For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 30th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 27th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 28th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 31st
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
KAATSU blog posts testimonials, protocols, case studies, techniques and ideas about KAATSU for recovery, rehabilitation, functional mobility and athletic performance. Statements included in this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Great Leg Workout With KAATSU, The Original BFR
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes, ice hockey players, speed skaters
For what? Functional movement, strength, stamina, speed
For athletes who play football or fĂștbol, speed skate or row or cycle, generating powerful leg power and drive are common among elite athletes.
One example of how to do so is using KAATSU the original BFR with KAATSU Air Bands on the upper legs on a slide board. After a few or several sets of KAATSU Cycles, the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 can be detached from the bands and then used in various sets on the slide board - see above.
Another intense KAATSU program that Japanese Olympic speed skaters developed for speed and power was used by Hiroyasu Shimizu, a 1998 500m speed skating Olympic champion and 5-time world record holder from Japan. While only 162 cm in height (5'-3"), the power and size of his thighs are renowned.
He used the following 5 basic exercises with KAATSU Air Bands:
6 Types of Exercises:
1. Squats
2. Leg Curls
3. Leg Lunges
4. Calf Raises
5. Slide Board
Key Points:
* Focus on doing "non-lock exercises" where the knees are never fully extended and the muscles are constantly engaged with the KAATSU Air Bands on.
* Keep the rest period between sets and between exercises to 20 seconds maximum.
* Build the lactate levels to the highest levels possible.
* Do 3-4 sets of each exercise to failure (maximum effort).
* Failure on each set should be reached earlier and earlier (i.e., 24-40 repetitions on the first set in each exercise; >20 reps on second set; >10 reps in his third set; 1-2 reps on fourth set.
Details:
1. SQUATS
Do deep, quick non-lock squats until failure where the knees are kept at less than 90° throughout the 4 sets.
2. LEG CURLS
Do quickly paced leg curls until failure where the legs were kept at less than 90° throughout the 4 sets.
3. LEG LUNGES
Do deep walking leg lunges where athlete "walks" forward with (or without) a bar bell resting on the shoulders (or dumb bells in his hands).
4. CALF RAISES
Do 4 sets of calf raises with weights on the shoulders and toes in a starting position elevated above the heels (i.e., while standing on a small step or a step board) so the calves are worked.
5. SLIDE BOARD
Skate back and forth on a slide board in a deep squat, occasionally with weights resting on his shoulders.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, strength, stamina, speed
For athletes who play football or fĂștbol, speed skate or row or cycle, generating powerful leg power and drive are common among elite athletes.
One example of how to do so is using KAATSU the original BFR with KAATSU Air Bands on the upper legs on a slide board. After a few or several sets of KAATSU Cycles, the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 can be detached from the bands and then used in various sets on the slide board - see above.
Another intense KAATSU program that Japanese Olympic speed skaters developed for speed and power was used by Hiroyasu Shimizu, a 1998 500m speed skating Olympic champion and 5-time world record holder from Japan. While only 162 cm in height (5'-3"), the power and size of his thighs are renowned.
He used the following 5 basic exercises with KAATSU Air Bands:
6 Types of Exercises:
1. Squats
2. Leg Curls
3. Leg Lunges
4. Calf Raises
5. Slide Board
Key Points:
* Focus on doing "non-lock exercises" where the knees are never fully extended and the muscles are constantly engaged with the KAATSU Air Bands on.
* Keep the rest period between sets and between exercises to 20 seconds maximum.
* Build the lactate levels to the highest levels possible.
* Do 3-4 sets of each exercise to failure (maximum effort).
* Failure on each set should be reached earlier and earlier (i.e., 24-40 repetitions on the first set in each exercise; >20 reps on second set; >10 reps in his third set; 1-2 reps on fourth set.
Details:
1. SQUATS
Do deep, quick non-lock squats until failure where the knees are kept at less than 90° throughout the 4 sets.
2. LEG CURLS
Do quickly paced leg curls until failure where the legs were kept at less than 90° throughout the 4 sets.
3. LEG LUNGES
Do deep walking leg lunges where athlete "walks" forward with (or without) a bar bell resting on the shoulders (or dumb bells in his hands).
4. CALF RAISES
Do 4 sets of calf raises with weights on the shoulders and toes in a starting position elevated above the heels (i.e., while standing on a small step or a step board) so the calves are worked.
5. SLIDE BOARD
Skate back and forth on a slide board in a deep squat, occasionally with weights resting on his shoulders.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Clinical Safety Of KAATSU, The Original BFR
For who? Cardiac rehabilitation patients, Baby Boomers, retirees
For what? Vascular elasticity, cardiac rehabilitation, recovery
Steven Munatones of KAATSU Global reported, "After reading the published paper, Clinical safety of blood flow-restricted training? A comprehensive review of altered muscle metaboreflex in cardiovascular disease during ischemic, I recall the decade-long research on KAATSU that a team of experienced cardiologists at the University of Tokyo Hospital conducted on over 7,000 cardiac rehab patients between 2004 and 2014.
If this decade-long study had not been successful, KAATSU the original BFR would have never been introduced outside of Japan. If the KAATSU protocols had caused any untoward issues with these older cardiac rehab patients, KAATSU Global would have never been established in the United States - or anywhere.
After 10 years of studying, testing and researching the passive use of KAATSU Cycles and documenting the applications and limitations of KAATSU equipment, it is very clear that BFR equipment and BFR protocols noted in the published literature are different."
In the aforementioned paper, the authors note that "blood flow restriction training (BFRT) requires the inflation of a pneumatic pressure cuff or a tourniquet positioned proximal to the exercising muscle before, and during, the bout of exercise."
KAATSU Difference: KAATSU flexible, narrow pneumatic bands is neither a blood pressure cuff or tourniquet and were never designed or engineered to occlude blood flow. In fact, with the help of a Masimo MightySat Finger Pulse Oximeter, one can easily see how blood flow is never occluded with the KAATSU Air Bands.
"Low-intensity BFRT with resistance training promotes comparable increases in muscle mass and strength observed during high-intensity exercise without blood flow restriction. BFRT has expanded into the clinical research setting as a potential therapeutic approach to treat functionally impaired individuals, such as the elderly, and patients with orthopedic and cardiovascular disease/conditions."
KAATSU Difference: For cardiac rehab patients, only KAATSU Cycles are performed. While BFR refers to sustained constant pressure while trying to build muscle mass, KAATSU Cycles are repeated intermittent inflation and deflation of the bands without a focus on building muscle mass.
"BFRT is a method of exercise training that involves execution of low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction (LIBFR) provided by an inflatable cuff or a tourniquet placed proximal to the exercising muscle."
KAATSU Difference: With the KAATSU Cycle, the limbs do not have to move and exercise is not a requirement or even an expectation for cardiac rehab patients doing KAATSU.
"In general, the external cuff pressure applied is set relative to the arterial occlusion pressure (AOP; i.e., the pressure required to cease blood flow to a limb), which is sufficient to produce partial restriction of arterial inflow and full occlusion of venous outflow."
KAATSU Difference: The pressure of the KAATSU Air Bands are not related to or dependent upon the arterial occlusion pressure. Most definitely, the full occlusion of venous outflow and the partial restriction of arterial information are not neither the goals of KAATSU nor part of its applications and protocols.
"A large survey in Japan with BFRT [note: authors refer to KAATSU Specialists] instructors from 232 facilities did not verify any major event, such as cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarct, or thrombosis in 120,000 subjects with a large variability of demographical and clinical characteristics (e.g., older adults and people with obesity, diabetes, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases). Reported side effects were generally minor, including transient numbness or dizziness, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and itchiness."
KAATSU Difference: This survey of Japanese KAATSU Specialists is accurate ("Use and safety of KAATSU training: Results of a national survey"); however, none of the Japanese instructors had access to the currently available automated KAATSU Cycle function of the KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU Nano and KAATSU Cycle 2.0 units. The survey was conducted in Japan over 15 years ago before the current-generation equipment was developed. In 2014 as a result of the decade-long study, KAATSU Global only sells equipment with the automated KAATSU Cycle function.
In the case of transient numbness or dizziness, the KAATSU Air Bands should be immediately removed and the patients should be well hydrated before and only do the automated KAATSU Cycles. In the case of subcutaneous hemorrhage and itchiness, the KAATSU Air Bands should be removed and reapplied at a lower pressure. For these reasons and others, KAATSU tightness (pressure) is never a function of AOP.
"However, care should be taken with general assumptions about BFRT safety given the paucity of long-term prospective trials with clinical populations, and the possibility of some remaining adverse effects that are still largely overlooked in the literature."
KAATSU Difference: An important result of the 10-year study of 7,000 cardiac rehab patients in Japan was that KAATSU is not used on patients who have experienced acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, ventricular tachycardia or severe arrhythmia, serious case of cardiac insufficiency (NYHA class IV), serious aortic stenosis, acute pulmonary embolism or lung infarction, and acute myocarditis or pericarditis.
Questions? Contact KAATSU Global at info@kaatsu.com.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Vascular elasticity, cardiac rehabilitation, recovery
Steven Munatones of KAATSU Global reported, "After reading the published paper, Clinical safety of blood flow-restricted training? A comprehensive review of altered muscle metaboreflex in cardiovascular disease during ischemic, I recall the decade-long research on KAATSU that a team of experienced cardiologists at the University of Tokyo Hospital conducted on over 7,000 cardiac rehab patients between 2004 and 2014.
If this decade-long study had not been successful, KAATSU the original BFR would have never been introduced outside of Japan. If the KAATSU protocols had caused any untoward issues with these older cardiac rehab patients, KAATSU Global would have never been established in the United States - or anywhere.
After 10 years of studying, testing and researching the passive use of KAATSU Cycles and documenting the applications and limitations of KAATSU equipment, it is very clear that BFR equipment and BFR protocols noted in the published literature are different."
In the aforementioned paper, the authors note that "blood flow restriction training (BFRT) requires the inflation of a pneumatic pressure cuff or a tourniquet positioned proximal to the exercising muscle before, and during, the bout of exercise."
KAATSU Difference: KAATSU flexible, narrow pneumatic bands is neither a blood pressure cuff or tourniquet and were never designed or engineered to occlude blood flow. In fact, with the help of a Masimo MightySat Finger Pulse Oximeter, one can easily see how blood flow is never occluded with the KAATSU Air Bands.
"Low-intensity BFRT with resistance training promotes comparable increases in muscle mass and strength observed during high-intensity exercise without blood flow restriction. BFRT has expanded into the clinical research setting as a potential therapeutic approach to treat functionally impaired individuals, such as the elderly, and patients with orthopedic and cardiovascular disease/conditions."
KAATSU Difference: For cardiac rehab patients, only KAATSU Cycles are performed. While BFR refers to sustained constant pressure while trying to build muscle mass, KAATSU Cycles are repeated intermittent inflation and deflation of the bands without a focus on building muscle mass.
"BFRT is a method of exercise training that involves execution of low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction (LIBFR) provided by an inflatable cuff or a tourniquet placed proximal to the exercising muscle."
KAATSU Difference: With the KAATSU Cycle, the limbs do not have to move and exercise is not a requirement or even an expectation for cardiac rehab patients doing KAATSU.
"In general, the external cuff pressure applied is set relative to the arterial occlusion pressure (AOP; i.e., the pressure required to cease blood flow to a limb), which is sufficient to produce partial restriction of arterial inflow and full occlusion of venous outflow."
KAATSU Difference: The pressure of the KAATSU Air Bands are not related to or dependent upon the arterial occlusion pressure. Most definitely, the full occlusion of venous outflow and the partial restriction of arterial information are not neither the goals of KAATSU nor part of its applications and protocols.
"A large survey in Japan with BFRT [note: authors refer to KAATSU Specialists] instructors from 232 facilities did not verify any major event, such as cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarct, or thrombosis in 120,000 subjects with a large variability of demographical and clinical characteristics (e.g., older adults and people with obesity, diabetes, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases). Reported side effects were generally minor, including transient numbness or dizziness, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and itchiness."
