Capillary Training & Maintaining The Pump During Your Workout

Capillary training is a common term for climbers that help them in developing anaerobic endurance. But the capillary training most bodybuilding experts and guys talk about in gym is not for building anaerobic endurance rather it’s for building mass. The reason behind its popularity is that it results in awesome, lasting pump. Let’s start explaining with basics.

Capillaries are what carry nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to the muscle fibers. You get pumped when the capillaries expand, increasing the blood flow to the muscle fibers, swelling them up beyond their normal size. Lots of different training routines can give you a good pump while you're at the gym. The problem is that not long after you head out the door though, the "pump" is on the decline-soon to disappear almost entirely.

But unlike other training methods, capillary training will help you maintain the pump long after your workout. The normal training exercises could not produce long-lasting pump because of the Central Nervous System.

Normal training routine focusing on muscle which is fine but at the same time, they're stressing the central nervous system, causing it to go into "high alert" mode. This is what unleashes the unwanted metabolic side effects. The nervous system is forced into an almost constant "emergency mode", which ultimately hampers the gains you could have otherwise achieved.

In capillary training, you will train with lighter weights than what you’re typically used to. Perform 10 reps of 5-10 sets and rest between sets for 60-90 seconds only. Therefore, while intensity is reduced, the overall training volume is increased. The benefit of this type of training is a long-lasting pump with no undesired metabolic side effects.

Capillary Training Program:

The capillary training program is primarily based on volume and when combined with correct form and time frame is ultimate and fastest way to grow muscles than any other methods. Capillary training and its underlying principles have proven to be particularly effective for helping hard-gainers to pack on lean muscle.

The basic concept of capillary training is that our muscles have a workout capacity bound by limited time. If we perform less intense workout more in that particular time frame, it stimulates and allows maximum muscle growth. When the workload becomes too intense, it results in metabolic shock, which results in unwanted side effects.

Do not get confused here with the name. Capillary training is not some light weight-high rep training program. High reps training programs are beneficial for muscle toning not for gaining muscle mass. You don’t need to go for light weights for capillary training, rather than choose a little less weight than what you are typically accustomed to lifting.

In order to determine exactly how much weight you should be lifting for capillary training, you need to first determine the amount of weight you can lift comfortably for 8-10 reps. In capillary training, this is called the "max set point."

Knowing this, you generally reduce the weight by 25%. All of your sets are performed using the same weight. It doesn't necessarily make your workouts any easier-in fact, because you're increasing the overall number of reps, you'll actually be pumping more weight than with other high-intensity methods.

One of the great things about this type of training is that it is particularly effective for the guys who are genetically average, which is the overwhelming majority of the population. These are the ‘hard-gainers’ and for them, putting on mass can be really tough.

Does Exercise results in an increase in capillary density?

Capillaries are responsible for various functions in our body like, supplying blood, oxygen and removing waste products. Overall, capillaries respond to body’s need. When we exercise, our body’s demand for oxygen increases and capillaries ‘respond to our body’s need’ function comes into action. They supply more blood to muscles in order to fulfill muscle oxygen requirement and leads to the development of pump.

Along with improving capillaries function, exercise also increase capillary density at muscle sites.

While exercise can lead to increases in capillary density and improved capillary function, there is some evidence showing that exercise training can lead to the development of new capillaries.

While the development of new capillaries indicates that exercise does increase your number of capillaries, such increases are marginal and may not affect all people. Though exercise has the potential to increase your number of capillaries, the major effect of exercise on your capillaries involves improving those that you already have.