Hands grip a bar, a dumbbell, or handle and an individual pushes, pulls, breathes, grunts, and finally Pump! The heart responds to the stress of isolation exercises inflating the desired region with fresh oxygenated blood ballooning muscles twice their normal size. The mirror confirms this feat, for it is real I see. A sense of self-love, satisfaction, and bliss overrun the operating system from something so simple as iron, truly amazing!
My first impression of the weight room was that of fear or misunderstanding. It represented dumb jocks to me as a teenager because of what I saw in gym class and the local YMCA but as I finished High School, I still hadn’t got much bigger and needed to take matters into my hands. Starting out 9th grade I weighed 95lbs and was required to lift in gym class, the boy before me was also small and he couldn’t press the 45lb Olympic bar on bench press. I was next. Scared to fail in-front of my friends, teacher, and classmates I laid down and gripped that sweet cold steel for the 1st time; repping out 10 clean reps, oh the satisfaction.
But it wasn’t until senior year clocking in at a generous 120lb that I finally caught the disease. I had been hassled about my height as a kid, something I couldn’t control, but mass I could see was in my grasp. With the aid of an older friend I bought 350lbs and a bench that adjusted into a squat rack, incline, and dips with a leg extension for $300. Some hand-me down dumbbells and a tan preacher curl rounded out the 2nd parking spot in the garage.
I was obsessed with training writing down my workouts and food. I scorched through Flex, Muscle & Fitness, Arnold, and Lou throughout the day, dreaming of the next session. The movie Pumping Iron put bodybuilding into a better context through motion picture and the essence of Venice Beach was immortal. Arnold’s training partner Franco, an Italian, was short and became my idol. His back looked as though he had wings when he had a full Lat spread rocking, I wanted that.
Being young my ego was at play looking for more weight, size, and strength but really one should just seek the Pump. Franco said something along the lines of, never miss a chance at a pump, I wouldn’t. Bodybuilding unleashes this beautiful coexistence of mind, body, and spirit, for it is a road open to all. I’ve always loved that the weights don’t care if you’re small, old, overweight, man, woman, black, or white; they treat everyone the same. And with a strong spirit the mind builds the body through repetition ripping muscles fibers and forcing growth.
The sculpting as Arnold explained in the movie is the same as an artist adding more or removing from a piece. If individual puts their awareness on a muscle for more development than that shall be decried through weak-point training and consistently following that voice. An example for me was skull crushers or triceps extension with a bar lying down. Everyone wants big biceps but they forget the triceps are much larger with 3 heads, thus making the biceps look even bigger. But this exercise caused pain not a pump and I was terribly weak compared to my partners. It wasn’t until I made my mind up to figure this out and with time, dedication, breath, and proper weight and form I found the pump.
One of my worst exercises became one of my strengths and having bigger triceps aided in all chest and shoulder days, an added perk. Instead of fearing this movement I welcomed it and challenged others as we all grew. My confidence flourished especially in the gym I was no longer an outsider. This was proven to me when I felt Olympian Sandow like out repping a man twice my size and 10yrs older on skull crushers as his date waited impatiently, scoffing at his effort.
A magnificent universal law of you can lift it or you can’t resonated with me. There was no in-between, it was accomplishment or failure. You could cheat yourself with poor form but you knew. Then there was the law of mind over matter. Who knew that bodybuilding had a spiritual connection to go beyond what is possible in nature to the supernatural.
This occurred for me after I split with my partner over sets. He wanted to go to 3 but I demanded 5 because that’s what Arnold did and we parted ways. I found myself alone on the hack squat machine after 7 sets of barbell squats and on 3rd set with 3 plates on each side I failed. I simply couldn’t push the weight up. Johnny the Bull came over and flung the rack up as I exited to the bathroom to purge my guts. When I returned the whole gym looked and gave me props for puking, that’s when the Bull said, “you ready to go again?”
That was the last thing I wanted to do but the 20yr old was on the spot after gaining respect so I locked in and decided I wouldn’t fail, I couldn’t. Instead of the 6 reps I had planned I rocked out 8 with Johnny cheering me on. It was just as I read about Franco failing on squats in the Arnold Encyclopedia when Italian Americans came into the gym right after. Arnold took Franco outside and said, “these guys think you’re king. You can’t fail again.” And he did not.
Like in the Encyclopedia our muscles did not get stronger and grow immense in 5 mins. but our minds did! What a power that was demonstrated in the physical that I can recall 20yrs ago like yesterday. That’s how impactful a pump can be. It can take you down roads you thought were closed to someone like you but all roads lead home.
A great pump leads to more understanding of self, for you know what makes you feel it immediately and what doesn’t translate but this knowing, well that is special. Because one can forge through the Valley of Darkness with confidence that these hurtles can be overcome. The visualization comes easier because of past experience and one is able to manifest what’s been rolling around upstairs for too long.
The heart is extraordinary! It pumps over 100,000 times a day without time off or recognition doing its job. But when an individual harnesses its power and focuses it, beautiful blossoms flower. The mirror won’t lie and neither the heart. They are loyal and at our disposable if we seek development through a pump.
