Exercising with a limb cuff that partially restricts blood flow to boost strength/hypertrophy gains at low loads.
A training method in which an inflatable cuff or tourniquet is applied to the proximal limb during low-intensity exercise (typically 20-40% of one-repetition maximum) to partially occlude venous return while maintaining arterial inflow. This creates localised metabolic stress and hypoxia thought to drive strength and hypertrophy adaptations comparable to heavy-load training, making it useful where high mechanical loading is contraindicated (e.g. early post-surgical rehab). Optimal cuff pressures, exercise protocols, and long-term safety data are still being established, and some contested areas include cardiovascular risk in higher-risk populations and effects on tendon/connective tissue adaptation.
This definition was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.