When we think of fitness products that are paired with smartphone apps, the first thing that springs to mind is whether that product can be properly paired with the app on the smartphone. Fortunately, I can say with confidence that SAGA Fitness did an excellent job developing its smart Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) cuffs.
If you are preparing for competitions like the Crossfit Open, martial arts tournaments, or want to get a head start in your training, this product is a must have.
Let's discuss the various components of this product and how it has helped me improve my training efficiency.
Excellent quality and user feedback
The cuffs themselves are made of high quality material. You can feel it as soon as you put it on your arms or legs.
The cuff will inflate to match the settings you entered into the app and you can hear it.
From a user experience perspective, this is a great way to provide feedback to the user that the cuffs will adjust to the athlete's desired settings. I mean, the fact that you can feel the cuffs tighten around your limbs is one thing, but how else can you tell if they are no longer inflated?
I tried using the cuffs while working on my chin ups and bar muscles. The results have been phenomenal. After ten days of training, I was able to increase my repetitions. Note, however, that you should read up on BFR training before using it.
The app gives you recommendations based on the suggested settings. However, I'm sure you can agree that we should try to make every workout count. Also check out the infographic from Brad Schoenfeld, author of Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy. Great roundup of what BFR can and can't do for you (click the image for source).
Easy to use app and an intuitive user interface
Designing an application takes a lot of work.
However, designing an intuitive and easy-to-use application requires work and attention to detail.
The design of the user interface is simple and minimalist. This design enables the athlete / trainee to perform tasks in the app intuitively.
When I received the shipping package, it only contained the cuffs, USB charger, and Erin's note, the general manager of SAGA Fitness. There were no instructions.
However, please do not let that stop you from ordering the product.
It shows how simple and intuitive the entire product is.
It was a seamless process to download the app, set up a profile, and finally use the cuffs in training. An instruction manual wouldn't make it any easier.
If you love pushing boundaries
This is a product that I would recommend to serious exercisers and athletes.
If you love to push the boundaries of your limits, then most likely you will enjoy this product as much as I do.
Imagine that; I went from one bar muscle to five in a row in 10 days.
However, I am by no means saying that this is guaranteed to be the case for anyone who chooses to purchase a set of BFR cuffs on the SAGA fitness website.
What I am going to say is that if you exercise consistently, learn about BFR training, and finally introduce these BFR cuffs into your workout, you will see remarkable results.
I'm sure we can all agree that a weapon or device is only as good as the person using it.