Listening to consumer feedback, as well as their wants and needs, has led us to where we are today with Nitraflex ULTRA. Some people prefer to be chasing strength and performance rather than a massive pump. But why? 

Sure, many people who enter the gym are there to attain sleeve-tearing pumps that’ll make them do a double-take on their physique in the mirror each time they pass by. But what about those who train just as hard, except they are chasing strength and performance to improve functional fitness? Those individuals don’t need a pump, and in fact, having a pump can interfere with the results they are looking to achieve.

In this article, we are going to dive deeper into why chasing strength and performance may be something you should be striving for rather than the pump, depending on your goals.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting an exercise program, making changes to your nutrition plan, or adding any new supplements to your current regimen.

 

Why is Strength and Performance Important for Functional Fitness?

Whether you’re an athlete or a dedicated fitness enthusiast looking to improve functional fitness, you demand certain things from your workout that differ from more of a “bro split” or bodybuilding style of workout. 

While bodybuilders and those looking to add lean muscle to their physique will talk about how great the pump feels all day, you’ll never hear the word “functional” come out of their mouths. For them, it’s primarily about appearance and size.

There’s nothing wrong with bodybuilding and that training style, but it’s the opposite of what you need if you’re after strength and performance.

The whole point of functional training is to focus on improving your ability to perform everyday activities and movements. While there may be some overlap in exercises between the two styles of training, the goal of functional training is to utilize multiple muscle groups simultaneously rather than an isolated focus on a certain movement for only one particular muscle group.

The movements done when looking to improve strength and performance should mimic real-life movements, such as squatting, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, and rotating — all functional movements.

Athletes demand strength and performance to keep ahead of the competition and continue winning. At the same time, they can’t compromise on their movement and flexibility. 

Functional fitness (and sport-specific training) provides athletes with the necessary training program to check all the boxes and allow them to compete at a high level without compromising on their speed, mobility, agility, and coordination. Adding too much size and always focusing on the pump is not ideal. 

For those getting up there in age (if you are like me, don’t ask me my age; I’m not as young as I look), functional fitness is what keeps them young and lively.

It’s about quality of life, long-term health benefits, and maintaining your strength and performance for daily tasks and activities.

Additionally, being able to maintain your independence as you age is extremely important to most people so that they don’t need to rely on others to do things. And the ability to train smartly and with intent can allow you to keep going back to the gym, regardless of your age (and do so injury-free).

 

How Can “The Pump” Be a Bad Thing?

 If you are someone who chases the pump rather than striving for strength and performance optimization, it may be hard to wrap your head around why no one wouldn’t want a pump (and I would tend to agree that having a pump feels amazing).

To better illustrate how the pump interferes with someone looking to improve strength and performance, let’s create a little storyline and scenario that we can let unfold.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts whose main focus is functional training aren’t necessarily looking to add mounds of muscle as if jumping on a bodybuilding stage. Is having more lean muscle mass a bad thing? No, but stay with me here.

Bodybuilding and muscle growth come down to hypertrophy, time-under-tension, and progressively overloading the muscle. While some of those may cross over into the functional fitness realm of things to see progress (especially with strength), engorging the muscle with blood and creating a volumizing effect is not ideal for the performance side of things.

Now, for the storyline and scenario. Let’s say I put a balloon in front of you. If you only fill it with a little bit of air, it is much easier to manipulate, squeeze, move, twist, bend, etc., correct?

Next, we will blow the balloon up to max capacity to the point that adding any more air would absolutely cause the balloon to explode in your face. How easy is it to do the same movements you did when the balloon was not as full? Much harder, right (if not impossible)?

This same scenario is basically what plays out when you focus too much on the pump rather than training for strength and performance. Sure, it is “exercise,” and you are causing micro-tears in the muscle fibers, but the style of training does not align with someone focused on functional strength and fitness.

Rather than being big and bulky, the goal with functional fitness is to improve

• Multi-joint movements
• Core stability
• Balance and coordination
• Strength and performance
• Functional movement patterns
• Mobility and flexibility
• Injury prevention
• Overall health

Looking specifically at athletics now… Would a golfer or tennis player benefit from having a pump? Of course not. That would restrict their movement and flexibility, causing their game to suffer. Your specific training needs to align with your individual goals.

 

Do You Want Better Strength and Performance?

If you read this entire article because it was slammed full of information and value, but it does not really apply to you, and you are still someone who would rather chase the pump above all else, we have got you covered with Nitraflex KAOS — the most intense pre-workout with explosive energy and pumps.

That said, thanks for joining us… We hope to see you back here for more of our awesome content.

But if you are someone who wants to improve strength and performance, you need Nitraflex ULTRA — our most advanced strength and performance pre-workout.

Related Article: Why a Pre-Workout Can Help You Attain Your Goals Faster

This functional training pre-workout is powered by key vitamins and minerals as well as patented and trademarked ingredients like the Nitraflex ULTRA Performance Blend to help maximize strength, SuperSodium and Calci-K for improved hydration, Dopaphen for better focus, and Dynamine for a potent combination of energy and focus.

Do not settle for just any pre-workout when striving for strength and performance in the gym — level up your functional training with Nitraflex ULTRA. Try it today!