While compound exercises are still the foundation for any meaningful strength training program, however, in recent times, we have witnessed an upsurge in the recommendation of blood flow restriction training in combination with compound exercises for greater pumps by experienced trainers across the world.
In this post, we take a closer look at why bodybuilders should take BFR a bit more seriously if your aim is to build muscle faster.
Today we answer frequently asked questions relating to BFR training for muscle growth, but first we begin with the most asked question in our inbox.
What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?
As the name implies, blood flow restriction training or BFR for short, involves the use of specially designed bands or cuffs that are usually securely fastened around either the lower or upper part of the body, mainly the legs and arms respectively.
The purpose of the securely fastened specialised bands or cuffs on your limbs is to restrict the flow of blood to your limbs while you are performing a compound exercise.
You may be wondering why you need to partially limit blood flow to your lower or upper body during your regular workout routine. Well, the purpose of BFR training is to limit the return of venous blood while at the same time enabling your functioning muscles to be fed with arterial blood.
When this occurs your metabolic challenge is greatly increased even when you are not lifting heavy. That’s right! BFR is known to stimulate hypertrophy even when bodybuilders lift light weights which is what makes it a highly effective low-load resistance training routine.
With BFR Training – Are Compound Exercises Worth the Effort?
This is another question about BFR training that many people are asking and while you can certainly achieve a lot with blood flow restriction training, you will be better equipped for greater gains when combined with compound exercises and the reason for this is simply because compound exercises are known to recruit a whole lot more joints and muscle groups at the same time for optimal gains.
The likes of deadlifts, pull-ups, overhead press, squats, barbell rows, and bench press are all compound exercises that offer a range of movements that enables bodybuilders to be better equipped and prepared to lift heavy loads as they improve balance, coordination, full body strength, and athletic performance.
Therefore, if your main bodybuilding goal involves the development of both muscle strength and mass, then you need to maintain compound exercises as the basis of your workout program even while incorporating blood flow restriction training into your daily routine.
But is it worth noting that BFR is preferably performed and most effective when implemented with light loads rather than heavy loads. You can include blood flow restriction training to your recovery sessions or even your accessory work.
If you perform BFR while lifting heavy, you will only raise your discomfort levels as you restrict venous blood flow. So, instead of using BFR during your primary compound exercise session, you can use it afterwards.
For example, imagine you have just completed your targeted sets of squats, then you want to follow this up with some lightweight leg extensions. You can introduce BFR at this moment if you want to raise your training volume while at the same time avoiding putting too much stress on your leg joints in the process.
What are the Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Training to Bodybuilding?
If you take up blood flow restriction training while deploying and executing proper strength training techniques in the process, you are sure to open yourself up for the following bodybuilding benefits :
- Lower exposure to joint-related stress
- Greater stimulation of multiple muscle groups even while lifting lightweights
- BFR is perfect for training during your recovery or rehabilitation phase when it is unwise to lift heavy
- BFR offers bodybuilders the chance to increase their workout volume with a much lower mechanical load
However, note that despite the effectiveness of BFR training for muscle growth, you shouldn’t treat it as a shortcut to success. You should be mindful of staying consistent in executing the fundamentals of muscle growth that include :
- Regular training
- Adequate rest and sleep
- Adequate recovery period
- Sufficient protein consumption
- Progressive overload
You should see BFR as a useful tool in your arsenal and it should be used to complement your well-structured training program.
It is also important that you treat BFR with a lot of caution as the restriction of blood flow, especially if not done right could potentially be disadvantageous to your workout program. If you want to start performing BFR training, you should first seek the assistance of a qualified, experienced bodybuilder that can put you through in order to ensure that you are doing it right and not risking vascular and/or cardiovascular complications.
In addition to this, BFR training may not necessarily be for everyone, but if you are a bodybuilder or athlete in rehab or you are an older person suffering from persistent joint pain, then BFR may be the best low-load resistance training format to help you manage your joint pain or rehab by offering huge training volumes with lighter loads.
Final Thoughts
It’s no doubt that BFR training for muscle growth is not a short-term fad that will fade in time, no, this low-load resistance training routine is here to stay for the long-haul.
However, you should remember that your compound exercises form the basis of any workout program and should never be neglected. You can use BFR training during your rehabilitation from joint and/or muscle related injuries or during accessory workout when you want more training volume, but with lighter mechanical loads.
And on a final note, make sure to take your progressive overloads, sleep, nutrition, training program, and recovery very seriously and just include BFR training to complement your efforts towards significant muscle gains.