Looking for a better pump?

[JONNYG]

I've just recently gone back to the gym after a 4 year gap (forgot how good it feels ) but before this i went to the gym 3 times a week and did this for around five years so i have a good understanding of how to train and eat etc just a little rusty and older

Sometimes i can go to the gym and my muscles will feel full and pumped/good as if all the blood has gone into the muscle that i'm working on (but only on the odd occasion) and the rest of the time they will feel pumped but no where near as full and as tight..
I can only assume it's got something to do with what i'm eating on those odd days but i can't put my finger on what it is?
I train with the same intensity at every sesh which usually comprises of 1x warm up set & 4 sets maxing out around 7 to 10 reps usually with a minutes gap between each set where i will stretch or spot.

I try to eat 5 small meals which contain 30 grams of protein and add carbs depending on the time of day...
The only supplements i'm taking are amino acids and whey isolate at the mo..

Here's what i usually train together:
Back and Biceps
Chest and Triceps
Shoulder and Traps
Legs when i can be bothered (i Know i just don't like doin legs, never have)

So what is it that i'm eating/drinking that is giving me a better pump on that odd occasion?

Cheers Jonny

[Roach-Rampino]

I'm not really sure that finding a food is the answer here mate. Some days I go to train and I feel like I could rip down trees, other days I feel weak as a kitten. If the latter is the case I still train and go through the motions as it's important to keep your muscles working whatever you feel like.

The "squeeze" is a very important sensation to get at the top or peak of your movement, by really forcing all the blood into the muscles that you are working. I really find that this "wakes the muscle up" for want of a better expression. After all weight training is about isolating the muscles and really training that primary group, making every single rep count.

Do you "squeeze" when you train already?

[JONNYG]

Thanks Roach-Rampino,
I do squeeze but not as much as the weights gets heavier, I do tend to squeeze more on drop sets as well.
My next sesh is monday (shoulders & traps) so i'm gunna concentrate on the pause/squeeze at the peak of the rep and see if it improves any.

Cheers

[Roach-Rampino]

I do squeeze but not as much as the weights gets heavier

I know what you mean by this, it's almost too much effort on some reps isn't? Due to not training so much I've dropped in weight recently but have kept the reps high just to keep me used to the movement. That said I am creeping back up and when training chest, I benched 95kgs 6 reps last Friday on my 4th set of flat, which is getting back to what I was pressing before (6 months ago).

The squeeze is all part of the control and is pretty essential too.

[Zippeyrude]

I find that the pump will depend on the muscle group as well as the training regime.

I carry out a 4 day split and am currently working to a 3x8 regime with typically four exercises per major muscle group (chest, back, legs and shoulders).

I always get a chest pump, as well as shoulders. Minor groups (biceps and triceps) get massive pumps (i do chest & tri, back and Bi, and shoulders & bi & tri). Interestingly as the Bis and Tri are secondary muscles and have been subjected to the compound exercises previously they do not appear to need many isolation exercises to achieve fatigue or pump.

Perhaps, as is often the case, everyone is different and there is no right or wrong.

[ant3b]

Not to be a newbie or anything.. but what is the squeeze? from what I read from here is it the last rep you really push and squeeze it out!!

[Roach-Rampino]

Not to be a newbie or anything.. but what is the squeeze? from what I read from here is it the last rep you really push and squeeze it out!!

No not just the last rep. At the top of every movement, you really squeeze the muscle (I guess tense would be another okay word for it..?) just really flood the blood into the muscle, be it bicep on a curl, pecs on a fly, even calves on a raise. Try it next time you train and let us know if you see/feel what we're talking about.

[Roach-Rampino]

I always get a chest pump, as well as shoulders. Minor groups (biceps and triceps) get massive pumps (i do chest & tri, back and Bi, and shoulders & bi & tri). Interestingly as the Bis and Tri are secondary muscles and have been subjected to the compound exercises previously they do not appear to need many isolation exercises to achieve fatigue or pump.

Perhaps, as is often the case, everyone is different and there is no right or wrong.

No I totally agree, when I went heavy on chest last Friday, at work on the Monday I was talking and leaning on the door frame and I thought "Fuck! my tricep feels really bruised but I don't remember banging it..?" (and I knew I hadn't trained triceps in the 5 days previous). Then I realised, as you say, the secondary muscles were full of lactic acid and aching from all the pressing.

[x-mania]

So what is it that i'm eating/drinking that is giving me a better pump on that odd occasion?

Cheers Jonny

Not sure what it is you are eating/drinking on that particular occasion however I thought I would add my two pence worth which might be of some use for you.

Without going into it too deep as I dont want to bore anyone I have returned to the gym after 2.5yrs and have been training for 6 weeks - I too wasnt getting the pump I desired so I resorted to taking "BSN's - NO EXPLODE" on recommendation and no word of a lie I get explosive pumps every session because this supplement delivers and I will not train without it now!

Now im not saying you should take this although I highly recommend it however I have listed what it is made up of which might give you an idea of what your missing:

Sodium Creatine Phosphate Matrix:
• Creatine Ethyl Ester-Beta-Alanine Dual Action Composite (CarnoSyn®):
• Creatinol-O-Phosphate-Malic Acid Interfusion:
• Creatine AAB™ (Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate):
• Di-Creatine Malate:
• Trimethylglycine (TMG):
• Glycocyamine:
• Guanidinopropionic Acid:
• Modified Glucose Polymers:
• Sodium Bicarbonate (Effosorb Technology™):
• Cinnulin-PF®:
• Ketoisocaproate Potassium (KIC-K):
• L-Arginine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG):
• L-Citrulline Malate & L-Citrulline Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG):
• L-Histidine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG):
• RC-NOS™ (Rutaecarpine 95%):
• Gynostemma Pentaphyllum (Gypenosides 95%):
• Nicotinamide Adenine Dincleotide (NAD):

Beleive me if you do decide to invest in some of this you will not regret it as you WILL get pumps like you have not experienced before...

[bruno]

Not posted in this section before, but I have been training for some time now and thought I'd give you my thoughts.
One method I have found very good for ensuring the pump is to do say 50 reps of a lightish weight first. For me this especially works for chest. For example, I will go on the pec deck machine and do about 50 reps (after streching first which I always do and recommend to all) or more if I'm feeling like I have loads of energy, and then go onto bench as normal (at the mo 3x8-10). I find filling the muscle with blood like this first ensures a great pump almost imediately every time. It doesn't work for everyone, and it doesn't work for every muscle for me. It's all individual and you just need to try things out.

[SpArKy]

I dont mean to piss on your parade but I wouldn't fear about not feeling "the pump". Products that are sold to give you a better pump mainly use caffeine and other stimulants. There is absolutely no research that shows that substances such as Arganine that are supposed to increase blood flow to muscles actually increases protein synthesis and anabolism. Any research shows you'd have to take a hell of a lot to have any positive effects at all.

If I were you I'd just focus on good form and spending your money on good quality food and multi-vitamins/fish oil instead.