Perhaps the biggest muscle building myth out there amongst average weight lifters in the gym is what I call the Muscle Pump Misconception. Simply put, people think that the muscle pump they get in the gym whilst working out has something to do with how much muscle they will put on. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Don't know what I mean by muscle pump? Basically, it's when your muscles start to burn and tighten-up during your workout, and they look bigger and harder. Muscle pumps happen all the time and make you feel great. They occur simply because of more blood going to your muscle tissue.
Come on, I'm sure you've all experienced muscle pumps before. You look at yourself in the mirror and flex your muscles, and you look bigger and more ripped than when you first walked in the gym.
But the misconception that people have with muscle pumps is that they believe it has something to do with their muscle gains. They believe that if they get a bigger muscle pump during a workout, they will build more muscle mass. This is simply not true. Your "pump" will eventually go away after a little while, and it has no effect whatsoever on how much muscle you will build.
You would be surprised as to the amount of guys out there who rate how well their workouts went according to how much of a pump they got. It's also common for them to use lighter weights and higher reps for a better muscle pump. Sure, it will give you a great pump! But will it help you build muscle? Definitely not.
Remember that your muscles only grow when you are resting and eating properly, not when you're working out. Train properly by using heavy weights and low reps, and increase the weight or the amount of reps performed each and every week. Forget about your muscle pump, it has no effect on your results.
So don't be a statistic in the gym and be fooled by muscle pumps. Train properly with 100% intensity and forget about your muscle pump and you'll be doing yourself a favor.
If you want to learn the truth about building muscle then check out the
Building Muscle Guide. It covers everything you need to know including how to perform effective
muscle building workouts, eating properly, and taking the best bodybuilding supplements.
