Always trying to get a 'Pump' from your workout? You might be shocked at what is really going on in your body... (Hint: It's not just Blood, it's also Lymphatic Fluid!)
Thomas DeLauer and Dr. Lance Dreher explain what a pump is and the negative effects it can have on your body over time.
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Transcript by Rev.com
- You've all gotten that muscle pump before. We like the feeling of it, we really like what it looks like, but I'm here with Dr. Lance Dreher who's gonna explain that, that muscle pump that you enjoy so much, might actually be something that's doing more harm than good if you're not looking after it.
- In the old days, we were told, pump the muscle, pump the muscle, pump the muscle. And actually, that pump is junk.
- Really?
- Lymphatic fluid just builds up in that area so when it happens, it actually increases the amount of scar tissue over time. If you continue with that, in that area. So, that pumping action that you think you're making, you feel real masculine, really massive, really strong, is not a productive way of exercising.
- Really?
- Really isn't, no.
- Now you were saying before that it's not actually blood that's giving you that pump.
- No, it's lymphatic fluid because you have a hundred trillion cells in the human body. And each cell produces waste. That's waste from the exercise just sitting there. It's pooling. You have to get that out of there. One of the best ways to do that is to move around the body like a pump because you have 620 muscles in the body, from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes. If you use that pumping action to move that out, your body has a way of getting rid of that garbage. Because that's actually what that is.
- Gotcha. So, the lymphatic system is designed to really flush out the metabolic waste.
- Bingo.
- So, when we really are essentially looking at the lymph system, we're looking at the body's, almost inherent ability to detox itself.
- Absolutely, but the best way is to get the muscles working. So, they do their job because if you have good toned strong muscles, and weight training does that, the correct kind of weight training, when you're doing nothing, just standing here, those muscles are working for you.
- Gotcha.
- Using a roller, massage, does not do that because the muscles aren't toned.
- Interesting. I know when you're talking about the lymphatic system you're talking about the liver. You're talking about that entire process as well. There's something that comes into play in terms of actual fat metabolism too.
- [Doctor] Yes.
- [Thomas] If the lymph system is working properly, then the liver is able to actually metabolize fat properly.
- Absolutely.
- So, it's something that people forget a lot. When you're detoxing, and your body's naturally in it's own detoxifying state, your fat burning process is a little bit smoother as well.
- [Doctor] Absolutely. That's why it's so important to keep that stuff moving through. The most important thing is make sure that you're exercising and nutrition plays a role there too. You know that.
- Yeah, definitely.
- Daily junk.
- As well as hydration.
- [Doctor] Yeah.
- [Thomas] I don't know right off the tip of my tongue but lymph fluid is by in large, a lot of water right?
- [Doctor] Absolutely.
- [Thomas] So, if we're not hydrated then obviously you have more viscosity that's not gonna be moving through.
- Right.
- [Thomas] So when you get a pump, next time you go into the gym, don't try to be isolating and getting constant blood volume to one area. Because it's not blood volume. It's lymph that's pooling up there. Now I'm not saying that muscle pump is bad. Pump still helps.
- [Doctor] No, it makes you feel powerful.
- Psychosomatic.
- As you get older and you move out of that mentality of getting that pump determining how well or hard you're working out to actually moving around the body to understanding that pump is not necessarily good. It's the action of moving that stuff out of the system and moving around the body. The way I train, using the PHA system, allows me to not only work with the cardiovascular system, but work the lymph system at the same time. Because there's no resting.
- What is PHA?
- PHA stands for peripheral heart action. It is a program actually, a theory that was put together by Arthur Steinhaus from the early 1900s.
- Okay.
- Okay, on working the pumping action of the muscles. As you get into the older ages of life, like a baby boomer. In my case I have two artificial knees. I can't do your conventional cardio standard running that kind of thing. So, I rely on the pumping action of the muscles by moving one part of the body to the next without resting so I get the cardiovascular benefits as well.
- So, I kind of want to circle it back to a little bit more of a full body routine, in essence. So, I'm gonna go biceps, then I might jump down and hit quads. Then come back up and hit chest a little bit. Just kind of going from upper to lower, back and forth.
- You can or you can move from bicep to abdominal or bicep to hamstring. Or bicep to even to tricep. Just don't stay in one area. Now the general proximity, if I'm going bicep, tricep. Is there still a little bit, is that too close for comfort?
- Ideally should I be--
- Not if you move from bicep, tricep, ab.
- Got it. Okay.
- You keep the blood circulating. You keep that stuff moving around.
- Gotcha. It makes perfect sense. Quickly, before we sign off. What are three, just real quick tips that we can get three tangible things in 30 seconds that everyone that's watching can take as practical application to help their lymph system.
- [Doctor] Keep moving.
- [Thomas] Okay.
- [Doctor] Upper lower, upper lower, like a pump.
- [Thomas] Okay.
- [Doctor] Don't forget to exercise the neck because a lot of nodes there.
- [Thomas] Okay. Good advice.
- [Doctor] Don't forget to exercise the abdominal because a lot of nodes there too.
- [Thomas] Interesting.
- A lot of guys and you know this, like going to the gym. Very few people work the neck.
- Definitely true.
- They don't spend much time on the abdominal. It's more the extremities, the arms and legs that people see, that stick out of their shirt.
- Exactly. You definitely won't look good if you are not feeling well. Or dead.
- That's right. you can't train either. If you're dead.
- As always, make sure you keep it locked in here. And make sure you click on the link and check out Jigsaw SRT. So you can constantly have the sustain releasing magnesium that you need to keep hydrated properly. So, your lymph can do its job. See you in the next Science Saturday.
- Take care.
- Thanks.
- Thanks, Thomas.
