The pump is one of the best feelings that you can ever get in your life, we all know what Arnold has to say about it. The pump that you get after a hard grueling workout can feel quite rewarding and whether or not it’s essential for muscle growth is debatable but that doesn’t really matter does it? It feels incredible anyway. It lets you know that you’ve properly worked that muscle, established your mind-muscle connection and you’ve got your blood flowing in just the right places.
However, sometimes, weeks can go by without ever getting a satisfying pump, or worse, no pump at all. It can get quite demotivating to spend all that time in the gym and just not ‘feel’ anything happening. Here’s a few ways to really maximize your muscle pump, to really push all that blood in to your muscles.
Carb up!
Having a high carbohydrate meal an hour or two before your workout can be one of the best things that you can do to truly ensure an insane blood engorged muscle pump. Your muscles need glycogen, which comes from carbohydrates. If you are glycogen depleted, your muscles will look smaller and flatter than if they were full of it.
You may have noticed that during periods of low carbohydrate consumption, your pumps are minimal. Simple carbohydrates are better than complex ones as they are absorbed and digested more quickly pre-workout and better utilized as fuel for the workout.
Ensure proper hydration
If you are dehydrated, nothing in the world will be able to give you that pump. No matter what you eat and what supplements you take. Your muscles (and the rest of your body) need water to function. If your muscles are thirsty, give them water and then some more water. However, don’t fill up on water just before your workout as that will make you sick and get in the way of your workout. Ensure that you are properly hydrated throughout the day and not just around your workout.
Take a pre-workout
Once you have your carb and water intake dialed in, to really push it to the next level, you should consider having a pre-workout supplement, such as, Pump Juice Extreme. This pre-workout is designed specifically to ensure maximum pump, energy, focus and endurance during your workouts. Your pre-workout should include ingredients such as: Agmatine, Citrulline and Beta-Alanine. Creatine is optional but can help with cell hydration, which as we know, is great for a pump.
Lower your weights/fix your form
Although any weight can give you a pump, chances are that if you’re pushing heavier weight, your mind-muscle connection and form aren’t that great. To get a really great pump, you should have full control of the weight so that you are able to focus on that specific muscle and give it a good squeeze. The muscle that you are working on should be under tension throughout the whole set. This will ensure maximum blood flow, which will lead to an insane pump.
