Super Pump Method

“Train Loco” Issue# 4

If your current workout routine is getting stale or you’ve hit a plateau, try incorporating this technique that has been proven to produce results. Keep in mind this is a system, not a set routine, tailor it to your specific goals, routines, schedules, etc. Remember that this is a tool for your training routine, don’t over use it.

Super Pump Method

The pump is the rapid expansion in the size of the muscles during a workout. The pump simply refers to the filling up of muscle cells with water (imagine filling up a balloon with water). When you work out, you produce waste products in the muscle cells. These waste products are the result of burning glucose and fat to fuel muscle contractions, and their build up inside muscles cells draws water into the muscle cells. Think of it as a balloon, the more water that muscle cell can hold, the bigger the pump will be. The pump essentially places a stretch on the muscle cell. This stretch not only makes muscles momentarily bigger, but it also initiates biochemical pathways that signal the muscle cell to grow.

During the super pump program, workouts focus on just one or two muscle groups per session, depending on your experience in training. If you are a beginner work just one muscle group a week, if you are advanced work each muscle group twice a week. Each muscle group will be trained with high reps and multiple sets. The workouts focus on isolation exercises and cables for constant tension and employ techniques such as supersets, compound sets, tri sets, and drop sets (view our other Train Loco issues to learn how to incorporate these into this routine). Keep rest no more than 90 seconds between sets. Follow this program for no more than six weeks before switching to a program that uses heavier weights and lower reps. After that, you can come back to this program.

Take home message: The super pump method is an ideal way to build muscle. This program is very high in volume (sets/reps) and should be used as a tool to supplement your workout routine. If you use this more than six weeks then it’s going to be counterproductive because we are firm believers in using all rep ranges (low-moderate-high). Again, this is a system, tweak it up if you would like and tailor it to your goals, body, ect.

Super Pump example:

Monday-

Chest

Tuesday-

Back

Wednesday-

Legs

Thursday-

Shoulders

Friday-

Arms

1) Incline Bench Press:

4 sets x 12 reps

1) Wide grip pulldown Press:

 4 x 12

1)Smith machine squat:

4 x 12-15

1)Smith machine squat:

4 x 12-15

1)Close grip bench press:

4 x 12-15

2)DB Bench Press:

4 x 12-15

2)BB row:

4 x 12-15

2)Leg Press:

4 x 12-15

2)Leg Press:

4 x 12-15

2)Overhead rope extension:

4 x 15-20

3) Incline DB fly:

4 x 12

3) Straight-arm pulldown:

3 x 12-15

3) *Leg extension & stiff-legged deadlift:

4 x 20-30

3) *Leg extension & stiff-legged deadlift:

4 x 20-30

3) DB kickbacks:

4 x 20-30

4) Pec deck fly:

4 x 20-30

4) Cable row:

4 x 20-30

4) *Leg extension & leg curl:

4 x 15-20

4) *Leg extension & leg curl:

4 x 15-20

4)BB curl:

4 x 12-15

        5)Seated DB incline curl:

4 x 15-20

        6) one-arm high cable curl:

4 x 20-30

 

Tips

  • DB- Dumbbells
  • BB- Barbell
  • *Superset: Click here to learn how
  • Make sure to rest 30-60 seconds in-between sets
  • Make sure you hydrate well in-between sets

 

 “Train Loco”