Maffetone Method Part 3: Review

Hopefully by now you have tried the Challenge to work out your own Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate, and done some testing to set a baseline, which is all just generally useful information to have.

But is it worth actually following the Method properly and in a dedicated manner?

Well, the cons of the method:
My first issue is he complains that the maximum heart rate formula of 220-age is not individualistic enough, but what he offers is 180 - age with just a 10bpm leeway. It doesn't sound all that individualistic either. If maximum heart rate can vary a lot between people then the maximum aerobic heart rate will vary as well. Therefore, I would start with his formula and use the testing to adjust it to your needs over a few months. I am not, of course, the only one to have noted this. For example see Greg Crowther's blog post where he lists this and a number of other problems.

Second, a lot of people complain that after following it religiously, they didn't see any improvement. (For example see the lead post in the thread on the cool running forum.) I admit that I did it for three-four months earlier this year and didn't see that much improvement. Having said that, I now realise my heart rate was based on what I had worked out a few years previously when I was fit and healthy, not old and recovering. So I was probably working out at too high a level. Also, if you go three months and see no improvement, then you aren't following his method properly: you should be doing your testing every month and adjusting until you do see improvements.

One thing that Greg Crowther also noted was that most of the high level athletes that support Maffetone are competing in endurance racing such as Mark Allen who does Ironman racing and Stu Mittleton who does ultra marathons. There are questions about whether it is as useful for high level sprinters and other short distance/time events. 

Pros:
First, which most people agree with, it is amazingly peaceful and relaxing, ensuring that you actually enjoy exercising and feel better afterwards not worse. And to be honest, if that is all you get out of it, that is an awful lot in today's society.

It doesn't appear to aggravate any existing injuries or develop new ones.

When done properly, ability to run (either faster or longer) does appear to improve, even though each session is well within your comfort zone, so that's pretty exciting.

The basic concepts (regular testing, adjust programs until there are noticeable improvements, monitoring life stress when planning workouts etc) are all really sound and good ideas. 

The message that the 'no pain, no gain' theory isn't actually necessary is useful for those who have been burned and scared off exercise by Army Sergeant type gym instructors.


My Personal Experience: 
As mentioned, I did it for 3-4 months, though possibly at too high a heart rate. Over that time I didn't see much improvement, but also managed to go to the gym five times a week because I knew I wasn't going to be killing myself so didn't lose motivation. At the end of the period I then started more interval training and found my speed increasing very quickly, and I'm sure that was partly due to the good preparation. Also, I found after stopping and going onto harder workouts, my overall stress levels in general increased.

Therefore, my recommendations:
For athletes I recommend it as an off-season training tool and for active recovery. However, during the season, you will need to do some speed and weight work to be at the top of your game.

For people coming into exercise for the first time or after a long time, I definitely recommend doing at least 4 months of the method before moving onto harder programs because it will keep you motivated, keep you from injury, and build up your aerobic system.

For regular exercises it is still good to vary your workouts. Over winter, or a stressful time at work, try the Method in a dedicated manner for a few months and see if it works for you. 

For myself? Well, everything is a bit stressful at the moment, and the thought of just doing a nice, enjoyable workout is hugely appealing (and allowed me to do a 21km ergo the other day) so I'm going to be using it as my base, and added in a few other workouts a week, and just see how it all goes.

Have also just ordered his new book online, so will read that and see if it has anything particularly new. 

What on earth is Tabata Training?

It's a very good question.

One I have had in the past, and when I turned up to my CrossFit session last Sunday, it was one I had again.

At the end of the workout it just said: tabata - rowing machines.

So, now that I know what it is, I thought I would pass on my knowledge to you.

Definition:

Let's start at the beginning:

Tabata is a style or method of training that can be used for most forms of exercise.

The secret which has everyone talking? The workout is only 4 minutes long (excluding warm up).

It is a sequence of 20seconds training 10 seconds rest for 8 intervals.

That's it. That's all there is.

But keep reading anyway :D.

(Just for your info: You will also see it referred to as HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training, or MIT: Maximum Interval Training, etc. )


Background:

It is based on research by the Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata.  (Tabata et.al., "Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and 'VO2max'", Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Oct 1996, Vol. 28: Issue 10) pp. 1327-1330).

Tabata had a sample of male university students studying Physical Education (so quite fit) and divided them into two groups.

The first group did 60 minutes of medium intensity cycling on exercise bikes five days a week for six weeks. They managed to increase their aerobic fitness by 10%.

The second group did his workout of 4 minutes: 20 seconds all out sprint, 10 seconds rest - 8 times (after a 10 minute warm up). This group increased their aerobic fitness by 14%. Moreover, unlike the first group, they also saw a 28% improvement in anaerobic capacity.


How to Use It:

The best thing about it, in my eyes, is that it can be done with any piece of equipment or even just body weight, and can be specialised to your field.

For rowers this can be done on a rowing machine, runners on a track (I don't really recommending the treadmill as a) it takes a while to get up to speed and b) you should pushing yourself so hard that falling off might be a possibility, but other people do). It can be done with barbells and weights, or just at home doing something like squats.

Just keep in mind that you are trying to work as hard as possible, so best for major muscle groups of combining muscle groups (20 seconds of super hard thumb raises is not going to do it for your cardio system, sorry).

It can also be used for combining exercises.

Here is a sample workout from Tabata Training:

• Pushups for intervals 1 and 3
• Body weight Squats for intervals 2 and 4
• Medicine ball slams for intervals 5 and 7
• Sprinting or jumping rope for intervals 6 and 8

And you're done!

Pretty amazing, huh?

Okay, so what's the catch?

There is no big catch, but there are a few things to consider:

1. When they say 20 seconds all out, they mean all out. You should be close to puking every time. Properly done, 4 minutes should be the maximum you can do, though there are training systems that do sets of tabata.

A lot of people don't get great results using this method because they do not realise how hard you are meant to push.

2. There is a danger when trying to go fast and hard of injury through accident. Make sure that everything is set up and the exercises you are doing can be performed at speed/ weight without danger of accidentally stabbing yourself. I do not recommend high speed tabata tight rope walking.

3. It might be great for cardio improvement, but there is debate about the effectiveness in terms of calories burned compared to 60mins of medium intensity.

There is a strong following out there that states it burns more fat than steady state because it ramps up the metabolism (for example, see the section on Fat Loss in the article on The Body Gensis).

Now, it is true that high intensity work does get your metabolism going and therefore continues to burn extra calories after you have finished working out, but so does medium intensity but just not as much.

I just want to see the actually figures that show 4 mins + high level extra burn is greater than 60 mins + some extra burn.


Verdict?

As mentioned at the beginning, for the CrossFit WOD they put it at the end of a workout for that final punch, which I think worked well.

I would generally recommend building it into a program and maybe having a day where it is your workout, but not sure it should be the only type of exercise you do.

However, if you only have a 20minute gap it is a really effective way to use it. Do your 10 minute warm up and then be prepared to absolutely kill it for the 4 minutes. The last 6 minutes is to recover.


Tools:

You can download Tabata Timers for your Iphone, which can be useful if you are doing something without a clock, like squats.

There are also lots of videos on the net with different works out so check them out.

There is also a lot of scientific research out there on HIIT. When I get a chance I'll read through more of it and summarise anything good. But if you get the chance have a look yourself.

Good easy to understand articles to follow up include:
Men's Health: The Unbelievable 4 Minute Cardio Workout.
Tabata Training
The Ultimate Tabata Training Guide