Blood Flow Restriction/ Kātsu Training

[Gyakuto]

I can see what you’re saying. I’m not sure I could do 10 sec eccentric/concentric phases of my leg press!

I imagine my cartilages as if they were eggs. Regardless of the rate of change of load application, there will come a force that will shatter them. Anecdotally, I’ve never met an older lifter who hasn’t had knee issues but of course something else might’ve caused that.

Anyway, I do not squat with heavy weights…I have neither the need nor desire but I’ll try and circumvent potential damage by using BFR and much reducing the mass I’m pushing.

 

[MetalBoar]

I can see what you’re saying. I’m not sure I could do 10 sec eccentric/concentric phases of my leg press!

Maintaining good form to actual, deep, momentary muscular failure requires practice and grit. It also just takes some getting used to, but it becomes extremely meditative, it feels (and is) extremely safe, and it gets to be a fun challenge (for some of us). Plus, my target time for leg press is 1 minute, 1 set to complete failure, so I don't have to spend 20 minutes and multiple sets in misery to do it.

I imagine my cartilages as if they were eggs. Regardless of the rate of change of load application, there will come a force that will shatter them.

Lots of people see it this way, it's just not particularly accurate, at least not if you build up to it as you develop really solid form and experience with the movements and give your body time to recovery and adapt.

Anecdotally, I’ve never met an older lifter who hasn’t had knee issues but of course something else might’ve caused that.

Yeah, knee issues are just very common. In my experience most new clients I had over 40 listed knee problems on their intake form and most of them had never lifted before. My wife and I are a couple of the only people I know in our 50's who don't have knee problems. I attribute a lot of that to using this protocol and lifting regularly for the last 25 years.

 

[O'Malley]

Wouldn't progressively adding more reps/doing drop sets help your joints progressively accommodate the load? And if it's just about stimulating blood flow, wouldn't other methods work as well? (E.g. massages or tiger balm)? I'm ignorant on that matter so I'd be curious to know, but that whole BFR thing seems contrived to me.

By the way, if you look to reinforce your lower body's connective tissue, look up Chong Xie's hyperarch fascial training. I find it helpful.