Why Basketball Needs BFR: Inside the Game with Coach Mike G

In a sport where the calendar rarely lets up, recovery is no longer a luxury, it’s the edge. That’s where Coach Mike Guevara comes in. The founder of GBG Hoops and a seasoned pro performance coach, Coach Mike G has worked with elite athletes including NBA champion Jrue Holiday.

Through his GBG Hoops platform, he now helps athletes at all levels train smarter, recover faster and extend their careers with practical, high-impact methods that deliver real results. Known for pushing performance strategies that actually stick, Coach Mike has been using Performance BFR (Blood Flow Restriction) with basketball athletes for over five years. His verdict? “It’s a cheat code for recovery, pain mitigation and long-term career durability.”

We sat down with him to talk all things basketball and BFR - from the post-game protocols that keep players fresh to why strapping in on court is a mental game-changer.

BFR as a recovery weapon post-game

“The first scenario that comes to mind is recovery,” says Coach Mike. “We deal with higher-minute players - 30 minutes and up - so there’s a lot of degradation of the physiology, both biological systems and soft tissue.”

He uses a passive BFR protocol post-game: strapped in at full pressure, five minutes on, three off. “The goal is to get new blood into the tissue. It’s a pumping mechanism. You’re already starting the hormonal response, feeding fatigued tissues with nutrition.”

That recovery protocol, paired with nutrition and smart scheduling, is what Mike calls “a tone setter for a high-performance lifestyle.” Implementing BFR into a daily routine supports a positive mindset around adopting the best nutrition and sleep within the athletes Mike works with.

No weights, no problem: post-game lifts with BFR

Recovery doesn’t mean total rest. “Post-game lift is a very strategic period,” says Mike. “We want to keep the high days high so the low days can be truly low.”

He uses Hytro BFR Performance Shorts to achieve a strong training effect without heavy loading, particularly for quad-dominant work. “Maybe instead of holding 75-pound dumbbells, they’re holding 25s. But they still feel a huge stress inside the tissue. That does something mentally. They feel like they’re working, even though they’re not lifting heavy. And that’s extremely effective.”

From court to sauna: why practicality wins

For Mike, convenience is key. “The whole reason I’m even here with you is because the Hare such an amazing product,” he says. “Set-up time is minimal. No cords. And it actually feels good.”

That accessibility means he can integrate BFR into almost any recovery or conditioning strategy, whether that’s in the sauna, the pool or even on the court.

The benefits of training with BFR 

Yes, Coach Mike straps players in during skill work. Why? “You get the physiological benefit of BFR and the mental benefit of performing complex skills under stress. It burns, but you still have to focus.”

It’s a dual load - on body and mind - that trains resilience under pressure. “I saw a study on sprinting with BFR, and the benefits were huge. That inspired me to go beyond rehab and strength into actual sport specific skill training."

Due to Hytro’s simplicity and ease of use, Coach Mike G can quickly and easily switch between BFR or no BFR. “Because the Hytro BFR Performance shorts are a turnkey easy set up, it takes less than a minute to get both legs ‘BFR ready’. So, we now can be selective on which drills we want to stress. Ball handling warm-ups are now lower body activation periods by simply strapping up and dribbling drills with BFR enables us to use depth in the hips to fire up the quads and glutes.”

Longevity starts with ownership

When asked about the role of BFR in career longevity, Mike doesn’t hesitate. “If I’m able to recover at a high clip, I’m able to perform at a high clip. Longevity is almost guaranteed.”

But it goes deeper than that. “These are tone setters. When athletes start self-administering BFR, when I see them with the Hytro BFR Performance Shorts on in the sauna or steam room without me telling them, it means something. It means they believe. They understand this is going to help them be better for the next stressor.”

And it’s not just for the pros. “My interest is getting these shorts on teenagers. In the U.S., competition is overplayed. If I can give them a small, convenient strategy that helps them feel 10% better, they’re less likely to injure themselves in that last game of the weekend.”

From pain mitigation and player buy-in to long-term culture change, Coach Mike G is clear: “We can really change culture with this.”

Learn more about BFR for basketball here or explore the Hytro BFR wearables now. Check out Coach Mike G's mobile app GBG Hoops here.