It’s all about the pump.
Go into the gym on Monday and hang out by the bench press. You will hear many “bros” say this. I’m willing to bet that they look like Pauly D or Mike “the Situation”.
The problem is that newer research has proven this bro-science to be true. A good pump does make your muscles grow.
At the end of June, Bret Contreras published an article explaining exactly why this occurs. Here’s the Coles Notes version:
- Muscles grow via three components: mechanical tension, metabolic stress (the pump), and muscular damage.
- The pump places the muscle fibers under mechanical tension due to the cell swelling.
- Certain intensity techniques that create a pump will also induce a fair amount of muscular damage.
Thus, training for a pump can cause mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscular damage. This article explains how to perform different intensity techniques that can be used to get a pump.
Keep in mind that the techniques you are about to learn should not be used on every single set of every single exercise. You’ll learn about when to use them at the end of this article.
Pre Fatigue Superset
In order to perform a pre-fatigue superset, set up two exercises back to back. The first exercise will isolate the working muscle, while the second exercise will be a compound movement for the working muscle. An example of this could be a superset of dumbbell flyes with barbell bench press.
Post Fatigue Superset
In order to perform a post-fatigue superset, set up two exercises back to back. The first exercise will be a compound movement for the working muscle, while the second exercise will be an isolation movement for the working muscle. An example of this could be a superset of barbell bench press with dumbbell flyes.
Rest Pause
For a rest pause, you are training an exercise to failure. To start, you will do as many reps as possible, then rest 20 seconds, then do as many reps as possible. You will rest another 20 seconds and do as many reps as possible. This is all using the same weight.
Using the lat pulldown as an example. Let’s say the set calls for 8 reps and you use 120lbs. Make sure all reps are perfect form. Here’s how the rest pause works:
- Lat pulldown for 8 reps with 120lbs.
- Rest 20 seconds.
- As many reps as possible with 120lbs. Managed to get 4.
- Rest 20 seconds.
- As many reps as possible with 120lbs. Managed to get 2.
- DONE.
Drop Set
For a drop set, you’d finish your set and immediately reduce weight by 15-30%, do as many reps as possible then immediately reduce weight by 15-30% again and do as many reps as possible once again. This is similar to a rest pause, but you are reducing the weight each set, allowing you to do more reps.
Cluster Set
This technique may not cause as much as a pump as the others, but it is still a great technique to induce muscle growth. Here’s how to do it:
Use a weight that is 87-92% of your 1RM, perform 5 reps with 10 seconds rest between each rep.
Using the deadlift as an example, if your 1RM is 405lbs, you would use 355-370lbs. Lift it for 1 rep, rest 10 seconds, lift it for another rep, rest 10 seconds etc. Do this for 5 total reps. This is one set. Generally, you would do this for 3-5 sets, resting 2-3 minutes between sets.
One and a Half Reps
For one and a half reps, you will lower the weight all the weight down, come up halfway then go back down, then come up the full way. Using the squat as example, you would squat down as low as is safely possible, then come back up half way. Then you’d go back down as low as safely possible, then stand up.
Partials
When doing partials, you are lifting the weight through a partial range of motion. Using the biceps curl as an example, you could do either partials at the top or the bottom of the movement. If it’s at the top of the movement, you do a full curl, then only lower and raise it a few inches until failure.
When to Use Intensity Techniques
Intensity techniques are amazing at optimizing muscle growth, but they are not the sole method that you should focus on. The hierarchy of muscle growth methods is still the following:
- Get stronger in big compound exercises.
- Get stronger in isolation exercises.
- Use intensity techniques.
With that being said, you can add in intensity techniques to the last set of every exercise 50-75% of the time during each training phase. This means that if your training phase lasts for 4 weeks, you can add in intensity techniques for 2-3 weeks.
Ultimately, getting a good pump in the muscle will accelerate muscle growth, but chasing the pump for every set will be counterintuitive to your goal. Get stronger in every exercise before training for the pump. Then, when you do train for the pump, you will be able to do more reps with higher weights, leading to great size gains.
If you really want to learn how to apply these methods to your training and achieve the best size gains of your life, then online coaching may be for you. If you’re interested, send me a message by clicking here.
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