KAATSU Difference: This survey of Japanese KAATSU Specialists is accurate ("Use and safety of KAATSU training: Results of a national survey"); however, none of the Japanese instructors had access to the currently available automated KAATSU Cycle function of the KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU Nano and KAATSU Cycle 2.0 units. The survey was conducted in Japan over 15 years ago before the current-generation equipment was developed. In 2014 as a result of the decade-long study, KAATSU Global only sells equipment with the automated KAATSU Cycle function.
In the case of transient numbness or dizziness, the KAATSU Air Bands should be immediately removed and the patients should be well hydrated before and only do the automated KAATSU Cycles. In the case of subcutaneous hemorrhage and itchiness, the KAATSU Air Bands should be removed and reapplied at a lower pressure. For these reasons and others, KAATSU tightness (pressure) is never a function of AOP.
"However, care should be taken with general assumptions about BFRT safety given the paucity of long-term prospective trials with clinical populations, and the possibility of some remaining adverse effects that are still largely overlooked in the literature."
KAATSU Difference: An important result of the 10-year study of 7,000 cardiac rehab patients in Japan was that KAATSU is not used on patients who have experienced acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, ventricular tachycardia or severe arrhythmia, serious case of cardiac insufficiency (NYHA class IV), serious aortic stenosis, acute pulmonary embolism or lung infarction, and acute myocarditis or pericarditis.
Questions? Contact KAATSU Global at info@kaatsu.com.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
KAATSU The Original BFR At The 2020 Digital Running Show
For who? Runners, triathletes, competitive athletes
For what? Recovery, rehabilitation, strength, flexibility
KAATSU Global CEO & Co-founder Steven Munatones presented the KAATSU the original BFR and various KAATSU running applications at the 2020 Digital Running Show, an entirely virtual running convention (previously called the National Running Show).
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Recovery, rehabilitation, strength, flexibility
KAATSU Global CEO & Co-founder Steven Munatones presented the KAATSU the original BFR and various KAATSU running applications at the 2020 Digital Running Show, an entirely virtual running convention (previously called the National Running Show).
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 24th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 23rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 22nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 21st
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 20th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 24th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 23rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 22nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 21st
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 20th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Jonty Skinner Talks About Skill Acquisition With KAATSU, The Original BFR
For who? Student-athletes, competitive athletes, Olympic athletes
For what? Functional movement, technique, KAATSU At Home
Jonty Skinner was inducted as a coach in the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
But the South African first made his name in the international sports world as the fastest sprinter in the world [see below].
He would have been one of the gold medal favorites in the 100m freestyle at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games if his home country of South Africa were not banned due to its apartheid. Ineligible to compete in the Olympics, he had to showcase his speed in a shallow pool in Philadelphia.
He broke the world record - and was joyfully congratulated by his rivals, a tribute to his journey and obstacles that he overcame to become the fastest man in the water.
At the 1976 Olympics, his American rival Jim Montgomery won the 100m gold medal en route to becoming the first swimmer in history to break the 50-second barrier in the 100m freestyle with a 49.99. Twenty days later, Skinner set a new standard in 49.44 to set the world record.
Upon his retirement as the world's fastest sprinter, Skinner has long established another great legacy, this time in coaching.
He is a scientifically-minded, analytically-oriented coach whose career included an 8-year reign as USA Swimming’s Director of National Team Technical Support covering the 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In this position, Skinner was charged with organizing all of the testing, monitoring, and analysis of national team swimmers.
He also coached three separate times in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama (1978-1981; 1988-1994, 2012-2019) in one of the swimming world's most prestigious swimming programs.
As Skinner is described by Floswimming, "He continues to apply his analytical mind towards using cutting-edge scientific methods on his swimmers. In a sport where races are won and lost by hundredths of seconds, Skinner is always searching for new and creative ways to get his swimmers to move faster through the water."
Watch his use of KAATSU, the original BFR, here, produced by Floswimming. Skinner also shared his more recent thoughts about KAATSU the original BFR and how athletes can accelerate their skill acquisition in the video above.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, technique, KAATSU At Home
Jonty Skinner was inducted as a coach in the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
But the South African first made his name in the international sports world as the fastest sprinter in the world [see below].
He would have been one of the gold medal favorites in the 100m freestyle at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games if his home country of South Africa were not banned due to its apartheid. Ineligible to compete in the Olympics, he had to showcase his speed in a shallow pool in Philadelphia.
He broke the world record - and was joyfully congratulated by his rivals, a tribute to his journey and obstacles that he overcame to become the fastest man in the water.
At the 1976 Olympics, his American rival Jim Montgomery won the 100m gold medal en route to becoming the first swimmer in history to break the 50-second barrier in the 100m freestyle with a 49.99. Twenty days later, Skinner set a new standard in 49.44 to set the world record.
Upon his retirement as the world's fastest sprinter, Skinner has long established another great legacy, this time in coaching.
He is a scientifically-minded, analytically-oriented coach whose career included an 8-year reign as USA Swimming’s Director of National Team Technical Support covering the 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In this position, Skinner was charged with organizing all of the testing, monitoring, and analysis of national team swimmers.
He also coached three separate times in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama (1978-1981; 1988-1994, 2012-2019) in one of the swimming world's most prestigious swimming programs.
As Skinner is described by Floswimming, "He continues to apply his analytical mind towards using cutting-edge scientific methods on his swimmers. In a sport where races are won and lost by hundredths of seconds, Skinner is always searching for new and creative ways to get his swimmers to move faster through the water."
Watch his use of KAATSU, the original BFR, here, produced by Floswimming. Skinner also shared his more recent thoughts about KAATSU the original BFR and how athletes can accelerate their skill acquisition in the video above.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 17th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 15th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 14th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 13th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 17th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 15th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 14th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 13th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
KAATSU Cycling To Help Recover From High Lactate Levels
For who? Swimmers, student-athletes, competitive athletes, triathletes
For what? Recovery, stength, coordination, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU Aqua
Robert Griswold is an American Paralympic swimmer (a medalist) who has cerebral palsy. He is an experienced KAATSU user and does KAATSU Cycles before and after his races as part of his pre-race warm-up and post-race cool-down. He also uses KAATSU Aqua in his workouts.
Griswold’s Anaerobic output (pain tolerance) is extremely high; he averages 16.4 mmol/L after his 100-meter backstroke races and 17.9 mmol/L after his 200-meter individual medley. Those are his two signature races that he should win in next year’s Paralympic Games.
Those lactate levels are rarely reached even by other world-class athletes.
Griswold’s highest recorded post-race lactate level is 21.9 mmol/L, measured after his 200-meter individual medley race in Mexico City performed at high altitude. He had to be carried off the pool deck by the medical staff. They told Griswold that if anyone else on the American team reached those levels that they would have to take them to the hospital.
After Griswold’s races, he swims about 1500 meters in the warm down pool (taking over 24 minutes to cool down to a 2.0 mmol/L level which is deemed to be normal.
But by doing KAATSU Cycles (repeated and intermittent pressure on and pressure off of the KAATSU Air Bands, Griswold only swims 400 meters and saves significant time to get his lactate level down to 2.0 mmol/L.
He reports about the original form of BFR, “KAATSU saves me 20 minutes per race warm down and I felt a lot better. This is important because I had the 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley A finals only 10 minutes apart in Berlin earlier this year. I did KAATSU Cycles between the races and this was the only reason that I was able to get on the starting blocks for the second race. I was at 18.8 mmol/L after the 200m individual medley.”
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Recovery, stength, coordination, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU Aqua
Robert Griswold is an American Paralympic swimmer (a medalist) who has cerebral palsy. He is an experienced KAATSU user and does KAATSU Cycles before and after his races as part of his pre-race warm-up and post-race cool-down. He also uses KAATSU Aqua in his workouts.
Griswold’s Anaerobic output (pain tolerance) is extremely high; he averages 16.4 mmol/L after his 100-meter backstroke races and 17.9 mmol/L after his 200-meter individual medley. Those are his two signature races that he should win in next year’s Paralympic Games.
Those lactate levels are rarely reached even by other world-class athletes.
Griswold’s highest recorded post-race lactate level is 21.9 mmol/L, measured after his 200-meter individual medley race in Mexico City performed at high altitude. He had to be carried off the pool deck by the medical staff. They told Griswold that if anyone else on the American team reached those levels that they would have to take them to the hospital.
After Griswold’s races, he swims about 1500 meters in the warm down pool (taking over 24 minutes to cool down to a 2.0 mmol/L level which is deemed to be normal.
But by doing KAATSU Cycles (repeated and intermittent pressure on and pressure off of the KAATSU Air Bands, Griswold only swims 400 meters and saves significant time to get his lactate level down to 2.0 mmol/L.
He reports about the original form of BFR, “KAATSU saves me 20 minutes per race warm down and I felt a lot better. This is important because I had the 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley A finals only 10 minutes apart in Berlin earlier this year. I did KAATSU Cycles between the races and this was the only reason that I was able to get on the starting blocks for the second race. I was at 18.8 mmol/L after the 200m individual medley.”
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 7th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 10th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 9th, part 1
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 9th, part 2
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 8th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 6th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 1st
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 30th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 7th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 10th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 9th, part 1
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 9th, part 2
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 8th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 6th
KAATSU At Home Workout on July 1st
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 30th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Monday, June 29, 2020
3 Applications Of KAATSU For Athletes
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, performance, recovery
Sprinters, middle-distance athletes, and distance specialists train differently, and have different body types, training strategies, and mindsets. This is true in running, swimming, cycling, speed skating and many different types of sports.
But all athletes can effectively and efficiently use the 3 basic applications of KAATSU the original BFR:
*Level 1: KAATSU Cycle
*Level 2: KAATSU Performance
*Level 3: KAATSU Recovery
Level 1: KAATSU Cycle:
The KAATSU Cycle is a convenient, easy-to-use, automatic mode that requires no physical movement. It can be done anywhere (e.g., office cubicles, airplane seats, sofas at home, desks at school) anytime (e.g., before or after workouts), on the arms and separately on the legs. Before a workout, physical movement like stretching or an easy jog or calisthenics while the KAATSU Cycle mode is on can also be used.
During the KAATSU Cycle mode, the KAATSU Air Bands remain connected to the KAATSU equipment (KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Cycle 2.0 units) and automatically inflates and deflates to pressures between 0 - 500 SKU.
It is recommended that athletes start with lower pressures on their first KAATSU Cycle set (e.g., Group Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 1 on the KAATSU Master or 100 SKU on the KAATSU Nano). The second and subsequent sets can be increasingly set to higher pressures (e.g., Group Medium and Group High on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 2-5 on the KAATSU Master or 150-400 SKU on the KAATSU Nano).
The KAATSU Cycle mode helps increase the vascular tissue elasticity and prepare the athlete for movement and a vigorous workout.
Level 2: KAATSU Performance
The KAATSU Constant mode is ideal for any kind of athletic performance. After inflating the KAATSU Air Bands to your optimal SKU pressure, the bands are untethered (disconnected) from the KAATSU equipment so athletes can work on their starts or anything else from swings of a golf club to turns in a pool, especially after 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets have been completed.
KAATSU Performance is the most intense form of vigorous exercise and is highly aerobic. Athletes should always remain well hydrated before and during KAATSU - and should always monitor their CRT (Capillary Refill Time) and should immediately take off the bands if they feel lightheaded or uncomfortable.
Above is a short clip of elite sprinters working on short bursts of speed on a handful of hill runs in the KAATSU Training mode. Middle-distance and distance runners and swimmers can also utilize the KAATSU Training mode. They can combine distance (or duration) with pace, interval and pressure or KAATSU DPIP.
KAATSU DPIP
DPIP = Distance (or Duration) + Pace + Interval + Pressure
KAATSU Air Bands are inflated to an optimal SKU pressure so athletes can achieve a certain pace in a specific interval over a set distance or duration.
