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The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing
Are you a triathlete, runner, cyclist, swimmer, cross-country skier? Learn how to stay healthy, achieve optimal athletic potential, and be injury-free.Dr. Philip Maffetone’s approach to endurance offers a truly “individualized” outlook and unique system that emphasizes building a strong aerobic base for increased fat burning, weight loss, sustained energy, and a healthy immune system. Good nutrition and stress reduction are also key to this commonsense, big-picture approach.In addition, Dr. Maffetone dispels many of the commonly held myths that linger in participatory sports—and which adversely impact performance—and explains the “truths” about endurance, such need to train slower to race faster will enable your aerobic system to improve enduranceWhy expensive running shoes can actually cause foot and leg injuriesThe fact that refined carbohydrates actually reduce endurance energy and disrupt hormone balanceAnd more.If you are looking to increase your endurance and maximize your athletic potential, The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing is your one-stop guide to training and racing effectively.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2010
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April 26, 2024
What would you think of an author who redefined common, well-known terms to suit his own preference?
The usual definition
- Aerobic - with oxygen - metabolism yields 26-28 ATP per glucose molecule (depending on metabolization pathway)
- Anaerobic - without oxygen - metabolism yields 2 ATP per glucose molecule.
These are not loosey goosey terms. They have a specific meaning with lots of research behind them.
His redefinition:
- Aerobic - metabolization of fat
- Anaerobic - metabolization of sugar
Aerobic and Anaerobic are well known as referring to oxygen usage. But he wants to redefine them in to refer to the fuel source. His techniques might be useful, but his science is questionable. If every author redefined terms to suit his or her own preferences it would make a mess of communication. Shifting definitions that drastically also raises concern about the reliability of the rest of the book.
The chapters with information on specific hormones, and micronutrients were somewhat interesting, but tediously long. Experts give differing advice on such basic nutrients as: water, carbohydrate, fat, and salt. When “experts" differ radically on such basic nutrients, can we expect the advice on specific micronutrients that we may have never heard of to be accepted by other authorities?
My perception of this book has had it's ups and downs. I appreciated, and was interested in the author's background. Then the book began to drag, saying in a thousand words what could have been said much more succinctly.
He caught my interest with his emphasis on low heart rate training. That resonated with me because my best race times have been with slower training. Therefore that part rings true with me. So, I read with interest about his MAF test, which he uses to assess improvement. But then the chapter on MAF testing got tedious. It went on and on with only occasional specifics on how to do the test.
So, I will take from this book the great advice to change back to the slow training that worked so well in the past. But totally ignore what he says about food. My next race is in just under 2 weeks. Come to think of it, one of the great Australian coaches (Arthur Lydiard) of years gone by had great success with long slow distances.
This book has an afterward by Tim Noakes which almost bumps it up to 4 stars. The last of the book did not seem to drag as much as earlier parts. Surprise, I enjoyed the last few chapters.
MAF test vs Running Race Pace (Page 92)
MAF PACE | 5K Race Pace | 5K Time
10:00 | 7:30 | 23:18
9:00 | 7:00 | 21:45
8:30 | 6:45 | 20:58
8:00 | 6:30 | 20:12
7:30 | 6:00 | 18:38
7:00 | 5:30 | 17:05
6:30 | 5:15 | 16:19
6:00 | 5:00 | 15:32
5:45 | 4:45 | 14:45
5:30 | 4:30 | 13:59
5:15 | 4:20 | 13:28
5:00 | 4:15 | 13:12
See http://philmaffetone.com/maftest.cfm for how to perform the test.
The usual definition
- Aerobic - with oxygen - metabolism yields 26-28 ATP per glucose molecule (depending on metabolization pathway)
- Anaerobic - without oxygen - metabolism yields 2 ATP per glucose molecule.
These are not loosey goosey terms. They have a specific meaning with lots of research behind them.
His redefinition:
- Aerobic - metabolization of fat
- Anaerobic - metabolization of sugar
Aerobic and Anaerobic are well known as referring to oxygen usage. But he wants to redefine them in to refer to the fuel source. His techniques might be useful, but his science is questionable. If every author redefined terms to suit his or her own preferences it would make a mess of communication. Shifting definitions that drastically also raises concern about the reliability of the rest of the book.
The chapters with information on specific hormones, and micronutrients were somewhat interesting, but tediously long. Experts give differing advice on such basic nutrients as: water, carbohydrate, fat, and salt. When “experts" differ radically on such basic nutrients, can we expect the advice on specific micronutrients that we may have never heard of to be accepted by other authorities?
My perception of this book has had it's ups and downs. I appreciated, and was interested in the author's background. Then the book began to drag, saying in a thousand words what could have been said much more succinctly.
