People are skeptical when I tell them that they can get bigger muscles with just one workout. I use it as a challenge to get guys to work out. Once I get them in the gym and start lifting weights, they get amazed at how big their muscles look and how firm they feel.
I tell my guys that if they want to keep it that way, they have to keep working out – so they do. No tricks, no gimmicks. It’s all about the muscle pump. It’s nature’s way to inspire you to keep working out. The “pump” effect is only temporary. It usually goes away overnight. It gives you a preview of what your muscles would look like if you worked on them consistently.
I learned about the muscle pump when I was in sixth grade. My dad took me to watch a pro wrestling match, and we had ringside seats. I saw the pro wrestlers up close. I even had the chance to high-five them. I was amazed at their hulking physiques and intimidating presence. It was a moment to remember for a 12-year-old. The next day, my dad took me to a local diner, and there we saw some of the pro wrestlers from the night before. I went to their table to get an autograph – but something was definitely wrong. They don’t seem as big as I remember them, and I just saw them in the fleshless than 12 hours ago.
My dad, who regularly works out, explained that it’s just the pump. It’s the body’s natural response to increase blood flow to your working muscles to supply oxygen and nutrients. Over the years, I learned more about fitness and muscles, and the pump became my obsession. I started working out and felt the pump for myself. It was amazing.
I learned, as the years went by, that it’s not just blood that engorges the muscles. When you strain your muscles, the body releases lactic acid to signal that your muscle is near its limit. It’s the burn you feel in your muscles when you get tired. Lactic acid builds up and draws water from the body. That’s how your muscles feel tight after a workout – and also why they look a lot bigger than usual.
The pump is just what gym heads call transient hypertrophy. From the word itself, it’s a transient effect – meaning, it’s not permanent. Your blood flow will eventually normalize, the fluid buildup will subside, and your muscles will shrink overnight – just like the pro wrestler I saw when I was a kid. The more I learned about the pump, the more I knew I had to make the most out of it.
How do you get a muscle pump?
Most guys get a muscle pump by lifting weights. If you strain your muscle enough, the body will respond by funneling blood flow to your muscles, which would give you a decent pump. The more you lift weights, the more your muscles will pop after a workout.
Pro wrestlers and bodybuilders take advantage of the pump by lifting weights shortly before they go on stage. This allows them to have bigger muscles than what they would normally have, and this makes for better aesthetics.
It’s unlikely that you’d get the same results with low-intensity training, like repetitive cardio workouts. Research shows that high-volume resistance training works best to get a decent pump. Do more reps, cut your rest, and do more sets. That will surely get your blood flowing.
Do I get any benefit from having a muscle pump?
It depends on who you ask. Some guys think that it works, some do not. There will always be opposing views until research proves it. My position on this issue is that the point is moot. You’ll build muscle doing the same workouts anyway, why does it matter to anyone if the pump helps or not? You might as well get something out of your workouts instantly, and I don’t have a problem with that.
Some research indicates that taking supplements to increase muscle pumps will ultimately help improve muscle recovery to shorten your downtime. Vasodilators, or nitric oxide boosters, can maximize the pump you get when you work out. These supplements maximize blood flow by dilating your blood vessels, and this allows your muscles to get oxygen and nutrients faster. In the same process, the muscles stretch, even more, giving you a much bigger muscle pump.
Post-workout, the increased blood flow ultimately helps your muscles to recover faster. Your muscles get nutrients faster, and this helps you reduce your downtime. This means you can work on the same muscle groups faster than you normally would.
At the end of the day, the pump is a nice thing to have, and it benefits your progress if you get the most out of it. Take nitric oxide boosters, like Ultra Boost, to maximize your muscle pump and hasten your recovery.
