A cuff partly limits blood flow to a working limb, so light weights build muscle like much heavier ones. Best supported: muscle size, strength gains over light lifting, and knee-surgery recovery. Whether it matches heavy lifting for top strength is unsettled. Harms are mostly discomfort, soreness, bruising and numbness; serious events are rare, mostly in people already at risk. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resting blood pressure | 110–120 / 70–78 mmHg | Uncontrolled hypertension makes the pressure surge unsafe |
| Limb occlusion pressure | No universal value — measure per limb; train at 40–80% of it | Prevents under-dosing large limbs and occluding small ones |
| Ankle–brachial index | 1.00–1.30 | Detects peripheral arterial disease, a contraindication |
| Creatine kinase | 50–150 U/L women, 60–200 U/L men | Flags the muscle-fibre breakdown behind rhabdomyolysis |
| D-dimer | Below 0.25 mg/L fibrinogen-equivalent units | Detects active clot formation in those with a clotting history |
| Handgrip strength | Above 40 kg men, 25 kg women | Strength marker tracking independence and survival |
| Appendicular lean mass index | Above 7.5 kg/m² men, 6.0 kg/m² women | Tracks the muscle mass the training builds |
| Muscle thickness by ultrasound | No established target — track change from own baseline, above 5% at 12 weeks | Direct readout of whether the limb is growing |
| Glycated haemoglobin | 4.8–5.4% | Tracks the metabolic co-benefit |
Cadence: Blood pressure before each of the first four sessions, then monthly. Limb occlusion pressure every 12 weeks or after material body-composition change. Muscle thickness, grip strength and chair stands at 6 and 12 weeks, then every 6 months. Creatine kinase and D-dimer only if symptoms prompt.