue of even small efforts I Kew it was hight time to change. I started, without any method, to do some jogging.(99% on treadmill as its too cold for me here to go out) Just run as far as I could and then walk. After about 1month I had to stop for about 10days as I had bad groin pain. But In 3month time I got to a 10K. That was about 3weeks ago. I only did 2 more 5K run and then had to stop again because of soreness. Since I read and watched a lot of info about training and running. Due to the info I also decided to change into minimalistic barefoot shoes. Thereby I also take the opportunity to restart my running with barefoot shoes. (Didn't started yet) Now I got confused or hesitant about what method to follow. Being I will have to start as a 60y young overweight person, running with minimalistic footwear, what would be best ? I really like the Chi-running approach with more natural movement, less fatigue, less stress, etc. But there the focus, evidence the form, is cadence. Then there is the heatrate zones and Zone 2 training, and the you have the MAF training. What would be best in my situation ?? My goal is certainly not to become a fast marathon runner. But I would like to become a relative , for me personally, good trail runner and if possible do a ultrarun. I prefere trail running but due to the fact that I live in a mostly wet and cold area and dislike cold weather really really much, I'm forced to run a lot indoors on a treadmill. (I bought one only 3months ago)
31.06 so, can I understand from this (regarding other types of training during MAF) that these types of training can be incorporated after your MAF period of training?
I find food intake can affect cardiac drift. If you start a run fasted you'll notice a lower HR, then most people will take gels etc. if going out longer than an hour and your HR will go up after the gel, bar etc.
its awestriking to watch a guy like RD murray, professional triathletes getting away with 3 trainingpasses in a single day OO. You check out his watts on that last run doing insane 3:00 min/km 1 km repeats with perfect form. I dont get it. These ultra high performing awesome athletes doing great on high carb and multiple high intensity workouts on a roll. No overtraining issues, no injuries, perfect form ! Ofcourse, these folks are rare, but i really think they are on to something. Would be great with a podcast where you look into the mysteries of these bio-machines instead of always interviewing people that turned "MAF"-halleluja ^^ ...that being said, i really appreciate your content and i certainly learned a LOT from Phil, finding him because of your podcasts :)
Many pro triathletes have a lot of time to train AND recover and fully focus on that, vs athletes with full time jobs, kids, and many other life responsibilities. Glad you enjoy the content!
I don’t know if I experience silence stress..., Now I training day by day 🏃🏽♂️(5:00Am ) ., slow ., around 1 hour ... Before in the mid 80’s I was training 2 times by day ( 130 Kms week ) . I’m 56 years old . Loose lots of endurance .
Great post / interview, Floris. Very enjoyable. I have a question regarding mitochondria development which underpins low intensity training and aerobic development. I’m sure we all have limits as to how much we can build mitochondria density. Physiologically, on average, when would we see such limits - in terms of age and the length of time we train with MAF ? Also doesn’t our bodies get efficient when we cruise at MAF heart rate, day in, day out ? I suppose where’s stimulus to encourage aerobic development when all we do is train at a certain heart rate ? I’m asking to further understand the physiology / science behind MAF - and I have been training with MAF for over a year now.
Hi Danny, at some point we will indeed hit our limit. There are so many variables involved here, that its not a one size fits all answer on when that would be in terms of age and length of training time. Running all day long at MAF would surely turn us into an aerobic machine, however we do need the recovery for training adaptation as well.
very interesting about stretching. i always hated to spend time on it but sometimes it feels good. Would loved to know his opinion on foam rolling which i do spend time on quite often.
Hi Nora, in the next episode of the Extramilest Show I have interviewed Nate Helming from The Run Experience and we talk in detail about his thoughts and approach to stretching and foam rolling. It's coming out in 2 or 3 weeks, so stay tuned for that. Cheers!
I have a question regarding MAF. I’m from the uk and I’m in Cyprus for 6 weeks. My maf pace in the uk was 08:30 min miles and the heat in Cyprus has caused my MAF running to go to 10:00 min miles on average. Will training in the heat for 6 weeks give me better times on returning home?
I've been training 80/20 for multiple seasons and if I would apply MAF formula to my N=1 case it would be 144 BPM. Running at that intensity will be my Zone 2 in 3 zone model (That middle ground which we try to avoid in 80/20). Even worse if I apply MAF to cycling then 144 BPM is cross section between Tempo and Sweetspot zones. This is far from an easy effort :-) Yes, it is still aerobic but much harder than cruising easy in Zone 1. I still consider this as good starting point for anyone new (less than couple seasons of consistent training)to the sport.
Hi Floris, the last few years I've enjoyed the MAF method and have seen big improvements. Now I'm recovering from an operation and have some significant life stresses, but I'm able to start running again. I'm able to stay in my MAF zone 124-135 with very very slow jogging and bad form. Question: Is it better to speed up a little with good form and alternate between running and walking instead?
When recovering from surgery and having significant life stresses, I would be extra cautious. Runs with walk breaks is still a great way to improve aerobically. Over time your runs become longer and breaks shorter
@@FlorisGierman Thanks Floris! I've never had problems with taking walking breaks, on the contrary 😀. It's good to hear not to neglect form just to stay in the zones. Keep up the good work!
"Can't go to the pool" is very real for me at the moment 😓 where I'm not totally banned from entering I'd still have to bring a test certificate. Spending 20 Euros for one swimming session is too much for me. Lakes here aren't warm enough anymore. At least I can run and use my bike.
Best thing I ever did was go low carb and high fat (LCHF). Lose some weight, reduce inflammation, recover faster has been my experience at 52. Good luck and cheers.
That's great Floris. An alternative to the watch/HR solution is to visit me here in New Zealand. Spend a couple of weeks together, just hang out running. I''ll get my youtube channel affairs started in a couple of days.
New Zealand is high on my bucket list of places to visit, once international travel with my fam is a bit more easy to do. Would love to get some runs in with you while visiting. What part of NZ are you in? Shoot me a link once your YT channel is going. Looking forward to seeing your videos. Cheers
@@FlorisGierman cool, I'm currently in Helensville, . My goal is to have an apartment on Lake Taupo with a view of Mt Ruapeheu. It's nothing over the top just enough that I can entertain ia friend to a standard they expect. The one donator I'm looking to attract is already enjoying this and will receive a tax deductible receipt to. The youtube introduction will be posted tomorrow. Floris I'll organise the apartment by the end of next month and we'll start from here aarron.brunner@gmail.com
Since going low carb, my resting hr is up 15 beats. My maff hr is 134-144 but can reach my lower hr when walking, as soon as I add a very slow jog it goes to 150/160. I can comfortably run this with nose breathing. My pace is currently worse than I started 4 months ago running only maf 3-4 times a week. Do I need to up the beats?
