RecoveryLounge...where recovery is a priority...and a pleasure.

AT’s & athletes alike know the constant rigors of training will break the body and muscles down before building them up. One of the most under-appreciated aspects of the training formula is recovery and it’s often this very distinction that separates the top athletes from the pack. How you recover after every training session and competition makes a big difference in your performance the next day. This is why elite sports teams have been establishing an environment where recovery is a priority...and a pleasure.

With over 25 years of experience behind our true gradient, sequential pneumatic compression devices, RecoveryPump® has defined and continues to set the standard for aggressive muscle recovery.

Work with our recovery specialists to design the perfect RecoveryLounge® for your athletes. Choose from a variety of our versatile garments to find which products best suite your athlete’s needs. With the help of our designers and Recovery specialists, you can plan out your recovery tools, layout & customizations. 

 

You and your team can start experiencing the benefits of a RecoveryLounge® in just 3 easy steps!

01. Choose your products

RecoveryPump® sets the global standard for advanced dynamic compression with unique features and a versatile garment selection. Our garment selection unlike anyone in the market! Our innovative garments help you to target muscle groups ranging from toes to shoulders and everywhere in between.

 

02. Plan your space

Our designers can help you plan out your space with virtual 3d layouts of your potential recovery room.

03. Customize it!

Why not fill your recovery environment with a little team spirit! Customize the Luxe Lounge Chairs with your logo, add a custom designed wall wrap and more!

 

Let’s make recovery a priority and get your team set up with a RecoveryLounge® today!

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR-T): The greatest bio hack of our time

Not to be confused with occlusion training (which cuts off blood flow to the limb), BFR-T is an exercise modality that manipulates the bodies circulatory system combined with no load/low load exercise. This ultimately leads to effects similar to high intensity strength training. “Say what?...”

 

It’s simple but true and proven effective over decades of research. BFRT benefits include increased strength, muscle hypertrophy & hyperplasia, increased anabolic hormones (IGF-1), increased myogenic stem cell proliferation, increased muscle fiber recruitment, increased protein synthesis, improved cardiovascular endurance, improved power and to top it all off, you experience all these benefits with little to no muscle damage. All these benefits and more have made BFRT a “Must Have” for athletes and fitness guru’s alike.

 

Sounds great so far, but getting ahead with new technologies can be tricky. You know that BFRT works, but what do we need to know to get started? How do we know what BFR methods are legit and which ones can be harmful? Don’t worry, we are here to help! Our motto here at RP is “Primum No Sincere” which simply put means “First, do no harm.” We have done the research, and we want to share a few Do’s & Don’ts with you so you can safely and effectively boost your performance through BFRT.

 

Watch out for Don’ts and major “No No’s” of BFRT!

01. Don’t Exceed 15 minutes of upper body training or 20 minutes of lower body training.

That's a No no! You don’t need to overdo it. BFRT is meant to be short & sweet. Why overload your body when BFRT was designed to simplify the process of achieving the results similar to high intensity strength training. (Stay tuned for the top 3 starter exercises of BFRT)

 

02. Definitely don’t lift heavy weight while doing BFRT.

 

You don’t need to lift heavy weight to feel the effects of an awesome BFR workout. No no! That’s Naughty!!

 

03. Absolutely don’t occlude your bloodflow.

Come on now! That is a huge No No! Serious complications can occur if one occludes the arterial inflow for a period of time. Consider heart tissue for example, where in less than 5 minutes of ischemia (occlusion), the tissue can die or be severely damaged.

 

 

Now we know what our Don’ts are, what are the Do’s of BFRT?

01. Do check your capillary refill time

You don’t need fancy gear to know if you are occluding blood flow. The symptoms are obvious. At no point during BFR should you feel dizzy or lightheaded. If you are, then stop training immediately. Don’t worry, it’s super easy to check even before those obvious symptoms occur by frequently checking capillary refill time. Do a quick test now. Press on the lower left side of your palm (under the pinky finger). You will notice that your skin appears lighter for a moment, then immediately fades back into its natural color. Capillary refill time is the amount of time it takes for your skin to return to its natural state and should not exceed 3 seconds. To check arm Capillary refill time, press the lower left side of the palm. To check leg Capillary refill time, press top of the foot or bottom if you are darker skinned.