He caught my interest with his emphasis on low heart rate training. That resonated with me because my best race times have been with slower training. Therefore that part rings true with me. So, I read with interest about his MAF test, which he uses to assess improvement. But then the chapter on MAF testing got tedious. It went on and on with only occasional specifics on how to do the test.
So, I will take from this book the great advice to change back to the slow training that worked so well in the past. But totally ignore what he says about food. My next race is in just under 2 weeks. Come to think of it, one of the great Australian coaches (Arthur Lydiard) of years gone by had great success with long slow distances.
This book has an afterward by Tim Noakes which almost bumps it up to 4 stars. The last of the book did not seem to drag as much as earlier parts. Surprise, I enjoyed the last few chapters.
MAF test vs Running Race Pace (Page 92)
MAF PACE | 5K Race Pace | 5K Time
10:00 | 7:30 | 23:18
9:00 | 7:00 | 21:45
8:30 | 6:45 | 20:58
8:00 | 6:30 | 20:12
7:30 | 6:00 | 18:38
7:00 | 5:30 | 17:05
6:30 | 5:15 | 16:19
6:00 | 5:00 | 15:32
5:45 | 4:45 | 14:45
5:30 | 4:30 | 13:59
5:15 | 4:20 | 13:28
5:00 | 4:15 | 13:12
See http://philmaffetone.com/maftest.cfm for how to perform the test.
April 3, 2024
There is a great deal I could say about this book and a great deal of detail in which I could say it. However I'll confine this to a few succinct points. Since these points are themselves lengthy a quick TL;DR is:
"The author is not so much wrong as he is only 80% right. Rather than settle for a partial solution that gets you going but petters out: pick up 80/20 running and get a more complete and more scientifically backed approach to endurance training that will have you improving for many years. "
1) If you have never trained for distance events, or are HIGHLY injury prone, this book is an ok place to begin.
2) The online community is very polarized regarding this author with most people in the "anti" camp. The reason is twofold. First the anti camp misunderstands the author because he makes himself so easy to misunderstand. Second because the misunderstanding (that you should NEVER run hard) is very close to the author's actual view and his actual view is not quite correct either.
3) There are many dedicated followers of this authors training pronouncements because they do work; for a while. These folks largely bristle at the anti-Maff camp because they feel their stories of personal success are not being taken seriously. They argue that the anti-Maff group would see the light if only they gave the Maff approach more time/ effort/patience etc. Because it works so well for them for the first couple years they are often unwilling to accept there is an even better method.
4) Almost all people (based on dozens of independent stories from around the web) will find that religously following this author's methods will lead to the following progression 1. Frustration at the method and doubt, a loss of enjoyment in running. (3-9 months) 2. Acceptance and improvement, increased enjoyment. (6 months) 3. A love of training and more improvement. (6-12 months) 4. An unbreakable plateau in performance that persists potentially for years. 5. Frustration and ultimate abadonment of the training method.
5) Without going into detail, the methods works initially because, as the author repeatedly says, most amateurs train too hard. Slowing down, despite being frustrating and humbling will actually reduce injuries and improve performance. However, that doesn't mean you should train slow all the time. Not even this author intends this, though it's very easy to believe he does because he downplays hard training to the point of suggesting that, for some, only training slow and just running races at race pace in season may be enough hard training for improvement. That is silly.
A much better book with a much more scientific and balanced approach to long term training for endurance athletes is 80/20 Running. Most "former Maff Method" athletes find 80/20 training as the answer they were looking for all along. Although the book has "running" in the title it is equally applicable to all endurance sports.
Finally, as a few nit picking points. The author's relentless self promotion got old. He makes it sound like he pioneered long slow millage while everyone else was and still is doing all intervals all the time. In truth he was one of many trainers who moved in the same direction around the same time, more of a cultural shift in training than one man's Copernican Revolution. I was also frustrated by the fact that he renamed his own fitness testing protocol from his earlier publications so that the acronym spells out MAF, or the first letters of his name, but went to pains (repeatedly) to claim it was just a coincidence that the changed name was pseudonymous. The author's efforts to forcibly insert himself and his name into the common language of training are rife throughout the book, as are his denials that he is doing so.
Also the book is littered with typos and sometimes contradicts itself, especially in the sections on food and injury prevention.
"The author is not so much wrong as he is only 80% right. Rather than settle for a partial solution that gets you going but petters out: pick up 80/20 running and get a more complete and more scientifically backed approach to endurance training that will have you improving for many years. "
1) If you have never trained for distance events, or are HIGHLY injury prone, this book is an ok place to begin.
2) The online community is very polarized regarding this author with most people in the "anti" camp. The reason is twofold. First the anti camp misunderstands the author because he makes himself so easy to misunderstand. Second because the misunderstanding (that you should NEVER run hard) is very close to the author's actual view and his actual view is not quite correct either.
