What is blood flow restricted exercise?
Warm up - Blood flow restricted exercise - Electrostimulation - Compression
Blood flow restricted exercise is a game-changing technique we at the Come Back Club use so our physio patients and everyday athletes can quickly build muscle without loading an injured area. By using the Come Back Club’s pioneering techniques, our athletes can get the same workout as a high-intensity or heavy weight gym session, with simple, low-impact exercises anyone can do. And believe it or not, our athletes see gains in just a few weeks. That means getting stronger, faster.
To recover from injury, it’s important to increase muscle around the affected area. It improves strength and support to increase mobility. But while the able-bodied could head to the gym or go for a run, that’s not an option when injured.
So how does it work?
Imagine having a blood pressure test but the compression band doesn’t turn off - that’s the sensation of blood flow restricted exercise. We measure how much pressure would be required to completely cut off blood flow, and then starve the limb of 60% of blood.
By cutting off the blood flow, the supply of oxygen is also reduced which means the body needs to work harder to recover during the workout. With 40% blood flow to the muscles an easy squat creates the same impact as doing that same movement with a barbell on your back.
And the big rush of blood to the muscle once the cuff has been removed is thought to accelerate recovery afterwards too.Similar to the electrostimulation aspect of the class, BFR exercises put the muscle into a stress state so it has to grow. Muscle size is improved in just a few weeks.
Tom Bradley, founder of the Come Back Club and Warrior Sports Rehab, said: "If someone is injured or has just come out of surgery, they must take time off exercise and may not even be able to weight-bear fully. This means muscle mass can shrink or simply needs time to heal.
"Normally the lower load activities our rehab patients start out with are not enough to build muscle and recovery takes time. But with our blood flow restricted exercises, coupled with our electrostimulation, these athletes can see gains within weeks. Studies of our athletes found hamstring strength increased by 13% in one month of BFR exercise. With high load training being too dangerous for someone with injury, this alternative is a no brainer.”
What do you do at the Come Back Club?
After warming up, members are given a tourniquet cuff to wrap around their affected limb. This could be around the thigh for knee, pelvis and back injuries, or high on the arm for shoulder, elbow or wrist injuries.
Our on-site physio or personal trainer will set you a couple of exercises to do as the machine compresses. You’ll do a few sets of each with rest in between. Our trainers know exactly how to treat your injury and won’t give you any exercises out of your ability.
It does get harder the longer the blood flow is restricted, but that gives you the same burn you’d get in the gym, without the damage. You can see results in just a few weeks.
Rest of the class
Muscle growth is further enhanced and accelerated when used with the electrical muscle stimulation technology we also use in the Come Back Club classes. Find out more on what Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is and how it helps injuries.
