Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

"Slow and steady" is what people want to hear when it comes to weight loss. I used to say that to new clients when I first started out as a personal trainer, too.

With enough experience, though, I realized that "slow and steady" rarely worked. If someone isn't ecstatic about the changes they see in their first two to four weeks, their likelihood of sticking with their program past the first month goes down dramatically.

Over time, I focused more on the first four weeks of a client's program, knowing that if I could help them accomplish something more radical in that short window of time, they'd be more likely to follow along with a more sustainable program later on.

Over the years, I've experimented with different "jump starts." I don't believe in starting with a 12-day water fast, a detox, or a cleanse, for reasons I'll address in future articles.

Instead, I believe in focusing on strength training, skipping snacks, eating more protein, and incorporating a form of intermittent fasting. It's simple to follow, minimizes cravings and fluctuations in energy, and sets people up for an easier transition to a more sustainable nutrition and exercise pattern after the "jump start" is over.

That's why I came up with 28 Days. Initially, I put it together as a quick Facebook Live video for the VIGOR Training Facebook group. The group members as a free ebook when people signed up for my VIGOR Training programs.

As more people have gotten such great results, I decided to make it available as an article, free for everyone. Of course, I hope you'll join the VIGOR Training program after reading this, but even if you don't, I'm certain you can take the concept of 28 Days and make yourself fitter in four weeks than you have been in a long time.

28 Days is a starting point. It isn't a miracle diet (there is no such thing), and it won't undo all the damage of decades of poor food and lifestyle habits. However, 28 Days is extremely effective for a few reasons:

* Anyone should be able to commit to something for four weeks. The average lifespan is 78.7 years, or 4092 weeks. We're talking about 4 weeks of strict commitment to get your health and fitness headed in the right direction.* These four weeks of discipline can lead to a big enough change that you'll feel inspired to keep going with good nutrition and consistent exercise once they're over.* Four weeks is short enough to see an end in site. Well, it isn't really an end, it's just an end to the beginning of a better you.

28 days. Can you stick to a diet for four weeks? Would you forego your favorite foods to shed some fat, minimize your muffin top, shrink your saddlebags, or get some shape to your shoulders?

.ugb-4a81fd4 .ugb-testimonial__item{border-radius:12px !important}.ugb-4a81fd4 .ugb-img{-webkit-mask-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwIDEwMCIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48Y2lyY2xlIGN4PSI1MCIgY3k9IjUwIiByPSI1MCI+PC9jaXJjbGU+PC9zdmc+');mask-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTAwIDEwMCIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48Y2lyY2xlIGN4PSI1MCIgY3k9IjUwIiByPSI1MCI+PC9jaXJjbGU+PC9zdmc+')}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-4a81fd4 .ugb-img{width:75px;height:75px !important}.ugb-4a81fd4 .ugb-testimonial__image{width:75px !important}}I lost 17.6 lbs., 6.8% in body fat, gained 1.5 lbs. of lean mass, and lost 4 inches off my waist!

"Slow and steady" is what people want to hear when it comes to weight loss. I used to say that to new clients when I first started out as a personal trainer, too.

With enough experience, though, I realized that "slow and steady" rarely worked. If someone isn't ecstatic about the changes they see in their first two to four weeks, their likelihood of sticking with their program past the first month goes down dramatically.

Over time, I focused more on the first four weeks of a client's program, knowing that if I could help them accomplish something more radical in that short window of time, they'd be more likely to follow along with a more sustainable program later on.

Over the years, I've experimented with different "jump starts." I don't believe in starting with a 12-day water fast, a detox, or a cleanse, for reasons I'll address in future articles.

Instead, I believe in focusing on strength training, skipping snacks, eating more protein, and incorporating a form of intermittent fasting. It's simple to follow, minimizes cravings and fluctuations in energy, and sets people up for an easier transition to a more sustainable nutrition and exercise pattern after the "jump start" is over.

That's why I came up with 28 Days. Initially, I put it together as a quick Facebook Live video for the VIGOR Training Facebook group. VIGOR Training members also get a free ebook version when they sign up for VIGOR Training.

