KAATSU Aqua Burpees

For who? water athletes, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



The KAATSU Aqua Burpees (arms) can include any number of swims and exercises to maximize intensity in the water.

One version is shown above with a 54-year-old swimmer doing the following Burpee:

1st lap = 25 yards of butterfly + pull-ups off the diving board performed to muscular failure
2nd lap = 25 yards of freestyle
3rd lap = 25 yards of butterfly + push-ups on deck performed to muscular failure
4th lap = 25 yards of freestyle

This KAATSU Aqua Arm Burpees set with the pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands includes 100 yards of swimming (with hand paddles to increase intensity) + a maximum number of pull-ups and push-ups performed to muscular failure.

3-4 sets of these KAATSU Aqua Arm Burpees with 1-2 minute rest between each set is plenty for a thoroughly exhausting workout for all levels of lifeguards, swimmers, water polo players, triathletes, military special operators, CrossFit athletes, surfers, surf lifesavers and other types of watermen and water women.

The total arm workout time would be between 10-15 minutes total.

KAATSU Aqua Leg Burpees can include a combination of eggbeatering (treading water) with your hands and elbows out of the water + non-lock (partial extension) squats on deck performed to muscular failure + vertical kicking with a medicine ball and kicking with a kickboard to muscular failure.

An example could be: 1st lap = 25 yards of kicking with a kickboard + vertical kicking with a medicine ball to muscular failure
2nd lap = 25 yards of kicking with a kickboard
3rd lap = 25 yards of eggbeater + non-lock squats on deck performed to muscular failure
4th lap = 25 yards of sprint kicking with a kickboard

Kicking can be done with or without fins.

The total leg workout time would be between 10-15 minutes total.

Copyright © 2014 - 2017 by KAATSU Global

How North Shore Lifeguards Train With KAATSU

For who? lifeguards, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



Location: North Shore, Oahu in Hawaii.

Some of the most monstrous and among the best-known waves for surfers crash onto the North Shore of Oahu in the state of Hawaii.

With many surfers enjoying themselves in heavy surf while facing large waves over coral reefs at shallow depths while facing strong tidal pulls, rip tides and currents, the lifeguards on the North Shore of Oahu have their hands full.

To make a save, the lifeguards must run from their lifeguard station in soft sand, quickly put on their fins, and sprint through surf diving under the crashing waves. Then they must grab the troubled surfer, bodysurfer or ocean swimmer and safely bring them back to shore. And the lifeguards do it repeatedly on days where the surf can be rough or large.

This responsibility requires speed, strength and stamina.

How can these lifeguards use KAATSU the Original BFR and KAATSU Aqua to help improve their speed, strength and stamina?

For speed on land, lifeguards place the KAATSU Air Bands on their legs and run on the soft sand at Waimea Bay or Ehukai Beach (Banzai Pipeline) or Haleiwa. They can start with simple walking and then end with short sprints on flat sand or up a sand dune.

For speed in the water, lifeguards place the KAATSU Aqua Bands on their legs while using fins and do the following kicking and swimming sets in a pool:

• 1 x 25m easy kicking + 1 x 25m fast kicking
• 1 x 25m easy kicking + 1 x 50m fast kicking
• 1 x 25m easy kicking + 1 x 75m fast kicking
• 1 x 25m easy kicking + 1 x 100m fast kicking
• 10x streamlined jumps off the bottom of the pool and kick up as high out of the water as possible. Repeat immediately 10 times.

• 8 x 25m swimming freestyle with fins with 20 seconds rest between each 25
• 4 x 50m swimming freestyle with fins with the first 25m easy + second 25m fast
• 1 x 25m easy + 1 x 75m fast
• 1 x 25m easy + 1 x 100m fast

For strength on land, lifeguards place the KAATSU Air Bands on their legs and do squats, leg lunges, leg curls and simply balance on one leg to gain core strength. Lifeguards can place the KAATSU Air Bands on their arms and do KAATSU 3-point Exercises, do push-up sets, or use resistance bands while doing a variety of exercises.

For strength in the water, lifeguards place the KAATSU Aqua Bands on their legs while using fins or place the KAATSU Aqua Band on their arms while using hand paddles and do the following kicking and swimming sets in a pool:

• Kick in the vertical position for 10 seconds in a pool with hands and arms out of the water. Rest 10 seconds and repeat 4-8 times.
• Kick on one's back with arms straight out of the water: 4 x 25m with 20 seconds rest between each 25
• 4 x 25m hard with hand paddles and no fins, 20 seconds rest between each 25
• 8 x 25m easy/hard with 20 seconds rest and 10 seconds of vertical kicking (elbows out of water) between each 25

For stamina on land, lifeguards place the KAATSU Air Bands on their legs and go for a slow run or spin on a stationary bicycle.

For stamina in the water, lifeguards place the KAATSU Aqua Bands on their legs while using fins or place the KAATSU Aqua Band on their arms while using hand paddles and do the following kicking and swimming sets in a pool:

• 12 x 25m kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands (2 butterfly, 2 backstroke, 4 freestyle, 4 head-up freestyle)
• 3 sets of vertical kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands for 30-60 seconds until reaching muscular failure
• Aqua-jogging or aqua-running with KAATSU Aqua Bands in waist-deep water
• 3 x 60 seconds of treading water (eggbeater with arms above water) with KAATSU Aqua Bands

• Two lifeguards face each other and hold one kickboard between them while in a shallow or deep pool. The kickboard is held in the vertical position. Each lifeguard kicks vigorously against each other, in the opposite direction, until one lifeguard has moved 5 meters.

KAATSU Air Bands are also used for rehabilitation purposes under the guidance of a physical therapist or trainer - to help rapid healing of injured muscles, bones, ligaments or tendons.




























Copyright © 2014 - 2017 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU Aqua Bands - How To Use In Pool

For who? water athletes, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery




















































Depending if you are a competitive swimmer (healthy or injured), a masters swimmer (healthy or injured) or a water polo player or a land-based athlete interested in working out in the pool, there are a number of kicking sets you can do in the pool:

1. Pool Kicking Sets

To develop speed
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 25 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 50 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 75 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 100 fast

To develop stamina:
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (hands in water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (hands out of water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (wrists out of water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (elbows out of water)

To develop strength:
• 10 x 25 kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands (2 butterfly, 2 backstroke, 2 breaststroke and 4 freestyle)
• 3 sets of vertical kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands until mouth goes below surface of water
• Aqua-walking, aqua-jogging or aqua-running with KAATSU Aqua Bands in waist-deep water
• 3 x 60 seconds of treading water (eggbeater) with KAATSU Aqua Bands

2. Open Water Kicking Sets

To develop stamina:
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard and short-blade fins
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard and long-blade fins
• 500m kick in open water without a kickboard, hands sculling in front
• 500m kick in open water without a kickboard or fins, hands sculling at sides

