Arms – Place the BFR Cuffs at the highest point on the arm, just below the deltoid. For a visual reference, see here.

Legs – Place the BFR Cuffs at the highest point on the leg, just below the glute. For a visual reference, see here .

• SAGA arm cuffs will fit arms 25 – 44 cm (10 – 18 inches)

 • SAGA leg cuffs will fit legs 45 – 64 cm (18 – 26 inches)

It is not safe to use both arm and leg cuffs at the same time. Therefore, we only recommend using either arm or leg cuffs independently during your workout. 

Once you’ve placed your order, it will generally be processed and shipped within 24 hours. If you experience delays outside the general timelines listed below, feel free to reach out to us at support@saga.fitness fitness with any concerns.

If you are located in any of the below regions, your order will ship domestically and should arrive within 3-5 business days if shipped standard:

• United States
• Canada
• European Union
• United Kingdom
• Australia

If there is any reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, you have 30 days to return it with a money-back guarantee or product exchange.

Returns are accepted within the first 30 days from the date of purchase. If you are within this window, please reach out to our Customer Support Team via email at support@saga.fitness to initiate a return. Once we receive your email, a member of our team will provide you with a Return Authorization Form to complete and send back to us. The form MUST be included with your return. Please keep in mind, we do not cover the shipping cost for the returned device. We advise that you hold onto your tracking information as we are not responsible for lost packages by the carrier.

 Once we receive the return device to our warehouse, it will take approximately 2 business days to process a refund or ship your new product.

 Once we issue the refund, it can take 5-7 business days for it to reflect in your original method of payment or for you to receive your new pair of cuffs. Exact return addresses will be provided by our customer experience team during the return process.

If any malfunctions occur, your limited warranty covers:

 • The BFR Cuffs module for 1 year

 • The BFR Cuffs battery and charger for 1 year

 This warranty does not cover damage caused by misuse or abuse, accident, liquids, including but not limited to, water or lotions, the attachment of any unauthorized accessories, alteration to the product, improper use, unauthorized repairs or modifications, improper use of electrical power supply, loss of power, variation in line voltage, dropped product, malfunction or damage of an operating part from failure to provide manufacturer’s recommended maintenance, transportation damage, theft, neglect, vandalism or environmental conditions. This warranty provided herein shall be the sole and exclusive warranty. There shall be no other warranties expressed or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness, or any other obligation on the part of the company with respect to products covered by this warranty. SAGA shall have no liability for any incidental, consequential or special damages. In no event shall this warranty require more than the repair or replacement of any part or parts which is found to be defective within the effective warranty period. No refunds will be given. If replacement parts for defective and materials are not available, SAGA reserves the right to make product substitutions in lieu of repair or replacement.

Blood flow restriction is generally considered safe for most people. However, it is important to screen appropriately before you implement BFR into your training, particularly if you have one or many of the following medical contradictions:

 • Current or previous history of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
• Antiphospholipid Syndrome (Recurrent Thrombin’s)
 • Family history of VTE on long term warfarin use
• Pregnancy
• Thrombophilia
• Infection within limb
 • Diabetes
• Cancer
• Vascular graft
• Lymphedema
• Anti-thrombin deficiency
 This is not an exhaustive list - it is important to be screened by a qualified health professional prior to implementing BFR training.

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training involves utilizing a cuff or tourniquet to partially restrict blood flow to either the arms or legs during physical exercise (resistance or aerobic training). The cuff not only occludes blood flow to the working muscle (arterial flow), but also partially or fully occludes blood from leaving the limb (venous flow). The combination of this arterial and venous occlusion largely replicates the physiological environment achieved by high intensity exercise, but does so while training at low to moderate intensities. 

While there is a robust amount of research backing the efficacy of blood flow restriction training, some of the mechanisms are still not fully understood. In other words, we know it works, but we can't fully explain why. Below are some of the mechanisms we understand currently that allow BFR to elicit such profoundly favorable results:

 we know it leads to hypertrophy, but we can’t fully explain how). Below, we’ll explain a few of the primary proposed mechanisms of how blood flow restriction can create such profound results in muscle building.

 • Hypoxia - This is a state of low oxygen. Research has shown that a low oxygen environment alone can stimulate anabolic pathways. In the context of blood flow restriction, a hypoxic environment is created at the muscle as oxygen-carrying blood flow to the muscle is limited or occluded.

 •Metabolite accumulation - Metabolites such as lactate build in the body during strenuous exercise. It is known that the presence of lactate at the level of the muscle can be a potent stimuli of muscle growth. With BFR cuffs occluding venous blood flow (the blood leaving the limb), lactate accumulates at an accelerated rate, which can stimulate hypertrophy.

 •Cell swelling - The infamous “pump” from resistance training caused by accumulation of blood and metabolites at the working muscle can itself be hypertrophic (muscle building). When the cell wall stretches due to the swelling, receptors on the cell wall can trigger a cascade of anabolic pathways.