28 Days is a starting point. It isn't a miracle diet (there is no such thing), and it won't undo all the damage of decades of poor food and lifestyle habits. However, 28 Days is extremely effective for a few reasons:

Anyone should be able to commit to something for four weeks. The average lifespan is 78.7 years, or 4092 weeks. We're talking about 4 weeks of strict commitment to get your health and fitness headed in the right direction.These four weeks of discipline can lead to a big enough change that you'll feel inspired to keep going with good nutrition and consistent exercise once they're over.Four weeks is short enough to see an end in site. Well, it isn't really an end, it's just an end to the beginning of a better you.

28 days. Can you stick to a diet for four weeks? Would you forego your favorite foods to shed some fat, minimize your muffin top, shrink your saddlebags, or get some shape to your shoulders?

.ugb-1c8a560 .ugb-testimonial__item{border-radius:12px !important}.ugb-1c8a560 .ugb-img{-webkit-mask-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMDAgMTAwIj48Y2lyY2xlIGN4PSI1MCIgY3k9IjUwIiByPSI1MCI+PC9jaXJjbGU+PC9zdmc+');mask-image:url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMDAgMTAwIj48Y2lyY2xlIGN4PSI1MCIgY3k9IjUwIiByPSI1MCI+PC9jaXJjbGU+PC9zdmc+')}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-1c8a560 .ugb-img{width:75px;height:75px !important}.ugb-1c8a560 .ugb-testimonial__image{width:75px !important}}I lost 17.6 lbs., 6.8% in body fat, gained 1.5 lbs. of lean mass, and lost 4 inches off my waist!Brandon Wallace

If this sounds interesting, let me try to talk you out of it first.

28 Days Might Not Be For You

I won't cajole you to follow this program. I won't coddle you to keep with it. In fact, I'm going to dissuade you from even getting started because 28 Days isn't for everyone.

28 Days is not for you if:

You believe "slow and steady" is the right solution when just getting started with weight lossYou come up with reasons every diet or exercise program "won't work for you" before you've even given them honest effortsYou are unwilling to get sufficient sleep or invest time and effort in strength trainingYou want to believe you can "eat all the foods you love and still lose weight"You are more concerned with losing weight than you are with dropping body fatYou are going to "play the field" by starting on this tomorrow,

Abraham Lincoln shared the following words in 1838:

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, 1838

If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

Interestingly, the Civil War didn't take place until 1861, the same year Lincoln became President. And even though his speech above foreshadowed the Civil War, the words are possibly more relevant today than they were back then.

As individuals and as a culture, you could argue that we've never been as weak or as fragile as we are today.

The Great Aweakening

How have we become so weak in body, mind, and culture? Why is there so much focus on what's bad about life today when things are actually pretty good?

There’s an anonymous saying that goes like this:

Bad times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make bad times.

You might scoff at the idea that things are good, but they actually are. In almost every measure of humanity, from the percentage of the population that's poor, to the rates of crime and disease, life is better today than at any other time in history.

You might feel conflicted about this idea that "things are good."

Perhaps, prior to reading this article, you were just scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and read how depressed a friend felt about needing to go back to work after vacation, how someone else was struggling to make it through her first day on a diet, and how a co-worker felt slighted for the barista misspelling his name again.

We're surrounded by first-world problems that, in the grand scheme, are quite unimportant. But we stress out and lose sleep over them, nonetheless.

If it's hard for you believe that life for most people is "pretty good," it's probably related to your negativity instinct, a skewed perspective of reality. In his book Factfulness, Hans Rosling explains the negativity instinct as "our instinct to notice the bad more than the good." It is based on "the misremembering of the past; selective reporting by journalists and activists (and bloggers and social media personalities, in my opinion); and the feeling that as long as things are bad, it's heartless to say they are getting better."