To develop navigational IQ:
• 500m backstroke kick in open water with arms stretched out in front
• 500m backstroke kick in open water with hands sculling at sides

To develop strength and stamina:
• 100m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 100m easy freestyle back to start
• 75m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 75m easy freestyle back to start
• 50m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 50m easy freestyle back to start
• 25m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 25m easy freestyle back to start

To develop speed and kinetic awareness of the power of the ocean:
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with a regular kickboard
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with a regular kickboard and fins
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with fins

3. Pool or Open Water Kicking Sets

Just for fun and challenge
• Swim with shoes in open water trying to keep a streamlined body position
• Vertical kicking with shoes in the pool
• Vertical kicking holding liter bottles filled with water
• Push off wall underwater and try to go as far as possible underwater while holding a kickboard in outstretched arms
• Two people face each other and hold one kickboard between them in the vertical position. Each kick vigorously against each other, in the opposite direction, until they have moved 5 meters

Copyright © 2014-2016 by KAATSU Global

Training With KAATSU Aqua Bands In The Water

For who? aquatic athletes, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



Sprint butterfly + pull-ups + pull-outs + push-ups with the pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands are notoriously difficult. 8 x 25 with 5 pull-ups and 10 push-ups are extraordinarily tough.



Competitive swimmers, open water swimmers, water polo players, triathletes, surfers, and other watermen and waterwomen can use KAATSU Aqua leg bands to enhance speed, stamina, strength and "feel" in the water.



Aquatic athletes can pull a parachute with KAATSU Aqua Bands to enhance speed, stamina, strength and "feel" in the water.



Using the pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands by identifying the appropriate Base SKU (compression) and inflated Optimal SKU (compression), swimmers, water polo players and triathletes and everyone from those rehabilitating to individuals simply focused on fitness can really work on their core in the water.



Using the pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands in the water and the KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Master on the pool deck, individuals of any ability or any age was do blood flow moderation training for speed, stamina, strength or flexibility.



Long Beach (California) firefighter Mitch Berro trains with KAATSU Aqua Bands by pushing off bottom of pool holding a weight.



Training with KAATSU Aqua Bands by eggbeatering in a pool while holding a weight.



Use a kickboard, use fins, do vertical kicking, or other moves to highly stress the legs and core.



Pull along a parachute to add stress to your KAATSU Swimming.



The pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands add stress to sculling in the water with or without hand paddles.



The pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands can help strengthen triceps with triceps extensions in the water with or without hand paddles.



The pneumatic KAATSU Aqua Bands can be done while swimming, kicking or pulling butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke or freestyle, or while shooting a water polo ball or doing aqua-therapy, aqua-walking or aqua-jogging.



KAATSU Aqua Walking for those undergoing aqua-therapy or rehabilitation.

Copyright © 2014 - 2016 by KAATSU Global, Inc.

Details And Differences Between KAATSU And KAATSU Aqua

KAATSU Aqua Bands can be used differently depending on whether the bands are used for with masters swimmers or fitness swimmers or competitive elite swimmers.

In general, the more competitive the swimmer, the higher the pressures. But finding the Optimal SKU (compression) is a function of many factors including whether the bands are on the legs or arms, the percentage of body fat, the tolerance level of high lactate levels, and the amount of experience using KAATSU.

But in general, the intensity of feeling while doing KAATSU Aqua is greater in the water compared to KAATSU done on dryland. The reasons why include the following:

1. Because the body is in the horizontal position while swimming and the body is floating in the water. Therefore, the relative pressure within the veins and capillaries are greater in this situation than on dryland, especially while swimming quickly.

2. Swimming is an activity where breathing is different and less efficient than on land. That is, even great swimmers breathe differently while swimming than while exercising on land. Therefore, there is an even greater hypoxia in the limbs in the water than on land.

3. Swimming is an activity where there is almost never a "pumping out" of the lactate like there is with exercises like biceps curls. In other words, when the athlete is correctly doing biceps curls with KAATSU Air Bands on land, the limbs become saturated with blood and lactate. But the pumping action of the curls naturally forces some blood and lactate out of the muscle, past the KAATSU Air Bands. But when one is swimming freestyle, backstroke or butterfly, this "pumping out" of the lactate does not occur so effectively. The arms are simply swinging around the body (over and below the water surface) in a rather static position. Therefore, more lactate stays in the muscle...and therefore discomfort comes earlier.

4. Because swimming is such a technical sport, even slight changes in the head or body or knee or elbow positions can dramatically change the speed of the swimmer. So when the swimmer starts to feel the lactate building, their technique quickly deteriorates and speed significantly decreases.

Coaches want their swimmers to swim with as best technique as possible. Therefore, swimming with KAATSU Aqua Bands is generally and best limited to 25-50 meter distances - performed at top speed and with as best technique as possible.

Swimming sets for competitive elite swimmers can be done towards the end of their workouts and can be limited to breakouts (10-15 meter practices of turns off the wall), 25-meter or 50-meter swims of high intensity.

Examples of sets with KAATSU Aqua Bands include:

* 10 x 25 with a 20-second rest
* 10 x 40 swims in a 25-yard or 25-meter pool where a strong pace is maintained for the first lap followed by a strong turn and breakout. Swim easy to the wall after the breakout.
* 5-10 x racing starts with KAATSU Aqua Bands or until technical failure is reached. Followed by 2-3 racing starts without bands.
* 5 x 25 of each stroke (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle) with a 20-second rest
* 8 x 15-meter race-pace breakouts of each stroke (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle) with a 20-second rest
* 8 x 50 (or 4 x 100) pulling with hand paddles and/or buoys with arm bands
* 8 x 50 race-pace kicking with or without a kickboard with leg bands
* 8 x 30-second vertical kicking sets with leg bands
* 8 x vertical jumps off the bottom of the pool with leg bands

Notes:
1. The sets can be done alternatively with the arm bands and leg bands on alternative days.
2. If there is sufficient time within a workout, the sets above can be done first with the arms bands and then with the leg bands.
3. In each set, each swimmer should swim with their own Optimal SKU.
4. The swimmer should take additional rest and/or temporarily release the air in the KAATSU Aqua Bands when technical failure is reached (where technical failure is judged by a breakdown of proper swimming technique).

Copyright © 2016 by KAATSU Global, Inc.

Olympic Swim Coach On His Use Of KAATSU Aqua

Chris Morgan, a 2008 Olympic swimming coach, teaches and advises a number of athletes about KAATSU the original BFR on dryland and KAATSU Aqua in the water from Olympic swimming medalists and Olympic Trials finalists to masters swimmers (24- 75 years), competitive age group swimmers and collegiate swimmers.

"KAATSU Aqua is beneficial for those athletes aiming for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and non-athletes recovering from injuries," says Morgan who explained how Roy-Allan Burch [see below] used KAATSU to recover from a double patella tendon rupture and qualified for the Olympics.







































Morgan [see video below] explains, "We work on speed, strength and stamina every workout at the Gator's Swim Club in Waltham, Massachusetts [the 2015 New England Senior Swimming Championship Team].

