Blood Flow Restriction (BFR)

Systemic Response

BFR training modifies the blood flow to the limb during exercise to make the brain think the muscle is working hard. This triggers a robust, anabolic, hormonal release into the blood stream.The systemic response affects all working and healing tissue. Increased growth hormone levels promote improved energy levels, increased performance, promote anti-aging and help to maintain bone density. In other words, your whole body benefits by this type of training. Benefits can be felt quickly in only a few B StrongTMsessions.

ANTI-AGING

“Beauty comes from within.” BFR training with B StrongTM stimulates the production of Growth Hormone which helps regulate metabolism, promote collagen production, lean muscle and stronger bones. Doing low intensity workouts with B StrongTM allows you to get the maximum benefits without the wear and tear on your body. Stay strong and confident with improved fitness and wellness for a healthy and happy lifestyle.

RECOVERY

B StrongTM is a game changer in rehabilitation. By using relatively easy exercise and your B Strong BFR Training SystemTM, one can mitigate atrophy and maintain fitness. By exercising as many muscles as possible without disturbing the healing injury, we create a milieu where we induce a systemic response that optimizes recovery, healing and fitness. Because absolute workloads are low or easy, little additional damage is done from the exercise and thus, recovery and improvement in fitness is rapid.

PERFORMANCE

BFR training is a fitness phenomenon. A favorite among elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts who count on the B Strong BFR Training SystemTM to enhance their performance levels and reach their sports fitness goals. See gains in muscle strength, stamina, speed and agility. Depending on nutrition, you can achieve increased muscle size or lean body mass. By using lower loads there is less wear and tear on the body. B StrongTM is the premiere strength training tool for the athletic population.

WHAT IS BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION TRAINING?

B StrongTM is a proprietary implementation of BFR training — an exercise technique that manipulates the body’s circulatory system, and when combined with exercise, produces rapid gains in strength and fitness using light-weights, and in a very short period of time.

• Inflatable bands are worn around the upper portion of the arms and/or legs to safely slow the blood in the limb.

• The bands are inflated to individualized pressures prescribed by the B Strong BFR Training SystemTM.

•  Simple, low-load exercise produces profound muscle “burn” comparable to intense anaerobic training.

•  This strong fatigue triggers a natural, robust, hormonal cascade, which in turn produces hypertrophy and strength gains on par with heavy exercise or traditional weight lifting.

•  The hormones circulating in the blood stream benefit all areas of the body that were working, not just the restricted limb(s) creating a “Systemic Response.”

Our therapists are Certified in Blood Flow Restriction:

REHABILITATION

The B Strong BFR Training SystemTM can help you stay strong during 

recovery from musculoskeletal injuries or surgery and can reduce the loss of conditioning by providing the ability to exercise uninjured tissues during the recovery period with non or low load exercise.

• Less recovery time

• Avoid muscle atrophy and loss of fitness

• Systemic anabolic response optimizes the gains made from recovery program

• Facilitates healing to restore the strength and endurance to the muscle.

More on our BFR certified Therapists

OVERALL FITNESS & WELLNESS

We all strive for better peace of mind and a healthy body. Achieve a full body workout and reap the benefits of longterm overall health and wellness. Virtually everyone can use this safe and efficient low impact exercise program. 

• Reduce workout times 

• Reduce risk of injury from heavy weights 

• Maximize performance and get a systemic response

As one example, just adding a quick B Strong BFR Training SystemTMsession at the end of a tough cardio session can help tone and lead to strength gains.

ATHLETICS & PERFORMANCE

B StrongTM is the premier strength training tool for the athletic population.

• Junior athletes who want to build strength safely 

• Collegiate and semi-professionals 

• Top level professional athletes and Olympians 

• Former athletes who want to stay fit and strong without tearing up their body

The versatility and comfort of our B Strong BFR BandsTM makes them the ideal training tool to augment your regular training regimen. Increase strength while doing sport specific movement for maximum gains.

FITNESS ON THE GO

Short on time? Pack up your gym and take it with you. The B Strong BFR Training SystemTM can be conveniently tossed in your carry-on for easy travel. Get strong in the car, bus, train, or plane. Turn your hotel room into your own personal gym for fitness on the go! Built for your busy lifestyle – Home – Office – Travel.