When things are generally good, our minds keep searching for problems to solve. If we don't find problems to solve, we have a way of making them up. If you're hung up on the fact that the quote above references strong men, you're proving that point. The quote was written when "men" was synonymous with "mankind," men and women. Sometimes we make a big deal out of something because the drama gives us an emotional jolt and a reason to complain.

We make the good times bad because we lose perspective of what the bad times are really like...famine, war, poverty, etc.

The tone and attitude of a growing percentage of adults is frightening, as it showcases a culture of weakness and victimhood, rather than strength and responsibility.

In this article, I cover four ways we're weakening our bodies, minds, and culture as a whole. I hope to create more awareness of the problem, so you start to see it in social media posts, on the news, and in everyday language.

Perhaps, you'll realize some of your thinking and action even contributes to the victimhood culture becoming so prominent today.

I also hope that you, the person reading this, take responsibility as a grownup and citizen, and lead by example in your thoughts, words, and actions.

When you focus on victimhood, misfortune, and unfairness, you'll find it. When you focus on what's good, and do what it takes to build mental and physical strength, you see opportunity and find joy.

Abraham Lincoln shared the following words in 1838:

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, 1838

If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

Interestingly, the Civil War didn't take place until 1861, the same year Lincoln became President. And even though his speech above foreshadowed the Civil War, the words are possibly more relevant today than they were back then.

As individuals and as a culture, you could argue that we've never been as weak or as fragile as we are today.

Article Shortcuts* The Great Aweakening* What Does It Mean To Be "Strong?"* 4 Ways We're Weakening Our Bodies, Minds, and Culture* 1. Competitive Vulnerability* 2. Echo Chambers & Anti-Tribes* 3. Microaggression* 4. Stress Avoidance* Build Strength Or Succumb To Weakness

The Great Aweakening

How have we become so weak in body, mind, and culture? Why is there so much focus on what's bad about life today when things are actually pretty good?

There’s an anonymous saying that goes like this:

Bad times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make bad times.

You might scoff at the idea that things are good, but they actually are. In almost every measure of humanity, from the percentage of the population that's poor, to the rates of crime and disease, life is better today than at any other time in history.

You might feel conflicted about this idea that "things are good."

Perhaps, prior to reading this article, you were just scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and read how depressed a friend felt about needing to go back to work after vacation, how someone else was struggling to make it through her first day on a diet, and how a co-worker felt slighted for the barista misspelling his name again.

We're surrounded by first-world problems that, in the grand scheme, are quite unimportant. But we stress out and lose sleep over them, nonetheless.

If it's hard for you believe that life for most people is "pretty good," it's probably related to your negativity instinct, a skewed perspective of reality. In his book Factfulness, Hans Rosling explains the negativity instinct as "our instinct to notice the bad more than the good." It is based on "the misremembering of the past; selective reporting...

Abraham Lincoln shared the following words in 1838:

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, 1838

If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

Interestingly, the Civil War didn't take place until 1861, the same year Lincoln became President. And even though his speech above foreshadowed the Civil War, the words are possibly more relevant today than they were back then.

As individuals and as a culture, you could argue that we've never been as weak or as fragile as we are today.

The Great Aweakening

How have we become so weak in body, mind, and culture? Why is there so much focus on what's bad about life today when things are actually pretty good?

There’s an anonymous saying that goes like this:

Bad times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make bad times.

You might scoff at the idea that things are good, but they actually are. In almost every measure of humanity, from the percentage of the population that's poor, to the rates of crime and disease, life is better today than at any other time in history.

You might feel conflicted about this idea that "things are good."

Perhaps, prior to reading this article, you were just scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and read how depressed a friend felt about needing to go back to work after vacation, how someone else was struggling to make it through her first day on a diet, and how a co-worker felt slighted for the barista misspelling his name again.

We're surrounded by first-world problems that, in the grand scheme, are quite unimportant. But we stress out and lose sleep over them, nonetheless.

If it's hard for you believe that life for most people is "pretty good," it's probably related to your negativity instinct, a skewed perspective of reality. In his book Factfulness, Hans Rosling explains the negativity instinct as "our instinct to notice the bad more than the good." It is based on "the misremembering of the past; selective reporting by journalists and activists (and bloggers and social media personalities, in my opinion); and the feeling that as long as things are bad, it's heartless to say they are getting better."

