By Muscle and Health editors
Blood Flow Restriction Training
To perform BFR training, a strap is applied to the upper arms or legs and tightened. This allows oxygenated blood to flow into the limbs while limiting the return blood flow. This increases muscle fiber activation and up-regulates muscle-building hormones.
There is also significant scientific data to support the effectiveness of recovery with passive BFR, meaning athletes can feel fresh after even the toughest of sessions.
The Benefits of BFR
Build Muscle: The use of BFR is proven to increase muscle size, strength, and power by rapidly boosting the production of muscle-building hormones to break through training
plateaus and increase muscle protein synthesis.
Recovery: Strapping enables fast removal of waste products and inflammation from the joints without movement. Athletes can maintain muscle power and size without pain from overloading the body, as BFR increases the deployment of recovery hormones, muscle protein synthesis, and growth hormone, proven to reduce muscle soreness by over 50% and speed up recovery by 33%.
Safe: Research examining the safety of BFR from Queen Mary’s University has concluded that it is a safe and novel method for training athletes and healthy individuals.
Muscle and Health Recommends: High Performance BFR Techwear from Hytro
GIMMICK
Sauna Suit Sesh
Endure a sauna suit session by donning your homage to the eighties attire and knuckling down to a stint of hot and sticky cardiovascular exercise. As your temperature increases, the garment’s insulating properties will cause you to retain heat and sweat profusely.
The Dangers of Sauna Suits
A sweltering workout certainly has the potential to incur short-term weight loss. The keyword here is weight, not fat, from lost water. When you rehydrate the weight will return just as quickly as it dropped off.
Workout Efficacy: Feeling over-hot and dripping with sweat will make your workout feel like much more of a chore, and encourage you to exert less effort or call time earlier.
The result? Lower fat oxidation and a decrease in metabolism. The irony!
Safe: Safer than licking an open plug socket but still pretty detrimental to your health.
Dangerously high body temperature accompanied by extreme sweating may result in dehydration and overheating.At best, hope for a headache and feelings of lethargy. At worst, you may be at risk of heatstroke and kidney damage.
Muscle and Health Recommends:
Saving your money, dignity, and the noses of those unfortunate enough to be working out in your close vicinity.
For tried-and-tested gear minus the gimmicks EQUIP YOURSELF with the best home gym gear.