As mentioned in the previous post, there are various techniques that can be employed to achieve the pump. Here we will look at some of the most common training techniques
- Drop Sets
- Super Sets, Tri Sets, & Giant Sets
- Rest pause
- German Volume Training
- Pre-exhaustion
Drop Sets
A drop set is one in which a number of reps are
performed at several different weights from heaviest to lightest with minimal
rest in between drops.
It begins with a weight with which failure can be achieved within 5-8 reps and is then immediately dropped by 20-30%, the set continues until once again achieving failure at 5-8 reps, the weight is further decreased by 20-30% and is complete after as many reps as required to achieve muscle failure.
If training alone, drop sets are a safe and effective way to fully exhaust a muscle in the absence of a spotter.
Super Sets, Tri Sets, & Giant Sets
A super-set is a combination of two exercises performed back to back, with little to no rest in between moving from one exercise to the next.
A tri-set is a combination of three exercises
performed on the same principle as a super set. And any combination of four
exercises or more is referred to as a giant set.
While these techniques are known to help fatigue
muscle fibers and provide a great pump, they are not practical for the public
gym especially during peak hours as it sometimes, depending on the muscle being
trained, results in multiple machines being occupied at once… poor gym
etiquette!
Rest Pause
Rest pause breaks up a single set into multiple smaller sets with 15-20 second rest periods in between.
The weight remains constant throughout the set at
approximately 80-85% of 1RM with the 15-20 second rest pause commencing upon
achieving muscle failure. A maximum of two rest pauses per set is recommended.
Rest pause training has been known to help break through both strength and growth plateaus and the pump is phenomenal.
German Volume Training
German volume training requires 10 sets of 10 reps be
performed at a constant weight at approximately 60-70% of 1RM with 90 seconds rest
between sets.
For the first 3 sets, 10 reps should be achieved
easily. Sets 4-7 should become challenging and a voluminous pump should already
be achieved by this point. By the time you have arrived at sets 8-10,
completing 10 reps should be quite challenging and a searing pain in the
muscles will be felt on each and every rep.
Due to its intensity, German volume training is
recommended once per session per body part with ample rest before repeating.
Pre-exhaustion
Pre-exhaustion as the name implies requires the
pre-exhaustion of the muscle being trained before finishing with a compound
movement.
With this technique, the muscle being trained is pre-exhausted
with an isolation exercise followed with a multi-joint exercise.
This method of training limits the amount of weight
that can be used on the compound movements so it may be necessary to keep the
ego in check before attempting. The resultant gains and the pump derived are
worth it.
The techniques mentioned above aren’t the only
techniques by which the pump can be achieved however they are some of our favorites
at overPUMPED.com
