5 Ways To Get a Sleeve Busting PUMP
1. Stay Hydrated
Humans are ~60% water - we’re basically walking, talking, complicated glasses of water. You know that you can only live 3-4 days without water, but I bet you didn’t know you can go your whole LIFE without getting a great pump due to lack of hydration. Adequate hydration not only improves gym performance and boosts energy, but also results in higher blood volume, better blood flow + circulation, and an optimal pump.
2. Don’t Cut Carbs
Don’t listen to your local carnivore or keto zealot hanging out at the local deli, chewing on a ribeye bone and wearing sausage links as a necklace - carbs do NOT make us gain fat. Carbohydrates, in addition to giving us energy, improving recovery from workouts, and being anti catabolic, facilitate an amazing pump! Carbohydrate consumption increases muscle glycogen (the body’s way to store excess carbohydrates), pulling more water into the muscle and giving it a fuller appearance.
*Disclaimer*
Overall training volume (i.e. reps and sets) is the most important driver of muscle growth (1, 2, 3). This being the case, progressive overload, or increasing the weight, reps, sets, etc. from week to week, should always be the #1 priority in strength and hypertrophy training. You may be thinking “Thanks, John! That’s all I need to know, I’m outta here.” But hold on tight because the next three sections explain training techniques that will be the differentiating factor between leaving the gym flat as a noodle or pumped as a balloon animal.
3. Manipulate Tempo
The general recommendation for rep tempo is “4-2-2-0”, meaning 4 seconds to lower the weight, 2 second pause at the bottom, 2 seconds to raise the weight, and 0 second pause at the top. That being said, the majority of people you will observe at the gym lift with a swing, out of control, “0-0-0-0” tempo. By slowing down your reps, you will increase muscle damage, increase blood flow to the muscle, and achieve an awesome pump.
4. Decrease Rest Time
Though longer rest periods (2-3 minutes) have been shown to be optimal for both strength and hypertrophy training, shorter rest periods also deserves some love (4). Short rest periods can be a useful tool when the goal is maximizing the pump as a result of increasing metabolic stress, one of the three primary mechanisms that increase hypertrophy. Don’t believe me? Next workout, try doing 3 sets of 20 reps with 30 seconds rest and watch your muscles double in size instantaneously. This technique is especially useful as a growth sparking stimulus if you typically take 2-4 minute rests between sets. Not because you will “shock the body”, but rather because your body will not be accustomed to the new, growth-inducing stimulus.
5. Focus on the Mind Muscle Connection
After resistance training for an extended period of time, it’s easy to just go through the motions. 3 sets of 10. Lift things up and put them down. Over and over and over. But understanding the importance of the mind muscle connection will reinvigorate your training and make it fun again! To quote Arnold again, “The weights are just a means to an end; how well you contract the muscles is what training is all about.” To isolate and “feel” specific muscles during hypertrophy work, think about the flexing the target muscle as hard as possible before, during, and after the rep. Sure, you will need to significantly decrease the weight but you will also experience the best pump of your lifting career.
Remember - Why the PUMP is Effective
(From HOW to Get Jacked - 3 Mechanisms of Hypertrophy)
The “pump” is the feeling we associate with the burn we feel while lifting weights and can be attributed to a build up of hydrogen ions and other waste products in the muscle. Blood rushes to the working muscle and results in a cascade of acutely painful, albeit muscle-growing signals in the body.
Why it works
Cell swelling- increases protein synthesis and decreases proteolysis.
Hypoxia- increases protein synthesis, increases GH levels, and increases myogenic IL-6. Increases production of reactive oxygen species, including nitric oxide, which may increase skeletal muscle growth. Increases delivery of anabolic hormones and growth factors to muscles through increased blood flow.
Buildup of metabolites such as lactate- increases protein synthesis and may increase anabolic hormones and cytokines. The acidic environment may also result in greater fiber degradation and more sympathetic activity stimulation, leading to an increased hypertrophic response”
How to implement
High rep work, 2-0-1-0 >65% intensity, 6-15 reps, 30-90 sec rest.
Take it to the Next Level
If you want a personalized program that will integrate all of the best ways to get a PUMP along with other evidence-backed training techniques, you’ve come to the right place. For more efficient results and less frustration, learn more about our fitness programming below.