subject: For Bigger Calf Muscles – Work For The Pump [print this page] Unless you're genetically blessed with big calves, you probably have found that your calf training has produced less than desirable results. For many, calf training can be confusing and, sometimes, frustrating. The tough, resilient calf muscles require a complex and sophisticated approach to stimulate growth. Many techniques must be employed to effectively build bigger calves. Some of these techniques are the use of a full range of motion, stretching, drop sets and rest-pause sets. Another important technique is "working for the pump".
If you're not familiar with the "pump", then let's discuss it. The pump occurs when blood pools in the muscles as an immediate result of intense, high rep resistance exercise. This blood pooling or "pump" gives the muscle a full or tight feeling. Research has shown that the "pump" promotes protein synthesis and inhibits protein breakdown in the muscle.
Using advanced training techniques such as Drop Sets or Rest-Pause will provide an intense and high volume (high rep) environment to cause the muscle to pump up. If you continue to pump a muscle up in your subsequent workouts, you'll stimulate the growth of capillaries in the muscle tissue.
Capillaries are very small blood vessels that transport blood to the muscle cells. These capillaries provide for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients and energy substrates necessary for the muscle to continue contractions. The more capillaries you've developed, the more efficiently and effectively the blood can reach the muscle cells. This will result in more muscle growth in the future.
In addition to the muscle fiber growth, the new capillaries will result in a muscle volume increase.
I mentioned earlier that one of the calf training principles involved stretching. The stretching will increase the tough, outer membrane surrounding the muscle called the fascia. If you have achieved a good pump, then stretching after each set or exercise to expand the fascia will be further enhanced by a "pumped up" muscle.
So, don't ignore the importance of achieving a pump when you train your calves. Establishing a consistent pump during every calf workout will lay the foundation for more impressive calf development in the long-term. For more information on how the "pump" can be integrated to your advanced calf training program and for a FREE report on calf training, go to this site.
