Occlusion Training (Kaatsu)

I recently came across what is for me a new training paradigm.

Kaatsu training - or occlusive training.

I have trained with weights for 26 years and only just heard of this although it certainly is not counter intuitive.

Basically you use wraps or a cuff to limit blood circulation in a body part such as the lower arm, calves, full arm or full leg.

Then you do very low resistance exercise for a high rep set - say 4 sets x 20-30 reps with 20% of your maximum weight.

Keep the wraps on for no more than 10 minutes & don't make them too tight.

What you will feel is an immediate pump and what you will see is an immediate increase in muscle girth.

There are a wealth of scientific papers on Google Scholar - just enter "kaatsu", occlusion or occlusive training.

This method of training is very low intensity and is best done 2x per day 6 days per week in addition to normal training. It does not break down muscle tissue like regular high intensity training.

Results are great increase in HGH, muscle hypertrophy, strength increase.

Do some research and check it out for your self.

I once knew a man that would hold his breath while doing weight training and he told me that it robbed the muscles of needed oxygen, causing extreme fatique very quickly, which in turn caused rapid muscle mass increase. Something to do with Lactic sp? acid or some such. He certainly was hugely muscled too.

You might be increasing various hormones by doing such techniques, but when you cut off blood flow and/or oxygen, you aren't working your muscles to full potential. Inducing a feeling of fatigue without maximal effort, does not seem sound.

I would run that by a body building forum rather than a martial arts forum, but I doubt it works.

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Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po

I once knew a man that would hold his breath while doing weight training and he told me that it robbed the muscles of needed oxygen, causing extreme fatique very quickly, which in turn caused rapid muscle mass increase. Something to do with Lactic sp? acid or some such. He certainly was hugely muscled too.

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Big people always think that whatever they are doing is the secret. Chances are, that guy would've been huge anyway.

There are skinny people who eat pizza every day and still have visible abs. They could tell you that eating pizza every day is the reason they have visible abs, but I wouldn't recommend that for a normal person.

And holding your breath while you exercise (called a "Valsalva maneuver") is a bad idea, especially if you have any sort of blood pressure problems at all. The only time it's acceptable is for a second while going for a PR attempt, and that's only if you don't have any heart or blood issues, since doing so causes a huge spike in blood pressure.

People also do that instinctively when they take a poo :o

Isn't that how Carradine checked out?

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

Isn't that how Carradine checked out?

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Yeah, But I don't think Mr. Carradine (or Michael Hutchins of INXS) was doing Kaatsu training:eek:

ok, so if I wrap a rubberband around Mr. Happy.....

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Originally Posted by TenTigers

ok, so if I wrap a rubberband around Mr. Happy.....

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If?








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