74-year-old Tap Nixon On KAATSU, Days 1-17

74-year-old Tap Nixon, a former Long Beach State basketball player who played guard on its #2 ranked team in the early 1970s, hurt his shoulder that restricted his range of motion and eliminated his ability to shoot basketballs. He also uses a cane to help him limp along since he had two hip replacements and one revision on his left leg and torn his Achilles heel.

He did his first session of KAATSU on April 9th 2018.

He explains his injury and restricted range of motion on his left shoulder before trying KAATSU.

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Tap Nixon started by doing two KAATSU Cycles while sitting down to warm-up with a Base SKU pressure of 30 SKU and an Optimal Pressure of 250 SKU. Then he did slow and steady standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (i.e., Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions) while doing 5 KAATSU Cycles (taking 15 minutes) on the KAATSU Master device using KAATSU Air Bands while doing two more KAATSU Cycles.



Tap stretches his injured left shoulder on his fifth and last KAATSU Cycles, finishing up his 15-minute session on the KAATSU Master using pink KAATSU Air Bands. He kept a Base SKU pressure of 30 SKU and his Optimal Pressure at 250 SKU.



Tap demonstrates his improved range of motion on his left shoulder after doing 15 minutes of KAATSU Cycles.

Day 1 is completed, he felt much better and will continue doing KAATSU every other day. We will continue to follow his progress.



Nixon wants to re-gain his ability to shoot and rebound basketballs. He did his second session of KAATSU on April 11th 2018.

He explains his injury to his left shoulder before doing 5 KAATSU Cycles (15 minutes) on the KAATSU Master device using KAATSU Air Bands at a Base SKU pressure of 30 SKU and an Optimal Pressure of 250 SKU. During the KAATSU Cycles, did the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions) while the pressure was on and he rested while the pressure was off.

His improved range of motion is significant from Day One [see above].



Tap followed up with a third KAATSU session on April 12th 2018.

He did 5 KAATSU Cycles (totaling 15 minutes) on the KAATSU Master device using KAATSU Air Bands at a Base SKU pressure of 30 SKU and an Optimal Pressure of 250 SKU on his arms. He added two KAATSU Cycles on his legs of 35 Base SKU and 300 Optimal SKU on his legs.

During the KAATSU Cycles on his arms, he did the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions) while the pressure was on and he rested while the pressure was off.

When the KAATSU Air Bands were on his legs doing the KAATSU Cycle, he did leg extensions while sitting and contracting his quadriceps. KAATSU Specialist Steven Munatones explained to Tap, "We began conservatively and are only doing the KAATSU Cycle during the first two weeks. We will do only simple exercises and stretching with the KAATSU Cycle. After two weeks, we will untether the bands and your Base SKU and Optimal SKU levels will increase. Then we will begin doing KAATSU Performance Training where the bands are untethered - disconnected - but they still remain inflated at your Optimal SKU pressure. Then we will begin to do chest passes, take free throws and do agility drills on the basketball court with the inflated bands on."

His improved range of motion of his left shoulder is significant from Day One.



Tap did his fourth 20-minute session on April 17th 2018.

He did 5 KAATSU Cycles (totaling 15 minutes) on the KAATSU Master device using KAATSU Air Bands at a Base SKU pressure of 30 SKU and an Optimal Pressure of 260 SKU on his arms. He added two KAATSU Cycles on his legs of 35 Base SKU and 320 Optimal SKU on his legs.

During the KAATSU Cycles on his arms, he did the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions) while the pressure was on and he rested while the pressure was off. He used 2 lb dumbbells to do Biceps Curls during one of the KAATSU Cycles.

When the KAATSU Air Bands were on his legs during the first KAATSU Cycle, he just sat. During the second KAATSU Cycle, he did leg extensions on his left leg while sitting and contracting his quadriceps.

The overall plan for Tap is to do 6 sessions within the first two weeks, focusing on his left arm and starting to work on his legs. The subsequent 2-week period will focus on his legs where he had 3 hip surgeries. The final 2-week period will focus on his mobile agility and shooting ability on a basketball court where he will actually use a basketball. This is his ultimate goal: move fluidly without a limp and shoot basketballs with his young athletes who he coaches.







Tap talks about the effects of KAATSU on his lower and upper body after his sixth KAATSU session over a 2-week period (15-20 minute sessions on April 9th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, and 19th).

After 7 short KAATSU sessions, Tap can now pass and shoot a basketball - and open a Gatorade bottle - which he could not do before:



Tap also could not previously pick up his keys from the floor, but things changed after 7 KAATSU sessions of 20 minutes each. His Base SKU pressure is 35 SKU on both his arms and legs. His Optimal SKU pressure is now 290 SKU on his arms and 320 SKU on his legs.



During his 8th KAATSU session, Tap warmed up for his basketball moves with some KAATSU Cycles on his upper body (30 SKU Base Pressure + 290 SKU Optimal Pressure) and some KAATSU Walking with 35 SKU Base Pressure + 320 SKU Optimal Pressure on his legs.





He finished up his KAATSU session with some basketball moves he has not done for decades.

On Day 14 on June 6th, Tap did a series of KAATSU 3-Point Exercises (triceps extensions shown below) followed by a series of wall push-ups in the KAATSU Cycle mode:







On Day 17 on June 20th, Tap went out to a local basketball court to demonstrate his newly found strength and mobility:





For an explanation on what is happening physiologically, click here.

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