How to Get Your Muscles Pumped For Photo Shoots

Welcome to the day of your photo shoot, the day for which you've worked so tremendously hard during the past 12-16 weeks. You've dieted to cut weight to the extreme and have made your cardio sessions longer and increasingly grueling as the day of the shoot neared.

Now you are fatigued and irritable, but also excited and eager to complete what you have worked so hard for. All you have to do is follow your scheduled diet and show up on time ready to shoot, right?

Achieving The Pump

Not exactly. As many remember back in the during the 1970's breakthrough movie for bodybuilding called “Pumping Iron.” Arnold spoke about the pump and how critical it is not only in the gym but on stage at a bodybuilding contest as well. In fact for a bodybuilder or male fitness model, it has an even greater importance at or photo shoot.

The pump really just brings more blood flow to the muscle that is being worked. That muscle swells up when pumped, appearing bigger, denser, and also provides an increased vascularity (appearance of veins). Amazing pumps will not just appear on the day of the photo shoot. You must train consistently throughout the year to develop eye-popping pumps. That means hitting the gym when you are supposed to, proper dieting and not making partying the focus of your life.

Hitting the Gym Before a Photo Shoot

Many bodybuilders time their visits to the gym to get pumped before their photo shoots and arrive promptly with bulging veins ready to step in front of the camera. But they will be out of luck.

Day of Photo Shoot

The problem with achieving a pump for bodybuilders during their photo shoots is that seldom is an exact time known when you need to be pumped is not known. There is a ton of confusion and disorganization that takes place in the studio or photo shoot location. More often then not, photo shoots don't occur at an exact preplanned time. Since time is needed to set up lighting, style the model's hair and add body makeup, the bodybuilder will not start posing right away.

For example, you may be scheduled to arrive at the studio at 2 p.m. but may not actually pose in front of the camera until 3:30 p.m. The pump typically only usually lasts no more than a span of 20-30 minutes. There is no way he'd be able to keep that pump another 90 minutes until he actually gets photographed.

Many bodybuilders find this frustrating because they feel they have wasted energy when they already feel depleted and cranky from following a strict diet and training regimen in preparation for this shoot. Photographers, agents, and anyone else on set have enough technical aspects to worry about without needing to hurry before the model’s pump disappears. Hearing the bodybuilder complain is the last thing they need.

On Location Routine Needed

The best solution is to pre-establish an on-location routine. You should come prepared to get a pump about three minutes before you step in front of the camera. The bodybuilder's best bet is to bring dumbbells with him and perform simple bodyweight resistance type of exercises such as push ups. Make sure you inform a photographer you need time in between poses to get a pump. An inexperienced photographer may not know you are able to make your muscles appear larger if given time to pump up.

Bicep Curls with Towel

If you do not have dumbells available with which to do bicep curls, get a crew member to hold down the ends of a towel while you curl the middle of the towel.

Nitric Oxide

Taking a nitric oxide supplement (such as NO-Xplode) would also play a helpful role to give muscles maximum pump effect on the day of a photo shoot.

Bodybuilders should began taking N.O. Xplode at least two weeks before the photo shoot so his body has built up enough of N.O. to produce significant results.

Drinking a diet green tea, or sugar free Red Bull will also help you stay energized while keeping your calories to a very strict minimum. Those drinks a synergistic effect on the nitric oxide supplement such as NO2, Pumptech, etc..

These are keys to remember on the day you've trained so rigorously for over the previous 16 weeks. Hopefully, having a pre-established routine will make the day a lot less frustrating, and smooth. Remember you've worked hard and have overcome too much don't let the disorganization of the photo crew throw you off when all you need to do is just plan a little and show up prepared and ready to get a pump when the crew is ready for you.

Be sure to also read the mistake guys make when building muscle for a photo shoot.

Franco Ruggiero is a fitness expert based in New Jersey. His major in college is Exercise Science and he supplements his lifitng with Pure Protein bars, Protein Plus Bar, Nitrix CEM3, MuscleTech Thermogain, 150 caps, Extreme Body RTDs , and ANAVOL Volumizer. Visit this page to sign up for low-cost, one-on-one personalized fitness advice from a Campus Men trainer..

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