 • High threshold motor unit activation - Likely for a combination of the reasons listed above (increased cell swelling, metabolite accumulation, hypoxia, ) training with light loads under BFR can stimulate high threshold motor units (the motor units typically only activated under very high intensities of 80+ % 1RM). In order to achieve maximal hypertrophy, it’s likely quite important not to neglect these high threshold motor units.

 • Gene expression / Endocrine factors - A notable inhibitor of muscle growth called myostatin has shown to be significantly inhibited by blood flow restriction training (potentially to a greater degree than from traditional resistance training). This may partially explain why BFR is such a powerful stimulator of hypertrophy.

BFR training has many applications, but for the purposes of this section, we will elaborate on the primary “pillars”.

 Hypertrophy (Muscle growth) - Blood flow restriction training can elicit profound increases in muscle size with loads as low as 20% of an individual’s 1RM (one repetition maximum). With traditional resistance training (non-BFR), such light loads do not subject muscles to great enough mechanical tension to cause significant hypertrophy (in most cases). However, blood flow restriction cuffs create a physiological environment that unlocks muscle growth capabilities at low intensities. In simple terms: resistance training under BFR can help you put on muscle training with less weight!

 Strength - Numerous times in research, subjects training with low loads (weight) under BFR have achieved significantly greater increases in strength than those training at equal loads without BFR. Beyond this, research demonstrates that it is feasible to closely replicate strength increases from high-load resistance training (80+% 1RM) while utilizing a fraction of the load (20-30% 1RM) under BFR. In simple terms: blood flow restriction training can allow you to increase strength while training with lighter weight!

Endurance - Similar to strength and hypertrophy training where blood flow restriction elicits high load adaptations at low actual training loads, the application of BFR seems to mimic high intensity aerobic adaptations at low to moderate intensities. The effects of blood flow restriction training on aerobic capacity have been well studied, with a robust amount of research demonstrating favorable improvements in VO2 max after implementing it into training regimens.

 Recovery - Beyond proper sleep, nutrition, hydration, and stress management, a chief component of recovery is proper programming. In other words, if you can train in such a way that does not continually cause excessive systemic fatigue, you can continue making performance improvements over time. Because blood flow restriction training allows you to maintain or gain muscle, strength, and endurance while training at lower intensities, it can play a beneficial role in managing recovery throughout a training cycle.

Yes! The practice of blood flow restriction has been extensively researched over several decades. Though there are hundreds of peer-reviewed papers on blood flow restriction, the scientific community heavily values systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which examine data from multiple independent and high quality studies to determine overall trends. You can find several systematic reviews / meta-analyses and their explanations under our research tab here.

BFR training can be advantageous in a variety of situations - we’ll outline some of the primary ones below:

When you have a time constraint - BFR allows you to reach metabolic and/or aerobic fatigue quicker than you would without it. This saves time during training and minimizes recovery demands post-training.

When you’re injured - Oftentimes, we’re not able to train with heavy loads while injured. BFR allows you to maintain or gain muscle mass while training with much lighter loads, so you can keep that hard-earned muscle while rehabbing.

 When recovery demand is high - If you’re pursuing other strength / athletic goals, you may not have the energy resources to move heavier loads. Because BFR allows you to drive muscle and strength-building stimulus with lighter loads, it can be beneficial as a fatigue management tool.

While traveling - Traveling tends to lead to less than ideal training environments. Whether you’re off the grid and can’t access a gym or equipment, BFR cuffs can be a useful supplement. You can drive a strong muscle-building stimulus with bodyweight only.

Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have demonstrated blood flow restriction to be broadly safe for most people. Studies have been conducted in a vast age range (from young to elderly). We have linked some of the primary research behind the safety of BFR on our research tab here. Before to engaging in any resistance training or aerobic activity, it is recommended that you consult your doctor.

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For the upper body, The BFR Bands should be worn at the topmost part of your arm, above your bicep. For the lower body, The BFR Bands should be worn at the highest part of your upper leg while standing (just beneath your glutes). See our Quick Start page for more information on how to wear BFR bands.

 When it comes to the tightness, The BFR Bands calibrate to your optimal occlusion pressure with one tap in our mobile app. From there, the intelligent cuffs will inflate to the proper amount (50% for arms and 80% for legs) so you can eliminate the guesswork. Just ensure the cuffs are snug prior to inflation, but not uncomfortably tight (you should still be able to slide two fingers between your skin and the cuff).

Increases in aerobic capacity (VO2 max) have been observed in as little as 4-6 weeks during bouts of low intensity walk or cycle training. To learn more about blood flow restriction and endurance, see our endurance page here.

 For questions regarding wear and care, product usage, and returns, please see our product FAQ page here.