Your body might be going into keto if you cut back the carbs and sugars significantly. You can either increase your carb intake or give it some more time. I wouldn't add higher HR
Hi Floris, I have a bit of nerdy question regarding HRM. I have been running about 4 to 5 hours per week now since the start of August pretty much. My MAF HR is 133 (I'm 47). I can cruise at 133, and very quickly hit 138 on a slight incline. I slow down to let it recover/drop, but it can take like 10 seconds of running slower/walking. Over a 2 hour run, this can equate to maybe 10% of my time above my ideal 133 rate. Looking at the average for the whole run it can be 133, and I understand I could have done one hour at 100 and one hour at 166 and got the same result, so I look at individual 'laps' or mile segments. I by and large run at 133, slightly below or slightly above, say 134 (though I try to slow down again). Do you think it is acceptable to look at my mile lap average HR in this way? I m not running a half mile at 100 and a half mile at 166! I have tried to change my zones artificially to indicate how much time I have at particular zones, but I would like to be able to break this down into time at particular heart rates. Or is this going to be 'analysis paralysis' in that I get bogged down by the stats? To be honest, as an Engineer, I wonder how accurate the calibration of a Garmin is. I suspect 132 to 134 is as good as 133 and regarding benefits from a MAF training point of view it denigrates exponentially the further from MAF HR you go, so for me, 134 not too bad, 135 getting worse, 136 not so good, 138 only half the benefit, 150 no MAF benefit etc. How much HR over 133 in a run do I need to worry about time wise? If 80% of my time is at or below 133 am I getting a MAF benefit? Final point, on stress and HR, I know that in a run I can think about racing and add 10BPM to my HR no problem, just by thinking about running fast. Perhaps my pace just automatically increases too... :-D Thanks for the Podcasts and thanks to Dr Phil too.
Hi Dom, during a base building period I'd set your HR alarm at 133 and limit the time spent above that. It's fine if it goes a few beats above it every now and then, you just don't want to get your HR in the next zone too much. There is no golden 1 size fits all answer to your question. Ask yourself the questions how your feeling during and after your run, the next day when you get out of bed or go for a run. Energy levels, muscle soreness, etc. Follow the fundamentals and see how your aerobic progression is going over time. If you're improving well and feeling good, things are going in the right direction. If not, be patient and if needed, adjust your approach accordingly.
Great point about the correlation between thoughts and HR. I've experienced it as well, standing in the start corral and seeing my "resting HR" hit 100 beats per minute haha. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Floris, great videos! I wanted to ask you- why do some people gauge at 180 and some studies say 220? Also, if zone 1 is easy and long runs...is intervals and fartleks zone 2 and speed work zone 3? What is your thoughts? Thank you.
I have been walking daily / slow jogging ( not maffe i just have always jogged slow ) for 2 years . I tried maff, My max heart rate on maff is sposed to be 158 bpm. The trouble is I cant get it that high ?!! I went for a run , running hard up hills , way past conversational pace ... can only hit 130bpm . Any one else had this problem ? My resting heart rate is around 56 bpm . I am 27years old .
Great interview. Anyway, I don't agree with him about stretching. Stretching can never become dangerous if it is done properly, even though many of us consider it time-consuming and don't pay the needed attention. Stretching increases the range of motion beyond the range needed for running, so during the running, it is far away from extreme, and the body is not in extreme tension. In the other hand, if we don't stretch, our range of motion is very low, just what is needed for running, and we are always in extreme and probably more prone of injuries.
It can be a bit misleading to say avoid "stress" in training imo. Being able to run faster at same heart rate is an adaptation to training and that doesn't happen without stress or making the body feeling the need to adapt... Yeah slow down, but u still need high volume / gradual increases in volume or training session duration to cause the adaptations
My question is to Dr. Phil Maffetone. I am a new runner. Very new, indeed. So far, my best running is a 21.1K in 2 hours and 41 minutes. I have done a few slower 21Ks by that time. I am not a MAF runner. It takes me a 3 hour Tempo run to finish a half marathon. Perhaps, I am yet to call myself a runner. So, correct me my mistakes. For me, running has only 2 dimensions - either going faster, or going farther. Or going further at a faster pace (Eliud Kipchoge) Or going shorter at a slower pace (me). My first question: Why should I focus on Heart Rate not on my legs or lungs or at least on my small intestine. Are not my legs being the key organs for running? Running require entire body to work together and tons of factors impact it. For example, Vo2 Max, Lactic acid threshold, Running economy and so on. At least, my energy is coming from the small intestine and burning it inside all body muscles. Why should I focus on the Heart then? My second question: Considering 40+ kilometers of running each week, which one is the better option for me for the next 2 years period? When my goal is to finish a half marathon in “as fast as I could”. Under 3 hours up to under 1 hour. Only standard would be the “best possible shortest time for in a 21K for the next 2 years”. Option A: just run. Take care of the body to avoid all the injuries and focus on at least a 3 hour long up-tempo run each week. Option B: follow MAF and also take care the body to avoid all the injuries as usual. And focus at least on a slow MAF 3 hour run each week.
Here is my two cents. None of your runs should be 3 hours. If you ran 1.5 hours 4 times per week at MAF heart rate, you would see improvement. (the distance is less important than the time) I suspect that after a year of doing that you would run a 21.1 km race in under two hours. The heart runs the body. It is the most important factor in your running.
Thank you so much for the reply. Appreciate your time. I had asked the above question 10 months ago. I was desperately looking for an answer; a path to move forward in my running journey. And I spent considerable amount of time experimenting different running styles on me. Ten months latter, now I know MAF is not for me…yes I tried it for six months then ended up in a joke. Everyone knows it - barking dog never bites. The question- does the dog knows it? Answer-//// Same with our hearts. Someone capitalised on the fear of Dog and someone capitalised on the fear of Heart Attack.
@@wasimahmed5941 You have given a very cryptic response. I have no clue what you mean by the barking dog. MAF training has worked for me. In two and a half years, I went from a 1:42 half marathon to a 1:38 half marathon, using the MAF training that I learned from Dr. Maffetone's books and website. It takes an inordinate amount of patience and most people can't follow through with it. I did and it is paying off. My pace at my MAF heart rate went from 6:30 min/km to 5:00/km. At the same heart rate! That took about a year. As I always say, that year is going to go by whether you do the training or not.
@@tackjibe appreciate your positive feedback on MAF. Happy to see that your half marathon time has significantly improved- congratulations. Anyway, everyone’s body is different. Perhaps, it is a mistake for many (like many), It did not work for me. I did MAF training (on and of) for one year out of which 6 months was dedicated. Meaning, I did nothing but MAF and I did 40 to 70 kilometres run each week. My pace went down from 7 min/kilometre to 10 min/kilometre. That was horrible. I have horrible experience with MAF. Just horrible. Anyway, I am back to natural running for the last 2 months. I am now getting back into my old pace.
Hmm great man but does not know about nutrition. He should read The End of Diabetes by Fuhrman to catch up on what causes insulin resistance. Thx for the interview..
Great interview, though when he was asked about who his heroes were, I literally thought he was going to say "you don't need heroes, you need a strong aerobic system".
