New Year - New Arms!
Fancy having bigger or firmer arms in 2018? And looking for a bit of variation in your training routine? Well, read safely on then.
Training with a thick bar is one of the most effective ways to build muscular strength in your arms and upper body. BfR Professional now offers the latest alternative to expensive specialty bars: the original, blue Fat Gripz. This user-friendly exercise tool can be latched on to almost any barbell or dumbbell.
And by combining these non-slip rubber grips with our BfR Pro ARMS straps in our new Ultimate Arm Pack, we’ve made sure that you’re getting yourself a match made in heaven. Be prepared for the burn, though!
How does it work?
In short, Fat Gripz work by increasing the diameter of the bar. This enables you to up your arm building to extreme heights as using thicker handles leads to more muscle activation in your hands, arms and upper body. No wonder that professional athletes and Special Forces soldiers are all recommending this product.
The many merits of occlusion training/BFR training (as well as our top seller BfR Pro ARMS) have already been described in detail on our website and blog, so go check it out if you want to discover how easily and efficiently you can optimise your workout without having to compromise when it comes to output.
What if I’m new to BFR training?
Fear not! We understand that proper understanding of a complementary training method is pivotal to actually gaining from it. In order to release the full potential of your body, you need knowledge. Our Ultimate Arm Pack comes with a free BfR e-book where we’ve tried to cram in as many inspirational BFR exercises for arms as possible. It also includes general information about BFR training.
And remember: occlusion training is for everyone. Male, female, young, not so young, fit or going through rehabilitation… And with a brand new year at our hands, there’s no reason not to kickstart your workout routine.
BFR-training is easy to learn and builds on your body’s natural reaction pattern. Simple concept, intelligent training, as we say.
Anyway, what are you still doing here?! Go check out our Ultimate Arm Pack!
And don’t forget to leave a review or share your personal BfR success story with the rest of the BfR family.
Go grab 2018 by the throat!
Team BfR Professional
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See you at Newcomers?
We Give You:
The BfR Annual Report 2017!
Curious for a look backstage at BfR Professional? Well, here’s your chance…
Almost one year ago, our New Year’s resolution was to make BfR Professional happen – for real. As founders of BfR, we (Lars and Martin) had already spent over one year meticulously planning and testing prototypes for our occlusion straps. Now a Kickstarter campaign starting in December 2016 would demonstrate to us whether there was any interest out there. After all, not that many people knew about blood flow restriction training then.
Off to a flying start
Fortunately, you guys were curious about this totally new way of working out – and about us. Our Kickstarter left us 125% funded, and in January and February 2017 we sent out our first products: the BfR Pro ARMS straps and the BfR Pro Elastic Training Tube. By then, our website and newsletter were also up and running. Things were quickly picking up speed, and in April we got our first interns in order to increase our efforts within sales and market research.
In mid-May, two other BfR babies were born: the BfR Pro GluteBuilder and the BfR Pro LEGS. Like all other fathers, we were of course extremely proud to send them off into the world!
Bumpy road ahead?
Creating and launching new products can get rather addictive, and over the summer we decided to up our game and start developing the prototype for a digital product. Second generation BfR equipment, enabling you to take your training to the next level. We’d just received a grant from The Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship, so we knew we had the money as well as the vision.
However, no pain, no gain; things got a bit uphill for a while... Imagine dozens of meetings with potential business partners, redesigning packaging, insane amounts of coffee and equally insane hours. And ordering a thousand new product manuals, only to find out that you’ve managed to turn the text upside down, doesn’t exactly help! But the point of mistakes is that you learn from them. That’s always been our philosophy.
For example, we learned that always doing things at the very last minute isn’t a sensible idea. Unless you like high blood pressure, that is. After having to speed build a wooden promo stand minutes before a crowd of eager bodybuilders and athletes would come surging through the doors of the Newcomers 2017 in Herning, we’ve solemnly made each other a promise to at least try to be in good time.
The Newcomers fair turned out to be a huge success, though, and our digital dreams are well on their way, so basically we haven’t looked back. Another philosophy of ours is that success isn’t something you get – it’s something you create.
Autumn ramp-up
In the second part of 2017, we brought in graphics and communications interns because we wanted to boost the visual identity of BfR and give our communication an overhaul. After all, everybody wants to look and sound good, right?
At BfR, we’re always eager to improve not just our muscles but also our minds, so in August we attended Inspire Convention 2017 in Denmark where one of the world’s leading BFR researchers, Prof. Jeremy Loenneke, spoke. And in November we flew to Portugal to join Web Summit 2017 in order to show off our digital prototype and do some serious business dating.
On Black Friday we were lavishing discounts on you guys, which you generously rewarded. Now it’s December, and we’re finishing off 2017 with an Advent Calendar on Facebook and Instagram. So swing by our page and profile if you feel like getting your hands on our products, body boosting supplements and a unique Christmas discount.
One big BfR family
All in all, it’s been an amazing year, and although we’ve learned a few lessons, getting enthusiastic feedback from you guys makes it all worthwhile. Lots of exciting things are in the pipeline for 2018, probably including our digital BfR product, an app and more youtubing.