For example, a runner can run 8 x 400m at 2-minute intervals at a 1-minute pace with the KAATSU Air Band set at 100 SKU pressure. Swimmers can swim 8 x 100m at 1:45 intervals at a 1:20 pace with the KAATSU Air Band set at 100 SKU pressure.
Once this initial KAATSU DPIP set can be repeatedly achieved at 100 SKU (keeping the distance, pace and interval constant), the runners and swimmers can then increase their SKU pressure to 110 SKU. After the second set at 110 SKU can be repeatedly achieved (keeping everything constant), the runners and swimmers can then increase their SKU pressure to 120 SKU. They can continue to increase the pressure - or alternatively, increase their distance (or duration) or pace, or decrease their interval.
The SKU pressures used during the KAATSU 3-point Exercises are dependent upon the appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU pressures.
Level 3: KAATSU Recovery
After a hard strength-training session, a vigorous workout, or a competition, athletes can use the KAATSU Cycle mode to efficiently flush out lactate from their major muscle groups, enabling them to recover well in time for their next workout or competitive event.
The KAATSU Cycle mode is convenient and easy-to-use for post-workout recovery. The athletes can just sit and apply the KAATSU Air Bands to their arms and then their legs - or vice versa.
Some athletes prefer to do repeated KAATSU Cycle sets with the same SKU pressure. Other athletes prefer to start with a higher pressure and then decrease their pressure on subsequent sets. Other athletes prefer to do the opposite; they start with lower pressures and then increase their pressure on subsequent sets.
It is recommended that athletes start with lower pressures on their first KAATSU Cycle set (e.g., Group Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 1 on the KAATSU Master or 100 SKU on the KAATSU Nano). The second and subsequent sets can be increasingly set to higher pressures (e.g., Group Medium and Group High on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 2-5 on the KAATSU Master or 150-400 SKU on the KAATSU Nano).
The highest pressures that can be obtained are generally among athletes between ages 18-30 and decrease for both younger and older individuals. Dr Jim Stray-Gundersen explains, "There is an overlay of 'physiologic' age that modifies the chronological age. That is, older athletes who may have stiff, damaged arteries, should use relatively low pressures. Keep in mind what one is trying to do with KAATSU is find your optimal amount of venous outflow impediment so that otherwise easy exercises become unsustainable."
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, performance, recovery
Sprinters, middle-distance athletes, and distance specialists train differently, and have different body types, training strategies, and mindsets. This is true in running, swimming, cycling, speed skating and many different types of sports.
But all athletes can effectively and efficiently use the 3 basic applications of KAATSU the original BFR:
*Level 1: KAATSU Cycle
*Level 2: KAATSU Performance
*Level 3: KAATSU Recovery
Level 1: KAATSU Cycle:
The KAATSU Cycle is a convenient, easy-to-use, automatic mode that requires no physical movement. It can be done anywhere (e.g., office cubicles, airplane seats, sofas at home, desks at school) anytime (e.g., before or after workouts), on the arms and separately on the legs. Before a workout, physical movement like stretching or an easy jog or calisthenics while the KAATSU Cycle mode is on can also be used.
During the KAATSU Cycle mode, the KAATSU Air Bands remain connected to the KAATSU equipment (KAATSU Master 2.0, KAATSU Nano or KAATSU Cycle 2.0 units) and automatically inflates and deflates to pressures between 0 - 500 SKU.
It is recommended that athletes start with lower pressures on their first KAATSU Cycle set (e.g., Group Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 1 on the KAATSU Master or 100 SKU on the KAATSU Nano). The second and subsequent sets can be increasingly set to higher pressures (e.g., Group Medium and Group High on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 2-5 on the KAATSU Master or 150-400 SKU on the KAATSU Nano).
The KAATSU Cycle mode helps increase the vascular tissue elasticity and prepare the athlete for movement and a vigorous workout.
Level 2: KAATSU Performance
The KAATSU Constant mode is ideal for any kind of athletic performance. After inflating the KAATSU Air Bands to your optimal SKU pressure, the bands are untethered (disconnected) from the KAATSU equipment so athletes can work on their starts or anything else from swings of a golf club to turns in a pool, especially after 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets have been completed.
KAATSU Performance is the most intense form of vigorous exercise and is highly aerobic. Athletes should always remain well hydrated before and during KAATSU - and should always monitor their CRT (Capillary Refill Time) and should immediately take off the bands if they feel lightheaded or uncomfortable.
Above is a short clip of elite sprinters working on short bursts of speed on a handful of hill runs in the KAATSU Training mode. Middle-distance and distance runners and swimmers can also utilize the KAATSU Training mode. They can combine distance (or duration) with pace, interval and pressure or KAATSU DPIP.
KAATSU DPIP
DPIP = Distance (or Duration) + Pace + Interval + Pressure
KAATSU Air Bands are inflated to an optimal SKU pressure so athletes can achieve a certain pace in a specific interval over a set distance or duration.
For example, a runner can run 8 x 400m at 2-minute intervals at a 1-minute pace with the KAATSU Air Band set at 100 SKU pressure. Swimmers can swim 8 x 100m at 1:45 intervals at a 1:20 pace with the KAATSU Air Band set at 100 SKU pressure.
Once this initial KAATSU DPIP set can be repeatedly achieved at 100 SKU (keeping the distance, pace and interval constant), the runners and swimmers can then increase their SKU pressure to 110 SKU. After the second set at 110 SKU can be repeatedly achieved (keeping everything constant), the runners and swimmers can then increase their SKU pressure to 120 SKU. They can continue to increase the pressure - or alternatively, increase their distance (or duration) or pace, or decrease their interval.
The SKU pressures used during the KAATSU 3-point Exercises are dependent upon the appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU pressures.
Level 3: KAATSU Recovery
After a hard strength-training session, a vigorous workout, or a competition, athletes can use the KAATSU Cycle mode to efficiently flush out lactate from their major muscle groups, enabling them to recover well in time for their next workout or competitive event.
The KAATSU Cycle mode is convenient and easy-to-use for post-workout recovery. The athletes can just sit and apply the KAATSU Air Bands to their arms and then their legs - or vice versa.
Some athletes prefer to do repeated KAATSU Cycle sets with the same SKU pressure. Other athletes prefer to start with a higher pressure and then decrease their pressure on subsequent sets. Other athletes prefer to do the opposite; they start with lower pressures and then increase their pressure on subsequent sets.
It is recommended that athletes start with lower pressures on their first KAATSU Cycle set (e.g., Group Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 1 on the KAATSU Master or 100 SKU on the KAATSU Nano). The second and subsequent sets can be increasingly set to higher pressures (e.g., Group Medium and Group High on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 or Level 2-5 on the KAATSU Master or 150-400 SKU on the KAATSU Nano).
The highest pressures that can be obtained are generally among athletes between ages 18-30 and decrease for both younger and older individuals. Dr Jim Stray-Gundersen explains, "There is an overlay of 'physiologic' age that modifies the chronological age. That is, older athletes who may have stiff, damaged arteries, should use relatively low pressures. Keep in mind what one is trying to do with KAATSU is find your optimal amount of venous outflow impediment so that otherwise easy exercises become unsustainable."
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Thursday, June 25, 2020
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 29th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 26th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 24th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 23rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 22nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 19th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 18th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 29th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 26th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 24th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 23rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 22nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 19th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 18th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Stroke Survivors Do KAATSU, The Original BFR
For who? Stroke survivors
For what? Cardiac rehabilitation, mobility, functional movement
Rehabilitation and a positive mindset are critical to recovering from a stroke.
Strokes can vary in type and severity, and recovery from a stroke is difficult and often seems overwhelming. There are many stroke patients who incorporate KAATSU the original BFR in their rehabilitation.
Al is one example. The Southern Californian experienced a stroke in 1999 and he began KAATSU in June 2020 - and saw immediate improvement in his pain management and mobility.
These are the standard KAATSU protocols that he, his KAATSU Master Specialist Dave Carlson, and other stroke survivors follow:
1. Only use the KAATSU Cycle mode. Do not use the KAATSU Constant mode.
2. Use conservative (i.e., low) pressure in the beginning and at the start of each KAATSU Cycle session. This would be Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0, KAATSU C3, and KAATSU B1.
3. Be able to put a single finger between the KAATSU Air Bands on your skin.
4. Your skin should have a pink or red tone to it with your KAATSU Air Bands on; your skin should not appear blue, gray or white. The goal is to have blood engorged in your limbs; the goal is not to prevent blood from going into your limbs.
4. Put your KAATSU Air Bands over your clothing.
5. Be well hydrated before and during each KAATSU session.
6. After you become accustomed to KAATSU over a period of 2-4 weeks, you can use KAATSU frequently (1-2 times per day) for optimal and quick improvement.
7. Do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets per session. For example, you can do:
(a) 3-6 sets of the Low pressure, or
(b) 3-6 sets of Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets where you do a few sets on Low pressure, 1-2 sets on Medium pressure, and if you wish, then 1-2 sets on High pressure
8. First, do KAATSU on your arms. Then, do KAATSU on your legs. But never wear the KAATSU Air Bands on both your arms and legs together.
9. Do simple movements with your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms in the KAATSU Cycle mode (e.g., Hand Clenches, Biceps Curls, Triceps Extensions, Ball Squeezes, Holding and Writing with a Pen). Do not attempt push-ups or lift weights with your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms.
10. Do simple movements with your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs in the KAATSU Cycle mode (e.g., Toe Curls, Toe Raises, Sitting Heel Raises, Standing Leg Curls, Quadriceps Contractions, Easy Walking). Do not attempt to lift or press weights with your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs.
11. In the beginning, you can place the KAATSU Air Bands only on your affected limbs. That is, if your right arm is affected by the stroke, use the KAATSU Air Bands only on the right arm.
These protocols have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and its use should be evaluated by your own physician before use.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Cardiac rehabilitation, mobility, functional movement
Rehabilitation and a positive mindset are critical to recovering from a stroke.
Strokes can vary in type and severity, and recovery from a stroke is difficult and often seems overwhelming. There are many stroke patients who incorporate KAATSU the original BFR in their rehabilitation.
Al is one example. The Southern Californian experienced a stroke in 1999 and he began KAATSU in June 2020 - and saw immediate improvement in his pain management and mobility.
These are the standard KAATSU protocols that he, his KAATSU Master Specialist Dave Carlson, and other stroke survivors follow:
1. Only use the KAATSU Cycle mode. Do not use the KAATSU Constant mode.
2. Use conservative (i.e., low) pressure in the beginning and at the start of each KAATSU Cycle session. This would be Low on the KAATSU Cycle 2.0, KAATSU C3, and KAATSU B1.
3. Be able to put a single finger between the KAATSU Air Bands on your skin.
4. Your skin should have a pink or red tone to it with your KAATSU Air Bands on; your skin should not appear blue, gray or white. The goal is to have blood engorged in your limbs; the goal is not to prevent blood from going into your limbs.
4. Put your KAATSU Air Bands over your clothing.
5. Be well hydrated before and during each KAATSU session.
6. After you become accustomed to KAATSU over a period of 2-4 weeks, you can use KAATSU frequently (1-2 times per day) for optimal and quick improvement.
7. Do 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets per session. For example, you can do:
(a) 3-6 sets of the Low pressure, or
(b) 3-6 sets of Progressive KAATSU Cycle sets where you do a few sets on Low pressure, 1-2 sets on Medium pressure, and if you wish, then 1-2 sets on High pressure
8. First, do KAATSU on your arms. Then, do KAATSU on your legs. But never wear the KAATSU Air Bands on both your arms and legs together.
9. Do simple movements with your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms in the KAATSU Cycle mode (e.g., Hand Clenches, Biceps Curls, Triceps Extensions, Ball Squeezes, Holding and Writing with a Pen). Do not attempt push-ups or lift weights with your KAATSU Air Bands on your arms.
