Does pump = doms = growth?

[eatliftrest]

Usually I’m crippled for at least 3 days after legs day but over the past few months the pump & doms have dropped right off. Routine is 4-5 sets squats, 3-4 hacks, 6 L/press , 4-6 seated curls, 6 L/ext, rep range is 6-15, last 3 sets to failure. So this week I catch up with a mate with a powerlifting background who says ‘you gotta shock them man’ and gets me into supersetting of 15 rep leg ext with 15 rep leg press, all failing at 12ish with a few negatives to finish off. Pump was best in ages and jelly legs. Awesome. Have been awaiting the return of wobbly walk syndrome since but its fk all. Kinda pissed tbh. Should I be gauging the success of a workout by pump and/or doms? Weights are increasing so is that all I should worry about?

cheers

[Shutupandsquat]

Pump isn't completely necessary, but it's good to have. I hate it when I don't get a good pump, though, so what am I on about hahaha.

A pump won't always result in DOMS, in fact, you won't always get DOMS depending on how you eat after, and what you did for that workout.

Delayed onset of muscle soreness is essentially the muscle tearing. Only small tears though. Then, when you consume protein and all that stuff, it heals the muscle, making it re-attatch, and therefore the muscle gets bigger.

But like I said, you won't always get DOMS. I probably don't always because I might eat more on one day, and the muscle has basically already healed and so I don't feel the pain, but other workouts, I'll feel it for 1-4 days after.

Sure, there's the shock factor, but there's always the nutrition factor that plays a role in your DOMS. Maybe try not training so hard (not serious)

[Monarchking]

Should I be gauging the success of a workout by pump and/or doms? Weights are increasing so is that all I should worry about?

I would say if the weight on the bar is increasing then this is a good way to gauge the success of your training program.

[severe]

What Monarchking said ^

I got a mean pump at Crossfit doing pushups. I never got thick slabs of chest

[eatliftrest]

SUAS - Great reply thanks. Dont feel so bad now

MK, Severe - Yeah thats what I figured too. Thanks for the confirmation