So, the humble wish we want to make for Christmas this year is that you will keep following us and share your personal BfR stories with us and the rest of the BfR family. We’re together on this one.
Thank you for making 2017 an awesome BfR year!
Lars and Martin
Team BfR Professional
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How to Stay Motivated with Our Favourite Instagram Influencers
As we explained in our last blog post about how to hack your brain and never skip a workout, motivation in itself isn't enough to get you up and making a beeline for the gym or put your running shoes on and heading for fresh air.
It takes a lot more to build a habit of living healthily with regular physical activity which will get you from a "should" to a "must" when it comes to working out.
Your life comes from your rituals.
Tony Robbins
You need to develop and harness that extraordinary psychology that will promote the right state of mind which in turn will take you from thinking and waiting into action mode.
And this is as true for getting yourself to the gym or doing a home training session as it is for anything else in life, be it a job, running a business, prioritising family time or other meaningful relationships.
When founding BfR Professional, we both had 10+ years of experience with training and keeping fit. So we know how it feels to take a break from training before regrouping and recharging in order to get back into the game. Consistency is the absolute key to long-term health and well-being.
Our top 5 influencers here at BfR
Right, let's get to the point of this post (!) where we've gathered a top 5 of our favorite sources of motivation on Instagram which applies not only to fitness and training but life in general.
Influencers:
Dr. John Rusin is a strength and performance coach with years of experience with fitness and training sharing a mix of instructional videos with great exercise tips and tricks based on scientific research and years of practical experience. One of the main focus points is creating a balance between volume and intensity on the one side and injury prevention on the other.
Dr. Rusin has developed his own training programmes called Functional Hypertrophy Training (FHT) which can be used by anyone. On top of that, he is also an advocate for blood flow restriction (BFR) training, which we of course like a lot!
2. @themateuszm
Mateusz M is a millenial guy who has a simple mission in life: "I want the world to be better because, I was here." Simple, yes, but hard to achieve! Or, is it?
Nevertheless, Mateusz M is killing it, especially on his YouTube channel with 954,470 subscribers and counting creating video content for motivation and inspiration for all and prompting us to take action in life and make a difference.
His most popular video "Dream" has almost 40 million views! Check it out here.
3. @before5AM
Joe Duncan is the man behind @before5am and is a firm believer that your day should start before 5 AM (doh!). The potential we all have is predicated on the amount of hours we dedicate to working towards our goals, and by starting early he believes that this will give you a competitive edge on everyone else.
@before5am typically uses long captions so you have to do a bit of reading, but do yourself the favour of taking the time to read and reflect on his message before scrolling on to the next "rah rah" motivation graphics.
Taking time to reflect is key - always remember to reflect.
4. @jayshetty
Jay Shetty is a digital influencer and former monk (true story) who shares his world view of positivity and gratitude with the world on a daily basis, either on his Instagram account or YouTube channel.
In about 7 years, Shetty went from being a monk to launching his own YouTube channel in early 2016 and later his own digital morning show for the Huffington Post. Another proof of his uprise to online fame is him joining the Forbes 30under30 list with the 30 most influencial and innovative entrepreneurs in the Media category in Europe.
5. @garyvee
The final influencer and motivator on our list is the super entrepreneur and businessman Gary Vaynerchuck who truly embodies the word "hustle".
Since BfR Professional was established back in 2015, it has been a constant motivator to follow the NYC based entrepreneur Gary Vee and how he operates his businesses sharing insane amounts of content, both on Instragram and on his YouTube channel with extremely practical advise on how to run and scale a startup business.
However, @garyvee is in himself a motivational and inspirational character who shares his view on how he thinks we should look at the world and how blessed we are with our lives and the era that we live in with endless opportunities. (Brace yourself for a fair amount of foul language, though!).
Check out one of our favorite videos here titled "One life".
There you have it! Our list of the top 5 motivators right now whom you can start following today and hopefully become inspired by and prepared for a better tomorrow.
To your success,
Lars & Martin
Team BfR Professional
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How to Hack Your Brain and Never Skip a Workout
We all know the feeling that tends to creep up on you when you're about to go to the gym as planned but realise that you just don’t feel like it today. All those heavy lifts suddenly seem a pretty bad deal compared to a chilled hour of Netflix on your sofa. You really want to stay in today, but your conscience is pricking you. You obviously know the consequences of skipping too many workouts, so what do you do to make sure you stick with your long-term goals for your training?
How your brain basically works
The main thing to realise is that you need to hack your brain or it'll most likely get the better of you. And in order to do this, you first need a little basic knowledge about the biology of your brain.
Actually, the modern human brain consists of three different layers or brains, and when it comes to classic struggles of conscience as the scenario mentioned above, particularly the second and third brains are of interest: The second brain is referred to as the limbic system, and this is where our emotions lie – in particular the ones that like things to be easy and fun. Because of this, humans are biologically wired to choose safe, well-known options and conserve energy. Consequently, Netflix seems a much better choice than sweating in the gym, muscles screaming and all.
However, around the limbic system we have another, more modern brain called neocortex. This brain is unique to primates and humans and is where our thinking lies. And this is also your strongest weapon when trying to beat the carefree impulse to eat that bag of crisps, stay in bed or watch Game of Thrones all day.