 

02. Do use proper band placement

Arm: Place band around arm just below deltoid head (do not place too high).

Leg: As high up on the leg as you can place the bands.

 

03. Definitely follow the 3 T’s of muscle failure

Muscle failure is that point where you just can’t push anymore. There are 3 “tell all” signs that you have fought the good fight, but your muscles can do no more. Usually, it would take some intensive exercise to get there, but with BFRT it only takes simple exercises to feel the 3 T’s of muscle failure.

Tolerance – User won’t be able to complete repetitions

Technical – User will begin to cheat the form of the specific exercise

Tempo – User’s tempo will begin to lag and become slow.

 

04. Absolutely do use BFRT devices that were intended & engineered for BFRT

Don’t try to repurpose a device that was not intended for BFRT. BFRT devices will have elasticity that yields to your muscle contractions. Lessoning risk of occlusion. They are also created to give you full range of motion while training without being tethered to a machine allowing you the option to do some sport specific training (i.e. kicking around a soccer ball, shadow boxing, or other sport simple exercises). Devices designed for BFRT will be relatively narrow, thus allowing a broader therapeutic window that is proven both safe & effective.

 

 

 

Trying to find time to squeeze a workout into a busy schedule? BFRT is designed for you. Can’t use weight during the recovery of an injury but still want to keep your muscles in check? BFRT was designed for you. Want to get the goodies of high intensity strength training but not the joint & muscle damage, you guessed it, BFRT was designed for you! To learn more or to get your BFR on, call today! 855.732.7867

 

See Science & Studies section of KAATSU & (B)Strong for article references 

 

Throw Back Thursday: Do you Know how old Baseball REALLY is?

Hey Die Hard Sports Fan! Did you ever stop and think about how far some of your favorite sports actually date back to?

Did you know that the earliest known record of baseball traces back all the

way to 1344? Cantigas de Santa Maria, a French manuscript illustrates a game that

shows resemblances to baseball. The earliest known written reference traces back to

1744 in Little Pretty Pocket-Book a British publication written by John Newbery. New

England introduced America to two early forms of baseball games called cricket and

rounders. By the early 18th century, school kids across the United States were playing

forms of these games in their backyards and school grounds everywhere.

 

Modern baseball’s creation is credited to Alexander Joy Cartwright, a volunteer

firefighter and a bank clerk, who founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club in

September of 1845. Cartwright developed a new set of rules that later formed modern

baseball and its foundation. This set of rules included a diamond-shaped

infield, foul lines and the three-strike rule. Cartwright can also be thanked for eliminating

the very dangerous rule of tagging runners out by throwing the baseball directly at them.

In 1846 the Knickerbockers played the first ever official game of baseball that started

the new American tradition.

Philosopher Morris Raphael Cohen described baseball as America’s national

religion. Baseball became increasingly competitive and profitable as it quickly turned

into a form of entertainment. This is attributed to players like Babe Ruth who was the

first great power hitter and known for permanently changing the nature of the game

along with the brilliant, sometimes violent, Ty Cobb recognized for his inside game

playing technique.

 

Baseball continues to be one of America’s favorite sports with game

attendance growing over 50% and revenue has nearly tripled for the past two decades. So, if you are a baseball fanatic, make sure to thank a New England ancestor for bringing historic forms of baseball to America.

 

Check out our Best seller for Baseball Players: RecoveryPump Half-Jacket

 

Sources: https://www.history.com/news/ask-history/who-invented-baseball, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball

Tips to keep your fitness goals on track all year!

 

Photo courtesy of Patrick Hendry

 

Be honest: How many times has this happened to you? You start the new year off by enthusiastically declaring a fitness resolution. For the first few weeks or months, you’re going strong and getting excited about all the goals you will reach by the end of the year.

 

After a while, however, you start to lose motivation. Perhaps you miss a workout or give into the temptation of a “cheat meal” when you should be dieting. Eventually, you’ve fallen so far off the fitness bandwagon that you just give up on your New Year’s resolution altogether.

