Blood Flow Restriction Q&A with Jim Stray-Gundersen

Jim Stray-Gundersen, MD is a world-renowned expert in Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Training for Sport Performance. Drawing from his lifetime of experience with elite level athletes and clinical populations, Jim developed and co-founded the B Strong Training System using Blood Flow Restriction (BFR). The system works by applying cuffs to the arms and legs to temporarily restrict venous return without occluding arterial inflow. Put simply, blood flow restriction prompts an outsize response from the brain to speed up the normal process of repairing and rebuilding damaged tissue with lighter weight and a reduced risk of injury compared to traditional weight lifting. Jim predicts the B Strong Training System will change how the world gains the benefits of exercise, improving longevity and quality of life.

On this podcast, Jim discusses the important difference between the B Strong system and other BFR devices on the market, and answers questions about application and safety when training with blood flow restriction. He talks about how athletes and like-minded people are using BFR and shares some common user errors and ways to avoid them. Jim also describes his new professional training course available to anyone interested in learning more about the theory and application of BFR. Or - even better - for the next 14 days you can get the B Strong BFR Training System for 20% off using the code Kelly20. 

Here’s the outline of this interview with Jim Stray-Gundersen:

[00:00:10] Jim's previous appearance on the NBT podcast: Blood Flow Restriction Training for Improved Strength, Performance, and Healthspan.

[00:00:28] B Strong Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training system.

[00:00:41] Dr. Steven Patterson; Podcast: Blood Flow Restriction Training: Science and Application.

[00:01:08] Blood flow restriction: elastic vs. rigid devices.

[00:05:04] Study: Patterson, Stephen D., et al. "Blood flow restriction exercise: considerations of methodology, application, and safety." Frontiers in physiology 10 (2019): 533.

[00:05:09] Johnny Owens, founder of Owens Recovery Science.

[00:09:19] Question regarding the potential for endothelial damage; Study: Credeur, Daniel P., Brandon C. Hollis, and Michael A. Welsch. "Effects of handgrip training with venous restriction on brachial artery vasodilation." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 42.7 (2010): 1296.

[00:13:10] Olympic athletes using BFR training: Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), Galen Rupp (USA), Kate Grace (USA), Mikaela Shiffrin (USA).

[00:14:52] How athletes are using the BFR system.

[00:17:24] B Strong BFR training course for both BFR users and professionals.

[00:21:37] Common errors and things to avoid with BFR.

[00:25:17] Delayed onset muscle soreness.

[00:27:38] Frequency of workouts and habit building.

[00:31:40] Get the B Strong system using the 20% off discount code Kelly20, good for 2 weeks after podcast airs.