How to BEAT that brain of yours once and for all
Basically, there are three things you should remember in your daily struggle against your baser instincts:
1: Stop waiting for motivation.
Any goal will inevitably contain a certain amount of suffering or sacrifice along the way. Too many people postpone the things they want to do because they just don’t feel motivated. Your limbic system is whispering to you that skipping one workout wouldn’t do any harm to your long-term goals because the limbic system would rather do something much more fun. This is when you must hack your own brain by using your neocortex instead.
Simply remember the rational part of you that knows full well that skipping another workout will be bad for your long-term training goals and embrace the fact that in reality there's no such thing as motivation. You are more than capable of doing something even though you don’t feel like it – so do it. And build consistency like a pro.
2: Comfort yourself that with occlusion training you will be able to train with less weight and for a shorter period of time.
Your workout will be over before you know it, and then an hour of Netflix may be well-earned. Remember that the important thing is to build consistency: Instead of skipping a workout entirely, it's better to train for a shorter period of time.
Many BfR users also report a psychological rush that might best be described as elation or pride when seeing and feeling the unique pump which arises during occlusion workouts. No matter how you felt prior to your workout, you'll surely leave the gym feeling content and relaxed, with endorphins swimming around your body like happy little tadpoles.
3: Choose to do your workout at home.
If you can’t be bothered to make it to the gym, why not train in the comfort of your own home? It'll enable you to "trick" your limbic system by simply choosing an easier option. (Remember that your brain prefers things to be easy and comfortable). With the BfR products, this is all possible. As an example, the new BfR Pro Glute Builder enables you to perform a wide range of exercises for your legs and buttocks – and you don’t even need any weights.
Once you get the hang of catching yourself or hacking your own brain whenever it only wants to do what's easy, there's no stopping you. It is all a matter of understanding the psychology as well as the biology behind it and exploiting that knowledge to your own advantage on a daily basis. And the more you do it, the easier it'll become. Building the right mental state will enable you to take it to the next level!
Links for further inspiration:
The structure of your brain, read more here.
Mel Robbins on motivation, read more here.
Hope this got you all fired up!
Team BfR Professional
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Meet the Users: Featuring Fitness Champion Adi Moldovan
Looking for inspiration for your next gym session?
You came to the right place! We've interviewed Romanian fitness champion Adi Moldovan about his exercise routine. He has been a regular at the gym for the last six years, but he actually entered the sports world at the age of three with gymnastics continuing with football and later martial arts for six years.
What is your exercise routine?*
Monday
Hammer curls with BfR Pro ARMS - set 1: 30 reps, set 2: 25 reps, set 3: 20 reps, set 4: 15 reps / 30 seconds break between sets.
Tuesday
Lying barbell triceps extension with BfR Pro ARMS - 4 sets of 20 reps.
Wednesday
Leg press calf raises with BfR Pro ARMS - 5 sets of 12 reps.
Thursday
Two Arm High cable curls with BfR Pro ARMS - 4 sets of 15 reps.
Friday
Rope push downs with BfR Pro ARMS - set 1: 30 reps, set 2: 25 reps, set 3: 20 reps, set 4: 15 reps.
Saturday
Standing calf raises with BfR Pro ARMS - 4 sets of 15 reps.
What tips do you have for those who want to start going to the gym?
To be persistent and remember that the results won't always come fast. You have to know that you have to work hard, so a lot of work and patience are necessary.
Also, it's a lifestyle; you can't just go to the gym and eat right for a month and then stop. To move forward and stay ahead you need a plan.
It's necessary to have a plan, otherwise you'll fail fast. At the same time, you also have to ask for help, always, because you never know it all. You always have to search for information.
Who did you ask for help?
My good friend and mentor Mihai that had been going to the gym for a long time. He helped me a lot with everything, so another thing to bear in mind is that you should always try to have someone to push you forward in your training sessions. It's such a crucial thing which I can't stress enough. Additionally, I've found a lot of information on the Internet.
Continuously ask yourself, “how do I get better and smarter”, e.g. which exercises would be better and how to execute those exercises.
Do you have any examples of websites that you read often?
I don't have any website that I visit often, but I'm looking at famous persons in the bodybuilding industry and I'm trying to follow their advice and do their exercises but adjusted for my needs.
How did you come across blood flow restriction (BFR) training?
I saw a guy called Anders at the gym using them and it caught my attention, and then he let me try his straps from BfR Professional. I saw a big difference in the pump, and that was something I'd always been looking for.
Why do you like using BfR Pro ARMS in your training routine?
Especially for the pump that you get during training! You always have to maintain that, and BfR Pro ARMS help in achieving this in a great way.
Are YOU our next fitness feature?
If you would like to be featured on our blog as our next "Meet the Users" individual and share your training routine and personal BfR success stories with the rest of the BfR family, please don't hesitate to reach out to us! Either via e-mail at contact@bfrpro.com or on our Facebook page.
*Please note: This workout routine is only an example. You should adjust it according to your personal needs and current physical shape.
Take it to the next level with
Team BfR Professional
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