The bottom line. Current research suggests that occlusion, or BFR, training can be a safe and effective way of increasing muscle strength and size. As with the adoption of any new exercise, check with your doctor to see if BFR is appropriate for your level of health and physical abilities.

How long can you wear occlusion bands?

How long should you wear BFR bands? While generally safe, BFR sessions should be short. Keep your upper body workouts to 15 minutes, and 20 minutes or less for lower body workouts. This prevents accidental damage in case your bands are too tight and they cut off circulation.

What are the benefits of occlusion bands?

Occlusion training is simply a way of restricting blood flow in the veins of a working muscle in hopes to kick-start some larger gains in muscle size and strength. For example, you can wrap an elastic band around the top of your leg before doing your squat workout.