The ULTIMATE BFR Tutorial (Blood Flow Restriction)

Also known as occlusion, hypoxic or KAATSU training, BFR is the process of restricting blood flow out of the working muscle by wrapping a tourniquet-like strap to the top of your arms or legs. The tight material allows blood to flow into your arms or legs through arteries but limits the amount of blood that can leave the limbs through your veins. This restriction creates numerous changes within the body during exercise that has been found to increase muscle strength/size, optimize recovery from injury and enhance aerobic capacity.
Need a BFR set? Check out my favorite brand here: www.smarttoolsplus.com/?rfsn=...
Get my book on fixing injury here:
www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-Mil...
Get my book 'The Squat Bible' here:
www.amazon.com/Squat-Bible-Ul...
Looking for olympic weightlifting programming? Try this 'Back to Basics' 13 week program:
marketplace.trainheroic.com/w...
______________________
Subscribe to the channel: tinyurl.com/y2eq7kpr
Recommended products: squatuniversity.com/recommend...
Support SquatU & join monthly live Q&A: / squatuniversity
______________________
Want to learn more about BFR? Start with this blog article: squatuniversity.com/2021/04/1...
A few of the MANY research articles on BFR:
1) Takarada Y, Takazawa H, Sato Y et al. Effects of resistance exercise combined with moderate vascular occlusion on muscular function in humans. J Appl Physiol 2000;88(6):2097-2106
2) Laurentino Gc, Ugrinowitsch C, Roschel H et al. Strength training with blood flow restriction diminishes myostatin gene expression. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(3):406-412
3) Kubo K, Komuro T, Ishiguro N et al. Effects of low-load resistance training with vascular occlusion on the mechanical properties of muscle and tendon. J Appl Biomech. 2006;22(2):112-119
4) Abe T, Fujita S, Nakajima T, Sakamaki M, Ozaki H, et al. Effects of low-intensity cycle training with restricted leg blood flow on thigh muscle volume and VO2max in young men. J Sports Sci Med. 2010; 9(3):452-458
5) Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Abe T, Bemben MG. The anabolic benefits of venous blood flow restriction training may be induced by muscle cell swelling. Med Hypotheses. 2012;78(1):151-154.
6) Fry CS, Glynn EL, Drummond MJ, Timmerman KL, et al. Blood flow restriction exercise stimulates mTORC1 signaling and muscle protein synthesis in older men. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2010; 108(5):1199-1209.
7) Takano H, Morita T, Iida H, Asada KI, Kato M, et al. Hemodynamic and hormonal responses to short-term low-intensity resistance exercise with the reduction of muscle blood flow. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005;95(1):65-73.
8) Yasuda T, Ogasawara R, Sakamaki M, Ozaki H, et all. Combined effects of low-intensity blood flow restriction training and high-intensity resistance training on muscle strength and size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011;111(10):2525-2533
9) Sudo M, Ando S, Kano Y. Repeated blood flow restriction induces muscle fiber hypertrophy. Muscle Nerve. 2017;55(2):274-276
10) Slysz J, Stultz J, Burr JF. The efficacy of blood flow restricted exercise: A systematic review & meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport. 2016; 19(8):669-675
11) Yasuda T, Fujita S, Ogasawara R, Sato Y, Abe T. Effects of low intensity bench press training with restricted arm muscle blood flow on chest muscle hypertrophy: a pilot study. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2010;30(5):338-343
12) Shinohara M, Kouzaki M, Yoshihisa T, Fukunaga T. Efficacy of tourniquet ischemia for strength training with low resistance. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1998: 77: 189-191.
______________________
Connect with SquatUniversity:
Visit the website: www.squatuniversity.com
Like the Facebook page: / squatuniversity
Follow on Twitter: / squatuniversity
Follow on TikTok: @SquatUniversity
Follow on Instagram: / squat_university
Listen to the Podcast on: apple iTunes, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Google Play and the Anchor App
______________________
Music credits
Opening & closing track by JookTheFirst: / jookthefirst

[@creatinechris]

My wife uses bfr around my neck when our kids spend the night at the in laws

[@pgermii]

Lucky man. My wife won't go along.

[@JasonLeCompte]

I normally don't condone this type of commentary, but this one, no joke cracked me up.

[@karmacop217]

Neck gains bro

[@tsipliontsip]

My man! 👈🏻👀👈🏻

[@thelatentsexualfreak]

Wtf

[@kimdavis7812]

This sounds perfect for me.. I just turned 60 (gulp) & want to continue to challenge my aging muscles!!! Thank you

[@SquatUniversity]

You’re welcome

[@juliav8282]

I'm doing BFR training for a while, read & watched a lot of information about it. This video is gold, learned a lot of new. Thank you very much, doctor Aaron Horschig!