3) There are many dedicated followers of this authors training pronouncements because they do work; for a while. These folks largely bristle at the anti-Maff camp because they feel their stories of personal success are not being taken seriously. They argue that the anti-Maff group would see the light if only they gave the Maff approach more time/ effort/patience etc. Because it works so well for them for the first couple years they are often unwilling to accept there is an even better method.
4) Almost all people (based on dozens of independent stories from around the web) will find that religously following this author's methods will lead to the following progression 1. Frustration at the method and doubt, a loss of enjoyment in running. (3-9 months) 2. Acceptance and improvement, increased enjoyment. (6 months) 3. A love of training and more improvement. (6-12 months) 4. An unbreakable plateau in performance that persists potentially for years. 5. Frustration and ultimate abadonment of the training method.
5) Without going into detail, the methods works initially because, as the author repeatedly says, most amateurs train too hard. Slowing down, despite being frustrating and humbling will actually reduce injuries and improve performance. However, that doesn't mean you should train slow all the time. Not even this author intends this, though it's very easy to believe he does because he downplays hard training to the point of suggesting that, for some, only training slow and just running races at race pace in season may be enough hard training for improvement. That is silly.
A much better book with a much more scientific and balanced approach to long term training for endurance athletes is 80/20 Running. Most "former Maff Method" athletes find 80/20 training as the answer they were looking for all along. Although the book has "running" in the title it is equally applicable to all endurance sports.
Finally, as a few nit picking points. The author's relentless self promotion got old. He makes it sound like he pioneered long slow millage while everyone else was and still is doing all intervals all the time. In truth he was one of many trainers who moved in the same direction around the same time, more of a cultural shift in training than one man's Copernican Revolution. I was also frustrated by the fact that he renamed his own fitness testing protocol from his earlier publications so that the acronym spells out MAF, or the first letters of his name, but went to pains (repeatedly) to claim it was just a coincidence that the changed name was pseudonymous. The author's efforts to forcibly insert himself and his name into the common language of training are rife throughout the book, as are his denials that he is doing so.
Also the book is littered with typos and sometimes contradicts itself, especially in the sections on food and injury prevention.
February 23, 2012
Knocked off a star for lack of citations. If you're going to repeatedly reference studies, please note somewhere which studies they are!
August 30, 2024
Life is Endurance. At the core of who we are, we adapt and ENDURE in all environments. Physical endurance is the foundation and carries over to our emotional, spiritual, & intellectual sides of life…it molds us into better human beings.
Endurance is never owned, it’s rented, and endurance rent is due every day
Endurance is never owned, it’s rented, and endurance rent is due every day
November 28, 2014
While this book has some good information in it, I think there's a couple of problems.
First off, it's WAY too long. I feel like I was being given the same information in multiple ways, multiple times. Maybe I wasn't supposed to read this end-to-end, as I did. Maybe it's meant more as a reference. But I didn't come away from the book feeling excited and motivated.
Second, it feels more opinionated than I'm sure he probably intended. I understand the ideas behind systems dynamics, and that physical and mental health, exercise, diet, and sleep are all linked, with a ton of feedback loops, many of which are not completely understood. But this comes across more as "ok, I've sussed it all out, and pretty much every other practitioner you might see is going to do nothing but name your end condition and treat the name."
Third, it suffers from simultaneously feeling too specific (in terms of presenting processes) and too general. By the latter, I mean too many instances of "X came to see me and I gave them some holistic suggestions on diet and training and the next season they were running PRs." Or claiming that problems are caused by imbalances (OK, I can buy that) but then either leaving it there, or saying that the cause could be X, Y, or Z, and leaving it there. So if you actually have the problem, you wind up feeling like you now have to create an elaborate experimental protocol for yourself. Is it poor aerobic development? Physical stress? Mental stress? Chemical stress? Poor diet? For any of these, what's the experiment that could isolate the variable and prove it). I came to this book with an Achilles tendon issue; I came away still not having any specific new ideas about what to do about it.
And for a book that focuses so heavily on using a heart rate monitor in training, why not a chart that lays out some ballpark numbers, by age, of what one should expect to see (and don't tell me it's all individualized; he's using 180-age as a starting point)? Or what patterns one might see in the HRM data within a single run and what they may indicate (e.g., heart rate that is high for first n miles, then suddenly drops by half, with no associated change in pace or terrain. Is that an HRM malfunction? Poor warm-up? Indicative of some fundamental problem)?
I spent a lot of time with this book over the past month, and got surprisingly little out of it, given its length. Train with an HRM, and stay aerobic. Don't eat sugar. Eat more salad. Um, OK.