 

We’ve all been guilty of losing motivation when it comes to our annual fitness goals. In fact, it’s so common that an estimated 80 percent of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions after just one month.

 

Luckily for you, there are ways that you can become the exception to that rule rather than just another statistic. Contrary to what you might believe, there are many ways to keep your fitness-related New Year’s resolutions throughout the year. You just have to find what works best for you.

 

Don’t Give Up.

Falling off the bandwagon or enjoying a “cheat” meal doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goal. Just remind yourself of the reasons why you became dedicated to this goal in the first place - then jump back on the bandwagon and get back on track!

 

Have a workout buddy.

This could be a coworker, a close friend, a relative, or even your spouse. If you feel your motivation slipping, you’ll have someone to hold you accountable for your daily workout. You could schedule times to meet in-person (or via Skype, if you live far away from each other) to work out together. You might meet up each week to try a different group class at your favorite local gym, from yoga to kickboxing.

 

If you are more competitive, you could even turn it into a friendly competition. Whoever loses the most weight at the end of the month enjoys a free meal courtesy of the other person. There are endless options when it comes to working out with friends.

 

Hire a fitness trainer or coach

If you’ve ever wondered whether hiring a personal trainer or health coach might be worth the money, science tells us it is. Research indicates that professional health coaches are able to boost their clients’ success rates and help them maintain their fitness and weight-loss goals.

 

If you’re struggling to stay motivated, there’s no reason to go it alone. Why not get a coach or trainer?

 

Workout with Fido

Bringing your pet into your workout routine can be another great way to stay motivated. There are many benefits to working out with your favorite four-legged friend. Dogs the most upbeat and energetic workout partners, requiring a certain amount of physical activity each day.

 

Perhaps this is why researchers found that Michigan dog owners are 34 percent more likely to get the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week versus those who didn’t own a dog. Additionally, dog owners tend to outlive cat owners, possibly because all that dog walking is good for your heart.

 

Some creative ways to work out with your pet might include going for a walk, jog or run at a dog-friendly park, dog yoga; dog-friendly Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) or outdoor sports such as trail running and hiking.

 

Remember: You Can Do It!

We set fitness resolutions because we’re excited about them, dedicated to them or because we know we need them. If you’ve resolved to become fit and healthy, you undoubtedly want to succeed in achieving your goal. Good luck!

Are you forgetting one of the 4 key components of performance? That's Naughty!

Some athletes & fitness enthusiast might focus on nutrition, training & sleep, but what about Recovery? All these points are equally essential to keep you performing at the top of your game. If you don’t take the steps to properly recover, you may set yourself back or even worse, give yourself an injury.  Don't make that mistake...

Just use RecoveryPump, it’s easy. Step into your boots, put on your favorite show, kick back & relax while RecoveryPump does its work. RecoveryPump will help reduce any pain & swelling, increase your circulation, increase your joint mobility and improve your bodies healing of soft tissue & bones. Train Hard, Recovery Happy. 

Are you Naught or Nice?

Be nice to yourself and take advantage of 10% off all RecoveryPump products by using promo code Nicelist at checkout.

Using RecoveryPump is proven to:  

• Reduce Pain & swelling caused by intense exercise  
• Improve your body’s circulation which helps to speed up your bodies mechanism to remove waste & lactic acid build up.  
• Increase Joint Mobility  
• Improve Soft tissue & bone healing  
• Accelerate Recovery  

 

Don't waste time getting back on your "A" game. Train hard, Recover Happy.

MBK preparing and recovering for BBK!

While some women glide through pregnancy with grace, minimal discomfort and an epic glow around them, others may experience a little more difficultly in terms their body’s positive ability to adjust to the human growing inside of them! Every pregnancy can be completely different of course and it is very personal to each woman. 

As an athlete for a living, the experience of carrying on with my job while pregnant has understandably been a journey in itself and every day there is something new to be learned in the process. There are days where I get up with gusto and shell out 3-5 hours of smooth exercise and other days where BBK (baby boy Kessler) completely guides the way and limits the amount of proper spunk happening in workouts.  After all, he is the one who may be causing some pregnancy ‘niggles’ whether it’s lower back drama from the added weight we are towing around or perhaps where he decides to sit on the day which is typically very low and thus, right on the bladder!  It’s key to let BBK run the show and just do what feels right in the moment. He is the primary focus so you adjust accordingly to what feels kosher for everyone involved.