Over time I've come to appreciate MAF training as one of the better LISS options. However, like all folk aging and jogging for wellbeing, 20 minutes lifting once a week will do wonders for overall health. Not sport specific, but a full body lifting routine. More isn't needed and it's not better for a 50 year old to lift more than once a week. But doing that once a week starting in your 50s helps the aging person avoid broken hips (one of the leading causes of degeneration and death in old age). Phil's nutrition advise is just plain wrong on many points. In the vernacular: Ain't nobody never got diabetes eating lentils and oatmeal. The research does suggest meat and dairy cause diabetes though, so if an educated individual wants to reduce that risk, eat your lentils.
So why dont you talk about plasma volume changes? Shouldnt HR rise after depletion of fluids. Seems to explain all the bro science you speak! Wouldnt the heart have a lower thicker blood volume towards the end of the work? Seems like you've never squeezed a spray bottle with thin liquids and then again with a thick 🤔 one!
What dr. Phil Maffetone says is now common sense, yet he charges 450$ for it. I think I'll watch another video by dr. Stephen Seiler, thank you very much.
Hi Giovanbattista, as much as I respect your opinion, some athletes do like to take a deeper dive into these topics and work with Dr. Phil Maffetone and some of his coaches on a more personalized level specifically for their life circumstances. Others enjoy a program like this to be part of a training community for encouragement, accountability, shared learning etc. Not saying this is for everyone, but there is more to it than what you make it sound like.
@@FlorisGierman I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. It's just that holistic approaches to training are not mind blowing anymore. Besides, for athletes who have specific needs, medical history and other needs, one needs to go beyond formulas and look at it closely. Just to give an example, an overstressed young athlete with a low max heart rate will not run at an easy pace if they applied the formula. You're right, there's so much more to it. 😊
@@giovanbattistafichera8439 totally get it. I'm glad that more and more athletes are looking at their training in a more holistic way, at the different elements that can impact their performance, outside of just a run or workout. Each athlete is indeed unique. As much as a formula can give a rough ball park number that works for a good amount of athletes, further personalization is needed. Cheers!
He is interesting still for sure. The view on health, junk food and overtraining is great.But that stretching shouldnt be done as its bad for u, i dont know. There is a few 100 million yoga practioners who could disagree. My calfes disagree from sundays maf long run too…
Disclaimer: this criticism is not directed at you, but Maffetone. You had well thought out questions Floris, and I honestly don’t think anyone learned one iota of information from his responses or lack thereof. Maffetone is like the Captain obvious guy from the hotels.com ads. He literally reiterates the same response in 20 different ways and never actually provides any valuable information, often times just going on tangents. I think his value as a guest continues to decline each time I hear him speak. Appreciate your great dialogue, just wish this ‘expert’ didn’t get so much credit for literally showing people how to run aerobically with a formula. Continue your great work and please realize none of this is directed at you personally, really think you do an outstanding job.
Thank you for sharing your opinion Eric. What might seem like obvious to you, was not obvious to me when I first came across his work. Also, when I re-listen to previous conversations + new conversations I've had with Dr. Phil Maffetone, I am reminded of several "obvious" things I have neglected or forgotten about. I think I'm not alone in this and have heard similar feedback from other listeners of The Extramilest Show as well. If all you get out of these conversations is how to run aerobically with a formula, you might be missing several other key takeaways. Appreciate your feedback! Cheers
🚀 Download my free Low Heart Rate Training Guide and join 11,500+ runners for weekly tips: 👉 extramilest.com/subscribe/
Hey Floris!!!
I’m in the process of preparing for a marathon but encountering so many niggles.. I am seriously contemplating getting onto the program, I’m 10 weeks out, is it too late to start this approach?
@@fitnessfanfocused5832😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
@@fitnessfanfocused5832😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I have watched this interview a few months ago and implemented MAF into my training. After around 4 months my heart rate became very stable and I became sort of more an efficient runner. What also has changed is that the volume of my training almost doubled. I can now run easily 75-85km per week with around 2000 -3000m positive incline without much effort. Faster doesn't mean better.
I just turned 38 - my athletic goal is to train for and run mountain races for the next 20 years. This is Great, Gold. What a great piece of audio content, perfect. and for free! Thank you
We're the same age and have very similar goals. Happy to hear you enjoyed it Camp, thanks!
Me too! I’m 39, my kids are older and ready to explore 🤙🏾
Cool. Im Set on a 20min 5k when just a beginner which I feel a bit of a mistake but feels set in stone for some reason lol. I've excepted it's long long term goal. I've been focusing on types of training but nothing on diet which is going to make a huge difference in the rate of body change. Imtrying to change all the tissues in my body so need the building blocks.
Running trail hills sounds an awesome goal and for decades rather than just marathons, one thing wrestling with is most runners just too skinny for my aesthetic.i don't want a lot of upper body muscle but do want to look muscley with good posture and head position.
Also not wiling to go vegan.
What I luv most about this interview Floris is that you allow your guest to speak uninterrupted. No stupid jokes behind every other word of the interviewee. I get the full understanding from this interview. Thank you so much for this. I'm entering my 2nd month of Maff training. I enjoy it.
The fact that he doesn't recommend stretch for runners. I warm up and stretch next to null.
🙏
This is a very good interview. Thank you Floris for championing Dr. Maffetone's work. MAF has really worked for me. I recently ran two half marathons, three weeks apart and won my 65-69 age group in both races. The things he talks about in this interview reinforce my experience with MAF. I am glad I started doing MAF training two and a half years ago. It revived my running.
A great reminder about the impact of stress in its various forms. Our training is really 24/7. We sometimes forget that and then wonder why things aren't working out!
Very well said Jen!
A stressful day at work always leads to a slower MAF run for me. I gave up coffee several weeks ago and it has helped but work stress is still a MAF killer for me. Then I get mad at myself for letting work stress get to me. It's a endless cycle. Some days are good though and I live for those. Cheers
Good observations!
Back in 1987 at the age of 30 started with the MAF formula , 180 minus 30 . Stuck with it and now at age 65 glad I did . Running slower is better than not being able to run at all . Now see people my age or younger, trying to run as if they are 5 to 10 yrs younger. And also see fewer men 5 to 10 yrs older than myself running at all .
Very good and I'm really happy about that; cuz im 63 and hurt and can't seem to shake my lower leg injury and very depressed to say the least, running is my therapy , I run for fun also once in awhile I enter something just so I'm training but not often, anyway wish me luck
the best comment of Dr. Maffetone i liked at end: We are in this for FUN - there is nothing happier than being HEALTHY and FIT.
My favorite quote is "humans get better naturally because our brains know how to get better" I'm already rolling this around in my head to see what else it applies to and if there are any exceptions. I love the idea that if I get out of the way and let my brain and body work together they will optimize for a better solution then I could achieve if I tried to beat either one of them into submission.
Fantastic. Glad you guys started to talk about the diet and metabolism aspect of the aerobic efficiency.
