The “pump”: It’s probably the single best feeling you can get from a workout.
Pump training involves higher-rep work with lighter loads and shorter rest periods, which causes your muscles to fill with blood, water, and nutrients. They feel like they are about to explode through your skin. You simply look your absolute best.
That’s why bodybuilders use this style of training right before photo shoots and competing on stage. The pump temporarily enhances aesthetics by increasing your muscle size and vascularity.
For the average person, pump training is the key to getting shredded, especially if you only have 5 to 10 pounds of stubborn body fat to lose.
It’ll also do the following 4 things:
- Deplete muscle glycogen (sugar) stores to enhance fat burn during rest periods and between your workouts
- Create a metabolic stress and occlusion effect that stimulates muscle gain and the natural release of growth hormone
- Increase cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular endurance
- Promote joint health and muscle recovery
How to Get a Good Muscle Pump
1. After your heavier work, add a couple sets of higher reps with lighter loads.
Typically this will be in the 8 to 15 rep range, but don’t limit yourself to that. You can grow from sets of 20-plus reps, too, so experiment and see what your body responds to best.
2. You can also make one of your weekly workouts a pump day.
In fact, studies show that using a mix of heavy, medium, and light loads throughout the week is highly effective for maximizing strength and muscle gains. The fitness nerds call this undulating periodization.
3. And if you want a full pump workout, then try Bodybuilder Burnouts shown in the video above. It’s a routine from THE 21-DAY METASHRED, my all-new, body-shredding DVD plan. (You’ll also get 8 other 30-minute fat-loss workouts. One guy lost 25 pounds in just 6 weeks.)
I like to do this workout whenever I want to look my best, like before date night or before I go to the pool. Whereas many of my other workouts in THE 21-DAY METASHRED hit the big lower-body muscles like your hips and legs, this workout really focuses on the abs, arms, and shoulders.
I also like to throw it in the mix when I’m feeling worn down from heavy squatting, pressing, and deadlifting. That’s because it’s easy to recover from, and it feels good to just work the “mirror muscles” sometimes.
Let’s get pumped up!
The Bodybuilder Burnout
Do the following exercises in a row. Perform each move for 50 seconds, resting 10 seconds after each one.
Complete all 5 movements to finish a round. Do 5 total rounds.
1. Crunch fly
2. Side plank with lateral raise (switch sides at 25 seconds)
3. Kneeling kickback
4. Zottman curl
5. Heels-elevated squat
For the full BODYBUILDER BURNOUT workout, plus a complete fat-loss program, try THE 21-DAY METASHRED today. And follow @metashred21 on Instagram for more great home workouts like this!