10. Do simple movements with your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs in the KAATSU Cycle mode (e.g., Toe Curls, Toe Raises, Sitting Heel Raises, Standing Leg Curls, Quadriceps Contractions, Easy Walking). Do not attempt to lift or press weights with your KAATSU Air Bands on your legs.
11. In the beginning, you can place the KAATSU Air Bands only on your affected limbs. That is, if your right arm is affected by the stroke, use the KAATSU Air Bands only on the right arm.
These protocols have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease and its use should be evaluated by your own physician before use.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Friday, June 19, 2020
The KAATSU Choice: Higher Pressures Over Heavy Weights
For who? Baseball players, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength
"Your legs are stronger than life..." said New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. He was explaining his condition after a tough KAATSU leg workout with ESPN sports broadcaster Jessica Mendoza in an ESPN interview.
Mendoza tried KAATSU with Cespedes and Mike Barwis, an early adopter of KAATSU, at the Barwis Methods Training Center in Port St Lucie, Florida.
Personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and exercise physiologists believe that optimal muscle building requires lifting of weights or doing resistance exercises. This leads to DOMS (Delayed-onset muscle soreness) that is felt after a hard workout and acute muscle soreness that is felt during or immediately after a workout.
Conventional wisdom is that the heavier the weight and/or the more repetitions or time in the gym, the larger and faster muscles will develop.
The muscle-building process leads to DMOS where the muscle fibers are damaged while weight lifting, and leads to the secretion of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) that results in muscle recovery, growth and size.
Practically, this means that if you are bench pressing 50 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, and then gradually increase the weight to 55 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then not only are you psychologically satisfied with your performance, but you are also getting stronger and most probably bigger in size.
And usually sore for a while after every weight training session.
Figuratively speaking, a strength and conditioning coach wants their athletes to lift more weights over more repetitions.
Let’s imagine that those weights are rocks. Let’s place those rocks in a bucket and ask the athlete to lift those imaginary buckets.
If the coach wants to increase their weight of that bucket, he will add another rock. But at some point, the bucket will be filled and no more rocks can be added.
But what if those rocks were replaced by sand? Rocks are clearly heavier than sand. But, if we filled the bucket with sand - tiny particles of little rocks - the overall weight of the sand-filled bucket will be even greater than a bucket filled with larger, heavier rocks.
Now imagine the coach wants to increase the weight of the bucket for his athlete. He cannot add another rock, but he can add some additional sand.
The sand enables micro increases of weight in a way that rocks cannot. This can enable the coach to help his athlete very gradually and very minutely increase the weight and performance gains.
Now figuratively imagine, a clever coach used powder instead of sand in his imaginary weight training bucket. Powder is obviously lighter than sand and significantly lighter than rocks. But powder enables the coach to very precisely and gradually increase the weight and strength of his athlete.
Essentially, the sand and the powder enables a more precise means to very incrementally increase the strength and performance of an athlete.
Using KAATSU is similar to this analogy of using rocks versus sand versus powder.
KAATSU equipment enables strength and conditioning coaches to very precisely and MUCH more frequently increase the strength and size of their athletes in addition to their speed and stamina.
The preciseness and specificity that is enabled by KAATSU the original BFR is unparalleled. With KAATSU equipment, one pressure point increase is the figurative and literal amount that is equivalent to a single grain of sand or tiny bits of powder. For elite athletes who seek victory by being only incrementally faster, better, and stronger than their opponents, KAATSU - or the equivalent of adding sand or powder to your bucket - can be the incremental difference.
Likewise, for a stroke victim or a paraplegic who is striving to make only slight incremental improvements in their movements or strength, KAATSU enables the tiny increases in their Quality of Life. Performed regularly and ideally daily for less than 20 minutes per day, these incremental increases in performance and in the Quality of Life makes significant changes in the lives of healthy athletes and injured individuals.
Some younger and some male athletes frequently want to lift heavy weights with their KAATSU Air Bands on.1 But it is not necessary to get bigger and stronger. The real key is two-fold:
* do KAATSU Cycles before and during the strength-training session
* finish off with some KAATSU Training
* increase the SKU pressure of the KAATSU Air Bands in the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Training mode instead of adding resistance (weights) to your lifts2
1 As shown with New York Mets' Yoenis CĂ©spedes in the ESPN report above.
2 If you want to feel some resistance, you can use very light weights (e.g., water bottle or light dumbbells) and/or contract your muscles in the both the positive and negative directions.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, strength
"Your legs are stronger than life..." said New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. He was explaining his condition after a tough KAATSU leg workout with ESPN sports broadcaster Jessica Mendoza in an ESPN interview.
Mendoza tried KAATSU with Cespedes and Mike Barwis, an early adopter of KAATSU, at the Barwis Methods Training Center in Port St Lucie, Florida.
Personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and exercise physiologists believe that optimal muscle building requires lifting of weights or doing resistance exercises. This leads to DOMS (Delayed-onset muscle soreness) that is felt after a hard workout and acute muscle soreness that is felt during or immediately after a workout.
Conventional wisdom is that the heavier the weight and/or the more repetitions or time in the gym, the larger and faster muscles will develop.
The muscle-building process leads to DMOS where the muscle fibers are damaged while weight lifting, and leads to the secretion of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) that results in muscle recovery, growth and size.
Practically, this means that if you are bench pressing 50 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, and then gradually increase the weight to 55 kg in 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then not only are you psychologically satisfied with your performance, but you are also getting stronger and most probably bigger in size.
And usually sore for a while after every weight training session.
Figuratively speaking, a strength and conditioning coach wants their athletes to lift more weights over more repetitions.
Let’s imagine that those weights are rocks. Let’s place those rocks in a bucket and ask the athlete to lift those imaginary buckets.
If the coach wants to increase their weight of that bucket, he will add another rock. But at some point, the bucket will be filled and no more rocks can be added.
But what if those rocks were replaced by sand? Rocks are clearly heavier than sand. But, if we filled the bucket with sand - tiny particles of little rocks - the overall weight of the sand-filled bucket will be even greater than a bucket filled with larger, heavier rocks.
Now imagine the coach wants to increase the weight of the bucket for his athlete. He cannot add another rock, but he can add some additional sand.
The sand enables micro increases of weight in a way that rocks cannot. This can enable the coach to help his athlete very gradually and very minutely increase the weight and performance gains.
Now figuratively imagine, a clever coach used powder instead of sand in his imaginary weight training bucket. Powder is obviously lighter than sand and significantly lighter than rocks. But powder enables the coach to very precisely and gradually increase the weight and strength of his athlete.
Essentially, the sand and the powder enables a more precise means to very incrementally increase the strength and performance of an athlete.
Using KAATSU is similar to this analogy of using rocks versus sand versus powder.
KAATSU equipment enables strength and conditioning coaches to very precisely and MUCH more frequently increase the strength and size of their athletes in addition to their speed and stamina.
The preciseness and specificity that is enabled by KAATSU the original BFR is unparalleled. With KAATSU equipment, one pressure point increase is the figurative and literal amount that is equivalent to a single grain of sand or tiny bits of powder. For elite athletes who seek victory by being only incrementally faster, better, and stronger than their opponents, KAATSU - or the equivalent of adding sand or powder to your bucket - can be the incremental difference.
Likewise, for a stroke victim or a paraplegic who is striving to make only slight incremental improvements in their movements or strength, KAATSU enables the tiny increases in their Quality of Life. Performed regularly and ideally daily for less than 20 minutes per day, these incremental increases in performance and in the Quality of Life makes significant changes in the lives of healthy athletes and injured individuals.
Some younger and some male athletes frequently want to lift heavy weights with their KAATSU Air Bands on.1 But it is not necessary to get bigger and stronger. The real key is two-fold:
* do KAATSU Cycles before and during the strength-training session
* finish off with some KAATSU Training
* increase the SKU pressure of the KAATSU Air Bands in the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Training mode instead of adding resistance (weights) to your lifts2
1 As shown with New York Mets' Yoenis CĂ©spedes in the ESPN report above.
2 If you want to feel some resistance, you can use very light weights (e.g., water bottle or light dumbbells) and/or contract your muscles in the both the positive and negative directions.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Tightening The Skin With KAATSU Beauty
For who? Work-at-home employees, mothers
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, KAATSU At Home
Optimal movements to help improve and tighten loose folds of skin due to surgery and significant weight loss include the exercises with KAATSU Beauty are described below. Tightening the skin and underlying muscle will take some time, but improvement is best achieved by doing 2 KAATSU Beauty sessions per day with 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on both your arms and legs:
Upper Body with KAATSU AirBands on your Arms
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Extend your arm outwards from your body and rotate your arms clockwise and counterclockwise. Keep your arms in the same position, approximately at shoulder height, but twist your wrists as far as possible in the clockwise direction and then in the opposite (counterclockwise) direction. Move your arms slowly rather than quickly.
2. Let your arms hang naturally downwards from your body while you walk and alternately rotate your arms in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
3. Do the Standard KAATSU 3-Point Arm Exercises that include Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions, optimally performed slowly.
Lower Body - KAATSU AirBands on your Legs
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Walk comfortably. Optimally and ideally, you can walk barefoot on the sand or, alternatively, on grass or uphill.
2. Do Standard KAATSU 3-Point Leg Exercises that include Standing Heel Raises + Standing Leg Curls (bringing heels to buttocks) + Non-lock (Partial) Quarter Squats. One set is performed with toes pointed inwards; another set is performed with the toes pointed outwards; last set is performed with the feet pointed straight (normally).
Core - KAATSU AirBands on your Legs
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Balance on one foot for xx seconds. Do 3 times. Then balance on the other foot for as many seconds as you can. Repeat 3 times.
2. Walk comfortably with a small book on your head.
3. Play with a Hula Hoop.
4. Stretch your legs and lower back normally.
Chin and Jaw - KAATSU AirBands on your Arms
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Repeatedly pronounce vowels ("...a-e-i-o-u...") with exaggerated movement of jaw and mouth.
2. Move your head upwards and downwards slowly.
3. Turn your head left and right.
4. Rotate your head left and right.
For more information on aesthetic applications of KAATSU Beauty, visit here and here and here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, KAATSU At Home
Optimal movements to help improve and tighten loose folds of skin due to surgery and significant weight loss include the exercises with KAATSU Beauty are described below. Tightening the skin and underlying muscle will take some time, but improvement is best achieved by doing 2 KAATSU Beauty sessions per day with 3-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on both your arms and legs:
Upper Body with KAATSU AirBands on your Arms
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Extend your arm outwards from your body and rotate your arms clockwise and counterclockwise. Keep your arms in the same position, approximately at shoulder height, but twist your wrists as far as possible in the clockwise direction and then in the opposite (counterclockwise) direction. Move your arms slowly rather than quickly.
2. Let your arms hang naturally downwards from your body while you walk and alternately rotate your arms in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
3. Do the Standard KAATSU 3-Point Arm Exercises that include Hand Clenches + Biceps Curls + Triceps Extensions, optimally performed slowly.
Lower Body - KAATSU AirBands on your Legs
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Walk comfortably. Optimally and ideally, you can walk barefoot on the sand or, alternatively, on grass or uphill.
2. Do Standard KAATSU 3-Point Leg Exercises that include Standing Heel Raises + Standing Leg Curls (bringing heels to buttocks) + Non-lock (Partial) Quarter Squats. One set is performed with toes pointed inwards; another set is performed with the toes pointed outwards; last set is performed with the feet pointed straight (normally).
Core - KAATSU AirBands on your Legs
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Balance on one foot for xx seconds. Do 3 times. Then balance on the other foot for as many seconds as you can. Repeat 3 times.
