Key Points to KNow about MAPS Split
- MAPS Split is a 7 day program focused on hypertrophy and bodybuilding.
- The program is an upper/lower split for 6 days with a 7th day for recovery and mobility. Skipping day 7 is not a good idea.
- Be prepared to walk… A lot! There is a daily step requirement as part of this program that progresses to 16,000+ steps per day in the last phase of the program.
- MAPS Split is for intermediate to advanced lifters ONLY.
- If you can’t commit to 6 days per week for the entire program, this program won’t be effective for you.
- Sleep and recovery are key. This is an intense program and if your sleep, diet, and stress aren’t well-controlled, this is not the program for you.
- You will need a full gym setup to complete this program (see needed equipment below). The program does include an “at home mod” that only requires a bench and set of dumbbells that is actually quite good, but if you have access to a full assortment of equipment, that will definitely get you better results.
- Some of the workouts are quite long. It won’t be uncommon to spend 90+ minutes in the gym on certain days.
My Quick Take
I started and stopped MAPS Split twice before completing it on the third attempt. Make no mistake, this is a demanding program that will push your limits in the gym. At 54 years old, this was the hardest I’ve pushed in the gym in a very long time. In fact, the only reason I was able to complete the program on that third run is that I spent 8 months preparing and working myself up to the work capacity that was required.
MAPS Split is a true bodybuilding program. As with any serious bodybuilder, you’ll need to commit to the program 7 days a week for all 12 weeks to see all the potential benefits. The good news is that those potential benefits are worth every drop of sweat. While no program is going to completely change your physique from meh to stage ready in 12 weeks, you will notice a difference if you follow the program exactly.
While I’m really glad I ran this program, I won’t be running it again. Not because it isn’t a good program, it just doesn’t meet my fitness goals. If your goals are to get overall healthy, build strength, enhance your movement, and protect your joints, this isn’t the program for you. If your goal is to eek out every possible aesthetic improvement you can and you’re willing to put in 2-3 hours a day, 7 days a week doing it, MAPS Split will quickly become one of your favorite programs.
My biggest piece of advice with this program is don’t go into half way. You need to commit. You will need to have your sleep dialed in 7-9 hours a night. You will need your diet dialed as well (specifically protein and calories). I wouldn’t run this program in a deficit, at least not the first time. You’ll need every bit of energy you can get. You’ll need to make time to walk. A lot. Every day. You’ll need to be in the gym lifting 60-90 minutes 6 days a week. And there’s no room for missed or skipped days.
As with all things in life, great results require hard work. MAPS Split will be hard work for sure. But if you put that work in, you’ll definitely be happy you did.
What Equipment You’ll Need For MAPS Split
MAPS Split includes an “at home mod” which is programmed for a set of dumbbells and an adjustable bench. If you add some bands to that mix, the at home mod is very, very good. That said, MAPS Split is best run with a full gym set up. A “full gym” includes, but is not limited to:
- Rack
- Barbell
- Plates
- Adjustable bench
- Dumbbells
- Cable system/functional trainer
- Lat pulldown/low row
- Multiple cable attachments
- Resistance bands
- Foam roller
Who I Think Would Benefit From MAPS Split
Anyone interested in trying bodybuilding would be well-served to start with MAPS Split. It was not only designed by a successful competitive bodybuilder (Adam, one of the Mind Pump Hosts), but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than hiring a coach if you are unsure of the pursuit.
MAPS Split will give you a glimpse of the training intensity, focus on recovery, focus on movement, and nutrition discipline that true bodybuilding training entails. It will give you a test of training methods and programming that is unique to the world of bodybuilding.
I also think it’s a great program for those who have been training consistently for at least 3 years and want to make a concerted effort to see how much muscle they can gain and how much aesthetic change they can make in a 12 week program.
This was me. As I mentioned earlier, I prepared for 8 months leading up to successfully running MAPS Split and my entire purpose in doing so was to see just what I was capable of in my early 50’s. Finishing this program was one of the most satisfying achievements I’ve seen in the gym.
What Goals Can MAPS Split Help You Achieve
There are a few things that MAPS Split will help you learn and accomplish in the gym that few other programs can…
- It will help you build the discipline of training every day.
- It will help you focus on everything outside the gym needed to maximize the time you spend inside.
- It will help you make as many aesthetic changes as your body is capable of in a 12 week period.