Like other competitive age-group swim teams, we augment those hard training sessions with a focus on proper technique, good balanced nutrition, and all kinds of 'outside the box' dry-land training.

This year, our athletes began an innovative addition to our entire training regime that has resulted in some unprecedented drops in time."

Over a 3-month period, some of the representative swims include the following:

Henry Gaissert (17 years old)
• 100 freestyle: from 47.0 to 44.8 (44.1 relay split)
• 100 butterfly: from 52.4 to 49.8
Maddie Wallis (16 years old)
• 100 backstroke: from 57.1 to 54.9
• 200 backstroke: from 2:07.9 to 2:00.3
Johnny Prindle (17 years old)
• 100 freestyle: from 48.1 to a 45.9 relay split
• 200 freestyle: from 1:47.2 to 1:41.5
• 100 breaststroke: from 59.0 to 57.5

Their secret…?

KAATSU.

KAATSU is the advantage that Olympic and professional athletes from Japan, and increasingly in teams from the United States and Switzerland to Tunisia and Hungary, have been using to gain specific strength in order to improve speed and increase stamina.

Morgan continues, "Years ago, Olympic champion Misty Hyman from Stanford University did something vaguely similar. The 200-meter butterfly Olympic champion in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games placed several thick postage rubber bands around her arms and legs. She would at times swim as much as 8,000 meters with the bands at AFOX in Arizona under the guidance of its coach Bob Gillette as a high school student. Her unusual training method started in Arizona as a top age-grouper and continued at Stanford University under Richard Quick - where I served as an assistant coach.

But we learned from Dr. Yoshiaki Sato and our KAATSU Global colleagues that very specific pressures with carefully engineered pneumatic bands used in short durations is the key to significant improvements in speed, strength and stamina. We use the KAATSU Master and KAATSU Nano devices to identify two types of specific pressures (called Base SKU and Optimal SKU where SKU stands for Standard KAATSU Unit). These pressures are specific for each athlete that can vary from day to day and workout to workout. Those specific pressures, that vary from athlete to athlete, are how our athletes have maximized the benefits of KAATSU or "blood flow moderation training."

Invented in 1966 and perfected by 1973 by Dr. Sato of Tokyo, the KAATSU inventor was honored by the Japanese Olympic Committee in 1992. Word eventually leaked out from Japan about KAATSU beginning in the 1980s and throughout the 1990s, but it was mostly adopted without knowledge of the Base SKU and Optimal SKU, the smart pneumatic bands, or the use of the KAATSU Cycle protocols by the bodybuilding community.

These bodybuilders, looking to achieve muscle hypertrophy, never understood the existence of pneumatic bands that maintain its structural integrity as they inflate, or the importance of identifying one's Base SKU or Optimal SKU, or integrating the KAATSU Cycle protocols as a means of post-workout recovery. Eventually, the bodybuilding community resorted to using knee wraps and other sorts of restrictive, occasionally non-elastic, bands as occlusion training or tourniquet training tools. But acceptance of the thick postage rubber bands or knee wraps never took off in amateur or professional sports in the West, especially in the aquatic community.

But for years and even a cursory search on Amazon, a growing number of American and European bodybuilders and trainers simply tie knee wraps and other bands around their arms in order to build bulk based on information they learned from the Internet and two-dimensional photos they saw of KAATSU bands.

In contrast to the specific KAATSU protocols to identify optimal pressures, bodybuilders tie their limbs with occlusion bands using a pain scale from 1 to 10, with 7-8 being the recommended level of pain by various American researchers and strength coaches. This kind of simplified and frankly dangerous* means to occlude blood flow in the limbs was neither possible nor practical for age-group swimmers or older masters swimmers. "Or frankly, anyone," reminds Morgan. "In contrast to those focused on muscle hypertrophy, we wanted a proven, safe and effective means to help our young athletes improve their speed, strength and stamina - not a means simply to get bulkier.

Since the Center for KAATSU Research at the Harvard Medical School was established in 2013, I first used KAATSU on myself** and learned the proper protocols and how to safely use the KAATSU equipment. With that knowledge and experience, the athletes of the Gator's Swim Club have been experimenting with KAATSU and our age-group swimmers, several who are national-caliber swimmers.

I quickly learned how we could replicate 'race pain' without the need for a time-consuming test set by using the KAATSU equipment. By engorging the muscles in blood - instead of keeping blood out like the bodybuilders and their knee wraps, I studied how this revolutionary training technique could be utilized by competitive swimmers whether they are focused on their local high school championships and getting into college or others like Roy Burch and Mohamed Hussein who qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games."

Coach Morgan now uses KAATSU in three fundamental ways:

1. In rehabilitation
2. For recovery
3. During training

Rehabilitation
Swimmers use KAATSU to quickly resolve sore shoulders and the tweaks of overuse injuries from both our age-groupers and masters swimmers. "We use the KAATSU Cycle modality that starts off with lower pressures and gradually builds up to higher pressures. These protocols are the same protocols that are used by Olympic gold medalists and members of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics USA team and professional soccer players."***

Recovery
"We use the KAATSU Cycle modality between races and between the preliminary and final events in a multi-day event (e.g., the 2015 Winter Junior National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia) and KAATSU Cycle has been used at the World University Games and United States Olympic Trials in both swimming and track & field."

Training
"We do a variety of sets with KAATSU in order to improve technique, speed, strength and stamina. None of these sets last over 20 minutes, as per the standard KAATSU protocols. Some of the sets involve using arm bands and some of the sets involve using leg bands, including sets that exclusively focus on starts or turns.

These sets can range from 10 x 15m breakouts to 10 x 50 at a specific pressure.

Not only have our athletes and their parents accepted KAATSU and appreciate its benefits, but we also have some of our graduating seniors requesting the KAATSU machines accompany them to their new collegiate teams."

* Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2010 May; 20(3): 218-9: Low-load ischemic exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis

** In 2013, Morgan competed in a Tough Mudder obstacle race near Boston. He used the KAATSU Master to improve his fitness level, but on the day of the event, at mile #10, he slipped on a log, smashed his side, and broke 2 ribs. For 7 days immediately after the injury, he used the KAATSU Master and KAATSU Air Bands as prescribed for broken bones. By day 7, the pain and sensitivity of the broken ribs had vanished. Ten days after the first x-rays revealed the broken ribs, he took a second set of x-rays at Harvard University that showed a complete recovery. "Ever since that time, I wanted the athletes who I work with to benefit from a clear and methodical use of KAATSU."

*** Get Stronger, Go Longer. KAATSU is Blowing Researchers' Minds (Military Times) and KAATSU Japanese Blood Flow Routine (Outside Magazine)

*

Copyright © 2014 - 2016 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU Aqua For Recovery

For who? aquatic athletes, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? mobility, flexibility, recovery




















































Whether an elderly person is recovering from a knee replacement or an Olympic athlete is rehabilitating from a double patella tendon rupture, KAATSU can be comprehensively incorporated into their recovery.

