Have you gone to the gym recently and seen somebody lifting weights while wearing a funny looking band or tourniquet on their arms and legs? It’s not an interesting fashion choice. It’s intended for blood flow resistance (BFR) training, a new training method designed to help tone and build up muscles with less heavy lifting required.

The science behind BFR is encouraging and could have massive implications as a safe method of improving athletic performance. The Cleveland Clinic’s article titled “What Is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training?” gives some guidance on what the technique involves and how to implement it in your next workout.

The Big Deal about BFR

Truly effective exercise is a constant push and pull between pushing your body just that little bit harder while avoiding overtraining or injuring yourself. In strength training, the maxim ‘no pain, no gain’ rings true because without at least some discomfort, muscle growth or muscle hypertrophy cannot occur. Some people can benefit with assistance to reach muscle hypertrophy with less required weight, which is where BFR bands come in.

The recipe of muscular growth includes three key ingredients:

  • Muscle Trauma- It seems odd to think of damage as a good and healthful thing, but to form bigger muscles, stress is necessary to injure muscle fibers. How much weight or resistance is needed varies based on fitness level. After muscles have been damaged, your body begins to repair and rebuild them back larger and stronger than before.
  • Oxygen depletion- When you are working up a sweat weight training with heavy weights, more oxygen is needed in your body. During this time, less oxygen is available for the muscles. Less oxygen in the muscle tissues means more lactic acid produced by the body and promoting muscle growth. This is what creates the burning feeling in the muscles during an intense workout.
  • Cellular swelling- Blood flow and circulation increases during exercise, bringing more blood to the muscles and swelling them. The cellular swelling helps in the muscle growth process.

When using BFR bands, blood is allowed to come into the muscles through the arteries but is blocked from leaving through the veins. Restricting normal blood flow taxes the muscles faster and allows them to experience swelling, fatigue and oxygen depletion at a quicker rate. It is the same internal environment achieved by regular strength training but with less weight and intensity needed. The blood flow restriction tricks the body into thinking it is working harder than it really is, making the muscles react as they would to a larger load.

BFR is commonly used in physical therapy, but it is gaining traction as a sports health tool.  Dr. Mike DeBord is a chiropractor, alumnus of Palmer College of Chiropractic and Founder of B3 Sciences who recently spoke on Life University’s (Life U) Today’s Conversations on Leadership podcast about the science and potential behind BFR bands. Through his B3 Sciences brand, he has helped introduce the western world to the power of blood flow resistance (BFR) bands during workouts to boost health, strength and more.

“We can walk or jog the track, but it’s a lot different if we go run the stadium stairs. We can do some light dumbbells and tubing, or we can go in the gym and bang out heavy weights. What’s the difference? The difference is that in vigorous exercise, you create lactic acid and hypoxia. You create fatigue; you create that burn,” Dr. DeBord explains in the podcast.

“Here’s the problem. Most people don’t get in the burner lactic acid long enough to turn on an anabolic response in the body like the big-time athletes do.”

BFR can be that bridge to help the average person train more effectively; for athletes, it can take them to that next level and break through plateaus. Other benefits include less impact on tendons and joints while lifting, as well as prevention of muscle loss for those with mobility changes.

Is it right for you?

 Whether or not BFR training is advisable for an individual depends on their commitment to figuring out the right personalized usage plan and percentage of blood flow restriction for safe, effective exercise. People with certain conditions should not use BFR bands, including cancer, blood clotting problems, infection, bone fracture or pregnancy. Working with a trained BFR professional is advised, at least when considering starting a regimen because there is some potential for user error without the right knowledge of placement and pressure.

The basic setup is placing BFR bands on the arms and legs. Arm bands will wrap between the shoulder and bicep muscle, but not directly on the muscle. Move the leg bands around the top of your thighs, as close to the groin as comfortably possible. The tightness will need to be adjusted, which is where an athletic trainer or physical therapist can give guidance on what is the sweet spot for you using these tools. Some professionals refer to the band tightness as blood flow restriction percentage or limb occlusion pressure (LOP). Experts recommend 30-50% restriction in the arms, 50-80% in the legs.

The important thing to remember is not to overdo it. BFR bands are only meant to be worn eight to 20 minutes at a stretch as you work the legs or the arms. Allow 30 seconds of rest between exercises for recovery. Here’s to strong, powerful workouts!

 

Interested in a career in Sport Health Science? Learn more about Life University’s Master of Science in Sport Health Science.