MAF Training Plan: Free Weekly Schedules for Every Level

Most MAF training plan guides either lock the actual schedule behind a paywall or wave at the principles without giving you a week to start. This one does the opposite. Below are three complete weekly schedules, beginner to advanced, with volume, session counts, MAF test cadence, and rest days spelled out. The tables are the point.

Before you grab a plan, get your number. The MAF calculator gives you a personalized maximum aerobic heart rate in about ten seconds based on the 180 Formula. Every session in every plan below caps at that number.

Why MAF needs structure

The MAF method is simple in principle (stay under your aerobic ceiling) and frustrating in practice (knowing what to actually do on a Tuesday in week 6). Without a weekly schedule, two failure modes show up fast.

The first is undertraining. You run when you feel like it, the runs stay short, and the aerobic base never gets enough volume to start adapting. After eight weeks your MAF test pace looks identical to where you started, and you decide MAF does not work. It worked. You did not give it enough.

The second is overtraining. With no rest days written down, every run feels optional except the one you are about to do. You run six or seven days in a row, accumulate fatigue, and drift above MAF HR because the body cannot recover. The adaptations stall.

A weekly schedule fixes both. It tells you when to run, how long, and when to stop, and it makes rest a non-negotiable line on the calendar.

Key principles before you pick a plan

Five rules apply across all three plans.

Stay under MAF HR every session. The ceiling is the workout. If you have to walk uphill to stay below it, walk. The MAF training for beginners guide covers why this is normal.

Progress weekly volume by no more than 10 percent. Standard injury-prevention heuristic, and it applies double when the intensity feels so low that you think you could do more.

Test monthly with the MAF test. A 5K at MAF HR on the same route, same conditions, is the only honest signal that the base is developing.

Rest days are training days. Aerobic adaptation happens during recovery, not during the run.

Pick the plan that matches where you are now, not where you want to be. If your honest current weekly volume is below the starting point of a plan, go down one level. The complete MAF training guide has more on matching effort to readiness.

Beginner plan: 8 weeks, 0 to 30 km per week

For runners coming back from a layoff, new to structured running, or currently logging 15 km or less per week. Four sessions, three rest days.

| Week | Sessions | Long Run | Volume | MAF Test | |------|----------|----------|--------|----------| | 1 | 4 x 25 min | 30 min | ~12 km | Yes | | 2 | 4 x 30 min | 35 min | ~15 km | No | | 3 | 4 x 30 min | 40 min | ~17 km | No | | 4 | 4 x 35 min | 45 min | ~19 km | No | | 5 | 4 x 35 min | 50 min | ~21 km | No | | 6 | 4 x 40 min | 55 min | ~24 km | No | | 7 | 4 x 40 min | 60 min | ~26 km | No | | 8 | 4 x 40 min | 65 min | ~30 km | Yes |

Skip this plan if you are already above 25 km per week.

Intermediate plan: 12 weeks, 30 to 55 km per week

For runners with a steady base around 25 to 30 km per week who want to push into the 50 km range without losing the slow, patient quality that makes MAF work. Five sessions, two rest days, MAF tests on weeks 1, 5, 9, and 12.

| Week | Sessions | Long Run | Volume | MAF Test | |------|----------|----------|--------|----------| | 1 | 5 | 8 km | ~30 km | Yes | | 2 | 5 | 9 km | ~33 km | No | | 3 | 5 | 10 km | ~36 km | No | | 4 | 5 | 9 km | ~32 km | No | | 5 | 5 | 11 km | ~38 km | Yes | | 6 | 5 | 12 km | ~42 km | No | | 7 | 5 | 13 km | ~45 km | No | | 8 | 5 | 11 km | ~40 km | No | | 9 | 5 | 14 km | ~48 km | Yes | | 10 | 5 | 15 km | ~51 km | No | | 11 | 5 | 16 km | ~54 km | No | | 12 | 5 | 14 km | ~50 km | Yes |

Weeks 4 and 8 are cutbacks, treat them as recovery, not failure. Skip this plan if you cannot complete a 90 minute aerobic run without walking.

