Pump Sets

[tye_89]

Hey All,
I'm just after some advice regarding pump sets. I'm currently on my 7th blast with fortitude training and the only issue i have come across consecutively has been with pump sets, i find i have two issues #1- as soon as i get a build of of lactate/blood i lose all mental focus and can't tolerate it. #2- I get really bored with the higher reps and also lose focus. Any tips or ideas or how to get around these issues ?
(This is probably why i was always drawn to more dorian yates style training one all out heavy set to failure over conventional bro/pump slpits. I find fortitude with loading and muscle rounds has the dorian yates aspect which is why i was attracted to it and still love doing it.
I do get a pump with both loading/muscle rounds but find since there over quite quickly i don't lose focus.
Any tips, ideas or help would be appreciated, thank you.

[Scott Stevenson]

Hey All,
I'm just after some advice regarding pump sets. I'm currently on my 7th blast with fortitude training and the only issue i have come across consecutively has been with pump sets, i find i have two issues #1- as soon as i get a build of of lactate/blood i lose all mental focus and can't tolerate it. #2- I get really bored with the higher reps and also lose focus. Any tips or ideas or how to get around these issues ?
(This is probably why i was always drawn to more dorian yates style training one all out heavy set to failure over conventional bro/pump slpits. I find fortitude with loading and muscle rounds has the dorian yates aspect which is why i was attracted to it and still love doing it.
I do get a pump with both loading/muscle rounds but find since there over quite quickly i don't lose focus.
Any tips, ideas or help would be appreciated, thank you.

What pump set techniques are you using?... (How are you doing the pump sets?... )

-S

[tye_89]

What pump set techniques are you using?... (How are you doing the pump sets?... )

-S

Hey Scott, I was doing 1 and a half reps technique originally and then started noticing the issues, then moved onto straight sets of 25 reps and just aimed to progress on that each week. Same issues. Tryed 5's into the hole recently and just literally lose interest. I'm doing the pump sets with whatever movement i feel i can get the best mind muscle connection and contraction, some bodyparts are machines, (legs for instance are leg press and seated hamstring) Shoulders are dumbbells (Leaning away side laterals, one side at a time). I know this sounds like a just suck it up type issue but i seriously struggle with the pump work. I love fortitude training and the results over the past year and just need to figure this out to get more out of the program. I thought about trying some drop sets but haven't yet (I've never ventured into tier 3 basic yet as i struggle with recovery as a carpenter full time and young kids to keep up with outside of work) Tier 1 and 2 Basic have been amazing for me, even so with the pathetic pump work attempts.
Thanks Scott.

[Scott Stevenson]

Hey Tye,

I'm a little confused as to what's running through your head here.

If the pain discomfort is becoming intolerable, that seems like quite a different issue than becoming bored / disinterested. The former is a matter of being overwhelmed with the sensation of pain, whereas the latter is a matter of finding minimal stimulus from the activity.

In other worlds, if it's not a "suck it up" kind issue, what is it?...

Are you not motivated enough to find a way to do the pump sets (per the criteria set out in the book, i.e., it not doing drop sets) in a way that is engaging?...

-S

[tye_89]

Hey Tye,

I'm a little confused as to what's running through your head here.

If the pain discomfort is becoming intolerable, that seems like quite a different issue than becoming bored / disinterested. The former is a matter of being overwhelmed with the sensation of pain, whereas the latter is a matter of finding minimal stimulus from the activity.

In other worlds, if it's not a "suck it up" kind issue, what is it?...

Are you not motivated enough to find a way to do the pump sets (per the criteria set out in the book, i.e., it not doing drop sets) in a way that is engaging?...

-S

Hey Scott,
That was a great question and got me thinking, so i waited till after i trained again to reply. The answer, its the pain and discomfort becoming intolerable, i was just telling myself it was boring but really its because i get to a point where it starts to burn and hurt and i just stop. My wife always says my pain tolerance is low, guess she was right "again"
Is there any suggestions from you if one has a low pain tolerance?
Thank you.