2. Walk comfortably with a small book on your head.
3. Play with a Hula Hoop.
4. Stretch your legs and lower back normally.
Chin and Jaw - KAATSU AirBands on your Arms
> in the KAATSU Cycle mode
1. Repeatedly pronounce vowels ("...a-e-i-o-u...") with exaggerated movement of jaw and mouth.
2. Move your head upwards and downwards slowly.
3. Turn your head left and right.
4. Rotate your head left and right.
For more information on aesthetic applications of KAATSU Beauty, visit here and here and here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU For Explosive Strength And Vertical Leap Increase
For who? Basketball players, volleyball players, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Vertical leap, functional movement, strength
Aaron Gordon, an NBA basketball player from the Orlando Magic, is considered one of the most athletic players in the NBA. His dramatic dunks have captivated fans for years.
John Murray of Murray Athletic Development first introduced KAATSU the original BFR to Gordon who uses the KAATSU Master unit.
Like Gordon, athletes who focus on basketball, football, soccer, rugby, volleyball, and many other sports focus on explosiveness, acceleration, agility, and their vertical leap abilities. This is where use of the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Training modalities can make incremental differences and help athletes reach their true potential.
In a test witnessed by Dave Durden, the 2020 USA Olympic Swim Team coach and 5-time NCAA Coach of the Year, one of the University of California Berkeley Assistant Athletic Performance coaches wanted to focus on KAATSU effects on performance. Steven Munatones recalls the test with Joel Smith, "Joel was not focused on recovery or rehabilitation with the KAATSU equipment, but rather on performance. So he did 3 KAATSU Cycles, with progressively higher pressures, on his arms. We walked right over to the gym after the 12 minutes of KAATSU Cycles was finished in order to shoot 5 free throws - without a warm-up. 3 shot were beautiful swishes, 1 ball bounced around the rim and went in, and 1 ball bounced out.
Joel responded, 'I felt very good, more fluid, with a greater mind-body connection.'
KAATSU passed the initial performance test, however rudimentary it was.
Then we did one more KAATSU Cycle on his leg at a fairly low pressure. We tested his vertical leap with a vertical leap measurement device in the Haas Pavilion on the Cal campus. Even without a warm-up, he leaped 26.0 inches; he said 'It was a lifetime best'. Joel was surprised, but I was not because not only were his vascular tissue with his limbs were made more elastic with the KAATSU Cycles on his arms and legs, but he had already done 16 minutes of KAATSU Cycles and a hormonal response was well underway.
Joel said that in order for KAATSU to be scientifically and statistically valid that he needed to leap at least one inch more than his best. We took up this challenge. The next two sets of KAATSU Cycles were done with a higher manual Base SKU and higher Optimal SKU levels while he did 2 more KAATSU Cycles with the KAATSU leg bands (at 350 SKU).
He walked up to the vertical leap measurement device and jumped again. 27.2 inches.
He did it again and leaped 27.5 inches. He leaped a fourth time and did 27.5 inches again. It was 1.5 inches greater than his max. Test passed."
Detailed training recommendations for increasing one's vertical leap over the course of a short duration (1-2 weeks) or over the duration of a season include the following:
1. Do 6 KAATSU Cycles on the arms at progressively higher pressures to warm-up or work on the arms (optional, if time is limited). Remove KAATSU Air Bands from the arms and place KAATSU Air Bands on the legs.
2. Do 6 KAATSU Cycles on the legs at progressively higher pressures to warm-up the legs ((e.g., Group Low > Group Medium > Group High > Pro Low > Medium > Group High.
3. During the first 3 KAATSU Cycles, simply stretch or walk around. During the last 3 KAATSU Cycles, begin some easy and light jumping.
4. Remove KAATSU Air Bands from legs.
5. Do some aggressive jumping or vertical leap drills.
6. Place KAATSU Air Bands on the legs at a sufficiently high pressure.
7. Do vertical leap drills until legs are burned out. Remove bands, rehydrate and stretch a bit.
8. After fully recovered, do a few more vertical leap drills to complete working on explosiveness and vertical leap.
Kevin Perrott, PhD of OpenCures explains a bit what happens biochemically after sets of KAATSU Cycles:
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Vertical leap, functional movement, strength
Aaron Gordon, an NBA basketball player from the Orlando Magic, is considered one of the most athletic players in the NBA. His dramatic dunks have captivated fans for years.
John Murray of Murray Athletic Development first introduced KAATSU the original BFR to Gordon who uses the KAATSU Master unit.
Like Gordon, athletes who focus on basketball, football, soccer, rugby, volleyball, and many other sports focus on explosiveness, acceleration, agility, and their vertical leap abilities. This is where use of the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Training modalities can make incremental differences and help athletes reach their true potential.
In a test witnessed by Dave Durden, the 2020 USA Olympic Swim Team coach and 5-time NCAA Coach of the Year, one of the University of California Berkeley Assistant Athletic Performance coaches wanted to focus on KAATSU effects on performance. Steven Munatones recalls the test with Joel Smith, "Joel was not focused on recovery or rehabilitation with the KAATSU equipment, but rather on performance. So he did 3 KAATSU Cycles, with progressively higher pressures, on his arms. We walked right over to the gym after the 12 minutes of KAATSU Cycles was finished in order to shoot 5 free throws - without a warm-up. 3 shot were beautiful swishes, 1 ball bounced around the rim and went in, and 1 ball bounced out.
Joel responded, 'I felt very good, more fluid, with a greater mind-body connection.'
KAATSU passed the initial performance test, however rudimentary it was.
Then we did one more KAATSU Cycle on his leg at a fairly low pressure. We tested his vertical leap with a vertical leap measurement device in the Haas Pavilion on the Cal campus. Even without a warm-up, he leaped 26.0 inches; he said 'It was a lifetime best'. Joel was surprised, but I was not because not only were his vascular tissue with his limbs were made more elastic with the KAATSU Cycles on his arms and legs, but he had already done 16 minutes of KAATSU Cycles and a hormonal response was well underway.
Joel said that in order for KAATSU to be scientifically and statistically valid that he needed to leap at least one inch more than his best. We took up this challenge. The next two sets of KAATSU Cycles were done with a higher manual Base SKU and higher Optimal SKU levels while he did 2 more KAATSU Cycles with the KAATSU leg bands (at 350 SKU).
He walked up to the vertical leap measurement device and jumped again. 27.2 inches.
He did it again and leaped 27.5 inches. He leaped a fourth time and did 27.5 inches again. It was 1.5 inches greater than his max. Test passed."
Detailed training recommendations for increasing one's vertical leap over the course of a short duration (1-2 weeks) or over the duration of a season include the following:
1. Do 6 KAATSU Cycles on the arms at progressively higher pressures to warm-up or work on the arms (optional, if time is limited). Remove KAATSU Air Bands from the arms and place KAATSU Air Bands on the legs.
2. Do 6 KAATSU Cycles on the legs at progressively higher pressures to warm-up the legs ((e.g., Group Low > Group Medium > Group High > Pro Low > Medium > Group High.
3. During the first 3 KAATSU Cycles, simply stretch or walk around. During the last 3 KAATSU Cycles, begin some easy and light jumping.
4. Remove KAATSU Air Bands from legs.
5. Do some aggressive jumping or vertical leap drills.
6. Place KAATSU Air Bands on the legs at a sufficiently high pressure.
7. Do vertical leap drills until legs are burned out. Remove bands, rehydrate and stretch a bit.
8. After fully recovered, do a few more vertical leap drills to complete working on explosiveness and vertical leap.
Kevin Perrott, PhD of OpenCures explains a bit what happens biochemically after sets of KAATSU Cycles:
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 16th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 15th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 16th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 15th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Friday, June 12, 2020
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 12th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 11th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 10th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 9th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 8th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 5th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 12th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 11th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 10th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 9th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 8th
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 5th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Effects Of KAATSU On Post-lockdown Performance
For who? Swimmers, competitive athletes, triathletes
For what? Speed, strength, stamina, KAATSU At Home, KAATSU Aqua
Chris Morgan, head coach of Gator Swim Club in Massachusetts and the 2008 Swiss Olympic swim team coach, discussed the effects of doing 3 months of home-use KAATSU the original BFR and backyard pool workouts on his athletes' immediate and short-term post-lockdown performance in the swimming pool.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Speed, strength, stamina, KAATSU At Home, KAATSU Aqua
Chris Morgan, head coach of Gator Swim Club in Massachusetts and the 2008 Swiss Olympic swim team coach, discussed the effects of doing 3 months of home-use KAATSU the original BFR and backyard pool workouts on his athletes' immediate and short-term post-lockdown performance in the swimming pool.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Mobility And Movement Improvements With Older Users
For who? Work-at-home employees, retirees, Baby Boomers
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
Samuel Amorim, the leading KAATSU Master Specialist in Brazil and many other KAATSU Master Specialists around the world are helping their older patients improve their mobility and range of motion after doing repeated KAATSU Cycles.
In many cases, the older patients purchase their own KAATSU Cycle 2.0 unit and continue to make significant improvements after they can use the equipment at the comfort of their own home, optimally twice per day using the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Amorim initially warms up his clients and patients with the KAATSU Cycle while they are sitting and stretching. Then, they do a variety of exercises following the standard KAATSU protocols with resistance bands.
Additional KAATSU Brasil activities are posted on both Facebook and Instagram where KAATSU the original BFR can be seen being performed by people of all ages.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
Samuel Amorim, the leading KAATSU Master Specialist in Brazil and many other KAATSU Master Specialists around the world are helping their older patients improve their mobility and range of motion after doing repeated KAATSU Cycles.
In many cases, the older patients purchase their own KAATSU Cycle 2.0 unit and continue to make significant improvements after they can use the equipment at the comfort of their own home, optimally twice per day using the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Amorim initially warms up his clients and patients with the KAATSU Cycle while they are sitting and stretching. Then, they do a variety of exercises following the standard KAATSU protocols with resistance bands.
Additional KAATSU Brasil activities are posted on both Facebook and Instagram where KAATSU the original BFR can be seen being performed by people of all ages.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Friday, June 5, 2020
KAATSU The Original BFR At The Digital Running Show
For who? Runners
For what? Recovery, strength, stamina
Following the postponement of The National Running Show London to 2021, the Digital Running Show will be held online on June 13th - 14th 2020 in partnership with Children with Cancer UK.
KAATSU Global will present its original BFR principles and how the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Constant modes are used by sprinters, hurdlers, middle-distance runners, distance runners, ultra-marathon runners, triathletes, extreme athletes and recreational runners for performance gains, rehabilitation purposes, and recovery from vigorous training sessions and competition.
For more information, visit nationalrunningshow.com/digital.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Recovery, strength, stamina
Following the postponement of The National Running Show London to 2021, the Digital Running Show will be held online on June 13th - 14th 2020 in partnership with Children with Cancer UK.
KAATSU Global will present its original BFR principles and how the KAATSU Cycle and KAATSU Constant modes are used by sprinters, hurdlers, middle-distance runners, distance runners, ultra-marathon runners, triathletes, extreme athletes and recreational runners for performance gains, rehabilitation purposes, and recovery from vigorous training sessions and competition.
For more information, visit nationalrunningshow.com/digital.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Thursday, June 4, 2020
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 4th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 3rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 2nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 1st
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
For what? Functional movement, strength, flexibility, mobility, KAATSU At Home
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 4th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 3rd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 2nd
KAATSU At Home Workout on June 1st
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Sunday, May 31, 2020
KAATSU Beauty For Hands, Arms, Shoulders, Neck
For who? Mothers
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, stress relief
Some protocol examples of KAATSU Beauty for your hands, arms, shoulders, and neck are below:
KAATSU Beauty Application: For individuals with arthritis or cold hands
Purpose: To increase the blood circulation in your hands and arms
Movement #1: Sit down for your first KAATSU Cycle with KAATSU AirBands on your arms. Allow your upper body to warm-up with the gradual pressure of the automatic KAATSU Cycle on your arms.
Movement #2: Slowly and gently rotate your shoulders forwards, and then backwards, during the next KAATSU Cycle.
Movement #3: Slowly and gently stretch your forearms, biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
Movement #4: Slightly, slowly and gently twist your outstretched arms.