When things are generally good, our minds keep searching for problems to solve. If we don't find problems to solve, we have a way of making them up. If you're hung up on the fact that the quote above references strong men, you're proving that point. The quote was written when "men" was synonymous with "mankind," men and women. Sometimes we make a big deal out of something because the drama gives us an emotional jolt and a reason to complain.

We make the good times bad because we lose perspective of what the bad times are really like...famine, war, poverty, etc.

The tone and attitude of a growing percentage of adults is frightening, as it showcases a culture of weakness and victimhood, rather than strength and responsibility.

In this article, I cover four ways we're weakening our bodies, minds, and culture as a whole. I hope to create more awareness of the problem, so you start to see it in social media posts, on the news, and in everyday language.

Perhaps, you'll realize some of your thinking and action even contributes to the victimhood culture becoming so prominent today.

I also hope that you, the person reading this, take responsibility as a grownup and citizen, and lead by example in your thoughts, words, and actions.

When you focus on victimhood, misfortune, and unfairness, you'll find it. When you focus on what's good, and do what it takes to build mental and physical strength, you see opportunity and find joy.

Few individual compounds can compare when it comes to the health benefits of d-limonene. D-Limonene is one of the hundreds of constituents found in essential oils.

In this article, I'll cover some of the health benefits of d-limonene, as well as explain where to find it and how to determine how much you get if you use essential oils.

While essential oils provide many health benefits when used as a "whole" essential oil, it's sometimes easier to understand how the individual compounds affect our health. That's just how nutrition science and research work.

For example, we know that animal-based proteins like steak, bison, and whey are an important part of a healthy, high-protein diet, because researchers have studied the effects of the essential amino acids, creatine monohydrate, and other nutrients found in those foods. However, that doesn't mean you should only eat the amino acids and creatine. Animal protein contains many other compounds that enhance health, which is why you eat the whole food and supplement your diet with creatine, amino acids, omega-3s, and other micronutrient, botanicals, and ergogenic compounds.

It's the same thing with essential oils. While there could be some benefit to supplementing with limonene alone, there's also plenty of evidence to show why using the whole essential oil would be better. 

Read also: Essential Oils For Fitness: Research, Anecdotal Evidence, Experimentation.

With all that said, let's get to the topic of today's article: d-limonene.

What is d-Limonene?

Though it's found in another isomer form, r-limonene, the more prevalent and studied form is d-limonene. For readability, I simply use limonene in this article, with the understanding I'm referring to d-limonene.

d-limonene is one of the most common terpenes found in nature. But, what the heck is a terpene? A terpene a class of volatile compounds commonly made by coniferous trees and citrus fruits. Because of their volatility, they quickly dissipate when exposed to the air, which is why you don't find them in dried herbs. Terpenes have a strong odor designed to ward off pests in plants, and are used medicinally and supplementally. Limonene is one of those terpenes, and based on the name of it, you might (accurately) guess that it smells like somewhat like lemon.

Where Do You Get D-Limonene?

Though you’re not getting therapeutic doses, you’re probably consuming more limonene than you realize. It’s used as a fragrance and flavor in a number of foods, such as candy, gum, soft drinks, ice cream, and (hopefully you don’t drink it, but…) fruit juice.

Aside from food and dietary supplements, limonene is also used as a healthier cleaning substance in household products, manufacturing, and industrial printing, as a degreaser for metals, and in paint as a solvent. You'll also see limonene on the label of shampoos, soaps, fragrances, and other personal care products. 

The most abundant sources of limonene are the peels of citrus fruits (which is where the essential oils are derived), dill, caraway, fennel, celery, and turpentine, not that you should consume turpentine.

For commercial and industrial use, most limonene comes from orange essential oil.

The table below outlines some of the most concentrated sources of limonene. 