First off, it's WAY too long. I feel like I was being given the same information in multiple ways, multiple times. Maybe I wasn't supposed to read this end-to-end, as I did. Maybe it's meant more as a reference. But I didn't come away from the book feeling excited and motivated.
Second, it feels more opinionated than I'm sure he probably intended. I understand the ideas behind systems dynamics, and that physical and mental health, exercise, diet, and sleep are all linked, with a ton of feedback loops, many of which are not completely understood. But this comes across more as "ok, I've sussed it all out, and pretty much every other practitioner you might see is going to do nothing but name your end condition and treat the name."
Third, it suffers from simultaneously feeling too specific (in terms of presenting processes) and too general. By the latter, I mean too many instances of "X came to see me and I gave them some holistic suggestions on diet and training and the next season they were running PRs." Or claiming that problems are caused by imbalances (OK, I can buy that) but then either leaving it there, or saying that the cause could be X, Y, or Z, and leaving it there. So if you actually have the problem, you wind up feeling like you now have to create an elaborate experimental protocol for yourself. Is it poor aerobic development? Physical stress? Mental stress? Chemical stress? Poor diet? For any of these, what's the experiment that could isolate the variable and prove it). I came to this book with an Achilles tendon issue; I came away still not having any specific new ideas about what to do about it.
And for a book that focuses so heavily on using a heart rate monitor in training, why not a chart that lays out some ballpark numbers, by age, of what one should expect to see (and don't tell me it's all individualized; he's using 180-age as a starting point)? Or what patterns one might see in the HRM data within a single run and what they may indicate (e.g., heart rate that is high for first n miles, then suddenly drops by half, with no associated change in pace or terrain. Is that an HRM malfunction? Poor warm-up? Indicative of some fundamental problem)?
I spent a lot of time with this book over the past month, and got surprisingly little out of it, given its length. Train with an HRM, and stay aerobic. Don't eat sugar. Eat more salad. Um, OK.
June 27, 2019
Phil Maffetone has written a must-read book for anyone interested in fitness. He starts with the idea that a person can be fit and yet not be healthy. Use of steroids and overtraining are two examples that could lead a person to excel (temporarily) in athletics, even as they make themselves less healthy. The book promotes a natural, even conservative approach to fitness and health. For instance Maffatone says that one of the best ways to correct muscle imbalance, pain, and injury is to go barefoot as often as possible. Medicines and braces often improve symptoms, but they interfere with the body's ability to heal itself. Barefoot walking will result in better body awareness and more natural, healthy movement, thus allowing the body to correct problems. the first half of the book was the most interesting and helpful to me. Maffetone argues that people should do most of their training just below their aerobic max (180 minus their age). This will lead to a greater ability to burn fat, reduce inflammation, promote long-term health, and even improve competitive performance. This idea does not contradict mainstream thought, but it is a fairly extreme and specific version of what other coaches suggest. The book states that many athletes have an imbalance in their fitness, with an anaerobic system that's well-developed, but an aerobic system that is under-developed. This causes them to be working anaerobically too much of the time, which leads to burnout, inflammation, injury, and poor health.
In the second half of the book, Maffetone goes into great detail about nutrients, sunlight, alternative therapies, etc. His views on these topics are often outside mainstream thought and therefore controversial. For instance he argues for more exposure to the sun without sunblock (as long as sunburn is avoided). He believes this exposure will lead to higher levels of vitamin D which will promote better health and athletic performance. He goes so far as to suggest that healthy levels of vitamin D will prevent cancer, and sunblock does more harm than good. These ideas are interesting, unusual, and potentially dangerous. If you are a coach, a runner, a cyclist, or anyone who enjoys endurance sports, this book is a must read - at least the first half.
In the second half of the book, Maffetone goes into great detail about nutrients, sunlight, alternative therapies, etc. His views on these topics are often outside mainstream thought and therefore controversial. For instance he argues for more exposure to the sun without sunblock (as long as sunburn is avoided). He believes this exposure will lead to higher levels of vitamin D which will promote better health and athletic performance. He goes so far as to suggest that healthy levels of vitamin D will prevent cancer, and sunblock does more harm than good. These ideas are interesting, unusual, and potentially dangerous. If you are a coach, a runner, a cyclist, or anyone who enjoys endurance sports, this book is a must read - at least the first half.
March 23, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and learning about Dr. Maffetone's philosophies. This book did convince me to take an (albeit short) 3 week aerobic only (mostly) "break" from my years of anaerobic training. Now that I'm back to anaerobic workouts, I have forced myself run easy on easy days. I am feeling more rested and am sleeping much better! I'm also trying to adhere to some of his diet philosophies; we'll see how that goes :) overall, very good information and an easy read (if you're into that kind of stuff)
August 31, 2012
This book really should be every runner that values longevity's bible. Packed with knowledge it can and should be the guide to be a good runner's guide.