Such an important component on this journey as well. Thanks Eric!
I rollerblade lots. And only since wim hoff and OMAD changes in life. Losing lots of weight and feeling better. Did i then reflect and say. I should not be out running or blading looking like a beginner. Sloppy.
FLOW is my new mantra. Thanks for sharing. Nose breathing was another way to calm down and then exercise with nose only has helped performance too.
nice!
So you are doing buteyko as well ?
Hi Floris - Words will be very less to thank you enough. I have listened to every single podcast in your channel and all of them are so apt and to the point on what runners can take with them as tips/guidance and implement to improve and see a better version of themselves. Specially I have started training MAF 6 weeks ago and everyday is a joy... Life perspective has changed and there is more joy and happiness... Keep doing this selfless work for the world of runners 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for making my day Akash, I appreciate your kind words.
As I may have mentioned before, I completely adhere to this type of teaching. And it has made my training very enjoyable. I am very grateful for the teaching.
I have rarely stretched prior to a run, despite the comments from others.
But recently I have found that stretching the legs, especially the quads AFTER a run, after having solicited them, especially for a longer run, has prevented these larger muscles from tightening up, and has shortened the recovery and the healing from the micro-injuries. I wonder if others have found the same.
Thx for sharing. Robert.
Loving your videos, thanks bro! I am giving MAF / low heart rate zone a try as a beginner - first run was today - thanks for all of your help!
How is your training coming along? Have you stopped running with MAF?
Wonderful, wonderful video. I was intrigued by what Phil said about stretching and warming up. Over the years, I have found that stretches should be under done, rather than what your body can take at its limits.. I am a huge believer in Yoga asanas, and these have kept me going after every run. A huge thumbs up to the importance on warming up, before a run. I find that a warmup of 15 - 20 minutes can make a good positive impact to a run in session. Also trying out Danny’s Chi running has helped in making each running session very meaningful. Thanks again Floris and Phil for a very educative video.
There are surely different thought processed around stretching and warming up. Glad you enjoyed the video Bappu Deshmukh!
i did not heart of that. thanks for mentioning. i will do some reading on that.
I'm really glad to have tuned and subscribed into this channel. Been learning so much whatever episode pops up into my notifications. I'm really benefitting a lot now that I'm retired.
This is a great interview. Next time you have a discussion with Dr Maffetone would you ask about medications. I was on beta blockers and my HR was lower, as a result my pace was dramatically improving over time (as one would expect on MAF training). However once I came off beta blockers (due to improved health) my pace slowed down. I believe beta blockers screw up the bio feedback and Lactate Thresholds for a particular HR. I am now retraining using MAF to get my HR/Aerobic function back. I think this relationship should be explored. I also feel that beta blockers are a form of doping and needs proper research as they artificially change the adrenaline/Heart-rate relationship. This in turn changes the Lactate Threshold/Heart-Rate relationship too which would affect the aerobic function.
Thanks Floris for putting out these shows relentlessly. Great job again! My ultimate takeaway is to HAVE FUN and ENJOY WORKING OUT even when you aim at reaching your race goals. Take care!
Glad to hear that Csaba, it surely is all connected, the fun and joy to train consistently and work towards your race goals. Have a great running weekend ahead! Cheers
I'm 53 and found my max HR to be 175 from pushing hard in a run. Using 220-53 = 167 as avg max HR for 53, but I believe I need to adjust my calculation to that of a 45 year old, ie. 220-45 = 175. Therefore using MAF method my MAF HR would be 180-45 = 135. This is what I use for my MAF running and I think it is better to do this than just say every person of any specific age has the exact same max HR.
Good point. There are a number of coaches that tell us that age related formulae are poor predictors of max. heart rate for many people (eg. Sally Edwards, John Parker). Why would Maffetone be the exception?
You are doing what Dr. Maffetone said not to do. You are cheating. Your MAF heart rate has nothing to do with your Max HR. If you are fit, your MAF HR should be 180-53+5= 132. I understand the desire to cheat because the pace for MAF when you start the program is very slow. If done properly it will pay off.
@@acer8Because it works.
I am a total fan of this method. I was well on my way having just completed a couch to 5k type program and ran 5k's every other day for a month. I started then to apply MAF training as I began increasing my distances to a 6k, mostly walking at first. Two weeks into this and I suffered an injury, patellar tendonitis which I'm still trying to recover from after 4 weeks. Hopefully I can resume training in the spring.
sounds like your training volume went up pretty fast. wishing you a speedy recovery
I have a question: What science is behind MAF formula? I am 44 years old and I did some hill intervals and I have found out that my Max HR is 205. My MAF HR is 136 which is in WarmUp zone. If I train at 136 I certainly won't see any improvements. I know because I wasted 3 years from my life with an average of ~2000km running, ~4000km cycling and ~30km swimming. I improved my Marathon Time from ~4h to 3:45 and my Half Ironman time from ~5:30 to 5:10.
My Treshold HR is 170. I do my Repeats at ~190, my Intervals at ~180, my threshold run at ~170. After 3 years of MAF with no improvements I have started following VDOT and I already improved my 5K time from 24 minutes to 22 minutes. I don't have anymore sore calves all the time because I started to eat some dried dates and figs before, during and after the run. I now eat some more sugar and I feel really great. I have started to sleep the whole night from one end to another. When I was following MAF's nutritional advices I was able to sleep only until 3 AM. Then I was awake in my bed thinking all the time about food. I was hungry all the time and I was obsessed of losing weight... but I wasn't being able to go under 81. I now have 79 kilos, I am more relaxed, and I eat everything I want and as much as I want. I diched any diet but I have to admit that I eat healthy foods. No more bullet coffees and stupid fats in my food.
Just beware what are you are promoting, looking at you I see myself back in the days, all the time tired and trying all kind of miracle formulas like ice baths and other stupid stuff. My advice to anybody reading this comment is don't follow false prophets, we are so different as individuals. Diets especially are known to do more harm than good. Follow examples from Nobel Prize winners like Yoshinori Ohsumi, do some fasting once a year to clean your garbage in the cells, read science papers and stay away of people that have no science to back them up.
Were u strength training at the same time? Tempted to think if strengthen key muscle u get faster to a point. Reverse nordic curls and hip flexors for running eg.
Good points everyone different.
Totally valid about the point of diminishing returns regarding excessive overtraining/underrecovery. I want to note the psychological implications that are multifaceted but not limited to: addiction to high-intensity exercise byproducts, and dissociation from body/presence. I think this is important to state, the human is so complex.
Fantastic. Absolutely what I need to hear as a forty something person trying to improve my health and fitness 😀
Hi, Floris thanks again for Dr.PM.. will surely enjoy and have fun on my every run.. ride.. swims.. with offcourse less carb and maf...
Wonderful! Keep it up Sachin
A great watch. Thanks for posting Floris.
Glad you enjoyed it Tim!