Essential OilLimonene ConcentrationBergamot (Citrus bergamia)40%Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium)97%Elemi (Canarium luzonicum)42%Grapefruit (Citrus paradisii)93%Lemon (Citrus limon)53%Orange (Citrus sinuses)93%Pomelo (Citrus grandis)75%

The body metabolizes limonene quickly, and within 24 hours, clears almost all of the limonene from a single dose.

What are the Health Benefits of D-Limonene?

The health benefits of limonene described below are connected to the internal use, or consumption of limonene. Though the inhalation of limonene-containing essential oils causes numerous physiological effects, the FDA at this point does not allow health claims to be connected t...

Limonene is one of hundreds of constituents found in essential oils. As an individual compound, or as part of a "whole" essential oil, it provides numerous health benefits which have helped bring attention to the therapeutic benefits of the oils themselves.

In this article, I'll cover some of those health benefits, as well as explain where to find limonene and how to determine how much you get if you use essential oils.

While essential oils provide a plethora of health benefits when used as a "whole" essential oil, it's sometimes easier to understand how the individual compounds affect our health. That's just how nutrition science and research works.

For example, we know that animal-based proteins like steak, bison, and whey are an important part of a healthy, high-protein diet, because researchers have studied the effects of the essential amino acids, creatine monohydrate, and other nutrients found in those foods. However, that doesn't mean you should only eat the amino acids and creatine. Animal protein contains many other compounds that enhance health, which is why you eat the whole food and supplement your diet with creatine, amino acids, omega-3s, and other micronutrient, botanicals, and ergogenic compounds.

It's the same thing with essential oils. While there could be some benefit to supplementing with limonene alone, there's also plenty of evidence to show why using the whole essential oil would be better. 

Read also: Essential Oils For Fitness: Research, Anecdotal Evidence, Experimentation.

With all that said, let's get to the topic of today's article: d-limonene.

What is d-Limonene?

Though it's found in another isomer form, r-limonene, the more prevalent and studied form is d-limonene. For readability, I simply use limonene in this article, with the understanding I'm referring to d-limonene.

d-limonene is one of the most common terpenes found in nature. But, what the heck is a terpene? A terpene a class of volatile compounds commonly made by coniferous trees and citrus fruits. Because of their volatility, they quickly dissipate when exposed to the air, which is why you don't find them in dried herbs. Terpenes have a strong odor designed to ward off pests in plants, and are used medicinally and supplementally. Limonene is one of those terpenes, and based on the name of it, you might (accurately) guess that it smells like somewhat like lemon.

Where Do You Get Limonene?

Though you’re not getting therapeutic doses, you’re probably consuming more limonene than you realize. It’s used as a fragrance and flavor in a number of foods, such as candy, gum, soft drinks, ice cream, and (hopefully you don’t drink it, but…) fruit juice.

Aside from food and dietary supplements, limonene is also used as a healthier cleaning substance in household products, manufacturing, and industrial printing, as a degreaser for metals, and in paint as a solvent. You'll also see limonene on the label of shampoos, soaps, fragrances, and other personal care products. 

The most abundant sources of limonene are the peels of citrus fruits (which is where the essential oils are derived), dill, caraway, fennel, celery, and turpentine, not that you should consume turpentine.

For commercial and industrial use,

Limonene is one of hundreds of constituents found in essential oils. As an individual compound, or as part of a "whole" essential oil, it provides numerous health benefits which have helped bring attention to the therapeutic benefits of the oils themselves.

In this article, I'll cover some of those health benefits, as well as explain where to find limonene and how to determine how much you get if you use essential oils.

While essential oils provide a plethora of health benefits when used as a "whole" essential oil, it's sometimes easier to understand how the individual compounds affect our health. That's just how nutrition science and research works.

For example, we know that animal-based proteins like steak, bison, and whey are an important part of a healthy, high-protein diet, because researchers have studied the effects of the essential amino acids, creatine monohydrate, and other nutrients found in those foods. However, that doesn't mean you should only eat the amino acids and creatine. Animal protein contains many other compounds that enhance health, which is why you eat the whole food and supplement your diet with creatine, amino acids, omega-3s, and other micronutrient, botanicals, and ergogenic compounds.

