Blood-flow restriction training is a training method that requires the wrapping of occlusion bands around your limbs. Typically, they are placed around the upper arm or the upper leg, leading to the restriction of blood flow further down the limbs. The majority of the blood flow towards those muscle groups becomes restricted, resulting in the positive adaptations of blood flow restriction training. Is it possible to occlusion train your chest musculature?
Research has shown that occluding blood flow to the upper limbs can induce positive adaptations in your chest musculature. This occurs due to changes in local blood flow, activation, build up of metabolites, as well as through compensation of the nervous system. This effect is even more significant with the occlusion of all four limbs.
Introduction
Blood flow restriction training (also termed BFRT, BFR training, or occlusion training) originated in 1966 in Japan and was originally termed KAATSU training by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato (source). It is an effective and safe method to gain strength rapidly. BFRT is frequently used in physical therapy clinics by therapists to enhance the recovery of their patients following musculoskeletal injury, and has recently gained significant popularity.
Conventionally, BFRT is used for muscles of your arms and legs only due to the practicality of occlusion bands placements around your upper arms and upper legs. Research has shown that it is also possible to reap the benefits of occlusion training for other major muscle groups, such as your chest musculature.
Your pectoral (i.e. chest) muscles get their blood supply primarily from the pectoral branches of thoracoacromial artery, as well as perforating branches of your internal thoracic artery. These arteries are located below your collar bone and deep within your neck. It becomes clear that the occlusion of those arteries is practically impossible or very dangerous.
Since that is not a reasonable option, let us talk about how BFR training works for your non-occluded musculature.
Primary Mechanism of Occlusion Training (Occluded Musculature)
Blood flow occlusion training works by decreasing the blood supply to working musculature away from the site of occlusion. This means that by occluding blood flow in the upper arm, it becomes difficult for that oxygenated blood to make it further down the limb. In turn, this causes a decrease in oxygen being supplied to those muscles, resulting in a high-intensity environment, as well as a subsequent increase in type 2 muscle fibers recruitment.
Type 2 muscle fibers are primarily responsible for high intensity and strength activities. When fatigued, those muscle fibers will adapt by becoming stronger following the recovery period. In addition, high intensity training causes an increased build up of metabolites, which are unable to escape due to the pooling of blood in the vasculature.
These metabolites signal the high intensity environment to your nervous system and thereby cause an increase in the production of human growth hormone (HGH). This increase signals your brain to induce protein synthesis, which is the primary mechanism of increasing muscle mass.
Proposed Mechanisms of Occlusion Training (Non-Occluded Musculature)
Note that the mechanisms described below are the currently proposed mechanisms for the beneficial effects of BFR training for larger non-occluded musculature. Further research is required to determine the exact mechanisms with maximum certainty.
1. Build Up of Local Metabolites
During BFRT, your active muscle cells will experience greater than normal metabolic stress. As a result, they build up greater amounts of by-products called metabolites. Those metabolites are said to play a significant role in the positive muscular adaptations from BFRT.
Due to the fact that your chest musculature is located near the site of occlusion of your upper arm, it is said to benefit from this metabolite build-up.
2. Local Blood Flow
Although your chest musculature primarily gets their blood supplied by its own arteries (i.e. arteries separate from those of your upper limb), there are small local blood circuits that supply your working muscle with oxygenated blood.
This blood flow can get decreased by the occlusion band and therefore can provide you with the amazing benefits of BFRT.
3. Muscle Activation
Recent research has demonstrated increases in muscle activation in the trunk and chest region following upper body resistance training using occlusion bands. This could be an additional mechanism partially responsible for muscular hypertrophy following consistent BFRT.
4. Nervous System Compensation
A further mechanism proposed to be involved is your nervous system. Your nervous system is a system composed of of brain, spinal cord, as well as nerve fibres that can regulate the activation of muscles and determine the expansion of your vasculature.
