Science of pump sets

[Scott Stevenson]

Question is on pump days, is 1 or 2 pump sets actually doing much?? What's the reasoning for having a day just doing pump sets??

It seems like the loading days are set up perfectly to hit every "aspect" of growth.

You'll find references in the book to what I mention, of course. See also the Table on the bottom of page 96.


Here's the idea:

We're employing different "modes" of resistance exercise. Call it conjugate bodybuilding here in terms of the set type, all of which can be effective for increasing muscle size.

So, from a Load (intensity) perspective, we're varying the load:
Loading Set: 6-12RM
MR's: ~15RM (but can vary depending on where the failure set is in the MR
Pump: ~15/20 - 30RM (but can also vary depending on how the set is performed)

From a motor unit activation perspective and development of fatigue, there is variation as well:
Loading: Straight, continuous Set
MR: Cluster Set (increasing levels of fatigue as the MR progresses)
Pump: Straight continuous set, but with varying ranges of motion, tempo, etc. (as with 21's, 5's into the hole, etc.)

From a metabolic stress and TUT standpoint:
Loading Set: Shortest TUT (<12 reps)
MR: Medium TUT (24 Reps)
Pump: Longest TUT (Partial reps, etc. extend the set)

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So, what does the science have to say?...

Well, Stu Phillips group has put forth the most important info. in this regard:

Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis and molecular signaling is stimulated to the same extent or more so with a 3 sets 30%1RM load (~24 reps) TAKEN TO FAILURE vs. a 90%1RM (5 reps) Load (to failure): 1. Burd NA, West DW, Staples AW, Atherton PJ, Baker JM, Moore DR, Holwerda AM, Parise G, Rennie MJ, Baker SK, and Phillips SM. Low-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young men. PLoS One 5: e12033, 2010. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/...ne.0012033


They changed the loads a bit (80%1RM vs. 30%1RM) and found tha 3 sets increased muscle size to the same extent. 1. Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DW, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, and Phillips SM. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. Journal of applied physiology 113: 71-77, 2012. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. - PubMed - NCBI


Also, slowing the reps down using this same (30%1RM) load increases the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis (this is the notion of time under tension), which you can employ with the Pump set technique you choose: 1. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, Little JP, Cochran AJ, Hector AJ, Cashaback JG, Gibala MJ, Potvin JR, Baker SK, and Phillips SM. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol 590: 351-362, 2012.

Whether or not the muscle is occluded (again training at 30%1RM) does not neccessarily matter in terms of the increase in size (at least initially): Muscular adaptations to fatiguing exercise with and without blood flow restriction - Fahs - 2014 - Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging - Wiley Online Library


And, a more recent study found that using EITHER ONE or THREE sets of a 20% or 50% 1RM load, regardless of OCCLUSION (training 2x / week x 8 weeks) increased muscle size to the same extent. Here's a Figure from that study. Low-load resistance training promotes muscular adaptation regardless of vascular occlusion, load, or volume - Springer

   

So, 1 set unoccluded will get the job done.
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So, to review (and add some thoughts):

• Low load and high load both increase muscle size.

• Low load with low volume (just 1 set) has this effect. NOTE that this single (or two at higher volume Tiers) set in Fortitude Training is in the context of the rest of the week's training, as well. Volume is adjustable.

• The muscle need not be occluded (ala BFR) to have this effect.

• Low load increases muscle endurance (See the Mitchell et al. study) to a greater extent than higher load training. This will carry over into Loading sets and MR's and give you the ability to get more reps with a given load (and do more work in training, and likely get a greater EPOC, etc.)

• Also, the lighter loads allow for:
-Using exercises that don't lend themselves to heavier load training (machines, cable, etc.), which adds variety.
-Ease the stress on joints
-Add variety with the Pump set strategies, which is also a point of varying the overall stimulus / stress of training (depending on how hard you push on the Pump sets).
-Have training that's intuitive / fun.
-And get a nice pump, which you gotta dig.



-S