March 11, 2020
After reading Natural Born Heroes I was motivated to start running myself and to try out Dr. Maffetone's method of slow aerobic running. The method itself can be found on the web together with a lot of additional information so you can save money and don't have to buy this book.
I feel with the readers who think that the book is too long. This probably has to do with the fact that the training method is different to what people used to do and many are not willing to take it serious. The author has therefore added other people's perspectives and the research results from his own clinic. While it makes sense to get the full picture, this also leads to unnecessary repetitions and it can be hard to find quickly what you are looking for.
From my personal experience I can say that trying to stay in the correct heart rate zone means in the beginning to fight the ego. Everyone will be faster and you need a lot of trust to stick to this rather scientific approach. (I will update my review at the end of 2017 to let you know if has really worked.)
Food and nutrition are another major part of the book. As there are so many opinions about it let me just say that Dr. Maffetone's low-carb approach sounds logical. On the other hand it's very hard in the place where I live to have a diet without pasta, potatoes and bread - or the delicious cakes. I hope a middle way works too with a drastically reduced sugar consumption.
Summary: I enjoyed reading the book and will try out the suggestions myself. If you already have a smartphone then all you need is a "heart rate monitor chest strap" and you are ready to train in the correct zone.
I feel with the readers who think that the book is too long. This probably has to do with the fact that the training method is different to what people used to do and many are not willing to take it serious. The author has therefore added other people's perspectives and the research results from his own clinic. While it makes sense to get the full picture, this also leads to unnecessary repetitions and it can be hard to find quickly what you are looking for.
From my personal experience I can say that trying to stay in the correct heart rate zone means in the beginning to fight the ego. Everyone will be faster and you need a lot of trust to stick to this rather scientific approach. (I will update my review at the end of 2017 to let you know if has really worked.)
Food and nutrition are another major part of the book. As there are so many opinions about it let me just say that Dr. Maffetone's low-carb approach sounds logical. On the other hand it's very hard in the place where I live to have a diet without pasta, potatoes and bread - or the delicious cakes. I hope a middle way works too with a drastically reduced sugar consumption.
Summary: I enjoyed reading the book and will try out the suggestions myself. If you already have a smartphone then all you need is a "heart rate monitor chest strap" and you are ready to train in the correct zone.
August 14, 2023
Like any health book, you have to pick and choose what to believe. I don't agree with his diet recommendations, but his LHR training has honestly saved my running life. I thought I was basically done running longer distances because of the terrible headaches and fatigue I experienced after runs longer than 4 miles. But I've been working my way back up to longer distances this summer with no side effects and it's been so fun to love running again.
June 7, 2025
There is a lot of good basic information on a variety of topics. His ideas on building a base for endurance running using heart rate limits are at one level undeniable (though not original to him). His critics run the full range from completely fair to completely unfair. It does seem that at times he is purposefully vague like the annoying physician who will not tell you his opinion and forces you to form your own. Perhaps this is because he recognizes that every individual must be treated based on their individual characteristics, but there are also spots where he could provide more concrete advice and does not which is too bad.
January 13, 2025
Awesome to read how he came to HR training and really appreciated the holistic approach to fitness and health. To his immense credit, quite a lot of this is now “common sense”, which is the only reason I gave this 4 vs 5 stars.
December 3, 2014
It's not a big secret.... I have a love affair with the marathon. It's without a doubt my favorite, yet far and away my worst distance. And I'm not going to stop chasing my potential in it anytime soon. That being said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The time has come to change things up - enter Dr. Phil Maffetone.
This book brought two very interesting concepts to my attention and did a pretty damn good job of justifying them. The first was the science behind heart rate training and why anaerobic training should take a backseat to aerobic training if it's found that the two are imbalanced. Which in my case, according to the MAF test, they most certainly are. The book argues that if the event you are training for is 99% aerobic, then obviously the strongest aspect of your fitness should be aerobic. Huh, that's interesting - so basically what he is saying is that all the training programs heavy on speed work aren't actually the best way to get fit for a long distance event. That's a big pill to swallow for competitive runners. Full disclosure - I'm skeptical, but willing to give it an 8-10 week trial.
The second was related to nutrition, in particular, carbohydrate intolerance. I've always subscribed to the whole 'I'm a distance runner, therefore it makes total sense that 75% of my daily calories should come in the form of carbs" mindset. Going on day 10 of no refined carbohydrates or whole grains of any kind and I'm starting to feel the difference the book touts....steady blood sugar levels, constant energy throughout the day, less moodiness related to hunger levels. And the only "carb" I actually miss is my bowl of oats in the morning. So on this front, I'm sold for the long haul.