I recently well a week started maf training.. As I've had issues I thibk over training looking at the load given to me and me as like many running my easy days to fast without thinking it... My first run was 11mm...in week it was at 10.30ish so I'm looking forward to see how I improve in next few weeks... I did find it easier on my bike to keep it in a good zone... :)
to do everything you like but watch the max MAF HR helped me. I was not sure if I shoud adjust the MAX HR while biking or not. Thanks for the confirmation that the max HR is valid for all sports.
thank you so much both of you for this input and the huge influence you are having on my training right now, big-ups!!
So glad to hear that!
Can you mix different kinds of exercises inside the MAF method system ?
Let say one day treadmill running, next day maybe rowing machine or elliptical. But staying focused to your MAF heartrate whatever exercise.
Underrated interview here, thanks to Floris and Phil for sharing this discussion
Cool shirt! Love the GPS hole Live dr. Phil!!
There are days when I can just about walk fast to maintain my hearbeat at MAF. The next day itself is a lot better? Has anyone faced this? Any insights how to make this more consistent?
Thank you both for this really interesting interview. The bit that resonated with me was if you "cheat" at your calculation then you are just cheating yourself and your training. I'm a slow runner and often feel I should be faster but in the end I enjoy every run I do and actually I am progressing over the year so I'm going to keep slow, maybe go slower! For me everytime I look at my HR or if I feel I have to stay in HR, it makes my HR go up so I'll try and relax about it.
Spot on!
Respect for Dr Maffetone. True gold .
Quick question . I am 71 and would like to know if I can build mitochondrial density in zone 1. I plan to be able to stay in zone 2 after some more hours of training. Best,
Hi Richard, yes that's possible. I'd use an adjust your HR accordingly. The 180-age will most probably give too low of a number. The talk test can provide some additional info too. Running at conversational pace and seeing what that HR number is. Enjoy your journey
Today running folks were running loops around me, but then I viewed some that where stopping their run and I was preparing myself to help them and call an ambulance... 😂 I ran for more than 2 hours and then went to work (home) energized ⚡
Haha, such a nice feeling. Well done!
I was really excited about this method of training and perhaps still am. I just listened to an interview with Dr. Maffetone where he claimed you can get off of insulin as a type 1 diabetic. Being a type 1 diabetic I would like to know where he got this information from.
This was incredibly useful and inspirational, thank you!
Another great video. Thanks Floris! My favourite quote has to be "Go with the Flo." That's what he meant right?
awesome! Danke
Is there face cream to lower wind chill?
Another great video, I need to do warm ups before my workouts I have to admit I don’t always do it.
Surely an important part of your workout!
I wish your path projects had women's clothing.
Looking for earbuds with the heart rate monitor to do MAT training. Any suggestions? Maffetone had some of their own, but they are discontinued.
"The fact is we are where we are..." Simple and wise.
👌
Hi Floris, great channel ! I have a question I recently got a polar HR watch and I'm following their Polar running program for a HM. Having zero previous experience with HR based training I obviously "ran" :-) into the issue that all beginners have, needing to walk often etc .. Being puzzled about this (is my watch broken?!) I did some research and only then I learned about your channel and Maffetone. This personalized Polar program is mostly Z2, Z3 training, and it looks kind of similar to the Maffetone philosophy. Do you have any thoughts on this, is this also based on the same philisophy you think ? I really like how easy it is to follow, but I'm not sur if it is a good strategy. thanks !
Sounds similar and they’re focusing on developing your aerobic base.
Hi Floris, Dr Phil, I'm really confused now!
I've been using my MAF zone for running for the past 3 months. I'm 57 so have a basic MAF zone of 113-123bpm and been managing to run daily with this.
In 3 months I've managed to go from 10min runs to 70min runs but have not been able to increase my speed at all.. not even 0.1kmh! (Ah..glad you talked about weight lifting! I do this heavy 3 times a week and notice this really does affect my next runs!).
However, today I checked my Zone 2 HR zone on the Polar site (and others) and have found that it's meant to be 60-70% of my max HR and at just 159 (I expected 163!) This puts my Zone 2 range at just 97-112bpm and my Zone 3 at 113-128bpm! So according to this my MAF zone is Zone 3! Is everyone like this?
Then I went onto the Myprocoach HR zone calculator site and put in my age and it tells me my Zone 2 is 118-128 which is what my MAF zone would be if I'd been training over 2yrs with no injuries etc! And my Zone 1 is 108-117.
How can Polar and most others say 113-128 is my Zone 3 and Myprocoach say this is Zone 2? At least Myprocoach seems to be more in line with Dr Maffetones levels.
Now I don't know whether to ease up which would mean I have to just walk again to stay in Zone 2 or stick with the MAF which is apparently Zone 3!
Edit: On further investigation it seems that Zone 2 training at 60-70% Max HR is very much slower than MAF training! Is this right?
E.g. a 20yr old average fitness MAF zone would be 150-160bpm whereas Zone 2 at 60-70% would be just 120-140bpm!
I think I'll stick to MAF!
Any advice would be most welcome. Thanks.
Edit again.. Having listened to this interview and looking further into it myself I think I know what I need to do now! 🙂 Fingers crossed..
My maff has improved a lot in 2 months, but still I'm running around 115-120 beats on most run (I'm 36), because I can run much more, more time, more km. Also, slowly I feel my feet, ancles etc getting stronger. I would say that to be able to run more miles and get a fitter body is more important than Maff Km time. I don't even care about it. In 6 month maybe... When I'll run my first marathon. Still, you can messure time on Your feet as a win, also your bones are getting stronger.
@@alandiegovillalobos Absolutely! I am amazed that this method has helped me improve my distance and time by so much. I just can't wait to get faster! 😋
I applaud you for running at an even slower HR than you could be. I need to slow down even more. At my novice level I should be running at 108-118bpm.
Thanks for your input.. you've inspired me to slow down and get it right! 👍🏽
can you have a conversation while you run? If yes, you're running easy. Who cares if it is exactly your MAF? The takeaway message is to slow down and enjoy your training. Listen to your body and what it tells you.
to add that many volume in 3 month is brilliant and i am very sure if it is not done on a low heartrate most people would injure themselfs easily. i have just started to do maf only a 100km in it i had a lot of previous training but never really improved much neither volume or speed so i have nothing to lose. suddenly my always a lil bit bothering here and there knee pain is gone and been able to increase volume a lot without actually slowing down too much from my previous speed. it actually a minute per km slower most of the days. from my best understanding high amount of volume and quite a bit of time needed to be invested in this to see results and it will possibly come slowly for most people so patience is key. but here is the thing i have never really been very fast before but limited with aches and pains and reduced volume and even if i never get faster being a minute slower runner and actually able to run is not worth it?
@@giovanbattistafichera8439 well said right there
Does this mean I shouldn't even do bodyweight pushups and squats during this initial 3-6 month phase? I'm already skinny and scrawny and would like to do some curls, deadlifts, and shoulder press at least once or twice a week. Does doing this simply make the MAF progress slower or does it nullify it out completely? Are there any exceptions?