After the individual identifies their appropriate Base SKU, they can do a series of KAATSU 3-point exercises first on their arms and then on their legs. This can begin as early as 72 hours after surgery or as soon as their physician gives them the green light to begin.

KAATSU on the arms should always be performed first and will help initiate the positive system effects of KAATSU.

The KAATSU 3-point exercises on the arms include three sets of hand clenches, three sets of biceps curls, and three sets of triceps extensions. The hand clenches can be performed with standard hand grips and the biceps curls and triceps extensions can be performed either without weights or with filled water bottles, resistance bands or very light weights (>3 kg).

After the KAATSU arm session is completed within 15 minutes (maximum duration), the KAATSU 3-point exercises on the legs can begin as the individual remains well-hydrated.

The KAATSU leg exercises are very simple and can include 3 sets of toe curls, 3 sets of toe raises, 3 sets of heel raises (if possible), 3 sets of leg extensions (see below if possible) or 3 sets of simple quarter-squats (if possible). Even more easily and comfortably, aqua-walking in a shallow pool (>1 meter deep) is extremely effective.

Each of the sets of exercises on the arms and legs should become increasingly difficult due to the lactic acid build-up. If aqua-walking or aqua-therapy is used, the KAATSU Aqua Bands should only be on the legs for 20 minutes maximum.

Simple stretching in the water or walking in shallow-water pools is also very effective.






























For more information about KAATSU Training or KAATSU Aqua, contact KAATSU Global.




















































For an article about use of KAATSU Aqua by Olympic athletes, visit here (Déjà Vu, Training Of Misty Hyman Redux). For an article about the use of KAATSU Aqua by a 50'ish swimmer, visit here (A Positive Mindset For Brain Surgery). For an article about hard-core aquatic training, visit here (Aquatic Equivalents Of Brutal Dryland Workouts).



Copyright © 2014 - 2016 by KAATSU Global

Improvements In Speed, Strength, Stamina At Gator Swim Club

Courtesy of Chris Morgan [see video below], Head Coach, Gator's Swim Club (2015 New England Senior Swimming Championship Team).

We work on speed, strength and stamina every workout at the Gator's Swim Club in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Like other competitive age-group swim teams, the Gator's augment those hard training sessions with a focus on proper technique, good balanced nutrition, and all kinds of “outside the box” dry-land training.

This year, our athletes began an innovative addition to our entire training regime that has resulted in some unprecedented drops in time:

Over a 3-month period, some of our representative swims include:

Henry Gaissert (17 years old)
• 100 freestyle: from 47.0 to 44.8 (44.1 relay split)
• 100 butterfly: from 52.4 to 49.8
Maddie Wallis (16 years old)
• 100 backstroke: from 57.1 to 54.9
• 200 backstroke: from 2:07.9 to 2:00.3
Johnny Prindle (17 years old)
• 100 freestyle: from 48.1 to a 45.9 relay split
• 200 freestyle: from 1:47.2 to 1:41.5
• 100 breaststroke: from 59.0 to 57.5

Our secret…?

KAATSU the original BFR.

KAATSU is the secret advantage that Olympic and professional athletes from Japan, and increasingly in the U.S., Switzerland and Hungary, have been using to gain specific strength in order to improve speed and increase stamina.

Years ago, Olympic champion Misty Hyman from Stanford University did something vaguely similar. The 200m butterfly Olympic champion in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games placed several thick postage rubber bands around her arms and legs. She would at times swim as much as 8,000 meters with the bands at AFOX in Arizona under the guidance of its coach Bob Gillette as a high school student. Her unusual training method started in Arizona as a top age-grouper and continued at Stanford University under Richard Quick [where I served as an assistant coach].

But we learned from Dr. Yoshiaki Sato and our KAATSU Global colleagues that very specific pressures with carefully engineered pneumatic bands used in short durations is the key to significant improvements in speed, strength and stamina. We use the KAATSU Master and KAATSU Nano devices to identify two types of specific pressures (called Base SKU and Optimal SKU where SKU stands for Standard KAATSU Unit). These pressures are specific for each athlete that can vary from day to day and workout to workout. Those specific pressures, that vary from athlete to athlete, are how our athletes have maximized the benefits of KAATSU or "blood flow moderation training".

Invented in 1966 and perfected by 1973 by Dr. Sato of Tokyo, the KAATSU inventor was honored by the Japanese Olympic Committee in 1992. Word eventually leaked out from Japan about KAATSU beginning in the 1980s and throughout the 1990s, but it was mostly adopted without knowledge of the Base SKU and Optimal SKU by the bodybuilding community. These bodybuilders, looking to achieve muscle hypertrophy, never understood the importance of using pneumatic bands or identifying Base SKU or Optimal SKU. Eventually, the bodybuilding community referred to using knee wraps and other sorts of restrictive bands as occlusion training or tourniquet training. But acceptance of the thick postage rubber bands or knee warps never took off in amateur or professional sports in the West. So for years, American and European bodybuilders simply tied knee wraps and other bands around their arms to build bulk based on 2D photos they saw of the KAATSU bands.

In contrast to the specific KAATSU protocols to identify optimal pressures, bodybuilders tie their limbs using a pain scale from 1 to 10, with 7-8 being the recommended level of pain by various American researchers. This kind of simplified and frankly dangerous* means to occlude blood flow in the limbs was neither possible nor practical for age-group swimmers or older masters swimmers. In contrast to those focused on muscle hypertrophy, we wanted a proven, safe and effective means to help our athletes improve their speed, strength and stamina - not a means to get bulkier.

Since the Center for KAATSU Research at the Harvard Medical School was established in 2013, I first used KAATSU on myself** and learned the proper protocols and how to safely use the KAATSU equipment. With that knowledge and experience, the athletes of the Gator's Swim Club have been experimenting with KAATSU and our age-group swimmers, several who are national-caliber swimmers.

I quickly learned how we could replicate 'race pain' without the need for a time-consuming test set by using the KAATSU equipment. By engorging the muscles in blood (instead of keeping blood out like the bodybuilders and their knee wraps), I studied how this revolutionary training technique could be utilized by competitive swimmers whether they are focused on their local high school championships and getting into college or others like Roy Burch and Mohamed Hussein who have their eyes on the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

We now use KAATSU in three fundamental ways:

1. In rehabilitation
2. For recovery
3. During training

Rehabilitation
We have used KAATSU to quickly resolve sore shoulders and the tweaks of overuse injuries from both our age-groupers and masters swimmers. We use the KAATSU Cycle modality that starts off with lower pressures and gradually builds up to higher pressures. These protocols are the same protocols that are used by Olympic gold medalists and members of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics USA team and professional soccer players.***

Recovery
We use the KAATSU Cycle modality between races and between the preliminary and final events in a multi-day event (e.g., the 2015 Winter Junior National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia).

