I just got back from a workout at my local free gym (part of my new apartment, I love this place!).
I pushed myself really hard, but I came home and noticed that I don't feel nearly as pumped as I did after my workouts last week.
Last week, I remember this one particular day when I got back from exactly the same workout, I felt like a TANK.
Seriously, you might have thought I was some vain bastard the way I was standing in front of the mirror, I felt like I was the HULK!
It took some effort to get my Malx compression shirt off because I was so much bigger (those things are awesome for wearing during your workouts by the way, they're not just for compressing man boobs).
It's like my muscles were trying to BURST out of my skin, even when I wasn't tensing them.
And the effect lasted for a good few hours!!!
Today on the other hand, it's just coming up to 30 minutes since my workout, and I can already feel the pump wearing off.
Thinking back, there was nothing I was doing different last week, I was eating the same diet, I was hydrated just the same, everything was the same… except this one thing.
Last week I was taking steroids!
No, not the illegal steroids you pump into your body for huge muscles, that messes up your health and can give you gynecomastia.
I'm talking PLANT steroids!
Yeh, sounds boring, but in an earlier post I told you how SPINACH contains something called phytoecdysteroids (phyto-ecdy-steroids), which some animal studies have suggested result in more muscle growth than the illegal anabolic steroid, Dianabol.
Last week I was eating a handful of spinach multiple times throughout the day, and I believe this is what gave me that crazy, almost scary pump.
What's really cool, is that the natural anabolic steroids in spinach can grow your muscles without any of the liver and heart damaging side-effects of the artificial stuff bodybuilders use.
Now, I'm sure spinach has its limits, or else all professional bodybuilders would be using spinach instead of the likes of Dianabol. But even so, wouldn't you rather FIRST maximize your muscle growth with something natural like spinach, before resorting to dangerous illegal drugs?
How Does Spinach Give You Such A Massive Workout Pump?
That pumped feeling after a resistance training or HIIT workout comes from increased blood-flow to your muscles.
Spinach is one of the highest dietary sources of nitrate1.
Studies show that nitrate from spinach is converted to nitric oxide in your body2.
Nitric oxide is a well-known vasodilator, meaning it widens your blood vessels, which allows more blood to flow to your muscles during and after exercise.
Another thing in spinach that dilates your blood vessels, is those phytoecdysteroids.
Bodybuilders talk about how much more of a pump they get from their workouts when they are on steroids.
Studies show that anabolic steroids increase nitric oxide levels too3, and since phytoecdysteroids have a similar structure and function to human anabolic steroid hormones, then it's possible that they increase nitric oxide too.
This means spinach has a double-whammy effect on dilating your blood vessels and bringing more fluid into your muscles during a workout, hence giving you a bigger, much stronger pump after your workouts.
Why Is A Post-Workout Pump Important?
A bigger pump means more blood flow to the muscles, which means your muscles are able to receive more of the vital nutrients and hormones like testosterone, which they need for growth and recovery.
Also, getting in a proper pump feels damn good, and makes the workout feel worthwhile in the immediate sense.
And if you want to INSTANTLY look good for a few hours, a proper pump can transform your body so you look stunning for that pool party, even if you're normally a little on the chubby side with small man boobs.
Why Have I Not Been Eating Spinach This Week?
I've heard that spinach is one of the most pesticide-infested crops there is. So I've been on the lookout for ORGANIC spinach, and haven't been able to find any in my local grocery stores.
Also, my leg is better now so I don't need spinach so much for bone healing. But heck, I still want to have the stuff for enhancing my workouts.
You should try and get organic spinach if you can, but if you can’t, it’s still better to have non-organic spinach than no spinach at all. Just be sure to thoroughly wash the spinach before you eat it.
Get started on spinach now and see how you get on with your workouts.
Click the link below to read my original article on spinach, you'll find there some important info on how to eat the stuff for maximum benefit:
And spinach won't matter if you're not working out properly. For both losing man boobs and building some manly muscle, check out my program, the Chest Sculpting Blueprint, here:
https://chestsculpting.com/how-to-lose-chest-fat
If spinach isn’t working for you, and you can’t build muscle despite working out Chest Sculpting Blueprint-style, then it could be you need to sort out your hormones first. For this, I would recommend looking into progesterone for losing man boobs.
Here’s a good men’s progesterone cream I get my clients to use:
https://chestsculpting.com/links/progesterone/hewis-and-selby.php
References
- Brkic, D. et al. Nitrate in Leafy Green Vegetables and Estimated Intake. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med 14, 31-41, doi:10.21010/ajtcam.v14i3.4 (2017).
- Jovanovski, E. et al. Effect of Spinach, a High Dietary Nitrate Source, on Arterial Stiffness and Related Hemodynamic Measures: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy Adults. Clin Nutr Res 4, 160-167, doi:10.7762/cnr.2015.4.3.160 (2015).
- Fontana, K., Rocha, T. & da Cruz-Hofling, M. A. Regulation of neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthase by anabolic-androgenic steroid in skeletal muscles. Histol Histopathol 27, 1449-1458, doi:10.14670/HH-27.1449 (2012).
Hello, I’ve got organic spinach, but the taste is brutal. Can I use it a home made smoothie, is going to have the same effect?
Hey Kuzman, I know what you mean, totally disgusting.
But did you try using the two methods I mention in this article?:
https://chestsculpting.com/spinach-a-natural-source-of-anabolic-steroids-that-give-you-bigger-muscles/
Scroll to near the bottom and look for “Method #1” and “Method #2”.
Making a smoothie is probably better than cooking it, but it does also mean you undo the roughage-effect of the fiber. It’s generally better to have foods in their whole form. But hey, it’s far better to have spinach in a smoothie than no spinach at all.
Give it a go and see how you get on.