Movement #5: Move your fingers like you are playing the piano or typing quickly on a keyboard.
Movement #6: Place a golf ball or tennis ball between the palms of your hands and slowly roll the ball between both of your palms.
Movement #7: Place chopsticks in your dominant hand and repeatedly try to pick up small objects. Then place chopsticks in your non-dominant hand and repeatedly try to pick up small objects.
Application: For individuals with aging skin, stiff shoulders or to improve musculature
Purpose: To increase the blood circulation in your shoulders and neck
Movement #1: Sit down for your first KAATSU Cycle with KAATSU AirBands on your arms. Allow your upper body to warm-up with the gradual pressure of the automatic KAATSU Cycle on your arms.
Movement #2: Perform the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for your arms. Slowly do Hand Clenches, then Biceps Curls and then Triceps Extensions while doing 2-3 KAATSU Cycle sets.
Movement #3: Slowly move your head as much as you can left and right, up and down, and around in circles - as long as there is zero discomfort. If you begin to feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop immediately. If you can move your head even slightly without any discomfort, then move as far (or as little) as possible. Do not move to the point of discomfort.
Movement #4: Slowly and gently rotate your shoulders forwards, and then backwards, during the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Movement #5: Slowly and repeatedly annunciate vowels ("a-e-i-o-u") in an exaggerated fashion. You can do so in front of a mirror or while laying down.
Post-application and KAATSU Finisher:
Movement #1: After these movements above, put the KAATSU AirBands on your legs and do casual walking with low pressure. You can walk inside your home or outside.
Movement #2: As you sit or lie down, you can repeatedly contract, and then release, the muscles of your legs for a few seconds at a time.
Movement #3: Perform the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for your legs. Slowly do Heel Raises (sitting or standing), then Leg Curls and then Non-stop Quarter Squats while doing 2-3 KAATSU Cycles.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, stress relief
Some protocol examples of KAATSU Beauty for your hands, arms, shoulders, and neck are below:
KAATSU Beauty Application: For individuals with arthritis or cold hands
Purpose: To increase the blood circulation in your hands and arms
Movement #1: Sit down for your first KAATSU Cycle with KAATSU AirBands on your arms. Allow your upper body to warm-up with the gradual pressure of the automatic KAATSU Cycle on your arms.
Movement #2: Slowly and gently rotate your shoulders forwards, and then backwards, during the next KAATSU Cycle.
Movement #3: Slowly and gently stretch your forearms, biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
Movement #4: Slightly, slowly and gently twist your outstretched arms.
Movement #5: Move your fingers like you are playing the piano or typing quickly on a keyboard.
Movement #6: Place a golf ball or tennis ball between the palms of your hands and slowly roll the ball between both of your palms.
Movement #7: Place chopsticks in your dominant hand and repeatedly try to pick up small objects. Then place chopsticks in your non-dominant hand and repeatedly try to pick up small objects.
Application: For individuals with aging skin, stiff shoulders or to improve musculature
Purpose: To increase the blood circulation in your shoulders and neck
Movement #1: Sit down for your first KAATSU Cycle with KAATSU AirBands on your arms. Allow your upper body to warm-up with the gradual pressure of the automatic KAATSU Cycle on your arms.
Movement #2: Perform the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for your arms. Slowly do Hand Clenches, then Biceps Curls and then Triceps Extensions while doing 2-3 KAATSU Cycle sets.
Movement #3: Slowly move your head as much as you can left and right, up and down, and around in circles - as long as there is zero discomfort. If you begin to feel dizzy or uncomfortable, stop immediately. If you can move your head even slightly without any discomfort, then move as far (or as little) as possible. Do not move to the point of discomfort.
Movement #4: Slowly and gently rotate your shoulders forwards, and then backwards, during the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Movement #5: Slowly and repeatedly annunciate vowels ("a-e-i-o-u") in an exaggerated fashion. You can do so in front of a mirror or while laying down.
Post-application and KAATSU Finisher:
Movement #1: After these movements above, put the KAATSU AirBands on your legs and do casual walking with low pressure. You can walk inside your home or outside.
Movement #2: As you sit or lie down, you can repeatedly contract, and then release, the muscles of your legs for a few seconds at a time.
Movement #3: Perform the standard KAATSU 3-Point Exercises for your legs. Slowly do Heel Raises (sitting or standing), then Leg Curls and then Non-stop Quarter Squats while doing 2-3 KAATSU Cycles.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
Saturday, May 30, 2020
KAATSU Skin Care For Cuts, Scars And Surgeries
For who? Mothers
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care
Some surgeries are minimally invasive and others are much more so.
KAATSU the original BFR can significantly help the skin and underlying tissue quickly repair and recover - so much so that experienced surgeons who know their patients who do post-surgery KAATSU will have to get their stitches removed more quickly than those patients who do not do KAATSU. "What happens is the skin recovers and grows back more quickly," explains Steven Munatones.
"If the stitches are left in the body for the 'normal' amount of time, the skin will grow over the stitches and the surgeon will have to go back in and remove the overgrown sutures. This can cause infection that is best avoided."
Repeated KAATSU Cycles has repeatedly shown to enhance the body's natural healing process, especially when the skin is cut, torn, broken or inked.
These five periodically taken photographs show the rapid recovery of the sutures and skin on a 49-year-old patient who had total knee replacement surgery at a Veterans Administration hospital in Florida.
The patient repeated KAATSU Cycles (8 cycles of 30 seconds of pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off in the Group Low, Group Medium, Group High, Pro Low, Pro Medium, and Pro High modes, done sequentially) on his KAATSU Cycle 2.0.
He did his series of KAATSU Cycles in the morning and again in the evenings as he comprehensively integrated KAATSU to his regularly scheduled physical therapy.
"One thing that we have seen time and time again is how quickly the skin and wound heals when repeated KAATSU Cycles are performed over two or three sessions per day while the patient is recovering at home or in the hospital," says Munatones.
"The skin around the wound heals so quickly with the repeated KAATSU Cycles. The skin grows over the sutures - much faster than what is normally expected by physicians - as a result.
This can cause an unanticipated post-surgical issue when the skin grows over the sutures. When physicians schedule the normal removal of the sutures (e.g., 5-7 days), patients performing regular KAATSU Cycles on a daily basis often experience much faster than normal healing of their wounds and incisions. So, these patients should inform their attending physicians of this KAATSU phenomenon."
Key Principles of Rehabilitation & Recovery
* Do KAATSU Cycle frequently (i.e., daily or twice daily), using primarily the KAATSU Cycle or KAATSU Progressive Cycle modes.
* One session per day can be an intense KAATSU Cycle physical therapy session (e.g., under the guidance of a physical therapist); the other sessions should be comfortable doing KAATSU recovery (e.g., while relaxing or doing household chores).
* Always be well hydrated before and during each KAATSU session.
* Always use the KAATSU Cycle mode; never the KAATSU Constant mode during the recovery period - unless you are doing something complicated or in the pool (e.g., eggbeatering, swimming, or shooting).
* Always use the arm AirBands first before you use the leg AirBands.
* Never use the arm and leg bands at the same time.
* Always use a 1-finger tightness on the AirBands (i.e., you can put one finger between your skin and the bands).
* Always start the KAATSU Cycle mode in the Low Pressure setting. Then, you can increase the pressure setting to Medium and High later.
* You can do single-limb KAATSU Cycle sets on your injured leg, as you wish.
* You can utilize the "double-stacking principle" where you can do other primary activities (e.g., typing emails, making phone calls, participating in a Zoom meeting, reading, walking comfortably) while you do KAATSU Cycle sets as you sit and relax.
Key Pressure Principles
* Always start the KAATSU Cycle mode in the Low Pressure setting.
* Frequently check your Capillary Refill Time (CRT).
* To check your CRT on your arms, firmly press your thumb into the palm of your hand, and then release to check your CRT. If the blood returns to your palm within 1-2 seconds (i.e., counting as "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two..."), then you can increase the pressure to Medium Pressure (or, alternatively, High Pressure).
* To check your CRT on your legs, firmly press your thumb into your quadricep or calf, and then release to check your CRT. If the blood returns to your quadricep or calf within 1-2 seconds (i.e., counting as "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two..."), then you can increase the pressure to Medium Pressure (or, alternatively, High Pressure).
Suggested Protocols of a Morning Session
* First do 2-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms (i.e., 8 repeats of 30 seconds of inflation followed by 5 seconds of deflation).
* You can "work through" the deflation phase (i.e., keep doing repetitions when the AirBands are deflated), doing your normal upper body exercises.
* Then, remove the AirBands on your arms and place AirBands on your legs.
* Do up to 6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while you do a variety of exercises (e.g., repeated Heel Raises, repeated Toe Curls, repeated Leg Extensions, comfortable pace KAATSU Walking).
Suggested Protocols of an Evening Session
* First do 2-4 KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms.
* You can simply stretch, sit comfortably, or hold a box while you are doing the KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms.
* THen remove the AirBands on your arms and place AirBands on your legs.
* Do 4-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while sitting comfortably.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care
Some surgeries are minimally invasive and others are much more so.
KAATSU the original BFR can significantly help the skin and underlying tissue quickly repair and recover - so much so that experienced surgeons who know their patients who do post-surgery KAATSU will have to get their stitches removed more quickly than those patients who do not do KAATSU. "What happens is the skin recovers and grows back more quickly," explains Steven Munatones.
"If the stitches are left in the body for the 'normal' amount of time, the skin will grow over the stitches and the surgeon will have to go back in and remove the overgrown sutures. This can cause infection that is best avoided."
Repeated KAATSU Cycles has repeatedly shown to enhance the body's natural healing process, especially when the skin is cut, torn, broken or inked.
These five periodically taken photographs show the rapid recovery of the sutures and skin on a 49-year-old patient who had total knee replacement surgery at a Veterans Administration hospital in Florida.
The patient repeated KAATSU Cycles (8 cycles of 30 seconds of pressure on followed by 5 seconds of pressure off in the Group Low, Group Medium, Group High, Pro Low, Pro Medium, and Pro High modes, done sequentially) on his KAATSU Cycle 2.0.
He did his series of KAATSU Cycles in the morning and again in the evenings as he comprehensively integrated KAATSU to his regularly scheduled physical therapy.
"One thing that we have seen time and time again is how quickly the skin and wound heals when repeated KAATSU Cycles are performed over two or three sessions per day while the patient is recovering at home or in the hospital," says Munatones.
"The skin around the wound heals so quickly with the repeated KAATSU Cycles. The skin grows over the sutures - much faster than what is normally expected by physicians - as a result.
This can cause an unanticipated post-surgical issue when the skin grows over the sutures. When physicians schedule the normal removal of the sutures (e.g., 5-7 days), patients performing regular KAATSU Cycles on a daily basis often experience much faster than normal healing of their wounds and incisions. So, these patients should inform their attending physicians of this KAATSU phenomenon."
Key Principles of Rehabilitation & Recovery
* Do KAATSU Cycle frequently (i.e., daily or twice daily), using primarily the KAATSU Cycle or KAATSU Progressive Cycle modes.
* One session per day can be an intense KAATSU Cycle physical therapy session (e.g., under the guidance of a physical therapist); the other sessions should be comfortable doing KAATSU recovery (e.g., while relaxing or doing household chores).
* Always be well hydrated before and during each KAATSU session.
* Always use the KAATSU Cycle mode; never the KAATSU Constant mode during the recovery period - unless you are doing something complicated or in the pool (e.g., eggbeatering, swimming, or shooting).
* Always use the arm AirBands first before you use the leg AirBands.
* Never use the arm and leg bands at the same time.
* Always use a 1-finger tightness on the AirBands (i.e., you can put one finger between your skin and the bands).
* Always start the KAATSU Cycle mode in the Low Pressure setting. Then, you can increase the pressure setting to Medium and High later.