Training
We do a variety of sets with KAATSU in order to improve technique, speed, strength and stamina. None of these sets last over 20 minutes, as per the standard KAATSU protocols. Some of the sets involve using arm bands and some of the sets involve using leg bands, including sets that exclusively focus on starts or turns.

These sets can range from 10 x 15m breakouts to 10 x 50 at a specific pressure.

Not only have our athletes and their parents accepted KAATSU and appreciate its benefits, but we also have some of our graduating seniors requesting the KAATSU machines accompany them to their new collegiate teams.

* Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2010 May; 20(3): 218-9: Low-load ischemic exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis

** In 2013, I competed in a local Tough Mudder obstacle race. I used the KAATSU Master to improve my fitness level, but on the day of the event, at mile #10, I slipped on a log, smashed my side, and broke 2 ribs. For 7 days immediately after the injury, I used the KAATSU Master and KAATSU Air Bands as prescribed for broken bones. By day 7, the pain and sensitivity of the broken ribs had vanished. Ten days after the first x-rays revealed the broken ribs, I took a second set of x-rays that showed a complete recovery. Since that time, I wanted the athletes who I work with to benefit from a clear and methodical use of KAATSU.

*** Get Stronger, Go Longer. KAATSU is Blowing Researchers' Minds (Military Times) and KAATSU Japanese Blood Flow Routine (Outside Magazine)

*

Copyright © 2014 - 2016 by KAATSU Global

KAATSU Equipment Leasing and Financing

Instead of paying in full for KAATSU equipment, KAATSU Specialists and users can now pay monthly for their equipment and certification. KAATSU Global has formed an alliance with eLease to finance KAATSU equipment purchases for either 24 or 36 months.

The process is quite simple and requires only a one-page application and a copy of the first page of the borrower's last three month's bank statements. The complete process takes no more than 2-3 days.

These financing opportunities are ideal for individuals who cannot afford a one-time payment for the KAATSU Master Package, KAATSU Nano Package or KAATSU Cycle Package. Each package includes 4 KAATSU Air Bands (2 arms + 2 legs), a protective case, an extended warranty for 24 or 36 months, and all accessories.

Payments as shown below. These rates are subject to credit approval and credit worthiness and, as such, the rates may vary.

KAATSU Master Package (normally US$4,795): $249.13 (24 months) $188.94 (36 months)
KAATSU Nano Package (normally $2,850): US$146.53 (24 months) US$1110.52 (36 months)
KAATSU Cycle Package (normally US$1,875): US$109.64 (24 months) US$83.81 (36 months)
KAATSU Aqua Package (normally US$3,000): US$117.41 (24 months) US$76.72 (36 months)

Additionally eLease can finance multi-unit mixed assortment of equipment for large purchases. To figure the approximate monthly cost of a large purchase just multiply the 24- and 36-month lease rate factors times the U.S. dollar value of the order. These factors are 4.91% or 24 months and 3.56% for 36 months subject to the lender's credit criteria.

For more information, contact via telephone at toll-free +1-888-410-6350 or email info@kaatsu-usa.com.

Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Olympic Coach's Journey To KAATSU

Copyright © 2015 by Christopher Morgan, 2008 Olympic Swim Coach

My coaching career has allowed me to chase my dreams and realize them; travel the world and learn new languages. Most importantly, and through a twist of fate, my travels inadvertently guided me to meet my best friend, my soul mate...my wife. I am fortunate and humbled by the athletes who I have worked with and the amazing mentors who have taught me invaluable lessons and bestowed upon me treasures of information and knowledge.

When I started coaching under the late Richard Quick at Stanford University in the 1990’s, I was nervous about making mistakes, yet comforted by Richard and his preacher-like aura.

Richard was a swimming genius and a magician of motivation. I remember someone once told me Richard “could make a rock swim…” I believe that to be true.

One thing that Richard was always keen about was new and innovative toys and tools that could help athletes get better. I am sure that some of that passion for new information was implanted in my 'swim coach' genetic code.

One of my more vivid memories of Richard and Stanford Swimming was when a young swimmer by the name of Misty Hyman came to join the legendary swimming family at Stanford University. One training tool that was traditionally associated with Misty was the monofin. However, some people might not have ever know that back during her training under Bob Gillett at AFOX in Arizona, and continued through a collaboration with Richard at Stanford, Misty would wear multiple large rubber bands around her thighs and upper arms.

Though it seemed strange, I was totally captivated by this unique way of restricting blood flow to the extremities while raising the heart rate through training. I did not think much about it...at least not for 15 years.

Jump ahead to 2013...

After a very successful coaching career in Switzerland, I returned to Stanford for a brief coaching opportunity in 2012 and then relocated to Boston in the spring to take on the assistant coaching position at Harvard University. My fortune continued while at Harvard, most importantly one day while sitting in my office and observing 2012 Olympian Alex Meyer dive into the pool for an early swim with Olympic coach Tim Murphy. On this particular day, someone else accompanied Alex and Tim and they seemed to be testing some kind of equipment. My curiosity had never waned and I was drawn to the pool deck where I met their guest, Steven Munatones.

I was no stranger to Steven and his passion for swimming. I had read one of his books about Open Water Swimming while coaching some open water swimmers in Europe. I had also seen him at some meets and events many years prior. Coach Murphy and Steve were observing Alex swim a series of 50’s and I noticed some kind of bands wrapped around his upper arms as he trained. Alex was/is a true glutton for punishment, so when I saw his grimace after only a handful of 50’s at a moderate speed, I asked myself, 'What are these crazy arm bands?' I continued to watch as they switched to legs…OUFF, Alex maintained the same facial result.

I introduced myself to Steve and I think he immediately felt my enthusiasm for this interesting way of creating a 'race pain' without the need for a time-consuming test set. I asked many questions and requested Steve to come back and test the bands on me. He obliged and I was blown away. Steve and I talked about the rubber bands that I had seen Misty use so many years prior…he said the science was almost identical. He called these bands KAATSU the original BFR. He explained that the equipment and protocols and concepts were developed in Japan.

This was when KAATSU first entered my life and I will forever be indebted to this moment.

I followed this up by introducing the Head Women’s Coach at Harvard to this very interesting training tool. She believed in my philosophy and passion for 'outside of the box' training techniques and we steadily grew a relationship with Steve and some others who were practitioners of KAATSU. In order to safely and successfully implement the KAATSU Aqua Bands into our training, all parties agreed that the coaches should undertake some formal training in KAATSU and become KAATSU-certified. It was incredibly interesting, though I struggled with how exactly we would begin with the team.

Then, because of an injury, the how and why became crystal clear.

In early 2013 I had made a pack with myself to get fit. I needed and goal, so I set me eyes on a Tough Mudder obstacle race. It was a perfect event to get myself motivated to train and be ready. I even used the KAATSU Master to improve my fitness level. On the day of the event, at mile #10, I slipped on a log and smashed my side. The result was 2 broken ribs.

