Occluded cruise?

[wtmarcus]

Yes, here we go again. Another occlussion thread.

Having read this following abstract got me considering hitting 5x5 occluded for my cruise.

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Three Weeks of Occlusion Training Can Improve Strength and Power in Trained Athletes.
Cook CJ, Kilduff LP, Beaven CM.
Source

United Kingdom Sports Council, London, UK; Hamlyn Centre, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College, London, UK; Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Bath, London, UK.
Abstract
PURPOSE:

To examine the effects of moderate load exercise with and without blood flow restriction on strength, power and repeated sprint ability, along with acute and chronic salivary hormonal parameters.
METHODS:

Twenty male semi-professional rugby union athletes were randomized to a lower-body blood flow restricted intervention (an occlusion cuff inflated to 180 mmHg worn intermittently on the proximal thighs) or a control intervention that trained without occlusion in a cross-over design. Experimental sessions were performed three times a week for three weeks with 5 sets of 5 repetitions of bench press, leg squat and pull-ups performed at 70% of 1-repetition maximum.
RESULTS:

Greater improvements were observed (occlusion training vs control) in bench press (5.4±2.6 vs 3.3±1.4kg), squat (7.8±2.1 vs 4.3±1.4kg), maximum sprint time (-0.03±0.03 vs -0.01±0.02s) and leg power (168±105 vs 68±50W). Greater exercise-induced salivary testosterone (Effect Size: 0.84 to 0.61) and cortisol responses (ES: 0.65 to 0.20) were observed following the occlusion intervention sessions compared to the non-occluded controls; however the acute cortisol increases were attenuated across the training block..
CONCLUSIONS:

Occlusion training can potentially improve the rate of strength training gains and fatigue resistance in trained athletes, possibly allowing greater gains from lower loading which could be of benefit during high training loads, in competitive seasons, or in a rehabilitative setting. The clear improvement in bench press strength resulting from lower-body occlusion suggests a systemic effect of blood flow restricted training.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23628627


70% will give my CNS some well deserved rest after yet another amazing 3.0 feast run.. Will be hitting some dips, jammer presses, squats, chins, and curls instead of the stuff in this trial. And to make it all a bit more relaxing I'll be doing an AB-split and not full body 3xweekly.

In the middle of feast atm, but will report back how this occluded cruise turns out.. Tho I will be sorry to see my normal cruise routine go.. It has served me so well so far. [/url]

[BrainSquirt]

wtmarcus,

Very interesting. Please let us know how this turns out.



(

fwiw, here is a (related?) more 'old-fashioned' approach that has really served me well in locking in the gains of 'cruise'

from AlternativeCruise

Cardio day: This is not just your typical aerobic get your heart rate up above certain level and keep it above for more than 20 minutes. Maybe at first - for a period of 2 -3 weeks if you haven’t been running or doing cardio. However, the work I’m promoting here is rapidly crossing your aerobic threshold followed by precise recovery periods and technique. Create ‘oxygen debt’ by exercising at a pace you can't sustain for more than a short period. Also, do NOT come to a complete stop during the ever shortening recovery periods.
The idea is to progressively shorten episodes, while gradually increasing intensity. Instead of increasing the duration of workout, you are programmatically increasing the intensity and acceleration at the start of an active interval – towards 20 seconds in sustained ‘oxygen debt’ and sub 10 second recoveries. These techniques can most easily be applied to sprinting, but can also be adapted to swimming, sled pulling, lighter dumbbell, martial speed drills, and structured racquet sports drills , etc. but only when the proper load and mode is applied. For legs, I use accelerating/sprinting in triangle patterns on 45 deg. hills - really helps sprint speed, especially starts, on the field. The net 60 degree turns are good training for making safe lower angle cuts too.
... get into a ‘lung burn’, sustain it for 20 seconds, quickly recover in 10 seconds and do it again and again, ... But, please don’t kill yourself (…just make yourself think you’re dying ). Be realistic. At first it takes a lot longer than 10 sec. to recover, etc…[4]

ie a (much more discomfort-able btw )whole body 'occlusion' ?
... which I theorize has better long term overall health benefits than externally applied blood flow restriction, but ... ?
)

[RobRegish]

VERY insightful read here by Brain. We don't call him "The Brain", for nothin'...

For everyone that hasn't read Brain's excellent treatise on "Alternative Cruise" yet - PLEASE DO!!!

It came along with 3.0...

[wtmarcus]

wtmarcus,

Very interesting. Please let us know how this turns out.



(

fwiw, here is a (related?) more 'old-fashioned' approach that has really served me well in locking in the gains of 'cruise'

from AlternativeCruise

Cardio day: This is not just your typical aerobic get your heart rate up above certain level and keep it above for more than 20 minutes. Maybe at first - for a period of 2 -3 weeks if you haven’t been running or doing cardio. However, the work I’m promoting here is rapidly crossing your aerobic threshold followed by precise recovery periods and technique. Create ‘oxygen debt’ by exercising at a pace you can't sustain for more than a short period. Also, do NOT come to a complete stop during the ever shortening recovery periods.
The idea is to progressively shorten episodes, while gradually increasing intensity. Instead of increasing the duration of workout, you are programmatically increasing the intensity and acceleration at the start of an active interval – towards 20 seconds in sustained ‘oxygen debt’ and sub 10 second recoveries. These techniques can most easily be applied to sprinting, but can also be adapted to swimming, sled pulling, lighter dumbbell, martial speed drills, and structured racquet sports drills , etc. but only when the proper load and mode is applied. For legs, I use accelerating/sprinting in triangle patterns on 45 deg. hills - really helps sprint speed, especially starts, on the field. The net 60 degree turns are good training for making safe lower angle cuts too.
... get into a ‘lung burn’, sustain it for 20 seconds, quickly recover in 10 seconds and do it again and again, ... But, please don’t kill yourself (…just make yourself think you’re dying ). Be realistic. At first it takes a lot longer than 10 sec. to recover, etc…[4]

ie a (much more discomfort-able btw )whole body 'occlusion' ?
... which I theorize has better long term overall health benefits than externally applied blood flow restriction, but ... ?
)

This is quite interesting. Back when I was delving deeper into the "science" of occlussion there was quite a bit of a discussion between internal and external occlussion. The internal variety comes up with normal contraction of muscles really.. and I'll most likely incorporate it by doing some sub-plyo work combine with static holds. It has served me well at other times so I'll see if I can get it all in here somewhere.. will keep you folks updated on how it all turns out.

[BrainSquirt]

Thanks. Yes please keep us updated…


... read your post and had some more random thoughts…
I thought of some of the ‘self choke’ and multiple twist poses Bikram used in his “never too late” healing work…
The poses restrict fluids (/ ‘blood’) flow to areas – when ‘mastered’ and done properly they even wring the fluids (/ ‘blood’) out of the areas (like lower back, legs, arms, etc)… and (theoretically) it is the rushing back in of ‘blood’ during savasana that triggers the ‘therapeutics’

(btw just a note re yoga in general… yoga can be seen as a yoking together of struggle and surrender… amercan yoga emphases the relaxing surrender aspects and minimizes the ‘struggle’ aspects. Not the case with Bikram yoga…
the 26 poses in Bikram yoga are not unique poses, nor are they particularly difficult ‘yoga’ poses. However, it becomes a difficult yoga…The radicalness and difficulties with struggle arise from the heated room…
… Bikram is great for recoop…
… beyond recoop, for thriving, my go to style remains Prasara…)