BFR Training

[MarkusLA]

Anyone have real world experience/results from training with BFR bands?


I've been training years and I think I am close to my limit on growth given age and amount of drugs. (I know I can add more drugs, but that's not the question). Can you add size/strength with BFR?

I know for non-trained athletes it did make a difference in the studies.

 

[Type-IIx]

It’s really painful. You can certainly add size but its effects on strength are minimal. It’s really for injured people, very effective in the period after detraining or immobilization due to injury because its injury risk is so low given the very loads used.

I do like the “look” it gives but its effects on hypertrophy seem more sarcoplasmic than myofibrillar and thus more transient, but it certainly does increase type II fiber hypertrophy: those larger, faster, more fatiguable, glycolytic muscle fibers with the most growth potential.

 

[initialize]

Can't it potentially lead to a thrombus?

 

[AlexDavis43]

It’s really painful.

Loosen the bands, man. It's not supposed to be painful. More like getting your blood pressure checked. Some mild discomfort but not painful.

 

[AlexDavis43]

Anyone have real world experience/results from training with BFR bands?


I've been training years and I think I am close to my limit on growth given age and amount of drugs. (I know I can add more drugs, but that's not the question). Can you add size/strength with BFR?

I know for non-trained athletes it did make a difference in the studies.

I've been using them on my upper legs for a while and think they've added some muscle size. Not strength (maybe).

BFR bands look weird but my legs don't grow easy and BFR training seems to have helped.

 

[tcri]

It’s really painful. You can certainly add size but its effects on strength are minimal. It’s really for injured people, very effective in the period after detraining or immobilization due to injury because its injury risk is so low given the very loads used.

I do like the “look” it gives but its effects on hypertrophy seem more sarcoplasmic than myofibrillar and thus more transient, but it certainly does increase type II fiber hypertrophy: those larger, faster, more fatiguable, glycolytic muscle fibers with the most growth potential.

It is definitely more used in rehab settings than in hypertrophy and strength applications. In fact, it is really the only area in which I have seen it to be "uniquely" beneficial.

For anybody else, even if it were useful, it certainly wouldn't be more useful, accessible, or practical than some other techniques.

I'm not saying it is useless necessarily, but if you were trying to spur new growth, there are intensity techniques that would be much more beneficial.

@Type-IIx. All this wasn't directed at you. I was agreeing with your first point and expanding on my thought. Just wanted to be clear here, in case it sounds like I'm yelling lol

 

[UncleBuns]

Loosen the bands, man. It's not supposed to be painful. More like getting your blood pressure checked. Some mild discomfort but not painful.

Naw, if you do it right the burn is crazy. If the pain is where the cuff is squeezing, then yes, it's to tight. The pain should be in the working muscle you are essentially blocking the blood flow that would clear metabolic waste products and acid causing a crazy high acid load. If done right it is legit suffering.

I have done BFR with high end multi chamber cuffs that hold consistent pressure in the proper range. If you do the protocol correctly the burn in the muscles is serious, and it's a good thing. That acid/metabolic waste overload is what stimulates hypertrophy while using low weight exercises.

 

[UncleBuns]

It’s really painful. You can certainly add size but its effects on strength are minimal. It’s really for injured people, very effective in the period after detraining or immobilization due to injury because its injury risk is so low given the very loads used.

I do like the “look” it gives but its effects on hypertrophy seem more sarcoplasmic than myofibrillar and thus more transient, but it certainly does increase type II fiber hypertrophy: those larger, faster, more fatiguable, glycolytic muscle fibers with the most growth potential.

BFR could be a cool topic for an article or the podcast. It's not a magic bullet but is an interesting tool that can be effective.

 

[MarkusLA]

Naw, if you do it right the burn is crazy. If the pain is where the cuff is squeezing, then yes, it's to tight. The pain should be in the working muscle you are essentially blocking the blood flow that would clear metabolic waste products and acid causing a crazy high acid load. If done right it is legit suffering.

I have done BFR with high end multi chamber cuffs that hold consistent pressure in the proper range. If you do the protocol correctly the burn in the muscles is serious, and it's a good thing. That acid/metabolic waste overload is what stimulates hypertrophy while using low weight exercises.

Thanks, that's encouraging. I got interested in it from Peter Attia's blog/podcast. He said he started with the cheap straps and now uses a $600 system (maybe like the one you mentioned).

I got some cheap straps and have done only a couple of workouts so far. I'd like to see some results before dropping major $$. Do you remember which system you used?

 

[UncleBuns]

Thanks, that's encouraging. I got interested in it from Peter Attia's blog/podcast. He said he started with the cheap straps and now uses a $600 system (maybe like the one you mentioned).

I got some cheap straps and have done only a couple of workouts so far. I'd like to see some results before dropping major $$. Do you remember which system you used?

I think it was this brand:

B Strong Training System

B Strong BFR Bands allow you to exercise smarter, safer, and improve overall strength and fitness in less time with greater results. The bands are worn around the upper portion of the arms/or legs to safely restrict the blood in the limb. Unlike traditional BFR bands, our bands are inflated to...

bstrong.training

The nice cuffs are multi chambered so they hold the same pressure all around the limb during movement. Straps are quite difficult to apply at the correct pressure.

I don't think BFR is magic or a replacement for standard resistance training. I do like it for some specific instances where specific hypertrophy is the main goal and BFR can be used without adding more mechanical stress to the tissues.

Honestly I don't know if BFR is worth it and it's very hard to quantity if it accelerates results beyond traditional training. I like to tinker with things like this sometimes though and there is good evidence that it works. Not aware of any studies showing it increases hypertrophy when added to traditional training but I haven't looked into it in awhile. If you know of or come upon any studies like that let me know!

 

[AlexDavis43]

I think it was this brand:

B Strong Training System

B Strong BFR Bands allow you to exercise smarter, safer, and improve overall strength and fitness in less time with greater results. The bands are worn around the upper portion of the arms/or legs to safely restrict the blood in the limb. Unlike traditional BFR bands, our bands are inflated to...

bstrong.training

The nice cuffs are multi chambered so they hold the same pressure all around the limb during movement. Straps are quite difficult to apply at the correct pressure.

I don't think BFR is magic or a replacement for standard resistance training. I do like it for some specific instances where specific hypertrophy is the main goal and BFR can be used without adding more mechanical stress to the tissues.

Honestly I don't know if BFR is worth it and it's very hard to quantity if it accelerates results beyond traditional training. I like to tinker with things like this sometimes though and there is good evidence that it works. Not aware of any studies showing it increases hypertrophy when added to traditional training but I haven't looked into it in awhile. If you know of or come upon any studies like that let me know!

Most of the studies are walking +/- BFR bands (review).

This one compared resistance training +/- BFR and found no diff in hypertrophy but reduced knee joint pain and improved physical function (ref).

Here's another one with just walking and wild effect on GH:

 

[MarkusLA]

Most of the studies are walking +/- BFR bands (review).

This one compared resistance training +/- BFR and found no diff in hypertrophy but reduced knee joint pain and improved physical function (ref).

Here's another one with just walking and wild effect on GH:

Interesting.. the bump in GH would be systemic which is going to effect the whole body. It's for one hour, so not sure how much benefit it is from that perspective. Thanks for finding the studies and posting.