Hitting at the gym consistently, taking enough protein, and a good sleep is all needed to build muscles. And it works for the majority of people. Looking bigger and stronger after a workout session (mostly weight training) is often seen. And called Muscle Pump. So what happens at that time to your body.
Does your body grow in front of your eyes? Or is it just an illusion or imagination?
We will discuss the process which takes place when you workout. And does this muscle pump help in muscle growth or not?
How Do Muscles Look Bigger After Workout?
The reason your muscles look bigger instantly after workout is because of ‘Muscle Pump’. It is a simple and short word used instead of ‘Transient Hypertrophy’. Transient means “temporary” and hypertrophy means growth.
Breaking down the word tells that it is nothing but a temporary muscle growth.
Let’s understand this complex process in brief…
Muscle pump happens when fluids of the body mainly – blood and water, fill up the muscles during movements and swell it. This situation occur in two most cases –
Reason 1 –
When performing any exercise, the heart pumps more blood to that part of the body so that it can lift more weight.
Reason 2 –
As a result of movement, lactic acid builds up in muscles and releases more water into them.
How Muscle Pump Is Used?
Resistance training or weight training is considered best for achieving muscle pump. Training with heavy weight, low reps and short rest times between sets is often suggested. Professional athletes use the same technique before they go on stage. For more visible muscle pump you can take things to one level farther by isolating a muscle group. Isolation exercises put more stress on a muscle compared to compound exercises.
But in my personal and tested opinion, changing the structure and design of your workout routine just for muscle pump is not worth doing.
Now we know that, muscle pump is nothing more than a temporary muscle growth. But does it contributes to muscle growth?
Does Muscle Pump Promote Muscle Growth?
A research was conducted where two groups of weight lifters were divided for an 8 week program. The first group did 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps and a minute of rest between sets. On the other side, the second group did the same no. of sets but 3 to 5 reps and 3 minutes of rest between each set of the same exercise.
Everything was the same except for some changes.
After results came it was seen that there were no visible changes in the muscle building of both groups. The group which was doing higher reps with lighter weight did not build more muscle, however they have more pump than the second group.
This shows that pumps don’t contribute much to muscle building.
Muscle Pump Vs Consistency
Muscle pump is a very good indication that you have performed well in your training session. Instead of just swinging weights here and there. But always remember that it is not an indicator of muscle growth.
Muscle pump has little to no contribution to muscle growth as compared to consistency and progressive overload. The pump only lasts for 2 to 3 hours. After you reach your home from your training place the pump fades. While the long term muscle gain is permanent and never fades.
Bottom Line
Muscle pump is temporary growth. In which we literally see our muscles grow in front of our eyes. It is not an illusion or imagination but a bodily process that takes place when we lift weights or do movements. Muscle pump mostly happens after weight training sessions. It is a good sign, it is a clear indication of great mind muscle connection. However it is not directly connected to muscle growth in the long term as it fades after some time.
If you don’t have a pump after workout this doesn’t mean you will not build muscles. When it comes to muscle building, it is great to rely on progressive overload and consistency in the longer run.