[@garyarch6879]

I have been stumbling around BFR for a few years. I wasn’t using it as much as I wanted to because the cuffs I bought required a hand pump to inflate and the arm cuffs were very difficult to put on properly (obviously the leg cuffs were much easier). My workouts typically only have 1-2 minute rest periods between sets so it just wasn’t worth the hassle so I rarely used them. I am 56 years old and I lift 5-6 times per week to help manage my diabetes and it is working wonderfully, I have been completely off insulin for 4 years. However, that type of wear and tear was taking a toll on my body. After my fourth surgery in 16 months I decided something had to give (besides my soft tissue). I found the new version of Smart Cuffs that use an app and Bluetooth to inflate and it solved the issue of it being a hassle to quickly inflate the cuffs. The Smart Cuffs are great but the explanation and instructions that accompanied them were not, so I have been searching for an informative source for BFR information and this video knocks it out of the park. I knew about the hypertrophy aspect and moving lighter weight with similar results was appealing to an old lifter like me, but I had no idea of the recovery and cardio benefits. Thank you very much for filling in some of the blanks for me and doing so in such a no-nonsense manner. I am now a subscriber to your channel and look forward to more great content.

[@johndeluca8372]

Thank you so much for covering all aspects of BFR including the aerobic capacity use case.

[@Holisticbarbarian]

Just what I needed! I've been incorporating this a little bit into my routine lately while I recover from a shoulder injury and try to fix my low back pain, and I'll definitely be upping the ante a little bit to help maintain until I reach full capacity again.

[@deanshemesh1321]

No doubt Aaron, you are one of the top professional around this days!! Thanks a lot Appreciate the info🙏🏼

[@andrewkeene9489]

Awesome video. Great to see the research link and the 4 practical applications. Thank you!

[@JivecattheMagnificent]

Ahhh, BFR videos are always interesting, thanks for uploading, guys! Arms always feel like they're gonna' explode when I do it. Hope everyone has a good Christmas!

[@SquatUniversity]

You’re welcome! Merry Christmas

[@JasonBourneOO7]

Thank you Dr. Aaron for teaching us about fitness!

[@TheVaibhavhunk]

This is the best BFR video I have ever seen, it's a complete guide, thanks for sharing knowledge 😇

[@SquatUniversity]

Thank you!

[@corinalymburner1121]

I’m a 58 yo WL, looking to give my knee joints a bit of a break, did my first bfr squats 30-15-15-15 @ 30%RM & med press two days ago & very surprisingly it was one of the most diff squat sessions I’ve done in a while. My quads still say so. Holy moly! Thanks so much for this video… altho there’s a lot of info on occlusion, I wasn’t able to find any protocol like this on using bfr as a masters athlete so I’m very grateful & will be taking your advice & use bfr to replace one squat session (not all); one RDL session (again, not all); & one 15 min spin per week. Thanks again & please push more BFR supplemental programming for masters out into the universe ❤

[@enrzon21]

Ty so much Sir 🙏 for this informative video.I was waiting for this 😊.

[@Sure_fire_]

Just wanted to drop a like and tell you you're the man. I've been using BFR for years doing the 30, 15, 15, 15, 15 rep scheme. but my biggest issue is finding the correct LOP

[@johnnygunzfilmbuff7821]

My PT showed me this today and it felt great on my triceps.

[@saifkhan-kj3jk]

Love the detail version 💯🙌

[@peaketraining8812]

Always brilliant info 👏

[@johnnyoost1144]

Great info. Thanks for the explanation.

[@jayanti2371]

I've never heard of this before, but it sounds like a game changer... along the lines of HIIT, ice baths, and intermittent fasting. *Thank you!*

[@rafaeltavares6928]

BFR for warmup for legs. Thank you 😘

[@duocphamtruongtho4462]

This video is very interesring, thanks!

[@jant_]

BFR is great, I use it for a few months now and I do 2 or 3 excercises every day. I started it because I have problems with my meniscus in both knees and the light weights I can use are perfect. While it might not improve strength I can still maintain mass effectively. Short sessions, low strain on the joints and improved endurance make it my number one excercise regime that I plan to do up into old age.

