Demystifying Blood Flow Restriction Training: Everything You Need to Know
Blood flow restriction training could be the secret to revolutionizing your rehab journey.
Have you ever sat in an awkward position and accidentally cut off the blood flow to your feet or legs? The pins and needles sensation afterward can be intense as your blood flows back into the affected body part. But what if you did it on purpose as a way to facilitate muscle growth? That’s what blood flow restriction training is all about.
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a relatively new approach to building muscular strength. It was first developed in the 1960s in Japan, where it’s known as KAATSU training. It then spread to Western gyms by way of bodybuilders and other strength athletes. In the last few years, physical therapists, such as the team at Legacy Physical Therapy & Wellness, have begun incorporating it into their practice.
The concept is simple: BFR training involves purposefully reducing the blood flow to a targeted muscle while you perform low-intensity strength exercises. When executed correctly, it can help increase the size of your muscles without performing high-intensity resistance exercises, making it an excellent choice for someone recovering from surgery or an injury.
Are you curious about blood flow restriction training and how you might incorporate it into your fitness or rehabilitation program? Call Legacy Physical Therapy & Wellness in Naperville to schedule an appointment–we’ll be happy to walk you through the process.
How Does Blood Flow Restriction Training Work?
To understand BFR training, it’s important to understand some of the basics of strength training, especially muscle hypertrophy–the process of increasing the size of your muscle tissue.
But growing your muscles isn’t an easy process. In fact, strength training involves purposefully injuring your muscle fibers–because when your body repairs them, they come back bigger and stronger. In addition, strength training involves depleting your muscles of oxygen, which facilitates the creation of lactic acid to stimulate muscle growth. Increased blood flow, which occurs naturally due to exercise, completes the process.
Historically, strength athletes have used high-intensity resistance training exercises to stimulate these three hypertrophy factors. The standard approach to building muscle mass involves lifting extremely heavy weights for low repetitions (usually between 3-5).
BFR training uses the same idea of stressing your muscles to make them stronger–but does so in a way that does not require high-intensity exercise. Instead, BFR training allows you to lift much lighter weights while the blood flow restriction does the work of “injuring” your muscle fibers. In short, blood flow restriction training tricks your body into thinking you’re working much harder than you are.
Who Can Benefit from Blow Flow Restriction Training?
Bodybuilders are not the only ones who need to improve their muscle hypertrophy. Rebuilding muscle is crucial in rehabilitation settings–such as after a severe injury or major surgery. Furthermore, strength training is often an effective tool for managing orthopedic pain, such as the kind caused by arthritis or disc herniation.
But unlike bodybuilders, someone with an injury or arthritis will likely be unable to engage in high-load resistance training. They may be simply too weak, or their pain may prevent them from engaging in intense exercise. That’s where BFR training shines.
It allows people to build their muscle size without engaging in high-intensity exercise that could impede their rehabilitation or worsen their condition. At Legacy Physical Therapy & Wellness, we might utilize BFR training for people with the following conditions:
- Ligament injuries (i.e., rotator cuff injury, ACL damage)
- Arthritis
- Chronic pain
- Anyone with physical limitations (due to illness, age, or another reason)
We also incorporate BFR training into our post-surgical rehabilitation programs. Whether you had surgery for a sports injury or needed a total joint replacement, you will be weak afterward–and BFR training can help you build muscle tissue much more effectively.
What Can I Expect During a BFR Training Session?
Anytime you visit us at Legacy Physical Therapy & Wellness, our physical therapists will begin with a comprehensive assessment to help us better understand your condition, symptoms, and overall needs. Generally, we incorporate blood flow restriction training into a broader physical therapy treatment plan that includes additional approaches, such as manual therapy.
During your actual BFR sessions, one of our physical therapists will fit you with a specialized cuff to cut off the blood flow to the affected area. This cuff allows us to tailor its pressure so that blood flows into the targeted muscles but stops it from flowing out. This crucial detail ensures you’re getting the full benefits of BFR training.
The cuff’s exact pressure will vary from patient to patient. Our therapists will work closely with you to ensure your pressure is exactly where it needs to be.
We’ll place the cuff on your upper arm if you need to work your upper body. For the lower body, we’ll place it on the upper thigh. Remember to wear clothes that won’t interfere with cuff placement when you come in for your appointment.
Once your cuff is ready, we can begin with the exercises themselves. You’ll receive a customized workout plan, so the exact exercises will vary from patient to patient, although there are a few commonalities:
- You’ll be performing resistance movements using free weights
- The weight load will be low (about 20%-40% of the maximum weight you could pick up only once)
- You’ll perform several repetitions, with a minute or so between sets
Our therapists will work with you on the exact details, including how frequently you should train, the specific weight, repetitions, and sets, and how long your program will last.
Curious to Give BFR Training a Try? Call Our Clinic Today!
BFR training is a unique approach to improving muscle hypertrophy. While it may have started in gyms, it’s ideal for people with physical limitations who need to increase their muscle mass but might struggle with a traditional heavy weightlifting program.
If you think you might benefit from BFR training, schedule an appointment at Legacy Physical Therapy & Wellness today!