I have noticed that right after I finish my workout, my
muscles look full and swollen. They are pumped up and look really big for a few
hours which is great. However, after a while it feels like they deflate and
they don’t look as pumped up which makes me look much smaller. Why is this
happening?
answer-icon-newWeight lifters and bodybuilders enjoy the
pumped up and swollen feeling that occurs after they have lifted heavy weights
and busted out a hard workout in the gym. This is also known as “the pump” and
it’s what Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about in the movie “Pumping Iron”. When
you look in the mirror after a killer workout you will see that your muscles
appear to have grown in size. You may be wondering how your muscles have grown
in such a short amount of time which is a common question among many new
fitness enthusiasts.
It’s important to understand a little bit of science behind
the breakdown of muscles. Most people believe that the muscle is made up of
mostly protein when in fact muscles are over 70% water and other substances
including amino acids and other cells which help to hold the muscle together.
When you lift heavy weights in the gym you put a lot of
stress on your muscles and create many tiny micro tears in the muscle fibers.
This sends a signal to your body and brain to repair and rebuild the muscle to
make it bigger and stronger. Over a long period of time, a complex process
takes place which helps to increase hormones and cells within the muscle. In
the short-term, muscles are filled with blood and water in order to bring
protein into the muscles to help them heal and rebuild. This is the reason why
your muscles looked pumped up and much larger right after working out because
they are full of blood which provides that amazing full and tight feeling in
the muscle.
It can be disappointing when just a few hours later your
muscle pump has faded and your physique looks the same as it did before you
walked into the gym. The pump is only temporary but if you keep up a steady
workout routine then you will get longer lasting and noticeable effects.
Unfortunately, this incredible feeling you get when working out is only
temporary so enjoy it while it lasts and then get back into the gym to train
harder the next time.
It’s important to get enough rest after your workouts so
that your muscles can repair and get bigger over time. It’s also very important
to know the difference between muscle mass and the muscle pump. If you get
confused between the two you can end up overtraining your muscles which will
result in you getting weaker rather than increasing strength and size. Don’t
think you can train for 2-3 hours when you start feeling a pump. Hit it hard in
the gym and train with weights for about 45-60 minutes and then get out of
there. Don’t hang around and waste your time doing set after set thinking more
training will result in bigger results. It simply doesn’t work like that. Hit
it hard with short, intense workouts and then get out of the gym so you can
rest, recover and grow!
One of the best ways to get a great pump in your muscles is
to train with the right number of reps and eat the best foods and supplements
before working out. In order to rush the maximum amount of blood into your
muscles, train with higher repetitions in the range of 12-15 reps per set.
Lower reps in the range of 4-6 usually do not provide the best stimulation when
trying to get that pumped up look to your muscles.
Along with training, it’s imperative to eat the right foods
before training. Eating some complex carbohydrates like oatmeal is a great way
to provide your muscles with glycogen in order to train hard and heavy. Have
you ever tried working out on an empty stomach compared to eating a solid meal
with clean carbs and some protein before training? Without some carbs in your
system, your muscles will appear flat with very little vascularity (appearance
of veins). Along with eating some clean carbs, you might also look into some
nutritional supplements like nitric oxide (NO2) which has become very popular
lately for providing tremendous muscle pumps and energy during intense
workouts.
Establishing a training routine that is intense but not
conflicting is important. You must take adequate rest periods between training
and also train different muscle groups on different days to maintain and build
muscle mass and increase your strength levels. Sticking to a good diet and
using regular supplements will also help to increase muscle mass. You should
only train a muscle group once per week in order to allow for maximum recovery.
It’s always good to follow a split training routine where you break up your
muscle groups into separate training days. For example, on Monday train chest
and biceps, Tuesday do legs, Wednesday hit back and triceps, Thursday target
your shoulders, and then on Friday train your abdominals.
The pumped up and swollen feeling you get when training is
one of the best things about weight training, so enjoy it and use it as a
motivator so you can continue to progress and build up your physique. However,
be very aware it is only temporary and don’t get frustrated when it’s all gone
a few hours later. Just focus on training hard, eating quality calories and
adding in a few supplements to help maximize the muscle pump when you’re
hitting it hard in the gym!
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Source: http://www.shapefit.com
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