* You can do single-limb KAATSU Cycle sets on your injured leg, as you wish.
* You can utilize the "double-stacking principle" where you can do other primary activities (e.g., typing emails, making phone calls, participating in a Zoom meeting, reading, walking comfortably) while you do KAATSU Cycle sets as you sit and relax.
Key Pressure Principles
* Always start the KAATSU Cycle mode in the Low Pressure setting.
* Frequently check your Capillary Refill Time (CRT).
* To check your CRT on your arms, firmly press your thumb into the palm of your hand, and then release to check your CRT. If the blood returns to your palm within 1-2 seconds (i.e., counting as "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two..."), then you can increase the pressure to Medium Pressure (or, alternatively, High Pressure).
* To check your CRT on your legs, firmly press your thumb into your quadricep or calf, and then release to check your CRT. If the blood returns to your quadricep or calf within 1-2 seconds (i.e., counting as "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two..."), then you can increase the pressure to Medium Pressure (or, alternatively, High Pressure).
Suggested Protocols of a Morning Session
* First do 2-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms (i.e., 8 repeats of 30 seconds of inflation followed by 5 seconds of deflation).
* You can "work through" the deflation phase (i.e., keep doing repetitions when the AirBands are deflated), doing your normal upper body exercises.
* Then, remove the AirBands on your arms and place AirBands on your legs.
* Do up to 6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while you do a variety of exercises (e.g., repeated Heel Raises, repeated Toe Curls, repeated Leg Extensions, comfortable pace KAATSU Walking).
Suggested Protocols of an Evening Session
* First do 2-4 KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms.
* You can simply stretch, sit comfortably, or hold a box while you are doing the KAATSU Cycle sets on your arms.
* THen remove the AirBands on your arms and place AirBands on your legs.
* Do 4-6 KAATSU Cycle sets on your legs while sitting comfortably.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU Skin Beauty From An Aesthetician's Perspective
For who? Mothers, students
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, blood circulation
KAATSU Beauty, the original BFR, has been used by skin care professionals and make-up artists for decades in Japan.
Beauty care experts and aestheticians who cater to both young women and older women understand how increased blood flow in their clients' skin and face helps them on a number of wellness and cosmetic perspectives.
In 2006, researchers from the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan University studied what was anecdotally known by the KAATSU Beauty specialists. They published a formal study project titled, Effect of knee extension exercise with KAATSU on forehead cutaneous blood flow in healthy young and middle-aged women.
In this study of women (average age 34.5 years), they concluded that the cutaneous blood circulation (circulation and blood supply of the skin) in the foreheads of test subjects were improved with unloaded unilateral knee extension exercises (i.e., 3 sets of 15 repetitions taking less than 75 seconds per set with a single KAATSU Air Band on their left upper leg without weights or resistance).
The women performed the three-set series of exercises twice - for the first time, they did it without KAATSU, and for the second time with KAATSU with the KAATSU Air Band inflated initially to 140 SKU and ending eventually at 200 SKU.
The blood flow in the foreheads of women was calculated from the blood velocity and red blood cell mass that was determined by laser blood flowmetry.
This conclusion of how blood circulation in a KAATSU user's forehead is improved with relatively easy leg exercises that focus on the quadriceps and hamstrings seems either impossible or illogical.
While the KAATSU users experienced no changes in blood lactate and hematocrit (i.e., volume percentage of red blood cells in blood), their norepinephrine levels increased. Norepinephrine is a naturally occurring chemical that acts as a stress hormone because the brain perceives that a stressful event has occurred.
This natural biohack created by the KAATSU leg exercises helps improve the subjects' forehead cutaneous blood flow. The beauty care experts and aestheticians in Japan know that if KAATSU lower body exercises helps improve circulation and blood supply of the skin of the face, then KAATSU upper body exercises also do the same.
Read the full study shown on left here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? KAATSU Beauty, skin care, blood circulation
KAATSU Beauty, the original BFR, has been used by skin care professionals and make-up artists for decades in Japan.
Beauty care experts and aestheticians who cater to both young women and older women understand how increased blood flow in their clients' skin and face helps them on a number of wellness and cosmetic perspectives.
In 2006, researchers from the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan University studied what was anecdotally known by the KAATSU Beauty specialists. They published a formal study project titled, Effect of knee extension exercise with KAATSU on forehead cutaneous blood flow in healthy young and middle-aged women.
In this study of women (average age 34.5 years), they concluded that the cutaneous blood circulation (circulation and blood supply of the skin) in the foreheads of test subjects were improved with unloaded unilateral knee extension exercises (i.e., 3 sets of 15 repetitions taking less than 75 seconds per set with a single KAATSU Air Band on their left upper leg without weights or resistance).
The women performed the three-set series of exercises twice - for the first time, they did it without KAATSU, and for the second time with KAATSU with the KAATSU Air Band inflated initially to 140 SKU and ending eventually at 200 SKU.
The blood flow in the foreheads of women was calculated from the blood velocity and red blood cell mass that was determined by laser blood flowmetry.
This conclusion of how blood circulation in a KAATSU user's forehead is improved with relatively easy leg exercises that focus on the quadriceps and hamstrings seems either impossible or illogical.
While the KAATSU users experienced no changes in blood lactate and hematocrit (i.e., volume percentage of red blood cells in blood), their norepinephrine levels increased. Norepinephrine is a naturally occurring chemical that acts as a stress hormone because the brain perceives that a stressful event has occurred.
This natural biohack created by the KAATSU leg exercises helps improve the subjects' forehead cutaneous blood flow. The beauty care experts and aestheticians in Japan know that if KAATSU lower body exercises helps improve circulation and blood supply of the skin of the face, then KAATSU upper body exercises also do the same.
Read the full study shown on left here.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
KAATSU At Home With Laurel Kuzins Using The KAATSU Cycle 2.0
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 29th
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 28th
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 27th
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 26th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Laurel Kuzins is a KAATSU Functional Mobility Specialist from Santa Monica, California who leads the daily KAATSU At Home workouts starting at 3 pm California time / 6 pm New York time Mondays through Fridays on Zoom or Instagram Live. These KAATSU workouts are aimed at Competitive Athletes (high school + collegiate + Olympian + professional + fitness + masters). She uses the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 during the KAATSU At Home workouts.
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 28th
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 27th
KAATSU At Home Workout on May 26th
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU the Original BFR
Friday, May 29, 2020
Smartly, Speedily, Simply Slimming, Toning Your Legs With KAATSU
For who? Work-at-home employees, student-athletes, competitive athletes, cyclists
For what? Strength, stamina, KAATSU At Home
What do you do if you only have 20 minutes free to exercise throughout your entire day? Especially on those days when you are simply too busy to squeeze in a visit to the gym or even go on a run in your neighborhood?
What do you do if you only have 15 minutes? Or even only 10 minutes?
KAATSU the original BFR offers one possible solution.
Especially if you have an indoor (spin/stationary) bike - or any kind of indoor equipment (treadmill, Bosu Ball, StairMaster).
KAATSU becomes an even more elegant solution if you do not want to sweat or change into your workout gear.
If you are severely pressed for time, KAATSU recommendations include the following:
* warm-up with 1-2 KAATSU Cycles (4-8 minutes) either before you get on your bike or while casually spinning on your indoor bike
* pick up your pace as much or as little as you wish for the remainder of the workout (2-12 minutes).
Biochemical Reactions as a Result of KAATSU
Low-intensity exercise with KAATSU Air Bands leads to a biochemical reaction in your body that produces a variety of hormones and metabolites from Growth Hormone, IGF-1, nitric oxide, BDNF and VEGF to ceramides and plasmalogens (refer to a layman's explanation here). This natural production results in increased vascular elasticity and increased recruitment of muscle fibers - an elegant way to improve stamina, strength and muscle tone.
Of course, if you want to hit the spin bike hard and generate a significant amount perspiration and high pulse rate, that is always possible. But it is not necessary to generate Growth Hormone, IGF-1, nitric oxide, VEGF, ceramides, plasmalogens, endorphins and plasmalogens with KAATSU. These results had long been known to KAATSU Specialists since the 1990s.
Research Results
Many researchers between 2000 - 2005 tested KAATSU Walking with MRI-measured muscle size and strength (maximum dynamic or one repetition maximum) and isometric strength along with blood hormonal parameters. Testing was done on both control groups and experimental groups of subjects ranging from young men to older women.
The testing was done using 20-minute bouts of treadmill speed of 50 meters per minute.
The researchers found a multitude of benefits and changes among the experimental KAATSU users while there was no change in muscle size and dynamic and isometric strength in the control group.
1. Serum growth hormone was elevated after KAATSU Walking with the experimental group, but not with the non-KAATSU control group
2. MRI-measured thigh muscle cross-sectional area and muscle volume increased by 4 - 7%
3. One repetition maximum and maximum isometric strength increased between 8 - 10%
Furthermore, indicators of muscle damage (creatine kinase and myoglobin) and resting anabolic hormones did not change with both groups. The researchers concluded that KAATSU Walking induces muscle hypertrophy and strength gain despite the minimum level of exercise intensity after 3 weeks, and that KAATSU Walking may be a potentially useful method for promoting muscle hypertrophy for a wide range of the population including the frail and elderly.
While these benefits have long been known in Japan and China, there have been many other applications that have since been developed and researched that address age-related skeletal muscle loss (sarcopenia) that inhibits mobility and increases the risk of developing several diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
No Pain, No Gain?
But many competitive athletes, fitness instructors, coaches and military trainers believe that stamina, speed and strength can only be improved through high-intensity vigorous exercise that comes with highly elevated heart rates, high levels of lactate, lots of time and perspiration.
But this belief was put to the test by United States military researchers like Dr. William Ursprung. At the Texas A&M University, he and his colleagues studied the effects of KAATSU Walking to improve aerobic capacity. Dr. Ursprung evaluated the effects of KAATSU Walking on VO2max, 1.5 mile run times, and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities with airman from the U.S. Air Force 350th Special Operations and Tactics Training Squadron.
See The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on VO2Max and 1.5 Mile Run Performance by William Ursprung, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science.
This group was already highly trained and fit young men - a group whose fitness levels would be much more difficult to improve with walking than the average civilian.
After three weeks of lower extremity KAATSU Walking, Dr. Ursprung found the airmen significantly improved their VO2max levels, achieved significant decreases in their 1.5 mile run time, and had significant increases in their thigh muscle cross sectional area. The researchers concluded that KAATSU Walking represents a methodology for improving aerobic capacity, endurance and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities.
Implications
This conclusion mirrored the applications for KAATSU that many far forward-thinking coaches, physicians, physical therapists and trainers in Japan and China have long known and applied with their athletes, clients and patients of all ages. For military personnel and athletes who are looking for concurrent improvements in strength and endurance, this experiment proved that they do not always have to move, run, swim, cycle or row at maximum intensity over long durations if they strategically use KAATSU equipment.
While movement or exercises with KAATSU equipment performed with intensity will result in significant physiological and athletic improvement, it is not always unnecessary - especially if you are lacking in time, space or motivation.
"As long as their technique and athletic form is correct, athletes and military personnel - and people from all walks of life - can realize benefits with KAATSU by moving more slowly (i.e., walking versus running or swimming at a moderate pace versus swimming at maximum speed, spinning casually versus spinning at high intensity) rather than always going all-out," explains Steven Munatones. "Perhaps this lowered intensity is appropriate after injuries or immediately after a competition or during a taper phase of training - or even when you only have 10-20 minutes of potential exercise time to sneak into your day. Perhaps this slower pace is simply more appropriate during different parts of any specific workout when an athlete is working on their technique or form."
This phenomena and discovery meant that the implications and applications of KAATSU usage expanded significantly. When benefits and improvements can be achieved at any speed, pace or level of intensity, you can be much more flexible and creative in your training decisions and fitness routine.