[Scott Stevenson]

Hey Scott,
That was a great question and got me thinking, so i waited till after i trained again to reply. The answer, its the pain and discomfort becoming intolerable, i was just telling myself it was boring but really its because i get to a point where it starts to burn and hurt and i just stop. My wife always says my pain tolerance is low, guess she was right "again"
Is there any suggestions from you if one has a low pain tolerance?
Thank you.

Well, I'm no expert here, but pain tolerance is a function of exposure to pain, to some degree, so you can get better at it over time.

If you were to imagine yourself - use visual imagery - before you do the pump sets, feeling the pain that you will feel, in every detail including your desire to avoid the pain and stop the set shy of muscular failure, this can be a way to move through the pain more successfully during the set itself.

Literally, you'll be practicing (mentally) the set beforehand where you successfully navigate the pain and don't give in to the pain, so that you have a better ability to do so when doing the actual training.

There are also different cognitive strategies that can be put into place. (This is something I picked up from an old friend who is a exercise psychologist who focused on pain during exercise and I've kind of developing my own thoughts on these strategies.)

You can:

• Focus on and go into the pain, taking it on and literally trying to drive the pain upward (without it being an obviously injurious kind of pain that's sharply focused like you're tearing a musculoskeletal structure like a muscle, tendon, joint cartilage, etc.). You're looking at using the "normal" muscle pain of exercise as a gauge for how well you're stressing the muscle and welcoming this as a an actual goal of the exercise.

• Put the pain to the side and disconnect from it psychologically in some way, ignoring it and making it a non-issue in your mind as far as something that dictates when you'll end the set. In this case the pain is "along for the ride" and you're keeping the weight moving and focusing on continuous repetitions, with the pain there as something you notice but does not dictate the set per se. In this case, you can use the pain as an "external" indicator of how well you're performing the set, but it's not the main focus / driver of your efforts.

-S

[tye_89]

Well, I'm no expert here, but pain tolerance is a function of exposure to pain, to some degree, so you can get better at it over time.

If you were to imagine yourself - use visual imagery - before you do the pump sets, feeling the pain that you will feel, in every detail including your desire to avoid the pain and stop the set shy of muscular failure, this can be a way to move through the pain more successfully during the set itself.

Literally, you'll be practicing (mentally) the set beforehand where you successfully navigate the pain and don't give in to the pain, so that you have a better ability to do so when doing the actual training.

There are also different cognitive strategies that can be put into place. (This is something I picked up from an old friend who is a exercise psychologist who focused on pain during exercise and I've kind of developing my own thoughts on these strategies.)

You can:

• Focus on and go into the pain, taking it on and literally trying to drive the pain upward (without it being an obviously injurious kind of pain that's sharply focused like you're tearing a musculoskeletal structure like a muscle, tendon, joint cartilage, etc.). You're looking at using the "normal" muscle pain of exercise as a gauge for how well you're stressing the muscle and welcoming this as a an actual goal of the exercise.

• Put the pain to the side and disconnect from it psychologically in some way, ignoring it and making it a non-issue in your mind as far as something that dictates when you'll end the set. In this case the pain is "along for the ride" and you're keeping the weight moving and focusing on continuous repetitions, with the pain there as something you notice but does not dictate the set per se. In this case, you can use the pain as an "external" indicator of how well you're performing the set, but it's not the main focus / driver of your efforts.

-S

That is an amazing answer and extremely helpful Scott, I plan on trying and doing all the above and already feel like your response has helped me progress further with Fortitude Training. Thank you very much.

[Scott Stevenson]

That is an amazing answer and extremely helpful Scott, I plan on trying and doing all the above and already feel like your response has helped me progress further with Fortitude Training. Thank you very much.

Awesome! Glad to help out, man! LET US KNOW how it goes!!!

-S