I'm curious about this too. I am rehabbing a shin splint and trying to strengthen muscle weaknesses to prevent injury.
You can still do some strength training during the base building phase, just don't overdo the intensity and duration. Pushing too much strength can slow your progress and even block aerobic development if its too much stress on your body.
Hi @Christie, see response to crackedglasses below. Also, in a few weeks I'm releasing a new podcast with Nate Helming from The Run Experience that talks about running injuries, prevention and rehab in detail. Stay tuned.
@@FlorisGierman I have been doing Nate's "How to fix Shin Splints" video for the past couple of weeks. Can't wait for the release of your interview with him! Thanks Floris.
Hello,
I just turned 60, 3months ago. I was never into running and only jogged a few times. When looking at my weight and feeling the fatigue of even small efforts I Kew it was hight time to change.
I started, without any method, to do some jogging.(99% on treadmill as its too cold for me here to go out) Just run as far as I could and then walk. After about 1month I had to stop for about 10days as I had bad groin pain. But In 3month time I got to a 10K. That was about 3weeks ago. I only did 2 more 5K run and then had to stop again because of soreness.
Since I read and watched a lot of info about training and running. Due to the info I also decided to change into minimalistic barefoot shoes. Thereby I also take the opportunity to restart my running with barefoot shoes.
(Didn't started yet)
Now I got confused or hesitant about what method to follow.
Being I will have to start as a 60y young overweight person, running with minimalistic footwear, what would be best ?
I really like the Chi-running approach with more natural movement, less fatigue, less stress, etc. But there the focus, evidence the form, is cadence. Then there is the heatrate zones and Zone 2 training, and the you have the MAF training.
What would be best in my situation ??
My goal is certainly not to become a fast marathon runner.
But I would like to become a relative , for me personally, good trail runner and if possible do a ultrarun.
I prefere trail running but due to the fact that I live in a mostly wet and cold area and dislike cold weather really really much, I'm forced to run a lot indoors on a treadmill. (I bought one only 3months ago)
Hi Floris,
To reach fat burning status, do I need to keep my heart Rate at 180-my age?
I'm hurt.ugh and can't shake my leg problem and it's really depressing I need to get back to running soon,
31.06 so, can I understand from this (regarding other types of training during MAF) that these types of training can be incorporated after your MAF period of training?
I find food intake can affect cardiac drift. If you start a run fasted you'll notice a lower HR, then most people will take gels etc. if going out longer than an hour and your HR will go up after the gel, bar etc.
Can u get ketone gel packs?
How do I sign up for dr Maffetone’s newsletters? I went on the website and am unable to do so.
its awestriking to watch a guy like RD murray, professional triathletes getting away with 3 trainingpasses in a single day OO. You check out his watts on that last run doing insane 3:00 min/km 1 km repeats with perfect form. I dont get it. These ultra high performing awesome athletes doing great on high carb and multiple high intensity workouts on a roll. No overtraining issues, no injuries, perfect form ! Ofcourse, these folks are rare, but i really think they are on to something. Would be great with a podcast where you look into the mysteries of these bio-machines instead of always interviewing people that turned "MAF"-halleluja ^^ ...that being said, i really appreciate your content and i certainly learned a LOT from Phil, finding him because of your podcasts :)
Many pro triathletes have a lot of time to train AND recover and fully focus on that, vs athletes with full time jobs, kids, and many other life responsibilities. Glad you enjoy the content!
I don’t know if I experience silence stress..., Now I training day by day 🏃🏽♂️(5:00Am ) ., slow ., around 1 hour ... Before in the mid 80’s I was training 2 times by day ( 130 Kms week ) . I’m 56 years old . Loose lots of endurance .
Great post / interview, Floris. Very enjoyable.
I have a question regarding mitochondria development which underpins low intensity training and aerobic development. I’m sure we all have limits as to how much we can build mitochondria density. Physiologically, on average, when would we see such limits - in terms of age and the length of time we train with MAF ?
Also doesn’t our bodies get efficient when we cruise at MAF heart rate, day in, day out ? I suppose where’s stimulus to encourage aerobic development when all we do is train at a certain heart rate ? I’m asking to further understand the physiology / science behind MAF - and I have been training with MAF for over a year now.
Hi Danny, at some point we will indeed hit our limit. There are so many variables involved here, that its not a one size fits all answer on when that would be in terms of age and length of training time.
Running all day long at MAF would surely turn us into an aerobic machine, however we do need the recovery for training adaptation as well.
very interesting about stretching. i always hated to spend time on it but sometimes it feels good. Would loved to know his opinion on foam rolling which i do spend time on quite often.
Hi Nora, in the next episode of the Extramilest Show I have interviewed Nate Helming from The Run Experience and we talk in detail about his thoughts and approach to stretching and foam rolling. It's coming out in 2 or 3 weeks, so stay tuned for that. Cheers!
@@FlorisGierman cool thanks a lot will definitely watch it. and thanks for the many informative and motivating stuff you put up here
Great Post .... 🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽
I have a question regarding MAF. I’m from the uk and I’m in Cyprus for 6 weeks. My maf pace in the uk was 08:30 min miles and the heat in Cyprus has caused my MAF running to go to 10:00 min miles on average. Will training in the heat for 6 weeks give me better times on returning home?
I think it may well do, consistency and volume is the key though, good luck
Well said @The Brampton Valley Runner ! Indeed same principles apply, slow down and enjoy the slower miles in the heat Andy
Hi Floris, any chance of getting discounted overseas shipping on path projects products :)
"the fun part" !!! so essential :O) thanks
100%!!!
I've been training 80/20 for multiple seasons and if I would apply MAF formula to my N=1 case it would be 144 BPM. Running at that intensity will be my Zone 2 in 3 zone model (That middle ground which we try to avoid in 80/20). Even worse if I apply MAF to cycling then 144 BPM is cross section between Tempo and Sweetspot zones. This is far from an easy effort :-) Yes, it is still aerobic but much harder than cruising easy in Zone 1. I still consider this as good starting point for anyone new (less than couple seasons of consistent training)to the sport.
How old are you?
@@immers2410 35
Hi Floris, the last few years I've enjoyed the MAF method and have seen big improvements.
Now I'm recovering from an operation and have some significant life stresses, but I'm able to start running again.
I'm able to stay in my MAF zone 124-135 with very very slow jogging and bad form.
Question: Is it better to speed up a little with good form and alternate between running and walking instead?
Great Q. I'm curious about this as well. I do worry that staying at a low HR could force one into an awkward gait/speed/cadence.
When recovering from surgery and having significant life stresses, I would be extra cautious. Runs with walk breaks is still a great way to improve aerobically. Over time your runs become longer and breaks shorter
@@FlorisGierman Thanks Floris! I've never had problems with taking walking breaks, on the contrary 😀. It's good to hear not to neglect form just to stay in the zones. Keep up the good work!