[@franciscoromerofitness]

Hey jan. Did you recover from your meniscus? I got both kness too and im looking how to train with pain

[@jant_]

@@franciscoromerofitness hey, my knees are still fked but what really helped me were the exercises from squat university and the kneesovertoesguy. Both are on YT and TikTok and both have great one leg exercises that help with knee stability. I can now train with heavier weights from time to time. Only jogging seems to aggregate my knee problems even though I only jog on forefoot and wear thick shoes. I tend to bike more and bought a home bike trainer. With this I can train cardio without straining the knees. Hope that helps and you get better soon.

[@dieselbourbon3728]

My list of sports injuries that are all now a zero on the pain scale. Left thumb multiple dislocations Left shoulder multiple dislocations Left knee miniscus tear and surgical repair Right ankle severe sprain with permanent muscle loss due to damage Right foot fracture Left elbow nerve damage Multiple broken fingers All pain went away after I stopped eating processed foods, seed oils and 99% of carbs. I just started a sprinting protocol and I'm going to incorporate BFR.

[@farhad.noorzay]

We need more BFR related content! :)

[@sanki7087]

Very helpful !

[@luis7342]

Great video, recently took a continuing education course on BFR. Info checks out

[@hookerrabbit]

Great video. Please clarify at about the 6:00 mark you mentioned when to deflate the cuff. If I'm doing three movements (4 sets for each). Do I deflate the cuffs after each movement (after completion of the 4 sets) or after I've completed all 3 movements? Basically when can/should you deflate the cuff?

[@gailtarleton3942]

Deflate after all 4 sets, you should not leave it inflated for > 7-8 minutes

[@evolvephysiofxabhishek5601]

Sounds good to me. However, are you suggesting to go on BFR throughout the training session or take breaks in between sets and wear again?

[@keithmackenzie2202]

Would you recommend doing your strength movement (like squat) then using BFR for your assistance work?

[@eliotslater2371]

question please, isn't there any high risk of blood clot by doing this? thanks

[@binny9820]

Can you use the BFR for one leg only. For e.g muscle innbalance due to ACL surgery and to build the operated leg muscles up in line with the other?

[@ozzy6162]

Ligaments seem to take longer than muscle injuries to rehab. Would BFR work for ligaments and speed up their rehab?

[@mehrrafiei6284]

Hey Aaron, thank you for the explanation. i just got my set of BFR bands from this brand called Saga fitness they are similar to the brand you recommended but with are slightly cheaper price point. I tried them on and the bands when they are at 80% AOP are very uncomfortable I set it to about 60% AOP at 164mmhg but they are still very uncomfortable and I feel like I can’t move my limbs is this normal for BFR training? i feel like my legs are going to pop off my body if I move 😅

[@KMD.11]

Thanks for the interesting video. I just bought my bands but they do not inflate automatically, they are the ones that you tighten on the belt. I would like to know if there is any study that shows that they can be used in swimming, which is the sport I do since I am not very interested in lifting weights. I am a woman, I am 50 years old, I swim 1300 meters in one hour. Thank you.

[@kathymeuwissen1136]

Curious if there are any contraindications for bfr? I.e. varicose veins…

[@kanakastein2023]

I had two strokes in 2021 in my right knee still doesn’t operate at 100% I was told that I needed to build my quad to get my red working properly again Would you recommend blood flow restriction, training or not?

[@zack_120]

4:36 - Well, the pressure at which pulse disappears is the systolic pressure normally of 90-140 mHg. How can this be LOP?

[@prescottosegie]

Good video very informative keep up the good work#SquatUClub

[@burrah4101]

Can I use this method to train my brain, using straps around my neck?🤣

[@dieselbourbon3728]

I've got a gnarly varicose vein in my right leg. Any thoughts about BFR with varicose veins.

[@angelitoroelespanola9338]

I hope you come up with a more accurate way to determine LOP for people who have no access to Smartcuffs. Im 1 month into BFR using it as a finisher for upper body training to doing it exclusively after a threatened pec tear. I only have access to elastic bands with locks for upper body and knee wraps for legs

[@angelitoroelespanola9338]

And I'm a 53 year old lifter who still competes

[@youngsuit]

does anyone do this specifically for in-home workouts where they have less access to gym equipment?

[@zosiakuku69]

I want to use it for sprinting, any advice??

[@klevykids]

I have just gotten a regular BFR bands, i hope, it works....

[@MrKapper87]

Any one who has a link to the study, showing good results with BFR training as a warm up ?

[@arphaksad01]

I use hammy bands from mark bell when squatting due to strained groin

[@donaldsofchalk4224]

How do you restrict the veins but not the arteries?

[@johnn5636]

How often can you do the V02 max training?