Research has shown that if all your of your limb’s muscles are occluded, your nervous system believes that you must be losing blood, and subsequently, are in danger.
As a result, your nervous system puts out signals to the rest of your musculature to constrict. If your blood vessels constrict, they become narrower and allow for less blood to travel to the working musculature (i.e. your chest muscles). This causes an indirect occlusion of blood vessels towards your chest musculature.
Research Evidence
In a study conducted in 10 young men, participants were asked to perform repeated light-intensity bench press workouts (2x daily, 6 days per week) while their upper limbs remained occluded by an occlusion band at a controlled pressure of 100 mmHg.
The control group wore no occlusion bands during their workouts. Later on, researchers measured the participant’s chest muscle thickness, as well as anabolic hormones (i.e. hormones responsible for growth of tissue, such as human growth hormone). They found that participants that performed their bench press training with occluded upper arms showed significantly greater strength and muscle mass (source).
A further study performed in 12 healthy college students analyzed increases in EMG muscle activation during repeated bench press exercising. One group wore BFR bands around the upper arm during the study, whereas the other group did not wear any.
The findings of this study showed that a significant increase in muscle activation of the trunk and chest musculature. Researchers concluded that the increases in muscle activation could be responsible for muscle hypertrophy following BFRT (source).
Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Training
Muscular Strength
Regularly performing BFRT has been able to increase muscle strength just as well as traditional high-intensity training. You will be able to achieve these results more efficiently and safer.
Muscular Size
BFRT induces muscle growth through increased production of human growth hormone. You will also feel greater levels of muscle cell swelling following your workout due to the pooling of blood within the muscle cell.
Light Weights
BFRT is very practical. You will be able to get away with using much lighter weights compared to with traditional resistance training. As a result, you do not necessarily require a gym facility to perform your workout. Research suggests that a mere 20% of your 1-RM (one-rep max, i.e. the maximum amount of weight you are able to lift with one repetition) is sufficient in producing muscular adaptations similar to high-intensity training. This makes it easy to perform BFRT at home using household items and makes it a safe training option compared to traditional heavy training.
Pain Management
Low-load BFR training can be a fantastic way to decrease local feelings of pain. There will be less overall strain on the muscle, which decrease the likelihood of severe muscle soreness during your recovery period. Additionally, it results on little muscle damage, despite the high-intensity nature of the workout. To top it all off, BFRT has shown to produce significant increases the production of endorphins (as discussed in the point above).
Exercise High
By wearing the occlusion band, it will become easier to achieve higher levels of intensities. The key to increasing the production of endorphins in your brain is to perform exercise at moderate – high intensities for about 15 to 20 consecutive minutes. The primary role of endorphins is to mask bodily pain. This means that you will need to provide your body and mind with a painful stimulus through higher intensities or prolonged moderate activity exercise. For a detailed article on exercise-induced euphoria, how to reproduce it, as well as the mental benefits of it, click here.
Practical Tips
In order to get the most out of your training and for best results, have a look at the practical tips below before you start your blood flow restriction training program. This will help you whether you are just starting off with BFRT, or have had some previous experience.
Workout Preparation
It is important to ensure that you are properly hydrated and have had a snack (preferably with a high glycemic index) prior to your workout. This will help to prepare you push through higher intensities and decrease the likelihood of experiencing any side effects such as lightheadedness and dizziness. You could start wearing your occlusion bands before you start your workout to warm up your musculature and cardiovascular system. Work out during your biological prime time for greatest focus and energy levels.
Occlusion Pressure
Start off with lower occlusion band tension and gradually increase it every workout (especially if you are a beginner or you are using all four restriction bands simultaneously). It is recommended to perform your BFR workout eventually at a 6-7/10 perceived occlusion rating. Avoid occluding blood flow higher than this to prevent cutting off circulation.
