Bands vs Wear 

We are all aware by now about the benefits of venous blood flow restriction training, and how implementing it even as a finisher to your already established workout will bring huge anabolic gains to your workout! 

(You can simply acquire such workout plans here) 

But why make the leap over from the tourniquets and bands you see on amazon to a full blown BFR training wear with integrated bands? 

First, lets take a closer look at the Gear, the HTM1.

The Gear 

A closer look at the gear will reveal a band on the upper part of the sleeve, around 2,5 inches wide, that is seamlessly built into the sleeve itself.

  

One will quickly notice the distinctive number pattern from 1 trough 4. These are obviously indicating tracks where a metal pin will be inserted to modify different levels of tension (occlusion) that you can apply to your biceps or triceps during your workout. 

So a question that pops into many peoples heads when using the bands and not the wear, is;  "what if you make it too tight, thus stopping arterial circulation to the muscle?" 

The great thing about the occlusion wear is that the integrated bands have a fail safe mechanism. Even if one goes to the highest level of occlusion (level 4) , it will still only restrict ones venous blood flow return, and not ones arterial blood supply! Ruling out the risk of cutting out arterial blood flow no matter how bad you are at following directions. Making it already much safer than any bfr-bands on the market today!

and we arent even done yet! 

Usability 

By far, the fact that a bfrwear has integrated bands, makes it alot more user friendly! I mean, have you tried putting on one of those straps with one hand while pumped?? almost impossible to do it! How much more, set it in the correct anatomical location! (upper part of the muscle worked and not between mucles as there is a high risk of arterial occlusion there)

That's another reason the WEAR feels alot safer, the location is preset, so you don't have to think about if you have it in the right place or not!

All you have to do is pull it to the desired level from 1-4, and be on your way! No fuss, no fidgeting and no risk.

Conclusion!

Correct location, Correct pressure and Consistency in use.

With straps, tourniquets, or ones mothers Pilates fitness bands, one cannot correctly regulate the pressure (too low and you don't get the benefits, too high and you fully occlude the vessels instead of a partial occlusion),

Location is also not regulated in regular bands (too high and you will start occluding Axillary artery, which isn't safe nor beneficial, as occlusion is on venous outflow not arterial inflow to Muscle).

Lastly consistency due to ease of use. No one will ever nail consistently these two above mentioned aspects when training due to human error, with anything other than a wear. As well as consistency in use, easier to use equals more time spent in quality occlusion, equals more gains.

This is simply the reason it won Invention of the year 2019 by UPMCA! 

You can learn more about it here below and on your YouTube channel! : 

All in all, why buy a TESLA when you can buy a Prius? Well.. That's up to the user.

Videos by Eric Wahl, student physiotherapist and co written and

Former pro athlete and Medical Doctor

Mehdi Ettehadulhagh