[@rushenpatel7876]

Please talk about neck pain

[@Limbaugh_]

Does bfr do anything for the central muscles

[@cattmann1405]

Is this safe if I've had two PE in the past 5 years?

[@marcusvrcosta]

Anybody could say something about this and TVP risks?

[@AllanKeller808]

What happens if you use the bands while doing your normal weights instead of light weights?

[@acockworkorange4301]

im sure noone ever thought of that. im sure noone ever determined its dangerous or not effective.

[@enrzon21]

Sir, from which website I can read the latest articles or journals on Exercise Science. Would you please tell me. I will be highly thankful to you 😊

[@enteoz1694]

I tried some of this training already even before I knew what BFR was heh

[@Zbigniew-qh3ts]

Is Worth ETA To Tray

[@HillbillyYEEHAA]

I did this during lockdown. I love them but you can only do it for about 6-8 weeks. It makes squats very awkward.

[@2old4allthis]

Why only 6-8 weeks?

[@parishparsa]

What about the cuffs ?

[@lightningwolf5157]

One Amazon purchase later lol ,some people make waves.

[@klevykids]

The same here, Orine Day, bought the bands for BFR yesterday, nothing fancy

[@Jverrett5oh]

My therapist uses bfr on me

[@UltraViolence90]

Fantom FTM ❤❤

[@uly_makeup_G]

Четко

[@domepiece11]

Hmm. I’m not sure about this one. I feel like our cardiovascular system knows what it’s doing. Restricting blood flow seems unnatural and potentially problematic. You could also improve your 1RM by blood doping too, but I ain’t doing that.

[@kasimirb5155]

Too much effort for too little benefit. It's just another money machine for companies.

[@jeremystass5970]

Blood flow restriction training is horrible for you leads to needing surgery due to blood vessel damage. Wearing those is damaging long term

[@zachariahtaylor7811]

Go on

[@SquatUniversity]

That’s not true at all.

[@addisonurbalejo]

Can we get some evidence to back this up?

[@weknowhisvoice9296]

Turn to Jesus people he died for your sins, Repent of what the New Testament describes as sin. Believe the gospel obey the teachings of Jesus documented in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus is the only way to be saved, be baptized if you have faith in Jesus then you will live life with him as your example. If you need prayer i'll pray for you. If you want to keep contact with a brother in Christ i’ll keep contact with you. The love of God is beyond our understanding. God bless././

[@tjc525]

Ad a medical sports therapist...this is bullshit

[@SquatUniversity]

The science would tend to disagree. There’s hundreds of articles showing it works

[@zee4125]

Translation: "As a smug know-it-all, I've never seen this before and I think this looks weird so therefore it must be bullshit." Dogmatic people like yourself are the reason why myths like squatting deep with knees over your toes is bad for your knees, or deadlifting is bad for your back exist. If there is clinical evidence supporting something, put your ego aside and learn from it.

[@trevorrisley5419]

As a medical sports therapist this is NOT bullshit. Assuming semi-fluency in the English language, you should start reading the countless studies done on both the safety and efficacy of BFR. I use this on injured inactive senior citizens and I use it on high school athletes, too. Not to mention using it on myself at least three times a week. Is absolutely incredible.

[@tjc525]

As a professional athletic trainer i can say that this is bullshit and dangerous...everyo e on youtube thinks they r an expert and they are NOT

[@SquatUniversity]

Science would tend to disagree with you. There are hundreds of articles detailing the benefits and safety of this

[@zee4125]

Translation: "As a smug know-it-all, I've never seen this before and I think this looks weird so therefore it must be bullshit." Dogmatic people like yourself are the reason why myths like squatting deep with knees over your toes is bad for your knees, or deadlifting is bad for your back exist. If there is clinical evidence supporting something, put your ego aside and learn from it.

[@trevorrisley5419]

You’re giving my great name a bad name from your idiocy, Trev. Just because you know absolutely nothing about a subject doesn’t make it bad. Use this as an opportunity to educate yourself, kiddo. Education is FUN!

[@andresmontalvo427]

Can’t believe I found this gem randomly today. I injuried my knee by a bad landing while playing basketball on a rest day. And know I cant fully squat when im back to strength training. (What I get for doing something out of my plane of motion of training lol) Would BFR: Box squats Plate single leg squats And lying hip flexions Benefit me on my journey to quick recovery for squatting deep again? I need to regain VMO activation Im looking to find the easy force gadget from meloq_devices to test the force production of each side. And need to find a way to train my left leg without heavy loads for a month before my next appointment with the PT. As always, you’re a huge inspiration brother.

[@sanki7087]

Very helpful !