- It will quickly teach you the importance of sleep, mobility, nutrition, and recovery.
- It will, with the appropriate diet, help you both gain muscle and lose fat.
What I Like About MAPS Split
If you love to challenge yourself, this is a great program to do that with. I’m the type of person who loves to do really hard things. MAPS Split was one of the all-time hardest programs I’ve ever done.
But it’s intelligently hard. Some programs (see pretty much every CrossFit program ever written) are written simply to leave you in a puddle of sweat, unable to move after each session. MAPS Split is not that. It will make you dig deep. It will make you appreciate a full night’s sleep and the right number of calories to fuel you. It will leave you sore and exhausted.
But it will also leave you feeling pretty good. There’s this weird balance of having given every last ounce, but not feeling beat up that this program achieves. You have to go into it with your work capacity already built up, but if you do, its smartly written approach will push you to your limits without breaking you.
Most people have never trained and stuck to a true body building program. I don’t mean your typical online influencer “high reps, low weight, body sculpting” bs. I don’t mean going til you puke. I don’t mean training like Ronnie Coleman but without the steroids (which just might put you in the hospital. No joke).
If you’ve never trained with a well-educated bodybuilding coach, odds are you’ve never actually trained in a complete 12 week cycle designed to elicit the most possible change in your body over that time period. If you’ve done bodybuilding training before, you know what I’m talking about.
If not, you are in for something completely different than your regular old gym bro back and bi’s, chest and tri’s split routines.
If you don’t love being in the gym, this program is not for you.
I love being in the gym. Every day. Multiple hours a day. I’m extremely fortunate that this is my job! Even in my early 50’s, and even though I’m not running any more bodybuilding programs, I still spend 1-2 hours a day in my gym 6 days a week. It’s my happy place.
That’s the time commitment needed for MAPS Split. The marketing material calls out that it’s under an hour a day, but that’s just wrong. Even if you are strict on your rest periods (and that’s something you really need to do to benefit from this program), some days are a 90 minute commitment minimum.
I loved that. Make sure that’s something that is not only appealing to you, but that you are able to commit to. If not, this isn’t the right program for you.
What I Don’t Like About MAPS Split
While some days will keep you in the gym for 90 minutes, others will have you out in 45.
For me, I’d rather have a program that has a consistent time requirement across each day. Being that MAPS Split keeps you in the gym 6 days a week lifting, there is plenty of time to shift some of the volume around to balance out the days.
You can ready my review of MAPS Prime here and check out more details here.
No MAPS program comes with a warmup and the explanation in each one is that “that’s why we created MAPS Prime”. I’ve used MAPS Prime for many years and agree that it’s the absolute right way to craft a warmup specific to you and the particular training program you are doing.
And that’s fine for most of their programs. The reality is that most people will not buy MAPS Prime. It’s more money and a decent additional time investment. Most people will simply either not warm up (bad idea, but what most people do anyway), or they’ll do the same crappy warmup their high school coach taught them. And again, for most programs, that’s not a huge deal.
For MAPS Split, it’s a huge deal. MAPS Split should either include Prime or include a dedicated warmup program. With the amount of volume and intensity required, a proper warmup is essential. To me, it’s a huge miss that that is not included in an effort to sell us another program.
Don’t get me wrong. MAPS Prime is worth every dollar they charge for it. But to really make MAPS Split as effective as possible, this is one time it should be integrated into the program itself.
Alternatives To MAPS Split
Odds are that you are looking at MAPS Split for one of two reasons…
First, you are looking to make significant aesthetic changes to your body. And MAPS Split will do that. But only if you adhere to it strictly. And if you can’t commit to the full 7 days, plus sleep, plus walking as many as 16,000 steps per day, Split is just not for you. Instead, check out MAPS Aesthetic. In MAPS Aesthetic, you have 3 days per week with the option of much shorter focus sessions on the other days. It focuses on aesthetics and is also highly effective. You can read my full review of MAPS Aesthetic here and see more details, including its current pricing, here.
If MAPS Aesthetic looks like a little much as well (see my review linked above for details), then the next best choice would be MAPS Anabolic Advanced. It’s a great program for intermediate lifters that will help you build size and strength without the intense demands of Split or Aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a solid program. It’s just better suited for people not yet ready to devote such a large amount of time and effort to training. You can see my full review of MAPS Anabolic Advanced here, and you can check its current pricing and details here.
Challenge Yourself With MAPS Split Now!