I think this book has a lot to offer, especially from a nutrition standpoint and I would recommend that section in particular to anyone who takes their health seriously. Ironically, it's the people that don't care about their health who would benefit the most from reading this book.
This book brought two very interesting concepts to my attention and did a pretty damn good job of justifying them. The first was the science behind heart rate training and why anaerobic training should take a backseat to aerobic training if it's found that the two are imbalanced. Which in my case, according to the MAF test, they most certainly are. The book argues that if the event you are training for is 99% aerobic, then obviously the strongest aspect of your fitness should be aerobic. Huh, that's interesting - so basically what he is saying is that all the training programs heavy on speed work aren't actually the best way to get fit for a long distance event. That's a big pill to swallow for competitive runners. Full disclosure - I'm skeptical, but willing to give it an 8-10 week trial.
The second was related to nutrition, in particular, carbohydrate intolerance. I've always subscribed to the whole 'I'm a distance runner, therefore it makes total sense that 75% of my daily calories should come in the form of carbs" mindset. Going on day 10 of no refined carbohydrates or whole grains of any kind and I'm starting to feel the difference the book touts....steady blood sugar levels, constant energy throughout the day, less moodiness related to hunger levels. And the only "carb" I actually miss is my bowl of oats in the morning. So on this front, I'm sold for the long haul.
I think this book has a lot to offer, especially from a nutrition standpoint and I would recommend that section in particular to anyone who takes their health seriously. Ironically, it's the people that don't care about their health who would benefit the most from reading this book.
September 3, 2014
Most of the recommendations made for endurance training seem reasonable, thoughtful and worth a try. I'm going to. It doesn't seem like there is much to lose since there is a strong common sense aspect to the guidance. Although, maybe that is because I am already undergoing a transition toward longer distance at slower paces.
Some of the claims (particularly with regard to diet) are fairly bold and argued with more certainty than the constantly changing science of diet, physiology and training are likely to warrant. In addition, anyone making that many claims so strongly, and who is synthesizing so much, really needs citations to back them up.
Some of the claims (particularly with regard to diet) are fairly bold and argued with more certainty than the constantly changing science of diet, physiology and training are likely to warrant. In addition, anyone making that many claims so strongly, and who is synthesizing so much, really needs citations to back them up.
January 29, 2015
If you're looking into low heart rate training, this is a pretty good primer. Maffetone is pretty rigid in his methods and they seem counterintuitive. However the few times I've stuck with it, I've seen some results. As far as the flow of the book, it's pretty dry and cumbersome, but the information is so valuable it's makes it easier to take in.
April 8, 2015
I have read and followed the book for a about 12-15 months. These methods don't work as much as the author insists. You will see some improvements, but only if you volume is pretty high. But the approach is too imbalanced to be useful in a race. In reality, one needs to train cardiovascular system as well as the muscular system. Races can't be the only stimulation for high intensity activity.
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March 9, 2021This book is filled with so much pseudoscientific garbage that I couldn’t finish reading it. The author claims that studies back up the approach prescribed but fails to cite any. He uses bs alternative medicine concepts like adrenal fatigue and makes up his own terms when it suits him.
The author has his doctorate as a chiropractor and is trained in the thoroughly debunked art of acupuncture.
The author has his doctorate as a chiropractor and is trained in the thoroughly debunked art of acupuncture.
June 8, 2013
The definitive book on aerobic threshold training by the man who invented it. A must read for endurance athletes who want to improve their game.
November 18, 2019
This was interesting and the 1st time I've read anything about heart rate training (aerobic v anaerobic) that made any sense to me. The logic clicked.
May 15, 2023
The book has three main parts: training, nutrition, and self-care.
Lots of it reads like a late night infomercial, complete with testimonials of miracle cures, gushing celebrity endorsements, rags-to-riches backstory, and hard sell tactics.
I don't care for his pedantic "trust me, I'm a doctor" tone. If someone struggles while following his program, it means they are doing something wrong, not that there is anything amiss with his advice. He belabors obvious points and glosses over some controversial ones, often obscuring what he's saying in obfuscatory language laden with lots of technical terminology, some of it invented as he goes. There are no references or citations of scientific studies that back his assertions, we're just supposed to take his word on everything.
Maffetone takes the rather radical stance of doing almost all training at very low heartrates. He rejects heartrate/power zones, interval training, tempo/threshold runs, lactate thresholds, VO2_max, etc, lumping them all together as "anaerobic" in favor of a single target heartrate which must never be exceeded for months (or even years) of training. It's like the popular 80/20 approach, but without the 20% of quality workouts.
