Description
Are you a triathlete, runner, cyclist, swimmer, cross-country skier, or other athlete seeking greater endurance? The Endurance Handbook teaches athletes how to stay healthy, achieve optimal athletic potential, and be injury-free for many productive years. Dr. Philip Maffetone’s approach to endurance offers a truly individualized” outlook and unique system that he has refined over three decades of training and treating athletes, ranging from world champions to weekend warriors. Maffetone’s training and racing philosophy 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 common-sense, big-picture approach.
Dr. Maffetone also dispels many of the commonly held myths that linger in participatory sportsand which adversely impact performanceand explains the truths” about endurance, such as:
The need to train slower to race faster will enable your aerobic system to improve endurance
Why expensive running shoes can actually cause foot and leg injuries
The fact that refined carbohydrates actually reduce endurance energy and disrupt hormone balance
How overtraining can be avoided in its earliest stages
And much more!
If you are looking to increase your endurance and maximize your athletic potential, The Endurance Handbook is your one-stop guide to training and racing effectively.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sportsbooks about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.
In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Matt G. (verified owner) –
I have done a lot of studying in the field of endurance as far as diet and training goes. I have had the greatest success, by far, utilizing many of the methods Dr Maffetone teaches. I successfully completed a tough Black Hills 100 and continue to improve daily after somewhat of a long plateau in performance for myself. The MAF method and the 180 formula have opened up more levels for me and I have confidence in the process that I will continue to improve! Very grateful to Dr Maffetone and his research!
Joey (verified owner) –
Excellent addition to his other books.
El Professor (verified owner) –
A well-done book summarizing the lifestyle that will support both health and endurance excellence. The Maffetone method seems to remain controversial (unliked) but I think a lot of this can be attributed to unwillingness to put in the time it takes to develop “a great aerobic engine”. It’s also culturally out of sync with the high-intensity-every-workout training that often (but not necessarily) characterizes crossfit-like training programs. After a typical MAF workout one should feel energized and certainly not ready to meet “Rabdo” – that’s totally out of sync with our adrenaline obsessed culture.
BUT – Maffetone’s training method works. Take the time to build your aerobic engine and you will soon be running (biking, rowing…) circles around the athletes who only training high intensity. It’s important to note that Maffetone is not against high intensity training – it just needs to be in its place – on top of a well-developed aerobic engine. Read the book, take the time and build your aerobic engine. You will not regret it.
JAM (verified owner) –
I got all previous books from Dr. Maffetone and they constitute my basis for training.
Few authors at today can match his knowledge and the way he exposes his ideas which reach you simply and directly.
Great help also for data-oriented athletes.
Totally awesome!
Tracy Reed (verified owner) –
This is THE MANUAL if you have had issues with running and injuries or not being able to improve your running. Phil Maffetone gets to the heart of the matter by explaining that you are probably breaking your body down instead of building it up. You may seem more fit, but you are probably less healthy. It’s the less health part that creeps up and causes injuries and in some cases death. This is a must read if your goal is to be fit AND healthy.
TRICIA ACEVEDO (verified owner) –
Great book to understand body performance and causes that hold someone back for getting a good balance of exercise healthy well-being.
D. Brock Williams (verified owner) –
Very interesting and informative book! I can already feel that putting these principles into practice is adding years to my “active” life. Thanks Chris McDougall for including Dr. Maffetone in Natural Born Heroes, and thanks to Ben Greenfield for doing a podcast on NBH.
Despite spending age 8-21 in the pool as a swimmer, I never really understood how do aerobic conditioning right. Now, at age 42, after 5+ years of working to be Paleo and shunning aerobic conditioning like longer runs, etc., in favor of more HIIT type activities and training, this book helped me understand the role of aerobic training and conditioning in my exercise and conditioning program, and how to do it to maximum benefit.
I never took HIIT to the point of burnout, but now I think I can prepare my body for many more years of healthy activity using these principles. I have replaced a few of my higher intensity workouts with MAF workouts, as they are truly invigorating rather than draining. I may not be doing it exactly right, but I’m 80%+ in the right direction. And, having added this training to my schedule, I feel that when the hard workouts come, I’m not as drained afterwards and recover more quickly.
Strongly recommended for any athlete from single digits through death.
For non-athletes looking for a way to become more athletic, I view Maffetone’s methods as the best way to start down the path, but I’m not sure this is the right book to bridge the gap as the presentation of the information is geared to enthusiastic or seasoned athletes.
