If you go to the gym, then you have probably noticed that most of your fellow athletes have well-developed muscles. You may have even noticed how some of the guys in the gym seem to be looking more ripped after a heavy sesh than when they came into the gym.
You may be left stumped. After all, how does one single lifting session give such instant results? Here’s the thing. It doesn’t. What you’re seeing is something referred to as a “gym pump” or “muscle pump.” This physical phenomenon sometimes occurs after working out—and it can be deceiving!
What Is A Pump In The Gym?
After exercising at a particular level, some athletes notice that a change in their muscular blood flow occurs. In effect, their muscles become significantly larger. This is temporary. A gym/muscle pump is a physiological reaction to intense effort.
The Advantages of Getting a Muscle Pump
A pump is an incidental part of training; there is nothing wrong with a session that doesn’t result in one. You don’t necessarily need to train with the intent of achieving a muscle pump. It isn’t permanent and not worth any overexertion! However, there are a few benefits to consider when it does occur.
It Looks Great!
It is useful for enjoyment on its own, where athletes like the feeling of having massive biceps. Bodybuilding or photo shoot preparation is another normal exception that will be achieved with a pump-oriented workout because you might want to look much larger than your usual size.
It Motivates You
Motivation is the largest benefit associated with the muscle pump. Though it isn’t permanent, seeing new, rippling muscles when you are crushing a workout looks amazing in the mirror not like a phone filter, but you 100%!
This is how the muscular version of yourself will look after lots of hard work and training, which is why seeing this can make your goals and training journey feel much more tangible. That can help keep you motivated enough to stick with a dedicated routine. It shows that you are on the right track.
Muscle pump tends to happen when athletes are doing things “right.” They’re able to exert at maximum capacity, stay hydrated enough, and rest long enough between sets. If you get the gym pump, it’s probably a good sign that you’re taking a safe and healthy approach to your workout. Keep it up! The permanent gains you seek are on their way.
It Can Help Encourage Further Muscle Growth
The pump is an exhilarating experience and motivational tool to drive athletes towards greater fitness goals, but there’s potentially more to the pump. While much research on this topic remains to be conducted, some researchers feel that inducing a pump may favourably influence conditions for long-term muscle growth.
Gym Strategies to Induce a Pump
Many athletes “chase the pump.” If you’d like to give it a shot, here are some things to remember:
1. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is always important during workouts, but it’s especially crucial for the muscle pump. This sensation is caused by muscular swelling, which can only occur with hydrated cells. If getting a pump is important to you, don’t forget to drink plenty of water before your next training session, and keep one with you at all times.
2. Try Specific Workouts
Most athletes depend on specific routines while training for a muscle pump. Your fitness instructor will help you choose and learn appropriate workouts towards achieving this, including compound exercises and supersets. They will teach you how to lift for a pump and various pointers toward maximum achievement.
3. Keep Your Rep Count High
While everyone is unique, most athletes thrive off of crushing a lot of reps with minimal rest time in between sets. This can be achieved with any muscle group through a variety of workouts and lifting styles.
Common Myths and Misconceptions About the Workout Pump
We all love that feeling of the muscle pump, but there’s some bad information out there about it! Below, we are going to break down and debunk two of the biggest myths about the workout pump.
It Is Permanent
Sorry, guys. Those enormous muscles aren’t permanent. Once time elapses, your body will go back to its normal size. Of course, you can do exercises that could build the muscles in due time and they won’t vanish easily!
It Is Only for High-Level Athletes
The muscle pump doesn’t discriminate between long-term athletes and beginners. It is a bodily response to an intensive lifting session, typically with lots of reps. While certain elements (like proper hydration) make the pump more likely, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time lifting or your 19,375th.
Beyond the Workout Pump: Advice for Long-Lasting Power
You’ve visioned yourself with bigger muscles and liked it. Here are some hot tips for long-lasting results.
1. Work With a Coach
A pro fitness coach will be one of your greatest assets if you plan on improving muscular strength and building power. Your coach can assess your situation from your level of fitness and goals to experience to establish a workout that works for your specific situation.
Coaches are also an excellent support throughout the entire journey of building strength! Be it advice over a muscle pump workout, how to nail that one particular move, or even motivation; your coach will be able to provide this.
2. Create an Exercise Regimen
A pump of the gym is nice to see, but it’s short-lived. There is nothing as good as a continuous workout routine that allows one to see long-term results. This is the best way to meet goals and see the results you are yearning for.
Some of these routines might even include workouts specifically chosen to get a pump. The better practice, however, includes tracking your progress in a dedicated workout routine and building up naturally as an athlete. This would make it way easier for you to build muscle, gradually and in a manner acceptable to your needs and experience.
3. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others!
It is easy to get caught up in the trap of comparing yourself to other athletes. In principle, this might seem like an easy way to motivate yourself, but it is actually pretty detrimental and depletes gym-spiration. Everyone has their path. Comparing oneself and trying to “catch up” to another person’s success is destructive. After all, you do not know what else those other athletes are experiencing!
The idea of a workout pump is a great reminder of this. Most of the super-ripped weightlifters you will see on social media and in the gym happen to be in the middle of a muscle pump and do not look that way 24/7. And that is okay if you do not either.
4. Focus on Long-Term Goals
Your long-term results are what matters. To that end, exercising safely, efficiently, and regularly is essential. Listen to your coach, remember your warm-ups and cool-downs, do not overtrain, and consume plenty of protein to maximize muscle recovery. Treat your body well. You’re in this together.
5. Keep Going
Like the way that your gym pump looks? While this will not remain that way, you can use that as an inspiration for what is more permanent. In time, with hard work and enough training, your resting state can look a lot like what at this moment you only manage to see with a pump.
You know your body is capable of getting there because you’ve seen it! Your biggest job is to keep working toward it, even during difficult or discouraging moments. Don’t give up!
