3 Ways to Maximise Your Muscle Pump

Let’s face it, everyone loves the way we look and feel at the gym. This is because of our “pump”. A pump is when we feel like our muscles are about to explode out of our skin, and we also look more muscular than ever. Most would love to have these feelings last all day, but sadly, our pump will hardly last for any time after we leave the gym. If you want to potentially keep your pump longer, try these three tips. Of course, there are supplements that can increase vascularity and such, but I’m talking about doing things that will cost you no extra money and are 100% natural.

1. Include a “Squeeze”and Perform Reps Slowly

(source: muscleandfitness.com)

A lot of people think that doing reps or lifts as fast as possible is more impressive and builds muscles, but that is not the case. In fact, the slower and more deliberate you are doing your reps, the better it is for building muscle and it makes your muscles work even harder. Also, if you “squeeze” the muscle you are working on at the height of every rep, this will help you keep a pump for longer as the muscle went through more strain than during a traditional rep.

2. Keep Very Well Hydrated

(source: gymgeek.com)

By keeping yourself hydrated at all times, including during workouts, you will greatly increase your blood volume. This leads to more “full” and healthy veins, which are one of the trademarks of a great pump. You should be having up to or around a litre of water leading up to, during and after your workout. If you are dehydrated, your muscles will be too.

3. Decrease Rest Time in Between Sets

(source: muscleandfitness.com)

Now this doesn’t mean going from set to set and exercise to exercise without rest, it just means that by minimizing the time (if you can), you will maximize your pump. The shorter your rest periods means that more blood will be flowing through your muscles throughout your whole workout, , which will without a doubt increase your pump. If you want the best pump your rest periods should be no more than a minute or two in between sets.