A company called RecoverFun saw my previous rather ramshackle video about Occlusion or Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training and decided to send me some proper, cool-looking, easy-to-use cuffs. So, of course, I couldn’t resist doing a Workout of the Week video about them.
In the video, I demonstrate how I use them to do a simple upper body and lower body workout. And notice that I said SIMPLE, not EASY!
Although BFR training allows you to get great strength and muscle gains while using lighter weights because the muscles are working without oxygenated blood and are also unable to flush the lactate, this workout can get intense. But it is worth it.
How it Works:
This specific type of veinous occlusion significantly increases the concentration of lactate in your blood, at lower workout intensity or weight. This, in essence, simulates the feeling of a much harder workout in the muscles while also tricking the brain into thinking the body is performing a very difficult workout.
As a result, your pituitary gland (a tiny organ found at the base of the brain) releases more growth hormones (reportedly up to 170 percent more) along with hormones that are directly related to muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) including IGF-1, MTORC1, and myostatin.
How to:
- Wrap the strap around the top of the muscle that you want to work on
- Make sure it is tight without causing numbness or turning your extremities blue
- Begin your set with a lighter than normal weight
- If possible, do not loosen the bands between sets. You want to keep the blood trapped in the muscle to maximize the benefits
Blood Flow Restricted training is great for anyone who wants to increase muscle hypertrophy or recover from an injured muscle.
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