Signs that your occlusion band tension is too high. Decrease the band’s tension if you experience any of the following in your occluded musculature: pain at rest, muscle cramping, throbbing, severe fatigue, blue discoloration, overall fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, sudden changes in the way you feel. Use the same, or similar occlusion pressure for all occlusion bands to get the most out of blood flow restriction training for your chest musculature.
Multi-Joint Exercises
Multi-joint exercises such as a push up or bench press will help to fatigue your chest, as well as supporting skeletal muscle simultaneously. Remember that you can use lower loads to achieve the same strength gains. Start with the larger muscle groups and slowly work your way to smaller muscle groups once fatigued.
Minimize Rest Periods
One major advantage of BFRT is the cumulative muscular fatigue from your training session using light loads. By having a short rest, you facilitate the effects of cumulative muscular fatigue and you will be able to get more out of your workout. Ensure, however, that you have had enough rest to make it through your next set. Should you be experiencing any side effects, take your occlusion cuffs off and rest until your symptoms have subsided.
Workout Recovery
Properly rehydrate following your workout to replenish lost water, preferably with the addition of electrolytes. Cool down by performing light range of motion exercises without the use of the occlusion bands. Have a balanced meal rich in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats and enjoy your exercise high.
Limitations
There are certain limitations that need to be considered with BFRT for your chest musculature.
The most obvious limitation is that your chest musculature will not be directly occluded by the BFR bands. Rather, it benefits from the proximity of the site of occlusion of the upper arm through the mechanisms described above.
Additionally, for greatest effects it is recommended that you wear four occlusion bands. This, however, can increase the risk of experiencing side effects, such as fainting, dizziness, vomiting, and others. Before you commit to that, ensure to check in with your health care provider prior to starting your BFRT program.
Lastly, all research articles that were found for the generation of this article only used a small sample size of 10 or 12. A low sample size can decrease the validity of the study and make the results somewhat less trustworthy.
Safety
Blood Clots
Individuals that have a previous history of cardiovascular (i.e. heart) disease or any other medical conditions, you are recommended to check in with their doctor prior to starting a BFRT program. Due to the occlusion of blood flow, blood starts to pool further down into your limbs. This places an increased risk of developing a blood clot on your cardiovascular system. If the blood clots dislodges and travels through your vasculature, it can leave potential serious damage on your cardiopulmonary system and even lead to death (source).
Cardiovascular Response
Blood flow restriction training, particularly when using all four occlusion bands for training your chest, has shown to cause an exaggerated heart rate and blood pressure response (source). It is recommended to include a warm-up before starting your program and getting out the heavy weights.
Side Effects
There are certain side effects associated with blood flow restriction training that you need to be able to recognize and act upon. Local decreases in blood flow can have effects on blood flow to other parts of your body and thereby have effects on your entire cardiovascular system.
Common side effects associated with decreased blood flow include lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, numbness, pain and discomfort. For a full list, please check out this source here.
Should you experience any of these side effects, decrease your exercise intensity, decrease the occlusion pressure, sit down and rest. I recommend that you drink some water and should you decide to continue, do so at a lesser intensity supervised by another person.
If it is your first time or if you are worried about the safety and well-being before starting a blood flow restriction training program, ensure to talk to your local physical therapist or doctor. If you would like to learn more in-depth information about the safety of blood flow restriction training, ensure to check out my thorough article by clicking here. The article is a thorough review of the scientific literature using recent systematic review articles.
Conclusion
Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is an effective method of exercising that can improve muscle strength, endurance and power. Significantly lighter weights can be used to achieve the same level of intensity as during high-intensity strength training.
It has been shown to be a safe method of exercising in healthy people. Individuals with medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease are recommended to talk to their doctor prior to starting a training program.
BFRT can induce positive muscular adaptations in non-occluded musculature such as your chest muscles. The current proposed mechanisms include local metabolite build up, local changes in blood flow and muscle activation, as well as through compensation of your nervous system if all four limbs are occluded simultaneously.