How important is "the pump"?

[InGreatShape]

id say pump is a good for a warm up exercise.

 

[Focus Fiend]

Luckily, I get my pump pretty easily. I could do 50 push ups and my upper body pumps up like a balloon. I also know that it does nothing for my strength increase. I try to do both each time I work out. I start with the heavy lifting, 3 to 4 sets of heavy weight, low reps on whatever muscle groups I am doing that day, then I do my lighter weights allowing for 10 to 15 reps per set. Unfortunately I can feel the strain on my joints from the excessive lifting.

 

[ceo]

I have a hard time when I squat. Be it that I can only do box squats now(abdomen tear) and leg sled. I cant seem to get a pump in my quads.


But if I ride the recumbant bike with resistance for 5 min my quads feel like balloons.

Wow, well according to some people then you should just stick to 5 minute recumbant bike rides with added resistance. You should get abso-fucking-lutely huge from that since you get such a great pump from it. Pump being so important and all.

Obviously squats, box squats and leg sled are just a waste of time for you bro. Since those exercises provide no pump for you, they are obviously not adding to your musculature. I would drop them from leg days immediately! The added benefit to that is that they are so much harder and more taxing than that 5 minute bike ride, so your workouts will be shorter AND easier...and your legs will blow the fuck UP!

FTMFW!

 

[joe d]

You can claim the pump is important, but I routinely get bigger and stronger while getting little pump during a workout.

There may be some supplemental effect of getting a pump in a workout, but the real deal is fiber microtrauma from percentage of 1 rep max and total workload.

Seen a million guys get great pumps, but not get bigger and stronger.

There are a couple national level powerlifters at my gym that are fucking yoked that compete natural and they rarely go over 5 reps and take lots of rest between sets. They joke about how if they break a sweat they're doing it wrong lol. These guys hardly ever get a pump and are big and strong as hell. They are bigger than 99% of the bodybuilder type guys in the gym and they look damn good when they are nearing competition and have dropped their bodyfat down abit.

so these guys dont warm up and look a little more swole after warming up than they did when they first walked in the door?

 

[ceo]

so these guys dont warm up and look a little more swole after warming up than they did when they first walked in the door?

I can't imagine a national level PLer not warming up. I'm sure that's not the case.

 

[joe d]

I can't imagine a national level PLer not warming up. I'm sure that's not the case.

and their muscles dont get fuller in the warm up?

 

[ceo]

I don't think a "warmup pump" is what the OP was referring to.

 

[joe d]

I don't think a "warmup pump" is what the OP was referring to.

thats the pump.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Maybe your definition of pump is different than mine.

When I think of pump I imagine it in the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger sense. Fully engorging the muscle with blood until it's really tight. Like it feels pumped full of air.

A general warming up of the muscles and "some" pump as an after effect from the lifting itself is not what I would define as "the pump".

I can guarantee the pl'ers would laugh at you if you said that to them.

Of course they warm up. I warm up. But, I don't get any particular pump per say from it. The muscles get blood flow and they warm up, but I don't feel pumped.

Lately I've been doing linear 5x5 and the only time I feel any "real" pump is my 3rd workout where I finish off squat, bench and row with 1 set of 8 or so reps.

I do not get much "pump" to speak of from sets of 5 or less.

 

[ceo]

Maybe your definition of pump is different than mine.

When I think of pump I imagine it in the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger sense. Fully engorging the muscle with blood until it's really tight. Like it feels pumped full of air.

A general warming up of the muscles and "some" pump as an after effect from the lifting itself is not what I would define as "the pump".

this.

Most people define "the pump" this way. The Aahhnuld way. Muscles so filled with blood from such high volume (25 sets of 10-12 reps per bodypart), they feel like they're going to explode.

Which is in no way indicative of actual gains.

progression is the key.

joe knows this.