I continued to use the KAATSU Master and both arm and leg bands during my recovery. I was shocked at how fast the pain and sensitivity were diminished. I decided to see what was really happening. So 10 days after the x-rays revealed the broken ribs, I requested a second look. The doctor was in disbelief at how fast I had healed. This was all I needed to believe that KAATSU was the only reason for my quick recovery. I was TOTALLY IN and wanted the athletes that I work with to be able to benefit in any and all ways possible from a clear and methodical use of KAATSU.

I have never been so amazed at the results of anything in the sport of swimming as I am with a continued use of KAATSU Aqua Bands in everyday training. My athletes are not only healing pre-existing injuries, they are preventing injuries and making BIG time drops...this is HUGE!

Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global

Aquatic Equivalents Of Brutal Dryland Workouts

Lee Boyce in Men's Journal explains, "If you want to burn fat, you need workouts that are brutal, but short lived. Most metabolic conditioning workouts geared for fat loss allow the body to accumulate lactate (the "burn"), and keep the heart rate up. Cover these bases, and you burn fat — period."

While swimmers or triathletes may not want to burn fat like their dryland endurance colleagues or strength-oriented athletes, there are more than a few aquatic equivalent sets of the fat-burning weight-lifting workouts advocated by Boyce.

Dryland Method 1 - The Tabata Method: Do a movement explosively for 20 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest, repeat 8 times for an intense 3 minute 50 second set. Repeat these kinds of sets for 6-7 different exercises for a complete burn.

Swimming Equivalent of The Tabata Method: KAATSU Aqua: Swim across the pool with either KAATSU Aqua Bands on your arms or on your legs [see above], approximately 20 seconds of sprinting. Rest 10 seconds and repeat 8 times. By the second lap, your muscles will be screaming. Unlike The Tabata Method, you will not be able to complete this cycle 6 or 7 times. Twice will be all you can handle.

Dryland Method 2 - German Volume Training: Do 10 sets of 10 repetitions at 60-70% of your maximum lifting weight (i.e., if you can bench press 100 kg one time, then lift 60-70 kg 10 times for 1 set). Rest 1 minute between sets. Do this kind of set for 3-4 different exercises for a complete burn.

Swimming Equivalent of German Volume Training: Do 10 x 50 swims at your fastest average speed (i.e., if you can swim 50m butterfly in 40 seconds, then swim 10 x 50 @ :50 intervals). Do one set butterfly, one backstroke or breaststroke, another set butterfly, and the final set freestyle. Do a deck-up at the end of each 50 when you pull yourself out of the water and then dive in again at your selected interval.

Dryland Method 3 - Extended Set Training: Lift your 10-12 rep max (i.e., the maximum amount you can lift for 10-12 repetitions) two times. Rest 10 seconds, then do 3 repetitions. Rest 10 seconds again, then do 5 more repetitions. Rest 10 seconds again, then do 10 more repetitions for a total of 20 repetitions. Do 5 rounds per exercise and 2 different exercises for a complete burn.

Swimming Equivalent of Extended Set Training: Swim a 50 at your fastest 200m pace. Rest 10 seconds. Swim a 100 at your fastest 400m pace. Rest 10 seconds. Swim a 200 at your fastest 1000m pace. Do this ladder 5 times freestyle followed by 5 more times with a different stroke.

Dryland Method 4 - Barbell Complexes: Do 3 complimentary lifting exercises in a row without putting the bar down. Do 5 sets of these complexes with a barbell, resting 2–3 minutes between rounds. Then finish with 1-2 more complexes using dumbbells or barbells for a complete burn.

Swimming Equivalent of Barbell Complexes: Do a 100m swim fast, pull yourself out of the water without resting, and do a series of push-ups, lunges or squats to failure. Alternatively, if there is a 1-meter diving board in the pool, do pull-ups on the diving board while hanging in the water. If you cannot conveniently pull yourself out of the pull, do vertical kicking instead [see photo below]. Do 5 sets of these swimming complexes, at least one of each stroke. Finish with a 50m swim all-out, do a deck-up without resting, and your least favorite dryland exercise.



























Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Kicking with KAATSU Aqua

Catalina Channel swimmer Chris Dahowski of Paseo Aquatics understands swimming well from decades as a national-level age-group, high school and collegiate swimmer.

The KAATSU Aqua-certified coach from Santa Clarita, California has a unique view of enabling his athletes to concurrently enjoy a tough workout and the camaraderie of their teammates.

“We push our swimmers in fast-swimming sets for 12-18 minutes. Then we will build a social kick where the kids can grab their kick boards and talk as much as they want during specific times during a workout,” Dahowski explains. “But if they do not give it their all or slack off, then we subtract a minute from the social kick. So if we have a built-in 5 minutes of social kicking within a workout and they slack off, then we knock off a minute of their social kick time.

Believe me, when their social kicking time is reduced, the kids have a great way to focus.”

The social kick serves another purpose. It is a great way for Dahowski to gauge whether or not his athletes are reaching their potential.

“After a really hard set, they start their social kicking. But on the first 50, the kids are totally quiet, just kicking slowly with their kick boards. When they have really pushed themselves, they need time for their body – and minds – to recover. But by the 75, I start to hear murmurings and then by the 100, they are chattering like normal. This is a great indicator whether or not the intensity was there.”

When I start to hear giggling, I know they are ready to go for the next (hard) time."

Copyright © 2015 by KAATSU Global

Déjà Vu, Training Of Misty Hyman Redux

Courtesy of KAATSU Global, Huntington Beach, California.

In Arizona during the 1990's, two-time American High School Swimmer of the Year Misty Hyman started to put large rubber bands around her upper legs and upper arms under the guidance of her Hall of Fame coach Bob Gillette.

Gillette was innovative and came up with the idea of placing big, thick bands around Hyman's arms and legs in order to restrict the blood flow to her extremities.

After Hyman entered Stanford as America's most formidable high school star in 1997, she continued to use the rubber bands around her legs and arms during certain sets under the guidance of renowned Olympic coach Richard Quick.

A few of her teammates tried the bands around their legs, but Hyman remained a lone star in the revolutionary training modality.

Combined with her innate talents and hard work, her training regimen worked as Hyman graduated from Stanford University with 9 NCAA titles to her credit.


Most famously, Hyman put all those years of training to good use when she pulled off one of the greatest upsets in aquatic history when she defeated Susie O'Neill at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Defending Olympic champion Neill had not lost a 200-meter butterfly race in six years, but Hyman put it all together physically and mentally on swimming’s biggest stage in Sydney.

When Hyman retired in 2004, the close of her career spelled the end of those thick rubber bands.

But a young American coach, Christopher Morgan, was also on the pool deck helping Quick mold Olympic champions and NCAA record-holders at Stanford. He watched Hyman go from a high school star to Olympic champion. But he always wondered about those rubber bands. Why wasn't anyone using them? What exactly did the bands do physiologically? When the limbs are engorged in blood, what happens to the body?