It's the same thing with essential oils. While there could be some benefit to supplementing with limonene alone, there's also plenty of evidence to show why using the whole essential oil would be better. 

Read also: Essential Oils For Fitness: Research, Anecdotal Evidence, Experimentation.

With all that said, let's get to the topic of today's article: d-limonene.

What is d-Limonene?

Though it's found in another isomer form, r-limonene, the more prevalent and studied form is d-limonene. For readability, I simply use limonene in this article, with the understanding I'm referring to d-limonene.

d-limonene is one of the most common terpenes found in nature. But, what the heck is a terpene? A terpene a class of volatile compounds commonly made by coniferous trees and citrus fruits. Because of their volatility, they quickly dissipate when exposed to the air, which is why you don't find them in dried herbs. Terpenes have a strong odor designed to ward off pests in plants, and are used medicinally and supplementally. Limonene is one of those terpenes, and based on the name of it, you might (accurately) guess that it smells like somewhat like lemon.

Where Do You Get Limonene?

Though you’re not getting therapeutic doses, you’re probably consuming more limonene than you realize. It’s used as a fragrance and flavor in a number of foods, such as candy, gum, soft drinks, ice cream, and (hopefully you don’t drink it, but…) fruit juice.

Aside from food and dietary supplements, limonene is also used as a healthier cleaning substance in household products, manufacturing, and industrial printing, as a degreaser for metals, and in paint as a solvent. You'll also see limonene on the label of shampoos, soaps, fragrances, and other personal care products. 

The most abundant sources of limonene are the peels of citrus fruits (which is where the essential oils are derived), dill, caraway, fennel, celery, and turpentine, not that you should consume turpentine.

For commercial and industrial use, most limonene comes from orange essential oil.

The table below outlines some of the most concentrated sources of limonene. 

Essential OilLimonene ConcentrationBergamot (Citrus bergamia)40%Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium)97%Elemi (Canarium luzonicum)42%Grapefruit (Citrus paradisii)93%Lemon (Citrus limon)53%Orange (Citrus sinuses)93%Pomelo (Citrus grandis)75%

The body metabolizes limonene quickly, and within 24 hours, clears almost all of the limonene from a single dose.

Health Benefits of D-Limonene

The health benefits of limonene described below are connected to the internal use, or consumption of limonene. Though the inhalation of limonene-containing essential oils causes numerous physiol...

Blood flow restriction training (BFR), also known as occlusion training or KAATSU, might sound like some sort of hardcore training method reserved only for meatheads and serious athletes, but that's hardly the case.

BFR could be the perfect addition to a training plan for weekend warriors, a way to help older adults build muscle and strength, and a great way to rehab injuries faster than ever. 

If you're a member of my online personal training program, VIGOR Training, you'll see blood flow restriction training on in your workout program on occasion.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) is a style of weight training that uses higher reps and lighter loads while wearing a compression strap, tourniquet, or blood pressure cuff, on your upper arms or legs, depending on what you're working.

Unlike traditional strength training, which requires you to lift at least 70% of your one-rep (1RM), BFR training increases muscle mass and strength using only 20-50% of your 1RM.

When I first came across that single statement, I was skeptical. However, I've learned not to let my skepticism keep me from trying something new.

I ordered a pair of BFR Bands and gave them a try. I was impressed with the results, and loved being able to give my joints a break from the constant grind of heavier weight training.

If there's a "magic" in BFR, it comes from metabolic stress. 

The band, wrap, or cuff on your limb creates compression, occluding your veins while allowing for normal flow through your arteries.

The occlusion of your veins slows the return of low-oxygen, high-lactate blood flow from your arms or legs. The reduced flow also limits how quickly oxygen reaches your working muscle cells.

Like damming a flowing river, blood backs up, creating a "pump" in the muscle. This creates stress in your muscle cells, triggering numerous metabolic effects, leading to muscle and strength development.

