What is Blood Flow Restriction Training All About?

A look at an intense form of training being used by some Olympic athletes

As a lifelong athlete and personal trainer, I’ve tried every exercise technique in existence. But this is something at a whole other level.

You may have seen the practice of Blood Flow Restriction Training being used by some athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. It seems bizarre — and pretty intense — and has raised a lot of eyebrows.

Athletes are always trying to push the limits, and find an advantage. This is a look at a new training approach that has been getting a lot of coverage lately.

This may seem like a new type of training but has existed for decades. It has roots in Japan but has been recently brought to the forefront because of the Tokyo Olympics.

Blood Flow Restriction Training is simply tricking your body into thinking it’s doing more work than it actually is.

This type of training is done by using bands to restrict blood flow to certain areas of the body while training. This allows the athlete to perform lighter workouts, but the body thinks it’s training harder.

This may help performance and may also help in recovery. The bands act as tourniquets and are often used on the legs. It’s been popular with rugby players, wrestlers, and swimmers.

Some use it while weight training as they don’t have to take on heavy loads. The blood flow restriction can make it feel like they are lifting heavier weights than they are.

It should go without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway) that this is not for the average person. It is barely even for more advanced athletes. Olympians are such fine-tuned specimens that even a smaller percentage increase in performance can be the difference in making the podium.

The performance changes may only be one to three percent when using advanced training techniques like this — but that small percentage may make a massive difference when you’re one of the best in the world at a specific…

Related posts:

Deep in the hardwood hills of the Midwest, a lack of access to quality hunting and farmland was all too common. That frustration sparked the drive to one day own enough land to enjoy with friends and…

The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act includes language similar to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s Saracini Aviation Safety Act The U.S. House last Friday passed the Federal Aviation…