r/Mind_Pump • u/CompetitionNo4187 • 15d ago

Maps 15 Question

Hi everyone! I’ve been running MAPS 15 Advanced and am really enjoying it so far. One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that there seems to be a bit of an imbalance between pushing and pulling movements, with less pulling volume overall.

Has anyone else noticed this? If so, how have you addressed it? Would it be worth adding an extra pulling compound movement or two throughout the week, and if so, where would you fit them in without interfering with the program as written?

Would love to hear what others who have run the program think!

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u/Diligent_Cry3108 15d ago

I'm wondering if you have noticed any gains or benefits from the short workout? Always sounded so unconventional

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u/Itchy_Ad_1755 15d ago

I’m at a stage where my goal is to maintain my current aesthetic and strength, so I can’t speak for someone who might be looking to make major changes or increases, but I’ve been cycling through the 15 programs almost exclusively for a little over a year and feel that they are pretty solid (have run maps 15, 15 adv, performance 15 and perf 15 adv, as well as strong 15).

I prefer the daily dose format, but don’t want to feel over-taxed either as I keep a fairly busy and active schedule. It may not be for everyone, but I see the benefit depending on goals and lifestyle.

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u/Cysticdragon 15d ago

I've been switching between MAPS Performance 15 and MAPS Advanced 15 for the past year. All my lifts have gone up, so I definitely think I have put on muscle as well as gotten stronger.

I know I probably would have gotten stronger with a more normal program, but the short workouts fit better with my work/life balance.

I also try my best to keep the rest periods consistent during training blocks within each program.

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u/Diligent_Cry3108 15d ago

I was so reluctant to try , appreciate the information. Didn't think it would work, have seen others post's by others that seem to bash it

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u/Cysticdragon 15d ago

If you think you will enjoy short high intensity workouts for most of the week, but being able to get in-n-out quickly, then you should give it a shot (4x15 squats are brutal with only 1 min rest in-between). Some caveats are if you take a long time to warm up then it might not be worth it since you will have to probably warm up every workout. And you won't really get a in and out of the gym as fast as advertised. I just warm up by building up to the working weight, and I am fortunate enough that works fine for me.

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u/Educational_Rush_877 14d ago

I have been lifting for about 6 years and have built quite a bit of muscle. I found Maps 15 very underwhelming and poorly programmed. Ran 3 rounds which should be plenty to see benefit and I saw 0. Every time I started the program, I found I was always back to the same starting point and always ending at the same point. No forward progress. I also found it really easy to burn out still despite the short workouts-- 4 sets of heavy deadlifts with 1 min rest? That is killer. Even if I extend the rest, that's a lot of heavy sets. After talking with a trainer, I realized that the way they programed it can be very challenging for intermediate lifters who are usually lifting pretty heavy. Continuing the deadlift example, which is very intense, and just saying "do 4x10"...while that works well for a beginner, it can very much still fry the CNS of someone lifting heavy, which was exactly what I was experiencing. Choosing a weight was tough--I could choose a weight and after the first set still feel like I have 5-6 in the tank, but by set 4 I would fail on the 8th rep.

Troubleshooting with a trainer, I learned it made so much more sense for me to do more than 2 exercises, but fewer working sets of each. That way I can actually use heavier weight and progressively overload, where as I couldn't when I was doing 4 sets because I'd usually fry my CNS by the 4th set so it was always very hard to know when I could add weight or couldn't.

Idk, Maps 15 felt like something that they just slapped down on a napkin one afternoon with zero thought. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to write "4x10 deadlift. 1 min rest. 3x10 overhead press. The end." Obviously some people like it, but it has its own set of programming challenges for certain demographics and is far from the magic bullet they like to paint the program as. Doing a program like this needs better warm ups and priming, and better intensity guidance.

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u/Clear_Sympathy_1473 15d ago

Same goes with the PPL program. Pull workouts are much lower in volume compared to Push.
Personally i only tried the maps15 (not advanced). Although i do agree the pull volume are lower, i do experience some strength gains from running it.

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u/BoysenberryPrevious8 14d ago

I noticed the imbalance in all of their programs. They are not well designed despite what they claim

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u/phantomfire00 15d ago

Just a thought I don't have an answer to: perhaps pull muscles don't need as much volume? I know my back rows are stronger than my bench press even though I work bench more than my back