There is also no training plan here, no suggestion of how often or how much to train.
A lot of his nutritional advice is good, but a lot of it is also quite wacky, and it's somewhat hard to discern the dividing line. He doesn't approve of most carbohydrates, especially grains, and particularly has it out for wheat, which he makes out to be almost as toxic as mercury slurped from a lead cup. He rejects vegetarian or vegan diets as being unable to deliver sufficient amounts of nutrients necessary for endurance athletes.
The health and wellness sections delve deep into pseudoscience and he only barely restrains himself from outright quackery. He covers everything from icing a sprained ankle (duh) to homeopathic remedies, again making it difficult to obtain any useful information.
Lots of it reads like a late night infomercial, complete with testimonials of miracle cures, gushing celebrity endorsements, rags-to-riches backstory, and hard sell tactics.
I don't care for his pedantic "trust me, I'm a doctor" tone. If someone struggles while following his program, it means they are doing something wrong, not that there is anything amiss with his advice. He belabors obvious points and glosses over some controversial ones, often obscuring what he's saying in obfuscatory language laden with lots of technical terminology, some of it invented as he goes. There are no references or citations of scientific studies that back his assertions, we're just supposed to take his word on everything.
Maffetone takes the rather radical stance of doing almost all training at very low heartrates. He rejects heartrate/power zones, interval training, tempo/threshold runs, lactate thresholds, VO2_max, etc, lumping them all together as "anaerobic" in favor of a single target heartrate which must never be exceeded for months (or even years) of training. It's like the popular 80/20 approach, but without the 20% of quality workouts.
There is also no training plan here, no suggestion of how often or how much to train.
A lot of his nutritional advice is good, but a lot of it is also quite wacky, and it's somewhat hard to discern the dividing line. He doesn't approve of most carbohydrates, especially grains, and particularly has it out for wheat, which he makes out to be almost as toxic as mercury slurped from a lead cup. He rejects vegetarian or vegan diets as being unable to deliver sufficient amounts of nutrients necessary for endurance athletes.
The health and wellness sections delve deep into pseudoscience and he only barely restrains himself from outright quackery. He covers everything from icing a sprained ankle (duh) to homeopathic remedies, again making it difficult to obtain any useful information.
January 13, 2025
Great approach to HR training methods and there is some to glean from the training ideologies mentioned within the book, but there’s also a great deal of self promotion (MAF, writing as in he pioneered “easy” training) and he does at times stray from commonly accepted scientific ideas (avoid carbs for energy within training and use fats) and definitions (his use of aerobic/anaerobic metabolizing fat and sugar, respectively). Additionally, contradiction and typos.
There is some to be gained here, but also plenty lost. 3 stars is the best I feel it warrants given the HR/“Easy” training method and his advice on the mental/motivation side were worthwhile despite whiffing on portions of the scientific side. I was still early enough in the hobby that I did gain some from this read but others may direct you toward 80/20 Running - Fitzgerald being the answer that you truly sought when reading this.
There is some to be gained here, but also plenty lost. 3 stars is the best I feel it warrants given the HR/“Easy” training method and his advice on the mental/motivation side were worthwhile despite whiffing on portions of the scientific side. I was still early enough in the hobby that I did gain some from this read but others may direct you toward 80/20 Running - Fitzgerald being the answer that you truly sought when reading this.
January 30, 2019
Some interesting concepts. The MAF portions are super interesting and the testing related to it. The biology pieces around muscle types and some other areas interesting as well. However he drones on and on and on about so many topics it is hard to stay motivated. Some of his discussion around nutrition makes little sense to me and not backed up by research and seems out of touch with other material I have read. The concept of go slow to go fast and using a test to monitor aerobic performance is great. This book should have been at least 60% shorter. Also, while he talks about the athletes that have had success one would need to know how many did not in order to truly gauge effectiveness. I looked online and could find no formal studies etc. that addressed this.
May 17, 2021
Though packed with valuable information and written well enough, this book is far too long and repetitive. Cursory editing would cut it in half.
The first section, on training, is breezy and beneficial. But the book bogs down in section two, an endless discussion of diet and nutrition replete with dozens of pages of recipes. And it never really recovers in section three, on injury prevention and management, making it a struggle to finish.
In sum, I appreciated the book’s holistic approach to
overall health and wellness, as distinct from a myopic focus on fitness. And I took a lot away from the training portion, incorporating aspects of the Maffetone Method into my workout routine. But you can live without the rest of the book, which regrettably forms its bulk.
The first section, on training, is breezy and beneficial. But the book bogs down in section two, an endless discussion of diet and nutrition replete with dozens of pages of recipes. And it never really recovers in section three, on injury prevention and management, making it a struggle to finish.
