Changing the type of blood flow training you do during different parts of your sports season—like using one kind when getting ready, another during competition, and a lighter version when winding down—might help you get stronger and stay safer, but we’re not totally sure yet because there hasn’t been enough solid research.

Doing heavy weights followed by light weights with restricted blood flow might help power athletes build more muscle by keeping muscle growth signals turned on longer.

New lifters of all ages and genders get stronger faster with heavy weights than with light weights and blood flow restriction — no matter how long they train or whether they're male or female.

If you can't lift heavy weights because of an injury or illness, doing light weight exercises while squeezing your limbs tight might still help you get stronger — and that could be a good option for people in rehab.

Doing a mix of heavy lifting and light lifting with restricted blood flow—switching between them each week—might help your muscles recover faster and grow bigger, especially the powerful ones used in sports.

You can make your muscles grow bigger by lifting very light weights if you restrict blood flow to your arm or leg — it tricks your body into thinking you’re lifting heavy.