What is the "pump"

[zillagraybeard]

A "pump" refers to muscle swelling as a result of blood building up in your muscles during exercise. Although this temporarily makes you look bigger, solely being focused on getting a pump during training is not the most effective way to gain muscle.
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Muscles grow when you train them beyond their present capacity [1]. Meaning, if you provide an overloading stimulus, your muscles will adapt by getting bigger and stronger. No matter how "pumped" your muscles are during training, if your training isn't progressive you will have a hard time making consistent gains.
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Now, this doesn't mean a pump is completely useless, it can still contribute to muscle growth. The reason for this that a pump indicates the presence of muscle cell swelling [2]. This swelling has been shown to enhance muscle protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown, which in theory should increase muscle growth.
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So even though your main focus should be to make progress in your training over time, having some additional high-rep/pump style work may be beneficial [2]. A practical example of this could be a few sets of 15-20 rep bicep curls or tricep pushdowns after an upper body day.
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THE EVIDENCE:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3438871/
2. https://www.researchgate.net/public...ations_for_Enhancing_Hypertrophic_Adaptations

 

[Elvia1023]

The pump is the cure.

 

[Zapzap]

Its just blood

 

[jeroendebleser]

Very much overrated imo

Supposedly very important for muscle growth but after chasing it for many years I'm not convinced, at all. Thank God I'm back to pounding heavy weights (for me) and not giving a second thought to how good my pump is.

 

[Brickshthouse79]

“The greatest feeling you can get in a gym or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump. Let’s say you train your biceps, blood is rushing in to your muscles and that’s what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling like your skin is going to explode any minute and its really tight and its like someone is blowing air into your muscle and it just blows up and it feels different, it feels fantastic. It’s as satisfying to me as cumming is, you know, as in having sex with a woman and cumming. So can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like getting the feeling of cumming in the gym; I’m getting the feeling of cumming at home; I’m getting the feeling of cumming backstage; when I pump up, when I pose out in front of 5000 people I get the same feeling, so I am cumming day and night. It’s terrific, right? So you know, I am in heaven.”

– Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

[chinaboy]

Doesn't matter if you pump it. But if you do, pump real good.

 

[maldorf]

Doesn't matter if you pump it. But if you do, pump real good.

Salt N Peppa?!

I do think a good pump is good to get a few days after you have trained an area that is really stiff and sore. That blood flow brings in nutrients and bring out the waste products like lactic acid. I always felt better after that. Circulation in the muscle is important for healing.

I used to do what they called "feeder sets" a day or two after I trained a part hard if it was really sore. Like 2 days after really heavy squats and leg press I would do 2 sets of high rep leg extensions.

Here: Feeder Workouts for Increased Muscle Size and Faster Recovery I only did about 2 sets, and didn't do it often. I would just do it when I felt like I needed to.

 

[johnjuanb1]

The pump is the cure.

The pump is an erection of the muscle tissues.
Too much of a pump causes an explosion of white muscle juice.

 

[chinaboy]

The pump is an erection of the muscle tissues.
Too much of a pump causes an explosion of white muscle juice.

Hence why most gyms hang signs to wipe the bench off when your done.