As I hopefully prepare to birth an enriching human in a few short weeks, it has been paramount to keep that coveted muscle memory, work ethic and athleticism throughout the course of the 9+ months. It’s not only healthy for BBK to have his mom stay active, yet also important for me to do so as I look forward to getting back to my job on the race courses in 2018.

This brings me to a VERY important tool that has continued to be used in abundance (as it is in my normal non-pregnant world!) during this time. This daily tool that has been the valued and beyond important is: Recovery Pump Compression boots. There have been three marquee things in using RP that have helped me navigate through the waves of keeping afloat a fit and healthy pregnancy.

 3 ESSENTIAL WAYS THAT RECOVERY PUMP HAS HELPED CALM ANY PREGNANCY NIGGLES:

1. ALLEVIATE LEG/CALF CRAMPING: This especially occurs in the second and third trimesters. For me, it occurs the most towards the end of a swim session. These cramps tend to arise from carrying around extra weight and can also be related to swelling from fluid built up in the legs.

I learned quickly to start the day with even a short 20-minute pocket of Recovery Pump time, pre-workouts (just like I do when I’m properly training and racing with more intensity), to help compress and relax the muscles in a noninvasive manner.  Recovery Pump delivers an aggressive but very natural alternative to passive recovery for athletes – and for us pregnant women!

The system simulates localized "active recovery" (such as walking) in a more relaxed manner because the therapy is conducted at rest.  As a result, while I’m doing this before my workouts on the day, the RP therapy is rapidly accelerating the body´s re-absorption of the elements causing potential cramping and fatigue in the muscles. 

In addition, it is also effectively removing metabolic waste faster than any traditional mode of recovery or rest alone. As a result, my leg cramps are minimized and I can carry on with my workouts without worrying about if the legs are going to behave and/or cramp or whatnot - -there is enough to focus in on when you are towing a human along in your belly!

2. REDUCE SWELLING:  The legs can especially swell in pregnancy as a result of our expanding uterus and the pressure it puts on our veins which ultimately impairs the return of blood to the heart. This swelling situation is absolutely a normal part of pregnancy that is also caused by the additional blood and fluid we accumulate through the process. In my opinion, it often feels similar to inflammation that we get as athletes especially after more intense workouts or races. 

I have learned that this extra retention of fluid is needed to soften the body, which enables it to expand as the baby develops.  Of course we do feel this expansion!

Putting my boots back on after my workouts (again, just like in training!) is imperative – even for a quick 15-minute punch.  I genuinely chalk up the reason that I have had minimum swelling so far in pregnancy was by being extra diligent too about wearing my RP boots for a longer period of time in the evenings. While my husband and I are watching a show, I will put them on an hour or even two hours before going to bed.  This not only helps the legs, body and mind relax - it also helps soothe everything in general for the next day.

3. NOURISH SORE MUSCLES:

As each pregnancy week passes, many new body sensations and challenges are understandably encountered and they continue to change even day by day. Muscle soreness from pregnancy is a common challenge as most pregnant women can attest!

A reason that we can understandably get more “sore” in our muscles is because we are indeed carrying more weight in a frontal distribution. Even as athletes, this still causes our muscles that we don't normally use as much – to feel the affects of this added weight and thus, they also get sore! Since most of weight gain is in our belly area too, it throws us off balance a bit (even when we walk let alone exercise) and muscles we didn’t even know existed in our legs, start talking to us!

Recovery Pump provides such paramount specific levels of compression and increases circulation at all levels of the venous system in our legs. This effectively speeds up our body’s own natural means of recovery that addresses muscle pain at its source.

While I relish in the hopeful possibility of being able to be a mom in the very near future, I have officially decided that EVERY pregnant women (an athlete or not!), especially those with any pregnancy ‘niggles,’ should invest in a RECOVERY PUMP.

You can be rest assured to put that much more ease and comfort into your daily regimen of what any potential pregnancy woes may bring! 

- Meredith Brooks Kessler, Professional Triathlete & Mommy-to-be

@mbkessler