Dial forward 18 years.

Hyman continues to be a role model for swimmers and people of all walks of life. Gillette currently serves as a USA Swimming Master Coach while Quick sadly passed away in 2009. Morgan found his own path to Olympics as coach of the Swiss team as well as a coach at Harvard University.

While at Harvard, Morgan met with a representative of an innovative Japanese doctor who had independently developed blood flow moderation exercise in the 1960s. “Dr. Sato created KAATSU which means ‘additional pressure’. It has been used by hundreds of thousands of Japanese for sports performance, fitness, and rehabilitation over the last several decades. When I first saw Dr. Sato’s sophisticated pneumatic KAATSU bands with sensors inside, it reminded me of Misty’s rubber bands. It was déjà vu in the pool with a highly sophisticated Japanese technological twist.”

Dr. Peter Lansbury, a former Princeton swimmer and currently a professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School has been using KAATSU bands for several months. He explains, “Dr. Sato discovered the effects of blood flow moderation exercise that he calls KAATSU. He has shown remarkable results with Japanese Olympic medalists and pro athletes and is now working with the Chinese Olympic Committee. Fortunately, he also shared his knowledge with our colleagues here at the Harvard Medical School. But Chris has really run with KAATSU’s applications with his age-group swimmers at Northshore YMCA.”

Morgan describes his pioneering KAATSU training on dryland and KAATSU Aqua in the pool with three young swimmers on his team.

"Carson Christuk is a 16-year-old breaststroker. He has been using KAATSU Aqua 3 times per week after breaking his wrist and dislocating his kneecap during 2013. He says KAATSU has helped reduce and occasionally eliminate the lingering pain of his injuries. But it is the improvement in his best times that have been most satisfying. He was a 2:14 200 breaststroker in September 2013 and then dropped his time to 2:11 with a taper in December. After starting KAATSU Aqua in January, he pulled a 2:09 in February and then ripped off a 2:03 in April at the YMCA National Championships.

Jake Bennett is an 18-year-old freestyler. He had a bad rotator cuff injury since the summer of 2013. It would flare up under high stress or due to high volume. Initially, he used KAATSU every day for 2 weeks to see any improvement. During the first week, he only used the KAATSU Aqua bands on his legs, but then he started up with his arms on week 2. After 2 weeks, his pain was almost gone for the first time in 3 months. Like Carson, his performances skyrocketed. He was a 1:44.9 200 freestyler in September 2013 and did a 1:46.5 in October while he was in pain. But after starting KAATSU in November, he dropped to 1:44.5 in December and just did a 1:41.2 swimming pain free at the high school state championships.”

Morgan has also used KAATSU with four of his disabled swimmers including 3 Para-National Team swimmers and 1 world record holder. “The Japanese use KAATSU Aqua bands with individuals who are missing limbs or who have had strokes. We place the KAATSU bands on both limbs of our disabled athletes while we carefully identify and monitor the pressure. While it may look like simple bands on the arms and legs, there is a specific protocol that Dr. Sato developed. Like the American Olympic skiers and jumpers who use KAATSU, and the professional athletes in Japan, we look for a certain physiological state and then we work with our swimmers over intense, short periods with some pretty remarkable results."



Dr. Jim Stray-Gundersen oversees KAATSU training with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association athletes where all the skiers and snowboarders incorporate KAATSU into their training regimen. The Sports Science Advisor explains how he has applied KAATSU at the Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah. “When we have injured athletes, they can do both KAATSU and Alter-G in order to maintain their strength and aerobic conditioning as they recover. We are also starting to incorporate KAATSU training into the regime of our uninjured athletes. KAATSU allows safe (very light weights), maximal workouts to failure in short periods of time (about 15 minutes), with positive results coming in as little as 10 sessions."

What Bob Gillette and Misty Hyman were working on in the 1990’s may have been more profound that they may have initially realized.

“When the KAATSU bands are applied correctly with the optimal pressure which is different for everyone [using the KAATSU Nano unit shown below], the arterial in-flow to the limbs is restricted and the deep venous out-flow is impeded,” explains Dr. Stray-Gundersen.

“As the athlete moves, whether it is swimming or doing dry-land exercise, the capillary-venous space becomes distended and congested in the muscle distal to the KAATSU bands. Muscle contraction under these conditions of impeded blood flow and congested vascular space uses up intracellular phosphates energy stores and oxygen at a rate greater than the circulation can replenish them.

Metabolic waste products accumulate and homeostasis in the muscle is lost.”

As the athlete continue to exercise with the KAATSU bands, the intensity of effort rapidly increases. The discomfort they feel at the end of a race is quickly achieved during practice.

“Consequently, as the tissue becomes more hypoxic and energy stores depleted, anaerobic glycolysis attempts to compensate by increasing its rate, which produces some ATP, but also produces a marked disturbance in muscle homeostasis that ultimately leads to muscle failure, or in other words, not being able to continue the exercises,” says Dr. Stray-Gundersen.

The effects that have been seen in combative sports (boxing, wrestling, judo), baseball, rugby, and numerous winter sports in Japan and China are now beginning to be understood by Morgan and others in the aquatic world.

Dr. Stray-Gundersen describes his perspective. “We think, but have yet to prove, that there is a local effect and a systemic effect from KAATSU training. When blood flow is restricted and muscle is asked to exercise with a restricted, engorged circulation, homeostasis is lost in the exercising tissues below the KAATSU belt. The development of hypoxia, acidosis and various other metabolites outside their normal concentrations, stimulates a positive adaptive response in the local muscle and vasculature. Increasing concentrations of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF), which has been shown experimentally, is an example of the "local" effect.

In addition, we think there is an important systemic response, where the loss of homeostasis is communicated to the brain (KAATSU practitioners are aware of the discomfort in their muscles) and the brain responds by increasing breathing and heart rate, as well as initiating an "anabolic" cascade. The release of growth hormone from the pituitary, which has been shown experimentally, is an example of this "systemic" response. This has the effect of causing muscle both distal to the KAATSU belts and proximal to the belts to adapt and get stronger.

In essence, KAATSU presents a very effective and highly efficient mechanism that coaches and trainers can implement with their athletes to get increasing circulating levels of growth hormone and VEGF, that is otherwise difficult and very taxing to do."

Essentially back in the 1990s, Hyman had a secret weapon in her training regimen that was far ahead of her time. While her strength off the walls, technique, stamina, and mental outlook all came together at the Sydney Olympics, Hyman had been uniquely developing her vascular system over the years.

At the same time half a world away, KAATSU began gaining a foothold among athletes in Japan. Based on his own research and patented concepts and equipment, Dr. Sato began conducting medical and scientific research with the University of Tokyo Hospital and other researchers and physicians in Japan. With a rapidly aging population, KAATSU started to gain adherents throughout Japanese society. KAATSU was even used with comatose patients and those with neurological diseases.