FI (verified owner) –
great book! a must read for everybody
Greg Breckell (verified owner) –
Detail info on how to improve endurance through diet and training. A good extension of “The Big Book Of Endurance Training and Racing”
Christopher Kelly (verified owner) –
I love Phil Maffetone! I’m a pro mountain biker and I wish I’d known about Phil 15 years ago. I could have saved myself so much heartache. Over the years I’ve fallen into every trap Phil describes in this wonderful book. No other coach is thinking as progressively as Phil. When was the last time you heard a coach talking about the importance of methylated B vitamins? Details matter. Highly recommended.
Petr Havlicek (verified owner) –
Perfect book from one of the best author in endurance sport. Maffetone healthy approach is unique and yes, the 180-age formula is working.
jim stanton (verified owner) –
Great book….it addresses fitness from an individual standpoint. There are no “do 10x400m at 90% effort” workouts. Its all based on your own fitness and health status and is a prescription for continuous improvement
Mr. S. Montgomery (verified owner) –
Life affirming and inspiring, this is a handbook to health for the mind and body and explains how to achieve your athletic potential, safely and without burnout or damage to yourself. The ideas are not mainstream, yet explained well by Phil and based upon evolutionary thinking and practical experience. You soon understand where the majority of us have been going wrong for so long. If only I could talk to my younger self, I would pass on the knowledge I’ve learnt from this book. Listen to your body, train slow, eat healthily, avoid refined carbs, go barefoot & move more, tune in, maybe lift a few weights and have fun.
Jonathan Cojuangco (verified owner) –
In the year since using Phil Maffetone’s MAF method, I have been able to run two marathons, including a Disney World Dopey Challenge (which consists of four consecutive days of a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon) without any injury. This is my first full year without injury and without decreasing mileage.
The book helps in understanding the differences between the roles of the aerobic and anaerobic systems in run training.
The book is easy to follow, and the method is clearly described. It may not be for everyone, but for now, it is the method for me.
KenB (verified owner) –
Helped to understand the Maffetone method.
Dr Alan Viau (verified owner) –
I recommend this book for anyone trying to improve their performance. Although Maffetone approaches health from an endurance triathlete perspective – the concepts are all true and equally applicable to everyone.
Old Runner (verified owner) –
Philip can be a bit dogmatic and preachy. However, it is a good read with some helpful information.
MARGARITA D GERON (verified owner) –
finished it! loved it!
Clod Racine (verified owner) –
great book on aerobic endurance
Cori Bruckner (verified owner) –
Well organized, great intro information, ready to get more in depth information so I am going to go back to his initial book.
Michael Dowd (verified owner) –
The book came it was in good condition. Thank-You
Steve Trumbull (verified owner) –
I like this book very much. Great Information on nutrition to help the running to become fat adapted. Great advice on on running in your aerobic zone. Just a overall great book. I could probably read again and learn more.
Christopher M. Alexander (verified owner) –
I’ve put the heart rate training guidance to good use and it really does work. I think his diet advice is pretty ridiculous, but I sure won’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Tom Harte (verified owner) –
This is an incrediblly insightful & thought provoking book by s brilliant man.
walter g (verified owner) –
This is a good follow up to the Big Book.
Michael Henderson (verified owner) –
I will read any book that Dr. Phil M. writes. Always adhere to his sound advice.
CarMul (verified owner) –
A friend recommended Phil Maffetone for my training. I am training by his method since June and I find this book and also his Big Book of Endurance running invaluable. I have read this book numerous times and refer back it regularly. I find all his books overlap with the exact same information but all his books also complement each other too for the full Maffetone experience. My only negative is that he writes very much from American perspective…so sometimes is does not translate well as I am a European and our food culture and legislation can be vastly different – I feel he should write more generically and be more inclusive to all nations, as we are all the same at the end of the day, and his method works for everyone, not just the American market.
Lynda K (verified owner) –
Excellent in-depth info needed to become more healthy, provides life long habits for not just getting fitter, but doing while being healthy too. A must for an athlete wanting to live long healthily.
Southy (verified owner) –
Great read
Jmc (verified owner) –
The big red book and the big yellow book. Could be wrong, but I think all the information in the many books he has written Is all in these two books.
And I do encourage absolutely everyone to read these two books, because you will get healthier, happier, fitter and calmer.
You will also acquire much, much less injury to your body! You will still get injured if you are a avid runner of course at some point, but just much less especially for us older folks.
The best thing it did for me is made me look forward to my runs each day instead of dreading them on many days.
Out of all the many , many health and fitness books I have read throughout the years, I’m in my 60s now, these two books the red and the yellow and Phil’s methods are the very best!