The pump that is built up by the blood in your muscles will usually occur after
you repeat set after set, which results in the famous "burning" sensation
known as lactic acid. Lactic acid forms in the absence of oxygen. Lactic acid is
a WASTE product and does
nothing to build muscle weight.
Now if you are lifting extremely heavy weights and achieving a pump then this is
a very good indication that you are making the muscle fibers work fully. I would
only use the pump as an indicator to reveal how well you are 'targeting' the working
muscle. Not as you guide to mark your success.
Bodybuilding Myth #3
You MUST train until failure.
Training to 'failure' has probably received more debate, misinterpretation, and
improper logic resulting in too much wasted effort. Going to failure- going
to the point in a set where you are physically incapable of going just one more
rep, hence you 'fail' - is preached as the most promised way to make continuous
muscle gains. Interestingly, there is no activity outside the gym that demonstrates
this 'going to failure' principle is as critical as bodybuilders have employed.
Growing up as a long distance runner I often stood by and watched the sprinters
compete, and was astonished by their tremendous quadriceps and hamstring muscle.
Yet I never remember watching any sprinter on my team train until failure, nor do
I recall them ever sprinting through the finish line and collapsing. Yet they demonstrated
a greater amount of muscular work in less time each time they practiced and raced.
Also, I will never forget the phenomenal muscularity of the construction workers
I used to work with when I laid bricks and framed houses. Yet I never recall them
carrying timber around the yard until they could not pick up one more 2 x 4. Nor
do I remember the bricklayers moving the bricks around until they could not move
them anymore. Both of these groups had incredible muscularity and were able to stimulate
muscle growth without going to failure. So why do so many command that 'failure'
is an absolute law for stimulating muscle growth when much evidence shows otherwise?
Improving your body's sensitivity to the cold does not require you to go outside
in the middle of winter with no clothes on prior to passing out. If you want to
improve your tan, it isn't necessary to subject your skin to the sun prior
to the moment of blistering. If you want to improve your ability to hold your breath
under water, do you need to go to the point just prior to losing consciousness?
Since your body's primary function in life is to survive it will adapt only
to the point where your body has sufficient defense to whatever element it is exposed.
Similarly, when lifting weights your body will adapt to the intensity you have exposed
it to over time while maintaining your recovery resources. As you can see, muscle
growth stimulation operates on the same principle and does not require over killing
your muscles' absolute limit.