If you want to skip over the technical details and get right to how to do BFR Training, jump to the bottom of this article.

For the sake of those who are skeptical, or even think this sounds scary, I'll first go over the science behind BFR and the research supporting its use.

The Benefits Of Blood Flow Restriction Training

Blood flow restriction training increases strength and muscle mass at rates typically seen only by lifting heavy weight...without lifting heavy weight.

Traditional strength training programs use loads of at least 70% of an individual's one rep max (1RM). Even young, fit, healthy athletes need a break from heavy training on occasion.

In addition, injuries, aging, surgery, and various diseases prevent people from using such heavy loads consistently.

Unfortunately, high-rep, lower-weight strength training doesn't increase strength or muscle mass much...unless it's done in combination with occlusion training.

When To Use Blood Flow Restriction Training

You can integrate BFR training into multiple different cases, such as:

When traveling, and you don't have access to all the equipment you'd normally use. You could do a BFR-only training session with the equipment typically found in a hotel.To rehab an injury, such as a torn biceps tendon or reconstructed ACL. Some research shows the effects can be transferred from one active limb to the other limb in cases of immobilization.To begin a strength training program as an older adultAs a "deload" period to give your body a break, without losing strength or muscle massDuring competition season to avoid impacting athletic performance, while still building muscle and strengthTo build or maintain strength and lean mass in people with degenerative diseasesTo slow the progression of cachexia or sarcopenia

Blood flow restriction can even slow the loss of muscle in an immobile limb without performing any exercise at all!

How Blood Flow Restriction Stimulates Muscle Growth

Blood flow restriction training, also known as occlusion training or KAATSU, might sound like some sort of hardcore training method reserved only for meatheads and serious athletes, but that's hardly the case.



In fact, it could be the perfect addition to a training plan for weekend warriors, a way to get older adults started with building strength and muscle, and a solution for rehabbing injuries faster than ever. 



I’ll explain what it is, how it works, what the latest research shows, and how to do blood flow restriction training.



What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?



Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) is a style of weight training that uses higher reps and lighter loads while wearing a compression strap, tourniquet, or blood pressure cuff, on your upper arms or legs, depending on what you're working.



Unlike traditional strength training, which requires you to lift at least 70% of your one-rep (1RM), BFR training increases muscle mass and strength using only 20-50% of your 1RM.



When I first came across that single statement, I was skeptical. However, I've learned not to let my skepticism keep me from trying something new.



I ordered a pair of BFR Bands and gave them a try. I was impressed with the results, and loved being able to give my joints a break from the constant grind of heavier weight training.



If there's a "magic" in BFR, it comes from metabolic stress. 



The band, wrap, or cuff on your limb creates compression, occluding your veins while allowing for normal flow through your arteries.



The occlusion of your veins slows the return of low-oxygen, high-lactate blood flow from your arms or legs. The reduced flow also limits how quickly oxygen reaches your working muscle cells.



Like damming a flowing river, blood backs up, creating a "pump" in the muscle. This creates stress in your muscle cells, triggering numerous metabolic effects, leading to muscle and strength development.



If you want to skip over the technical details and get right to how to do BFR Training, jump to the bottom of this article.



For the sake of those who are skeptical, or even think this sounds scary, I'll first go over the science behind BFR and the research supporting its use.



The Benefits Of Blood Flow Restriction Training



Blood flow restriction training increases strength and muscle mass at rates typically seen only by lifting heavy weight...without lifting heavy weight.



Traditional strength training programs use loads of at least 70% of an individual's one rep max (1RM). Even young, fit, healthy athletes need a break from heavy training on occasion.



In addition, injuries, aging, surgery, and various diseases prevent people from using such heavy loads consistently.



Unfortunately, high-rep, lower-weight strength training doesn't increase strength or muscle mass much...unless it's done in combination with occlusion training.



When To Use Blood Flow Restriction Training



You can integrate BFR training into multiple different cases, such as:



* When traveling, and you don't have access to all the equipment you'd normally use. You could do a BFR-only training session with the equip...