In the current Ironman magazine there’s an article about occlusion training- using some kind of tourniquet on the arms or legs for a short period (no more than 10min) while training. The theory is that there’s an increased anabolic response caused by starving the tissues of oxygen.
I have some reservations about this, I wonder about embolism or clotting. Maybe if you’re healthy and the wrap isn’t too tight this would not be a big deal, I don’t know. Anyone have experience with this?
I’m pretty sure I read an article about that right here on T-Nation by Thibs. To me, it sounds pretty dangerous , and unecessary. To substitute this kind of training , one can just use constant tension on the muscles by doing slow eccentrics.
It sounds like the risks would greatly outweigh any gains from this.
You go ahead and try it.
Be sure to grab your arm after it turns black and falls off so you show the chicks how swole you were.
[quote]zooropa1150 wrote:
I’m pretty sure I read an article about that right here on T-Nation by Thibs. To me, it sounds pretty dangerous , and unecessary. To substitute this kind of training , one can just use constant tension on the muscles by doing slow eccentrics.[/quote]
Yeah, it’s called “Kaatsu” training. The thing is, it’s not really necessary or healthy I would guess. There are plenty of programs out there that produce results, you don’t need to go endangering your health by cutting off blood to your limbs. Plus, how would you go about doing it for things like chest and back?
Constant tension would be a safer method as zooropal mentions above.
But honestly, what really matters are the basics, not the details (unless you’re an extremely advanced lifter, which I doubt if you are asking this question).
Read this thread:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1990394
Just focus on the basics and don’t complicate things before/unless you have to.
Assuming you want to do it, constant tension will not be the same thing, as blood still gets into the muscle, although isometrics longer than 25 seconds or so will produce the same effect. Also, for a similar effect, just hold your breath during sets.
It does supposedly have the benefit of significantly increasing the proportion of II-B fibers in a muscle.
[quote]rmccart1 wrote:
Assuming you want to do it, constant tension will not be the same thing, as blood still gets into the muscle, although isometrics longer than 25 seconds or so will produce the same effect. Also, for a similar effect, just hold your breath during sets.
[/quote]
Ah, no, definitely do not hold your breath during your sets. Depriving the muscles of oxygen might have it’s benefits, but depriving the brain and other organs of oxygen and the ability to eliminate excess CO2 doesn’t. That’s a good way to make yourself pass out (bad idea if you’re standing holding a loaded barbell).
Isometrics is a great idea though, or even really slow negatives.
Haha, I didn’t recommend holding your breath, I just said you could do it.
Does sitting on the toilet till your legs go numb count?
constant tension doesn’t have nearly the same effect. As I said in another post I came across this accidently after I wrapped my hamstring when doing calf raises. Given you don’t put a vice grip on your blood supply it has a great effect. Each rep is more intense, and you feel it through out the whole range of motion.
That is their theory but it is just that, no science has confirmed why it works just that it does work for building size and strength.
I don’t see why everybody is acting like this is going to injure you, many people do it every day in the gym, when they put an mp3 holder on their arm.
The only problem with it is you might not be happy at the time your doing it you will do less weight/or less reps, not a significant amount but any gym goer remember when they got 4 reps this week instead of 5 last.
[quote]Airtruth wrote:
constant tension doesn’t have nearly the same effect. As I said in another post I came across this accidently after I wrapped my hamstring when doing calf raises. Given you don’t put a vice grip on your blood supply it has a great effect. Each rep is more intense, and you feel it through out the whole range of motion.
That is their theory but it is just that, no science has confirmed why it works just that it does work for building size and strength.
I don’t see why everybody is acting like this is going to injure you, many people do it every day in the gym, when they put an mp3 holder on their arm.
The only problem with it is you might not be happy at the time your doing it you will do less weight/or less reps, not a significant amount but any gym goer remember when they got 4 reps this week instead of 5 last.[/quote]
Just wondering, how long have you been doing this kind of training? Results?
I’ve heard that the lack of blood flow produces a hypoxic environment in which slow-twitch fibers can’t function, thus leading to large-scale conversion of type Is to type IIs, which are of course bigger and stronger.
Maybe that’s wrong, but that’s the way I understand it.
There is this conditioning method wherein you cover your nose to REDUCE oxygen in the body while in a 45-minute long high-intensity circuit. Now THAT’s crazy. Local blood occlusion is nowhere near insane.
it seems that this method could be dangerous particularly if you were doing a lot of neck work…
It’s actually the same thing as high-altitude training, just a lot more intense.
I only did it for a little over a week, and I don’t take pictures or wrap measuring tape so any results I could only give you would be purely subjective.
I didn’t stop because I don’t feel it worked, I just stopped because the only reason I did it was to keep my hamstring wrapped. I like to get in and get out, and not worry about did I bring this or that with me to the gym, or wrapping my leg.
If I was more seriuos about the bodybuilding aspect I would definitely use it for a few consecutive weeks a year.