• Lightweight

• Compact

• Rugged

• Portable

Safety

The B Strong Training SystemTM was created with safety and efficacy in mind by Dr. Jim Stray-Gundersen, Sports Doctor, Exercise Physiology and Trainer for Sport Performance. B StrongTM is specifically designed NOT TO OCCLUDE (stop) blood flow to the limb, making it the safest BFR system of its kind and can be used anytime, anywhere by anyone to optimize overall fitness.

As this doppler ultra sound video shows, the B Strong Training SystemTM uses uniquely designed bands that maintain arterial inflow when safety rules, cautions, and app guidelines are followed. On the other hand, blood pressure cuffs and surgical tourniquets, which have sometimes been used for BFR training, occlude blood flow to the limbs. Avoiding occlusion of arterial inflow to a limb mitigates against the root cause of serious complications.

PREGNANCY

• We do not recommend a pregnant woman start B Strong TrainingTM sessions during her pregnancy.  Seek the advice of your doctor if you have other concerns about B Strong Training SystemTM during or after pregnancy.

• If you are at risk for any complications, or have any questions about whether BFR training is safe for you, seek the advice of a medical professional.

CONTRAINDICATIONs

• Existing untreated deep vein thrombosis (DVT’s). 

• Any on-going medical emergency 

• Belt placement on a limb with lymphedema or vascular access. 

• Untreated hypertension 

• Sickle Cell Disease 

• Any contraindication to regular exercise

References

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2. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Mar;41(3):687-708.

3. West DW, Phillips SM. Anabolic processes in human skeletal muscle: restoring the identities of growth hormone and testosterone. Phys Sportsmed. 2010 Oct;38(3):97-104. doi: 10.3810/psm.2010.10.1814

4. Cook, S.B., B.C. Clark, and L.L. Ploutz-Snyder. Effects of Exercise Load and Blood-Flow Restriction on Skeletal Muscle Function. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 39, No. 10, pp. 1708–1713, 2007.

5. Scott BR, Slattery KM, Sculley DV, et al. Hypoxia and resistance exercise: a comparison of localized and systemic methods. Sports Med. 2014;44(8):1037–54.

6. 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):406–12.

7. Schoenfeld, BJ. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 24(10): 2857–2872, 2010

8. Damas F, Phillips SM, Libardi CA, et al. Resistance training-induced changes in integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis are related to hypertrophy only after attenuation of muscle damage. J Physiol. 2016;594(18):5209-22.\

9. Rossow LM, Fahs CA, Loenneke JP, et al. Cardiovascular and perceptual responses to blood-flow-restricted resistance exercise with differing restrictive cuffs. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2012;32(5):331–7.

10. Loenneke JP, Kim D, Fahs CA, et al. Effects of exercise with and without different degrees of blood flow restriction on torque and muscle activation. Muscle Nerve. Epub 2014 Sep 3.

11. Wilson JM, Lowery RP, Joy JM, et al. Practical blood flow restriction training increases acute determinants of hypertrophy without increasing indices of muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res. 2013;27(11):3068–75.

12. Takarada Y, Takazawa H, Ishii N. Applications of vascular occlusion diminish disuse atrophy of knee extensor muscles. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32(12):2035–9.

13. Kubota A, Sakuraba K, Sawaki K, et al. Prevention of disuse muscular weakness by restriction of blood flow. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40(3):529–34.

14. Abe T, Sakamaki M, Fujita S, et al. Effects of low-intensity walk training with restricted leg blood flow on muscle strength and aerobic capacity in older adults. J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2010;33(1):34–40.

15. Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Marin PJ, et al. Low intensity blood flow restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012;112(5):1849–59.

16. Abe T, Yasuda T, Midorikawa T, et al. Skeletal muscle size and circulating IGF-1 are increased after two weeks of twice daily KAATSU resistance training. Int J KAATSU Train Res. 2005;1(1):6–12.

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18. Suga T, Okita K, Takada S, et al. Effect of multiple set on intramuscular metabolic stress during low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2012;112(11):3915–20.

19. Scott, B.R., Loenneke, J.P., Slattery, K.M. et al. Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction: An Updated Evidence-Based Approach for Enhanced Muscular Development. Sports Med (2015) 45: 313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0288-1