@@kozepz 👍👍
"Can't go to the pool" is very real for me at the moment 😓 where I'm not totally banned from entering I'd still have to bring a test certificate. Spending 20 Euros for one swimming session is too much for me. Lakes here aren't warm enough anymore. At least I can run and use my bike.
I’m now 47 and need to find a way to cut down on my carbs. ( beer bread and crisps I need to tackle)
go keto ;)
Best thing I ever did was go low carb and high fat (LCHF). Lose some weight, reduce inflammation, recover faster has been my experience at 52. Good luck and cheers.
I agree low carb high fat go well with MAF
You're surely not alone. Cutting some of it back can surely make a positive impact on your running performance.
That's great Floris. An alternative to the watch/HR solution is to visit me here in New Zealand. Spend a couple of weeks together, just hang out running. I''ll get my youtube channel affairs started in a couple of days.
New Zealand is high on my bucket list of places to visit, once international travel with my fam is a bit more easy to do. Would love to get some runs in with you while visiting. What part of NZ are you in? Shoot me a link once your YT channel is going. Looking forward to seeing your videos. Cheers
@@FlorisGierman cool, I'm currently in Helensville, . My goal is to have an apartment on Lake Taupo with a view of Mt Ruapeheu. It's nothing over the top just enough that I can entertain ia friend to a standard they expect. The one donator I'm looking to attract is already enjoying this and will receive a tax deductible receipt to. The youtube introduction will be posted tomorrow. Floris I'll organise the apartment by the end of next month and we'll start from here aarron.brunner@gmail.com
What you know on lung expander
Since going low carb, my resting hr is up 15 beats. My maff hr is 134-144 but can reach my lower hr when walking, as soon as I add a very slow jog it goes to 150/160. I can comfortably run this with nose breathing. My pace is currently worse than I started 4 months ago running only maf 3-4 times a week. Do I need to up the beats?
Your body might be going into keto if you cut back the carbs and sugars significantly. You can either increase your carb intake or give it some more time. I wouldn't add higher HR
@@FlorisGierman thanks for the reply. Think I'll start adding more fruit to my diet
Hi Floris, I have a bit of nerdy question regarding HRM. I have been running about 4 to 5 hours per week now since the start of August pretty much. My MAF HR is 133 (I'm 47). I can cruise at 133, and very quickly hit 138 on a slight incline. I slow down to let it recover/drop, but it can take like 10 seconds of running slower/walking. Over a 2 hour run, this can equate to maybe 10% of my time above my ideal 133 rate. Looking at the average for the whole run it can be 133, and I understand I could have done one hour at 100 and one hour at 166 and got the same result, so I look at individual 'laps' or mile segments. I by and large run at 133, slightly below or slightly above, say 134 (though I try to slow down again). Do you think it is acceptable to look at my mile lap average HR in this way? I m not running a half mile at 100 and a half mile at 166! I have tried to change my zones artificially to indicate how much time I have at particular zones, but I would like to be able to break this down into time at particular heart rates. Or is this going to be 'analysis paralysis' in that I get bogged down by the stats? To be honest, as an Engineer, I wonder how accurate the calibration of a Garmin is. I suspect 132 to 134 is as good as 133 and regarding benefits from a MAF training point of view it denigrates exponentially the further from MAF HR you go, so for me, 134 not too bad, 135 getting worse, 136 not so good, 138 only half the benefit, 150 no MAF benefit etc. How much HR over 133 in a run do I need to worry about time wise? If 80% of my time is at or below 133 am I getting a MAF benefit?
Final point, on stress and HR, I know that in a run I can think about racing and add 10BPM to my HR no problem, just by thinking about running fast. Perhaps my pace just automatically increases too... :-D Thanks for the Podcasts and thanks to Dr Phil too.
Hi Dom, during a base building period I'd set your HR alarm at 133 and limit the time spent above that. It's fine if it goes a few beats above it every now and then, you just don't want to get your HR in the next zone too much. There is no golden 1 size fits all answer to your question. Ask yourself the questions how your feeling during and after your run, the next day when you get out of bed or go for a run. Energy levels, muscle soreness, etc. Follow the fundamentals and see how your aerobic progression is going over time. If you're improving well and feeling good, things are going in the right direction. If not, be patient and if needed, adjust your approach accordingly.
Great point about the correlation between thoughts and HR. I've experienced it as well, standing in the start corral and seeing my "resting HR" hit 100 beats per minute haha. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Great video 👍👍👍👍👍
🙏 Thank you George!
Geweldige info!
is floris from the netherlands ?
Floris, great videos! I wanted to ask you- why do some people gauge at 180 and some studies say 220? Also, if zone 1 is easy and long runs...is intervals and fartleks zone 2 and speed work zone 3? What is your thoughts? Thank you.
The 220 minus age is maximum HR. The 180 minus age is the MAF HR
You don’t need intervals, fartleks, or speed work in the Maffetone Method.
Floris please ask question , if water fasting works in achieving MAF
I have been walking daily / slow jogging ( not maffe i just have always jogged slow ) for 2 years .
I tried maff, My max heart rate on maff is sposed to be 158 bpm. The trouble is I cant get it that high ?!! I went for a run , running hard up hills , way past conversational pace ... can only hit 130bpm . Any one else had this problem ?
My resting heart rate is around 56 bpm . I am 27years old .
Read the book Slow Burn for a slight variation on MAF. Stu Mittleman has an adjustment.
Great interview. Anyway, I don't agree with him about stretching. Stretching can never become dangerous if it is done properly, even though many of us consider it time-consuming and don't pay the needed attention. Stretching increases the range of motion beyond the range needed for running, so during the running, it is far away from extreme, and the body is not in extreme tension. In the other hand, if we don't stretch, our range of motion is very low, just what is needed for running, and we are always in extreme and probably more prone of injuries.
Im not willing to go vegan atm. Phd level dieticians pro meat. Can anyone recommend a runners diet with meat and diary?
It can be a bit misleading to say avoid "stress" in training imo. Being able to run faster at same heart rate is an adaptation to training and that doesn't happen without stress or making the body feeling the need to adapt... Yeah slow down, but u still need high volume / gradual increases in volume or training session duration to cause the adaptations
I wish commentary was only in km. We run 5km, 10km, etc - can we talk in those km?
My question is to Dr. Phil Maffetone.
I am a new runner. Very new, indeed. So far, my best running is a 21.1K in 2 hours and 41 minutes. I have done a few slower 21Ks by that time. I am not a MAF runner. It takes me a 3 hour Tempo run to finish a half marathon. Perhaps, I am yet to call myself a runner. So, correct me my mistakes.
For me, running has only 2 dimensions - either going faster, or going farther. Or going further at a faster pace (Eliud Kipchoge) Or going shorter at a slower pace (me).