Advanced plan: 16 weeks, 60 to 80+ km per week

For experienced aerobic runners with at least a year of consistent base work, comfortable holding 60 km weeks. Six sessions, one rest day, one long MAF run, MAF tests every four weeks.

| Week | Sessions | Long Run | Volume | MAF Test | |------|----------|----------|--------|----------| | 1 | 6 | 18 km | ~60 km | Yes | | 2 | 6 | 19 km | ~63 km | No | | 3 | 6 | 20 km | ~66 km | No | | 4 | 6 | 17 km | ~58 km | No | | 5 | 6 | 21 km | ~68 km | Yes | | 6 | 6 | 22 km | ~71 km | No | | 7 | 6 | 24 km | ~74 km | No | | 8 | 6 | 20 km | ~65 km | No | | 9 | 6 | 25 km | ~76 km | Yes | | 10 | 6 | 26 km | ~78 km | No | | 11 | 6 | 28 km | ~80 km | No | | 12 | 6 | 23 km | ~70 km | No | | 13 | 6 | 28 km | ~82 km | Yes | | 14 | 6 | 30 km | ~84 km | No | | 15 | 6 | 32 km | ~86 km | No | | 16 | 6 | 26 km | ~75 km | Yes |

The long run becomes the anchor of every week, eventually a 2.5 hour aerobic effort. Skip this plan if you have not held 50 km per week for at least eight consecutive weeks recently.

How to know which level you're at

The filter is your honest weekly volume averaged over the last four weeks. Not your peak, not what you used to run, what you actually average now.

Below 15 km per week, or coming off a layoff longer than a month, start with the beginner plan. The conservative early weeks are protective, not insulting.

Between 25 and 35 km per week with a steady base of at least eight weeks behind you, the intermediate plan is the right entry point. You should be able to complete an 8 km run at MAF HR without walking before starting.

Above 50 km per week with a year of consistent aerobic training and prior experience holding 60 km weeks, the advanced plan fits. If you have never run more than 40 km in a week, do not start here.

When in doubt, drop one level. The cost of being one level too low is two extra weeks. The cost of being one level too high is a stalled curve and possibly an injury.

How to track progress

The monthly MAF test is the primary instrument. Run a 5K (or a fixed loop) at your MAF HR ceiling, same terrain, same conditions, and record the time. When the pace at the same heart rate drops month over month, the base is developing. When it does not, check compliance, volume, sleep, and stress before concluding the plan is broken.

Three secondary signals are worth watching. Resting heart rate drifts down as cardiovascular adaptation accumulates. Heart rate drift on the long run becomes less pronounced. Recovery between sessions improves and soreness clears faster.

If you want all of this tracked automatically against your Strava activities, AerobAce was built for it. It calculates your MAF zone, flags every session as below, in, or above the zone, and shows your aerobic trend line over time. For more on what to expect physiologically, the Frontiers in Physiology 2020 review of polarized training in elite endurance athletes is worth a read.

FAQ

How many days a week should I do MAF training?

Three to six, depending on your level. Beginners do well with four sessions and three rest days. Intermediate runners typically settle around five, and advanced runners handle six. Going below three sessions per week makes it hard to accumulate enough volume for the adaptations to compound. Going above six leaves no real recovery, which suppresses the systems you are trying to develop.

Can I race while following a MAF training plan?

Not during a base-building block. Races are above MAF HR and recruit the glycolytic pathways the plan is trying to leave alone. One race in the middle of a 12 or 16 week block is unlikely to reset everything, but a regular racing schedule will compete with the aerobic adaptations and slow the curve. Finish the base block first, then layer in race-specific work, then race.

How do I know if I should start at the beginner or intermediate level?

Look at your honest weekly volume over the last four weeks, not your peak. Below 25 km per week, start at beginner. Between 25 and 35 km per week with a comfortable 8 km MAF run already in your legs, start at intermediate. If you are in between, drop down. Two extra easy weeks cost very little. Skipping a level you needed costs you the whole adaptation block.

What happens if I miss a week of my MAF plan?

One missed week is not a problem. Pick up at the same week number, do not double volume to catch up. Miss two weeks, drop back one week and rebuild from there. Miss three or more, restart from the cutback week before your last completed block. The aerobic adaptations you built do not disappear in a few weeks, but the legs need to be re-acclimated before you push forward.