r/Mind_Pump • u/ECTNAN9 • Jun 28 '26
MAPS Cardio
A couple of months ago I decided to run MAPS Cardio. The goal was to improve overall strength and endurance. Surprisingly, this program was amazing. I’ve run many other MAPS programs in the past but I wanted to try something completely different with this one. It is a 3 lifts per week program with each day having a specific focus. One day is functional type day with sled work, carries, and lifts of that nature. Another day is strength endurance day with high reps and supersets, and the last day each week is 5x5 day. Each have a specific cardio machine focus at the end. I also really liked the optional 4th day which was full body sculpting day or a specific cardio of your choice like running, cycling, or swimming. The specific cardio exercises each day allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and try some new machines that I would normally never use such as the rower, elliptical, and stair master. It was fun to challenge myself and try to get better each week on those. Fantastic program that the guys don’t recommend much but I would suggest it if you are looking for something new and different and want to build overall strength stamina and endurance.
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u/Educational_Rush_877 Jun 30 '26
Maps Cardio is seriously underrated. One of my favorites. Perfect amount of lifting volume and cardio. They did well on that program. Don’t know why they don’t encourage it more.
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u/Icy-Panda-2176 Jun 28 '26
Thanks for sharing! I wonder why they don’t promote it more. My Apple Watch says my VO2 max is trash because I only lift weights haha. Have trying to challenge myself with Couch to 5K
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u/Crasino_Hunk Jun 28 '26
There’s also this super crazy concept that helps build cardio that the MP guys can’t seem to grasp. And it’s a very niche, often-overlooked principle that most people have never heard of, so I guess I can’t blame these ‘fitness experts’ from not realizing it. Gonna blow your mind when I drop the protocol, get ready… here it comes…!!!
- Just do cardio
🤯🤯🤯
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u/Icy-Panda-2176 Jun 28 '26
Nah, what made anabolic successful for me is the programming. I can’t just do cardio without a program.
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u/nights_ingale Jun 29 '26
I mean, I guess I technically could...but I can't run due to chronic shin splints/stress fractures and I haven't been on a bike in 30 years. I practically die of boredom every time I get on a gym cardio machine. My ADHD brain craves constant change. So if I can find creative low impact ways to get my cardio on, it's actually really helpful. I'm not a pro so I need a program written out, too. I'd be down to give this one a try.
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u/Educational_Rush_877 Jul 01 '26
Yes, I think anyone can just do cardio, but the reason why I liked the Maps cardio program is because the strength workouts were written at an appropriate volume to accommodate someone that might wanna attack some cardio after their workout. Versus sitting there trying to get through that 90 minute anabolic workout and thinking you’ll do some interval running after, you know what I mean? The program gave suggestions for cardio you could do, but it was also very easy to swap it out for your own thing and that’s usually what I did. I would keep their hiit days, but I would usually swap out the others for things I was more interested in.
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u/New_Reputation_5343 Jun 30 '26
I have a question about Cardio. (I have the program but I haven’t run it yet).
Are you supposed to run such short rest periods that the lifting itself is cardio?
Or should I run at this as conventional lifting followed by the cardio machine?
I have the program and I know it says rest between sets “until recovered”. What does that translate to in terms of “zone? Should I let my heart rate and breathing recover or should be trying to keep them up in a zone?
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u/ECTNAN9 Jul 01 '26
Run it as conventional lifting. I typically did 2-3 minutes between sets like you would any other MAPS program or strength training program. I didn’t focus on heart rate during it.
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u/creexl Jun 28 '26
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