My first question: Why should I focus on Heart Rate not on my legs or lungs or at least on my small intestine. Are not my legs being the key organs for running? Running require entire body to work together and tons of factors impact it. For example, Vo2 Max, Lactic acid threshold, Running economy and so on. At least, my energy is coming from the small intestine and burning it inside all body muscles. Why should I focus on the Heart then?
My second question: Considering 40+ kilometers of running each week, which one is the better option for me for the next 2 years period? When my goal is to finish a half marathon in “as fast as I could”. Under 3 hours up to under 1 hour. Only standard would be the “best possible shortest time for in a 21K for the next 2 years”.
Option A: just run. Take care of the body to avoid all the injuries and focus on at least a 3 hour long up-tempo run each week.
Option B: follow MAF and also take care the body to avoid all the injuries as usual. And focus at least on a slow MAF 3 hour run each week.
Here is my two cents. None of your runs should be 3 hours. If you ran 1.5 hours 4 times per week at MAF heart rate, you would see improvement. (the distance is less important than the time) I suspect that after a year of doing that you would run a 21.1 km race in under two hours. The heart runs the body. It is the most important factor in your running.
Thank you so much for the reply. Appreciate your time.
I had asked the above question 10 months ago. I was desperately looking for an answer; a path to move forward in my running journey. And I spent considerable amount of time experimenting different running styles on me.
Ten months latter, now I know MAF is not for me…yes I tried it for six months then ended up in a joke. Everyone knows it - barking dog never bites. The question- does the dog knows it? Answer-//// Same with our hearts. Someone capitalised on the fear of Dog and someone capitalised on the fear of Heart Attack.
@@wasimahmed5941 You have given a very cryptic response. I have no clue what you mean by the barking dog. MAF training has worked for me. In two and a half years, I went from a 1:42 half marathon to a 1:38 half marathon, using the MAF training that I learned from Dr. Maffetone's books and website. It takes an inordinate amount of patience and most people can't follow through with it. I did and it is paying off. My pace at my MAF heart rate went from 6:30 min/km to 5:00/km. At the same heart rate! That took about a year. As I always say, that year is going to go by whether you do the training or not.
@@tackjibe appreciate your positive feedback on MAF. Happy to see that your half marathon time has significantly improved- congratulations. Anyway, everyone’s body is different. Perhaps, it is a mistake for many (like many), It did not work for me. I did MAF training (on and of) for one year out of which 6 months was dedicated. Meaning, I did nothing but MAF and I did 40 to 70 kilometres run each week. My pace went down from 7 min/kilometre to 10 min/kilometre. That was horrible. I have horrible experience with MAF. Just horrible. Anyway, I am back to natural running for the last 2 months. I am now getting back into my old pace.
Great health guude
Hmm great man but does not know about nutrition. He should read The End of Diabetes by Fuhrman to catch up on what causes insulin resistance. Thx for the interview..
And you should read Dr. Jason Fung.
Great interview, though when he was asked about who his heroes were, I literally thought he was going to say "you don't need heroes, you need a strong aerobic system".
Something no one talks about haven't heard Phil either about 1% sporadic runners, myself, my dad, steve prefontain and couple other famous rabbits
🤷♂️
Over time I've come to appreciate MAF training as one of the better LISS options. However, like all folk aging and jogging for wellbeing, 20 minutes lifting once a week will do wonders for overall health. Not sport specific, but a full body lifting routine. More isn't needed and it's not better for a 50 year old to lift more than once a week. But doing that once a week starting in your 50s helps the aging person avoid broken hips (one of the leading causes of degeneration and death in old age). Phil's nutrition advise is just plain wrong on many points. In the vernacular: Ain't nobody never got diabetes eating lentils and oatmeal. The research does suggest meat and dairy cause diabetes though, so if an educated individual wants to reduce that risk, eat your lentils.
Holding the microphone the whole time is a little strange. No desk mount?
So why dont you talk about plasma volume changes? Shouldnt HR rise after depletion of fluids. Seems to explain all the bro science you speak! Wouldnt the heart have a lower thicker blood volume towards the end of the work? Seems like you've never squeezed a spray bottle with thin liquids and then again with a thick 🤔 one!
What dr. Phil Maffetone says is now common sense, yet he charges 450$ for it. I think I'll watch another video by dr. Stephen Seiler, thank you very much.
Hi Giovanbattista, as much as I respect your opinion, some athletes do like to take a deeper dive into these topics and work with Dr. Phil Maffetone and some of his coaches on a more personalized level specifically for their life circumstances. Others enjoy a program like this to be part of a training community for encouragement, accountability, shared learning etc. Not saying this is for everyone, but there is more to it than what you make it sound like.
@@FlorisGierman I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. It's just that holistic approaches to training are not mind blowing anymore. Besides, for athletes who have specific needs, medical history and other needs, one needs to go beyond formulas and look at it closely. Just to give an example, an overstressed young athlete with a low max heart rate will not run at an easy pace if they applied the formula. You're right, there's so much more to it. 😊
@@giovanbattistafichera8439 totally get it. I'm glad that more and more athletes are looking at their training in a more holistic way, at the different elements that can impact their performance, outside of just a run or workout.
Each athlete is indeed unique. As much as a formula can give a rough ball park number that works for a good amount of athletes, further personalization is needed. Cheers!
He is interesting still for sure. The view on health, junk food and overtraining is great.But that stretching shouldnt be done as its bad for u, i dont know. There is a few 100 million yoga practioners who could disagree. My calfes disagree from sundays maf long run too…
Yoga is a religious practice.
that mic was funny not as much as redundant.
Whose mic?
@@FlorisGierman the one u were holding. but still the content is amazing man thank you for these series.
Disclaimer: this criticism is not directed at you, but Maffetone.
You had well thought out questions Floris, and I honestly don’t think anyone learned one iota of information from his responses or lack thereof. Maffetone is like the Captain obvious guy from the hotels.com ads. He literally reiterates the same response in 20 different ways and never actually provides any valuable information, often times just going on tangents. I think his value as a guest continues to decline each time I hear him speak. Appreciate your great dialogue, just wish this ‘expert’ didn’t get so much credit for literally showing people how to run aerobically with a formula. Continue your great work and please realize none of this is directed at you personally, really think you do an outstanding job.
Thank you for sharing your opinion Eric. What might seem like obvious to you, was not obvious to me when I first came across his work. Also, when I re-listen to previous conversations + new conversations I've had with Dr. Phil Maffetone, I am reminded of several "obvious" things I have neglected or forgotten about. I think I'm not alone in this and have heard similar feedback from other listeners of The Extramilest Show as well. If all you get out of these conversations is how to run aerobically with a formula, you might be missing several other key takeaways.
Appreciate your feedback! Cheers
The only "fun" part of running is buying new gear and stopping. Actual running is misery.
Stress pandemic easy done! Switch TV off ..,.gone
They are not arroganbuiltinside them. Naturally
Why is the doctor not allowed to say “COVID”?
Always belwb
Comment deleted on vax injured gaslighting. Is that by utube or the poster?