For example, instead of only going all-out sprints with KAATSU, runners, cyclists, swimmers, rowers and skiers can practice at more moderate pace - which means that KAATSU can be done more frequently and with less resultant fatigue. This possibility especially rings true for working adults with children to take care of or employees to manage.
Competitive Cyclists & High-intensity Training
In contrast to casual spinning, competitive cyclists, including professional keirin cyclists and triathletes, can use KAATSU equipment in a variety of ways:
1. Warm-up and stretching with KAATSU Cycles
2. Workout recovery with KAATSU Cycles
3. Increased watt output with KAATSU Cycles
4. Increased watt output with KAATSU Training
5. Increase functional threshold power using KAATSU Training
6. Rehabilitation with KAATSU Cycles
Warm-up and stretching with KAATSU Cycles
* As the athletes prepare for a vigorous workout, they do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their arms and then 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their legs.
* They can remain stationary, stretch, or do easy cycling on a stationary bicycle during these warm-up KAATSU Cycles.
* Using the KAATSU Wearables or the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 equipment, the units are easily and comfortable used.
* It is important to be well hydrated before starting KAATSU Cycles.
* It is very important to start with comfortable (i.e., lower) Optimal SKU pressure levels and gradually increase the Optimal SKU levels with each subsequent KAATSU Cycle.
Workout recovery with KAATSU Cycles
* As the athletes complete a vigorous workout, they do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their legs so waste products in their muscles can be effectively and efficiently removed. This enables the athlete to benefit from a rapid recovery so their subsequent workouts are optimized.
* They can remain stationary, stretch, or do easy cycling on a stationary bicycle during these cool-down KAATSU Cycles.
* Using the KAATSU Wearables or the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 equipment, the units are easily and comfortable used.
* It is important that the KAATSU Color is pink or rosy or beefy red while doing KAATSU Cycles; the skin tone should never be white, blue or gray.
Increased watt output with KAATSU Cycles
* Athletes can do their workouts while gradually increasing the Optimal SKU levels of the KAATSU Cycles.
* For example, athletes can do 6-8 sets of KAATSU Cycles as the Optimal SKU levels increase from 200 to 225 to 250 to 275 to 300 to 350 to 400 SKU.
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output will also increase.
* Athletes can change (either decrease or increase) the parameters of time, incline, Optimal SKU levels as well as watt output.
Increased watt output with KAATSU Training
* Athletes can workout while setting their Optimal SKU at a specific level in the KAATSU Training mode.
* For example, athletes can cycle for a specific time at a specific SKU level at a specific watt output (e.g., 200 SKU for 15 minutes at a specific watt output).
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output and time will also increase (e.g., 250 SKU for 20 minutes at an increased specific watt output).
Increase functional threshold power using KAATSU Training
* Athletes can workout while setting their Optimal SKU at a specific level in the KAATSU Training mode.
* For example, athletes can aim for a specific time at a specific SKU level at a specific watt output (e.g., 200 SKU for 15 minutes at a specific watt output).
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output and time will also increase (e.g., 200 SKU for 20 minutes at an increased specific watt output). When the time goal is achieved, then the Optimal SKU level can also be increased.
Rehabilitation with KAATSU Cycles
* Torn muscles, ligaments, tendons or broken bones can be efficiently and effectively rehabilitated using the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
For what? Strength, stamina, KAATSU At Home
What do you do if you only have 20 minutes free to exercise throughout your entire day? Especially on those days when you are simply too busy to squeeze in a visit to the gym or even go on a run in your neighborhood?
What do you do if you only have 15 minutes? Or even only 10 minutes?
KAATSU the original BFR offers one possible solution.
Especially if you have an indoor (spin/stationary) bike - or any kind of indoor equipment (treadmill, Bosu Ball, StairMaster).
KAATSU becomes an even more elegant solution if you do not want to sweat or change into your workout gear.
If you are severely pressed for time, KAATSU recommendations include the following:
* warm-up with 1-2 KAATSU Cycles (4-8 minutes) either before you get on your bike or while casually spinning on your indoor bike
* pick up your pace as much or as little as you wish for the remainder of the workout (2-12 minutes).
Biochemical Reactions as a Result of KAATSU
Low-intensity exercise with KAATSU Air Bands leads to a biochemical reaction in your body that produces a variety of hormones and metabolites from Growth Hormone, IGF-1, nitric oxide, BDNF and VEGF to ceramides and plasmalogens (refer to a layman's explanation here). This natural production results in increased vascular elasticity and increased recruitment of muscle fibers - an elegant way to improve stamina, strength and muscle tone.
Of course, if you want to hit the spin bike hard and generate a significant amount perspiration and high pulse rate, that is always possible. But it is not necessary to generate Growth Hormone, IGF-1, nitric oxide, VEGF, ceramides, plasmalogens, endorphins and plasmalogens with KAATSU. These results had long been known to KAATSU Specialists since the 1990s.
Research Results
Many researchers between 2000 - 2005 tested KAATSU Walking with MRI-measured muscle size and strength (maximum dynamic or one repetition maximum) and isometric strength along with blood hormonal parameters. Testing was done on both control groups and experimental groups of subjects ranging from young men to older women.
The testing was done using 20-minute bouts of treadmill speed of 50 meters per minute.
The researchers found a multitude of benefits and changes among the experimental KAATSU users while there was no change in muscle size and dynamic and isometric strength in the control group.
1. Serum growth hormone was elevated after KAATSU Walking with the experimental group, but not with the non-KAATSU control group
2. MRI-measured thigh muscle cross-sectional area and muscle volume increased by 4 - 7%
3. One repetition maximum and maximum isometric strength increased between 8 - 10%
Furthermore, indicators of muscle damage (creatine kinase and myoglobin) and resting anabolic hormones did not change with both groups. The researchers concluded that KAATSU Walking induces muscle hypertrophy and strength gain despite the minimum level of exercise intensity after 3 weeks, and that KAATSU Walking may be a potentially useful method for promoting muscle hypertrophy for a wide range of the population including the frail and elderly.
While these benefits have long been known in Japan and China, there have been many other applications that have since been developed and researched that address age-related skeletal muscle loss (sarcopenia) that inhibits mobility and increases the risk of developing several diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
No Pain, No Gain?
But many competitive athletes, fitness instructors, coaches and military trainers believe that stamina, speed and strength can only be improved through high-intensity vigorous exercise that comes with highly elevated heart rates, high levels of lactate, lots of time and perspiration.
But this belief was put to the test by United States military researchers like Dr. William Ursprung. At the Texas A&M University, he and his colleagues studied the effects of KAATSU Walking to improve aerobic capacity. Dr. Ursprung evaluated the effects of KAATSU Walking on VO2max, 1.5 mile run times, and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities with airman from the U.S. Air Force 350th Special Operations and Tactics Training Squadron.
See The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on VO2Max and 1.5 Mile Run Performance by William Ursprung, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science.
This group was already highly trained and fit young men - a group whose fitness levels would be much more difficult to improve with walking than the average civilian.
After three weeks of lower extremity KAATSU Walking, Dr. Ursprung found the airmen significantly improved their VO2max levels, achieved significant decreases in their 1.5 mile run time, and had significant increases in their thigh muscle cross sectional area. The researchers concluded that KAATSU Walking represents a methodology for improving aerobic capacity, endurance and muscular size at low training volumes and intensities.
Implications
This conclusion mirrored the applications for KAATSU that many far forward-thinking coaches, physicians, physical therapists and trainers in Japan and China have long known and applied with their athletes, clients and patients of all ages. For military personnel and athletes who are looking for concurrent improvements in strength and endurance, this experiment proved that they do not always have to move, run, swim, cycle or row at maximum intensity over long durations if they strategically use KAATSU equipment.
While movement or exercises with KAATSU equipment performed with intensity will result in significant physiological and athletic improvement, it is not always unnecessary - especially if you are lacking in time, space or motivation.
"As long as their technique and athletic form is correct, athletes and military personnel - and people from all walks of life - can realize benefits with KAATSU by moving more slowly (i.e., walking versus running or swimming at a moderate pace versus swimming at maximum speed, spinning casually versus spinning at high intensity) rather than always going all-out," explains Steven Munatones. "Perhaps this lowered intensity is appropriate after injuries or immediately after a competition or during a taper phase of training - or even when you only have 10-20 minutes of potential exercise time to sneak into your day. Perhaps this slower pace is simply more appropriate during different parts of any specific workout when an athlete is working on their technique or form."
This phenomena and discovery meant that the implications and applications of KAATSU usage expanded significantly. When benefits and improvements can be achieved at any speed, pace or level of intensity, you can be much more flexible and creative in your training decisions and fitness routine.
For example, instead of only going all-out sprints with KAATSU, runners, cyclists, swimmers, rowers and skiers can practice at more moderate pace - which means that KAATSU can be done more frequently and with less resultant fatigue. This possibility especially rings true for working adults with children to take care of or employees to manage.
Competitive Cyclists & High-intensity Training
In contrast to casual spinning, competitive cyclists, including professional keirin cyclists and triathletes, can use KAATSU equipment in a variety of ways:
1. Warm-up and stretching with KAATSU Cycles
2. Workout recovery with KAATSU Cycles
3. Increased watt output with KAATSU Cycles
4. Increased watt output with KAATSU Training
5. Increase functional threshold power using KAATSU Training
6. Rehabilitation with KAATSU Cycles
Warm-up and stretching with KAATSU Cycles
* As the athletes prepare for a vigorous workout, they do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their arms and then 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their legs.
* They can remain stationary, stretch, or do easy cycling on a stationary bicycle during these warm-up KAATSU Cycles.
* Using the KAATSU Wearables or the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 equipment, the units are easily and comfortable used.
* It is important to be well hydrated before starting KAATSU Cycles.
* It is very important to start with comfortable (i.e., lower) Optimal SKU pressure levels and gradually increase the Optimal SKU levels with each subsequent KAATSU Cycle.
Workout recovery with KAATSU Cycles
* As the athletes complete a vigorous workout, they do 3-5 KAATSU Cycles on their legs so waste products in their muscles can be effectively and efficiently removed. This enables the athlete to benefit from a rapid recovery so their subsequent workouts are optimized.
* They can remain stationary, stretch, or do easy cycling on a stationary bicycle during these cool-down KAATSU Cycles.
* Using the KAATSU Wearables or the KAATSU Cycle 2.0 equipment, the units are easily and comfortable used.
* It is important that the KAATSU Color is pink or rosy or beefy red while doing KAATSU Cycles; the skin tone should never be white, blue or gray.
Increased watt output with KAATSU Cycles
* Athletes can do their workouts while gradually increasing the Optimal SKU levels of the KAATSU Cycles.
* For example, athletes can do 6-8 sets of KAATSU Cycles as the Optimal SKU levels increase from 200 to 225 to 250 to 275 to 300 to 350 to 400 SKU.
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output will also increase.
* Athletes can change (either decrease or increase) the parameters of time, incline, Optimal SKU levels as well as watt output.
Increased watt output with KAATSU Training
* Athletes can workout while setting their Optimal SKU at a specific level in the KAATSU Training mode.
* For example, athletes can cycle for a specific time at a specific SKU level at a specific watt output (e.g., 200 SKU for 15 minutes at a specific watt output).
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output and time will also increase (e.g., 250 SKU for 20 minutes at an increased specific watt output).
Increase functional threshold power using KAATSU Training
* Athletes can workout while setting their Optimal SKU at a specific level in the KAATSU Training mode.
* For example, athletes can aim for a specific time at a specific SKU level at a specific watt output (e.g., 200 SKU for 15 minutes at a specific watt output).
* As time and experience with KAATSU increases, the watt output and time will also increase (e.g., 200 SKU for 20 minutes at an increased specific watt output). When the time goal is achieved, then the Optimal SKU level can also be increased.
Rehabilitation with KAATSU Cycles
* Torn muscles, ligaments, tendons or broken bones can be efficiently and effectively rehabilitated using the KAATSU Cycle mode.
Copyright © 2014 - 2020 by KAATSU Global
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