Does squeezing your leg during workouts make you stronger?
Blood Flow Restriction Does Not Promote Additional Effects on Muscle Adaptations When Combined With High-Load Resistance Training Regardless of Blood Flow Restriction Protocol
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
BFR during rest intervals (BFR-I) caused the highest lactate spike — yet produced zero extra muscle growth.
Lactate is often marketed as an anabolic signal — but here, the highest lactate levels didn’t translate to better results, challenging a core BFR theory.
Practical Takeaways
Skip the BFR bands if you’re doing 70%+ 1RM training — save your money and focus on progressive overload.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
BFR during rest intervals (BFR-I) caused the highest lactate spike — yet produced zero extra muscle growth.
Lactate is often marketed as an anabolic signal — but here, the highest lactate levels didn’t translate to better results, challenging a core BFR theory.
Practical Takeaways
Skip the BFR bands if you’re doing 70%+ 1RM training — save your money and focus on progressive overload.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2021
Authors
E. Teixeira, C. Ugrinowitsch, Vitor de Salles Painelli, C. Silva-Batista, A. Aihara, F. Cardoso, H. Roschel, V. Tricoli
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you lift heavy weights with a special band that cuts off some blood flow, it doesn’t make your muscles stronger or bigger than just lifting heavy weights alone—even though your muscles feel more burned.
If you're a young guy new to weightlifting and you use a blood pressure cuff to restrict blood flow while lifting, it doesn't matter whether you squeeze the cuff while you're pushing the weight up or while you're resting between sets—either way, you'll gain the same amount of strength and muscle.
If you wear tight bands around your arms or legs only when you're resting between weightlifting sets, your muscles will produce more lactic acid afterward than if you wear them while lifting or not at all—but that extra burn doesn’t make your muscles grow bigger or stronger.
If you use a tight band on your arm or leg while lifting heavy weights or resting between sets, it won’t make your muscles work harder—measured by electrical signals—when you’re a young guy who hasn’t trained before.
If young guys who’ve never lifted weights before do regular strength training twice a week for two months using moderate weights, their thigh muscles get bigger and stronger—whether or not they use special bands to restrict blood flow.