For every Japanese Olympic medalist who used KAATSU, there were many more individuals – from teenagers to their great-grandparents – who integrated the KAATSU in their fitness and rehabilitation programs. Last year, KAATSU has begun used by Chinese and American professional and Olympic athletes in various sports.

Its first use in the aquatics world in the U.S. was by Vanguard Aquatics in Huntington Beach, California. Coaches Uros Dzelebdzic and Sasa Branisavljevic have quickly developed one of the best age-group water polo programs in the country. They continue to refine KAATSU’s use with their age group and high school players.

Dzelebdzic summarized his first test, “KAATSU appears to be an effective short-term training method that improves performance significantly more than traditional high intensity training. Athletes who used KAATSU had almost a 4% increase in speed compared with athletes who did not use KAATSU.”

But like Gillette, Dzelebdzic may only be scratching the surface of KAATSU.

"Together with Dr. Sato, we established the Center for KAATSU Research at Harvard Medical School and the KAATSU Research Foundation,” says Professor Lansbury. “We base our research on the specific protocols for safe use that Dr. Sato discovered, researched, and confirmed over the past 40 years. Each athlete uses different KAATSU pressures that are appropriate to them; the coach confirms this pressure before workout which can differ from day to day.

KAATSU can be used widely in various realms, from corporate wellness to the NFL. Besides exploring different medical and therapeutic possibilities of KAATSU, the sports performance possibilities for this technology are obvious based on the research and practical applications at all levels of Japanese sports and medicine.”



KAATSU Aqua will be introduced at the 2014 American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida this week. For more information, visit www.kaatsu-global.com.

Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global

A Positive Mindset For Brain Surgery

For who? Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? post-surgery, strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery



























Dr. Lyle Nalli was surprised when his hearing went out after he hopped out of workout one day.

"I just couldn't hear with my left ear," said the 53-year-old podiatrist from Huntington Beach, California. "I got out of the pool and thought there was water in my ear. It would not go away. I thought there was wax in the ear, but there was nothing.

I took a hearing test that showed a loss of hearing, but the doctors did not know why."

After consulting his colleagues in the medical community, he went in for an MRI. "It was positive for acoustic neuroma (AN), a swelling of the nerve," he recalls. The tumor was 3 mm in diameter and located inside his cranium between the inner ear and his brain stem. "After consultation, there were 3 options: just observe and let it be, gamma knive, and a surgery to excise it. I decided on surgery at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles with Dr. Slattery who I cannot say enough positive things about." He decided on an immediate surgery because he felt he was healthy enough to get through the surgery, there was no chance of coming back after excision, and he could eliminate the worry for the rest of his life that the tumor was not getting bigger.

For a man who has been training and racing all his life as a competitive pool and open water swimmer, health was not an issue. Not only has Dr. Nalli been a regular at local events, he has placed at World Masters Championships and was on a world record-setting Catalina Channel relay with his Long Beach Swim Focus teammates. "The nurses and staff nicknamed me The Athlete because my resting heart rate was so low. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), my resting pulse of 38 beats per minute kept on tripping the alarm."

Like his open water swims, Dr. Nalli knew the inherent risks, but he had prepared himself as best he could and left the preparations and guidance up to Dr. Slattery. "In surgery, he cut into my skill about the size of a quarter (24 mm) behind my ear. He drilled into my skull and then gave me a spinal tap and drained out the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). This caused my brain to recede and gave the doctor some slack to work with. Then he made a cut to excise the tumor around the brain stem where the facial nerves, hearing nerves, and balance nerves are located. He cut out the balance nerves and then shaved off a bit of the hearing nerve in order to save my hearing. Six hours later, the benign, slow-growing tumor was out and he patched me all up."

Dr. Nalli's story now becomes one of inspiration and shows the advantages of staying in shape as one ages.

"I was in ICU for 3 days and then I stayed in the hospital for a week total. For the first day and a half, I went in and out of sleep I had a throbbing headache and a sick, sour taste in my stomach for 4 days. It was hard to sleep and I had this strong sense of smell of cat urine and burnt eggs. This taste and smell did not go away for days and I immediately lost 15 pounds while I was in ICU. I lost my sense of balance and my head felt like it was spinning when I did things like try to walk or read or watch TV. Patience and time were what was needed. Even after 7 days, I wasn't able to walk upstairs and listening to music and reading was just tiring. I learned patience."

Fortunately, his healthy body built up over the decades through swimming got about to start healing itself quickly. "I just go around to waiting and watching. This was exactly the opposite from all my experiences in athletics and swimming. Imagine in swimming if a coach asked you to just do nothing in order to get better? But that is what I did."

But time means different things to different people. And Nalli was definitely different.

3 days in ICU, 7 days in the hospital, and on the 18th day after 6 hours of brain surgery, Dr. Nalli ventured back to the pool. He was weak and his muscles had atrophied. He started to use KAATSU and KAATSU Aqua to gain back muscle and recover to where he was before.

"After 2 weeks, Dr. Slattery was surprised at my recovery. I had to have help to walk and keep my balance. Once I got back in the pool, I was so elated to even kick. But I felt nauseous when I did a flip turn or even turned my head to breathe. I was very happy to be able to do 25 yards of freestyle, but I mostly did kicking. I was careful and couldn't do flip turns and even breathing side to side was tough. But day by day, I got better and used a swim snorkel. I started out doing 500 yards, then 1100 yards, then 1800 yards."

Remarkably, less than 4 weeks from his skull being cut open with a drill, Dr. Nalli had gradually upped his distance to 5000 yards and was regularly doing KAATSU Training on land and KAATSU Aqua in the water.

"I just got in and decided to do a 500-yard swim. Once I was able to do that, I decided to do 1000 yards total [40 laps of a pool]. It is just progression. I am happy that I was healthy before the surgery. The wobbling is getting less intense and the dizziness is going away sooner.

I entered U.S. Masters Swimming Nationals less than a month and competed in the 400 individual medley and distance freestyle."

Dr. Nalli continued to do KAATSU every day during his recovery. He further augmented his physical therapy with KAATSU Aqua training on a near daily basis as part of his overall rehabilitation in a quest to return to his former swimming speed.

Some of his post-surgery workouts included using KAATSU Aqua Bands on his upper arms and upper legs in the pool, swimming 1-2 laps slowly while building up lactic acid that would normally result if he swam intensely. As his limbs become engorged in blood, he did KAATSU Aqua sets of 25 yards and 50 yards. He did anywhere from 200 - 800 yards in total distance with the KAATSU Aqua Bands as he reached failure when the lactic acid in his arms precluded him from swimming further - and served as a catalyst for a significant hormonal response.

Looking at his sparkling blue eyes and wide smile, his joy in swimming was clearly evident and a credit to his positive mindset and a long life of healthful living.

Copyright © 2014 - 2015 by KAATSU Global