Almost everyone who has ever set foot in the gym would have at some point heard of the "Pump". Some hit the gym for the sole purpose of getting one and we all, men and women alike enjoy the satisfaction of achieving it.
To quote the great Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Pumping Iron, "The greatest feeling you can get in a gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is... The Pump..."
So what exactly is "The Pump"
When a muscle is trained, blood flow is diverted from many other parts of the body in order to supply the muscle with the nutrient rich oxygenated blood required for maximum performance. When this large volume of blood is pooled in the muscle it results in hyperaemia, causing a tight feeling commonly referred to as "The Pump"
Training for the Pump
Training for the Pump has long been a contentious issue as there are some folks that swear by it and others that despise it. At overPumped.com we love the Pump and on some sessions train especially for the Pump so we will discuss mainly the benefits.- It feels great and leaves you feeling satisfied that your workout was successful
- It looks great when muscles are pumped as they look enlarged boosting self-confidence
- It stimulates muscle growth due to the elevated nutrient rich blood flow and stretching of the fascia
There are various techniques that can be employed to achieve the pump, these we'll discuss these later in another post.