In sum, I appreciated the book’s holistic approach to
overall health and wellness, as distinct from a myopic focus on fitness. And I took a lot away from the training portion, incorporating aspects of the Maffetone Method into my workout routine. But you can live without the rest of the book, which regrettably forms its bulk.
April 8, 2022
This book is somewhat ridiculous and possibly/probably pseudo scientific. However!!!! Using heart rate monitor based training and eliminating a known food intolerance from my diet resulted in my arguably healthiest marathon build yet during a pandemic and personally stressful period of life.
Obviously I am one person. But I think there is merit to measuring and trying to reduce chronic stress/inflammation/sympathetic state dominance in athletes and this book provides some ways to potentially get there.
My view of Phil is coloured by an episode of The Endurance Planet podcast in which Phil said he didn’t participate in his family’s Christmas due to the amount of sugar, noise, stress, etc. An extreme dude with some extreme takes, but occasionally thudding common sense that sticks with me.
Obviously I am one person. But I think there is merit to measuring and trying to reduce chronic stress/inflammation/sympathetic state dominance in athletes and this book provides some ways to potentially get there.
My view of Phil is coloured by an episode of The Endurance Planet podcast in which Phil said he didn’t participate in his family’s Christmas due to the amount of sugar, noise, stress, etc. An extreme dude with some extreme takes, but occasionally thudding common sense that sticks with me.
August 8, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book after having a blast doing my first half-marathon and starting to think about training for my first marathon next year. However, I ran the half at a heart-rate of ~175 bpm, and this book finally convinced me that I needed to do a lot more of my training at a slower pace. It also gave me a lot of food for thought on other stuff, like cardiac health screening, carbohydrate intolerance, etc. I didn't really know what to make of the diet/nutrition parts of the book which advocated a nearly keto diet, especially given a lot of material I've read elsewhere about the benefits of a mostly plant-based diet; I wish the author gave more citations for his assertions.
January 26, 2021
Its good. I don’t agree outright with Maffetone’s program. The problem with using HR as the primary training component is that there are so many non running things that affect it. Good in some workouts yes, every single one of your runs no. That being said I’ve been able to incorporate a a lot of his methodology into my training, and I love Phils philosophy on running. I liked the pacing of the book and the idea is cool and insightful. But not the best in practice as there are better ways to train.
July 14, 2022
Despite being an 'old' book, most of the stuff in here can be successfully applied to athletes in 2022. This is basically a 'bible' for aerobic training (low intensity) in endurance sports, mainly running, but also cycling and swimming. The only one area where this book is clearly weak is when he claims in chapter 6 that most endurance athletes can obtain all the anaerobic stimulation necessary from competition without needing to lift weights. Any runner nowadays knows strength training is a must. I'd recommend this book to anybody who's into running or other endurance sports.
December 15, 2019
Lots of unnecessary information
Was looking to build knowledge regarding endurance training and racing. This book touched only on a small segment of that topic. Sure, the structure of the foot is important. Sure having normal blood pressure and normal body temperature, etc. is important. The nitty-gritty details of how blood pressure works, body temperature works, the anatomy of the foot, etc. is unnecessary to become knowledgeable in endurance training and racing.
Was looking to build knowledge regarding endurance training and racing. This book touched only on a small segment of that topic. Sure, the structure of the foot is important. Sure having normal blood pressure and normal body temperature, etc. is important. The nitty-gritty details of how blood pressure works, body temperature works, the anatomy of the foot, etc. is unnecessary to become knowledgeable in endurance training and racing.
November 28, 2023
There’s a lot of good information in this book but it could have been 300 pages instead of 500. The writing is weird, not easy and there’s so much repetitions that I was at times bored out of my mind.
Too technical for an advice book and though he keeps repeating that every program should be personalized, there’s not much room for personalization in his program.
Also, I’ve always had a hard trusting people who proclaim to have The Truth…
Too technical for an advice book and though he keeps repeating that every program should be personalized, there’s not much room for personalization in his program.
Also, I’ve always had a hard trusting people who proclaim to have The Truth…
December 25, 2023
Loved the nutrition part.
Loved the fact that MAFing is a lifestyle. Especially appropriate for someone who thinks training is all that matters. The change happens during recovery and hence, optimising the recovery is the only way to keep going. Thanks to the author for putting all the knowledge in it. However, I am yet to start with the training part.
But I can say that I would revisit many chapters in the upcoming months. A great read.
Loved the fact that MAFing is a lifestyle. Especially appropriate for someone who thinks training is all that matters. The change happens during recovery and hence, optimising the recovery is the only way to keep going. Thanks to the author for putting all the knowledge in it. However, I am yet to start with the training part.
But I can say that I would revisit many chapters in the upcoming months. A great read.
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