Heavy lifting builds the strength behind every jump and sprint. But during a grinding competitive season, all that mechanical load piles onto athletes who are already worn down from games and practice, and at some point it stops helping and starts hurting. So what if you could keep training explosive power without the wear and tear?
A new study out of the Journal of Sports Sciences put that question to the test with Division I basketball players in the middle of their season. One group squatted heavy the traditional way. The other squatted light, around 30% of their max, with blood flow restriction cuffs on their thighs. Eight weeks later, the results were not what most of us would predict.
The light group didn't just keep up. On the two qualities that matter most for a basketball player, jumping and sprinting, they came out ahead, and they did it with a fraction of the physical load on their bodies. That last part is what makes this interesting for anyone managing in-season athletes.
But before you throw out the barbell, there's a catch in how the study was built that changes how much we can actually conclude, and one detail in the numbers that's easy to oversell. I get into both on this week's episode, along with exactly when and how I'd use this with in-season athletes.
Check out this week's podcast for the full breakdown.
To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/does-in-season-training-with-bfr-improve-strength-or-performance/
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